Santa Cruz County, CA Ordinances (2026)

Running a hairdressing, personal training, yoga, or lesson-based home business out of an unincorporated Santa Cruz County residence caps client traffic at two people on-site at a time…

Santa Cruz County allows cottage food operations as a home occupation, but only if the business follows California's cottage food law and clears the county's Environmental Health…

Under Santa Cruz County Code 13.10.613(B)(2), a home occupation may have no visible or external evidence other than one unlighted sign not exceeding one square foot in area, affixed to…

Santa Cruz County Code Section 13.10.613 allows home occupations as a secondary use in residential zones. The activity must be carried on entirely within the dwelling or an allowed…

Santa Cruz County treats a family day care home serving up to 14 children as a permitted residential use in every residential zone district, requiring only an administrative permit…

All fireworks are illegal in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. Even California-legal 'Safe and Sane' fireworks are banned countywide in unincorporated areas and on all beaches. The…

Residential (backyard) outdoor burning in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is allowed only during the open burn season, on a permissive burn day, with a CAL FIRE burn permit and a…

Recreational backyard fires are governed by the California Fire Code, adopted via County Code Chapter 7.92. Recreational fires must stay at least 25 feet from any structure or…

Property owners in unincorporated Santa Cruz County must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around structures under California Public Resources Code 4291, plus roadway/driveway…

Most of unincorporated Santa Cruz County is mapped High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, with extensive Wildland-Urban Interface. The 2020 CZU Lightning Complex burned 86,509…

Santa Cruz County caps liquefied petroleum gas storage at 2,000 gallons water capacity anywhere within the Santa Cruz County Fire District under Fire Code § 7.92.9500(C). The limit…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County caps household pets at four dogs or four cats, or any combination of the two, in every zone district from residential to commercial agriculture…

Santa Cruz County bans injuring, killing, capturing, or taking any wild bird in the unincorporated area under SCCC § 6.12.150(C). The law covers every wild bird species, not just game…

Santa Cruz County does not ban pet shops from selling animals, but SCCC § 6.04.220 bars selling or displaying live animals anywhere else open to the public. Swap meets, flea markets…

Every dog, cat, and rabbit over three months old in unincorporated Santa Cruz County must carry an implanted microchip under SCCC § 6.08.011. Sellers must disclose the chip number on…

Intentionally feeding ducks, geese, or pigeons anywhere in unincorporated Santa Cruz County violates SCCC § 6.14.020. The ordinance also bans selling live waterfowl or pigeons as pets…

Zoning rules at SCCC § 13.10.645 cap backyard poultry and other small animals at two per 1,000 square feet of parcel in residential and rural-residential districts, ban roosters…

Off the owner's own property, every dog in unincorporated Santa Cruz County must be under actual physical restraint, such as a leash, tether, or a person's grasp, under SCCC §…

Santa Cruz County has no breed ban; instead SCCC § 6.19.020 lets Animal Services declare any individual animal a habitual offender, potentially dangerous, or vicious based on its own…

Santa Cruz County treats veterinary offices and animal hospitals as a conditional use requiring a permit in its agricultural districts, and SCCC § 13.10.646 layers on siting rules for…

Feeding a feral cat colony in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is illegal unless the caretaker registers with Animal Services and meets six ongoing duties under SCCC § 6.10.040…

Possessing, keeping, or controlling any wild-species animal anywhere in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is illegal under SCCC § 6.12.150, unless the owner holds a valid California…

Owning an unaltered dog, cat, or rabbit over six months old in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is illegal under SCCC § 6.10.030 unless the owner holds an annual unaltered animal…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County allows accessory dwelling units ministerially under County Code 13.10.681 and California's state ADU law. Detached ADUs can be 850-1,200 sq ft, with…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, a detached storage shed needs no building permit if it is 120 sq ft or smaller, one story and 10 feet or less in height, with no electricity…

Santa Cruz County lets a Tiny Home on Wheels (THOW) serve as a primary residence or replace an accessory dwelling unit under SCCC § 13.10.680, capped at 400 square feet and 14 feet…

Santa Cruz County flatly bars short-term rental use in any accessory dwelling unit or junior ADU. SCCC § 13.10.681(G)(3) says a rental of less than 30 days is never allowed in an ADU…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County allows converting a legal garage into a conversion ADU under County Code 13.10.681 and state ADU law. Only legally built structures qualify, no new…

Santa Cruz County cannot charge an impact fee on any JADU or on an ADU smaller than 750 square feet. SCCC § 13.10.681(H)(3) caps fees for larger ADUs proportionally to the primary…

Persistent barking dogs in unincorporated Santa Cruz County are handled as 'offensive noise' under County Code Chapter 8.30. The County General Plan specifically lists 'loud birds and…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County (Live Oak, Soquel, Aptos, Felton, Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Davenport, La Selva Beach), County Code Chapter 8.30 prohibits 'offensive noise.' Night…

