2 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Santa Clara County, California.
Verified from official government sources
California Civil Code §3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits after three years of consistent activity. SCC layers this with the Williamson Act and agricultural preserves in Coyote Valley and the Gilroy-Morgan Hill area.
Cal. Civil Code § 3482.5
(a)(1) No agricultural activity, operation, or facility, or appurtenances thereof, conducted or maintained for commercial purposes, and in a manner consistent with proper and accepted customs and standards, as established and followed by similar agricultural operations in the same locality, shall be or become a nuisance, private or public, due to any changed condition in or about the locality, ...
Santa Clara County Code Title C Zoning establishes A (Exclusive Agriculture) and AR (Agricultural Ranchlands) districts for unincorporated areas. Williamson Act contracts further restrict prime farmland in Coyote Valley, San Martin, and the Gilroy growing belt to agricultural use.
1 cities in Santa Clara County have their own right to farm rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Santa Clara County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Santa Clara County Ordinance Hub →