10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 8 cities in San Bernardino County, California.
Verified from official government sources
San Bernardino County MS4 Permit under the Santa Ana and Lahontan Regional Water Boards requires stormwater BMPs for development over 1 acre and prohibits non-stormwater discharges to the storm drain system.
San Bernardino County Development Code and MS4 permits require erosion control BMPs on all graded sites, with hillside development overlay imposing stricter rules including revegetation bonds.
San Bernardino County is entirely inland - Mojave Desert, Inland Empire, and the San Bernardino Mountains - with no coastline and no California Coastal Commission jurisdiction. The relevant program is the Floodplain Safety (FP) Overlay in Title 8, Section 82.14, plus the Floodplain Administrator duties in Section 86.04, requiring a permit before any development in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area or designated desert wash.
San Bernardino County Floodplain Management Ordinance implements FEMA NFIP requirements including elevation certificates, 1-foot freeboard, and flood insurance for Special Flood Hazard Areas.
San Bernardino County Development Code Chapter 83 requires grading permits for earth moving over 50 cubic yards, with hillside and rough grading permits, drainage plans, and geotechnical review.
Properties in San Bernardino Mountain WUI zones must clear 100 feet of defensible space around structures. SBCFPD inspects annually before fire season; failure to comply triggers abatement orders, contractor cleanup at owner cost, and potential criminal citations.
California Public Resources Code Section 4291 (Defensible Space)
4291. (a) A person who owns, leases, controls, operates, or maintains a building or structure in the state responsibility area shall at all times do all of the following: (1) (A) Maintain defensible space of 100 feet from each side and from the front and rear of the structure, but not beyond the property line, except as provided in subparagraph (B). The amount of fuel modification necessary sha...
California Air Resources Board limits commercial diesel idling to 5 minutes statewide, enforced aggressively in San Bernardino County warehouse hubs like Fontana, Ontario, and the Inland Empire. SCAQMD adds local enforcement in non-attainment basins.
California AB 1346 bans the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers, mowers, and similar small off-road engines starting in 2024. San Bernardino County does not impose a separate operational ban but enforces noise rules.
California Health and Safety Code Section 43018.11 (AB 1346 — Small Off-Road Engines)
43018.11. (a) (1) By July 1, 2022, the state board shall, consistent with federal law, adopt cost-effective and technologically feasible regulations to prohibit engine exhaust and evaporative emissions from new small off-road engines, as defined by the state board. Those regulations shall apply to engines produced on or after January 1, 2024, or as soon as the state board determines is feasible...
San Bernardino County adopted a Climate Action Plan and updated Renewable Energy and Conservation Element setting greenhouse gas reduction targets aligned with California SB 32. New developments must demonstrate consistency with CAP measures during CEQA review.
California Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards mandate cool-roof reflectance values for new and re-roofed buildings in San Bernardino County climate zones 10, 14, 15, and 16, covering desert and mountain communities prone to extreme heat.
California Title 24, Part 6 — Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Cool Roofs)
The Building Energy Efficiency Standards serve to reduce wasteful, uneconomical, and unnecessary uses of energy for the state. They include requirements in the Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6) and voluntary energy efficiency provisions in CALGreen (Title 24, Part 11). The Building Energy Efficiency Standards are updated every three years.
8 cities in San Bernardino County have their own environmental rules rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
4 verified rules • Erosion Control, Flood Zones
4 verified rules • Erosion Control, Flood Zones
4 verified rules • Erosion Control, Flood Zones
4 verified rules • Erosion Control, Flood Zones
4 verified rules • Erosion Control, Flood Zones
5 verified rules • Coastal Development, Erosion Control
5 verified rules • Coastal Development, Erosion Control
5 verified rules • Coastal Development, Erosion Control
See every category we cover for San Bernardino County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
San Bernardino County Ordinance Hub →