Amplified music in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is regulated as 'offensive noise' under County Code Chapter 8.30, with stricter night thresholds after 10:00 p.m. County Code…

Off-road vehicles operated in unincorporated Santa Cruz County must run a muffler or spark arrester that keeps exhaust noise at or below 97 dBA measured from 20 inches, under SCCC §…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County allows permitted construction noise only 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays under County Code 13.15.040, extendable to 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. only with…

Aircraft noise is governed by the FAA, not Santa Cruz County; flight paths are set federally. No commercial airport lies within the unincorporated county, and the sole general-aviation…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, every short-term rental of fewer than 30 days needs a County permit. A Non-Hosted (Vacation) Rental permit covers an entire home; a Hosted Rental…

Santa Cruz County caps the total number of short-term rental permits by area. SCCC § 13.10.694(D)(4) limits the Live Oak, Seacliff/Aptos/La Selva, and Davenport/Swanton designated…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County taxes vacation rental stays at 14% of rent, two points above the 12% hotel rate, under SCCC § 4.24.030. Operators must hold a Tax Administrator-issued…

Santa Cruz County makes booking platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo directly accountable for illegal short-term rental listings: SCCC § 13.10.695 requires platforms to disclose listing URLs…

Under SCCC 13.10.694, overnight occupancy of a vacation rental may not exceed two guests per legal bedroom plus two additional guests, with children under eight not counted. For…

A Santa Cruz County hosted rental requires the host to actually live in the home. SCCC § 13.10.694(C)(5) defines a hosted rental as a unit where a long-term resident occupies at least…

Santa Cruz County tracks short-term rental compliance on a strike system: more than two significant violations on one property within any 12-month period sends the permit under SCCC §…

Santa Cruz County requires non-hosted short-term rental permits to provide on-site parking before guests use the street: one space for one- or two-bedroom units, two spaces for…

Every short-term rental permitted in unincorporated Santa Cruz County must comply with the county's Chapter 8.30 noise standards and post a copy of that chapter for guests. SCCC §…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County enforces a locally amended Uniform Code for the Abatement of Structural and Geologic Hazards, letting the Building Official or County Geologist declare…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, SCCC 13.10.525 regulates fence and retaining-wall heights within required yards. The County's Planning publication allows fences up to 8 feet in…

Two separate permit tracks apply: a building permit under the California Building Code (fences over 8 ft wood/metal, over 6 ft concrete/masonry) and zoning over-height certification…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, a retaining wall holding back three feet of material or less needs no building permit, but any wall retaining more than four feet must be designed…

SCCC 13.10.525 does not impose a general list of prohibited fence materials for ordinary residential fences, but it sets material-based building-permit thresholds (concrete/masonry…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, routine trimming of trees on your own property is generally allowed without a permit. But in the Coastal Zone, cutting more than one-third of a…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County has no numeric lawn-height limit. Tall grass and weeds are regulated only as a wildfire fuel hazard: under California Public Resources Code 4291 (via…

Santa Cruz County's water-efficient landscape ordinance lets artificial turf into "special landscape areas" (active-recreation sites or areas irrigated 60-plus percent with nonpotable…

Santa Cruz County's landscape water ordinance encourages, but does not mandate, rain gardens, cisterns and other rain-harvesting systems as stormwater best practices under SCCC §…

Most outdoor water restrictions for unincorporated Santa Cruz County come from state law and local water districts, not one county ordinance. The State Water Board's permanent…

For landscaping covered by the County's Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, SCCC § 13.13.060(C) requires plant selection to fit the site's climate, soil, and fire-district defensible…

In the unincorporated Coastal Zone, cutting down, poisoning, or trimming more than one-third of a significant tree's foliage requires a significant tree removal permit under SCCC §…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County has no blanket overnight ban on ordinary cars on residential streets, but SCCC 9.70.620 bans overnight RV/mobile-home street parking, SCCC 9.36.080…

The Fall Creek area of unincorporated Santa Cruz County runs a preferential parking permit zone under SCCC Chapter 9.46, adopted under Vehicle Code § 22507. Parking is prohibited…

Santa Cruz County requires every driveway, parking area, aisle and access drive to be paved with two inches of asphalt over five inches of Class II base rock, or an equivalent durable…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires off-street loading berths for retail uses over 10,000 square feet, wholesale and warehousing establishments, industrial uses, and mortuaries…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County runs a streamlined, checklist-based permit for electric vehicle charging stations under SCCC § 12.10.322. The Building Official must approve a complete…

SCCC 9.70.600 lets residents petition to designate a street where parking a commercial vehicle of 10,000 lbs GVW or more (or an RV) is unlawful once signs are posted. SCCC 9.70.610…

SCCC 9.70.610 bars parking any vehicle on a County-maintained road for more than 72 consecutive hours in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. A vehicle is considered parked the whole time…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, SCCC 9.70.620 makes it unlawful to park a mobile home or recreational vehicle overnight on any highway, street, or alley. A resident may park one…

Santa Cruz County grants a density bonus of up to 35% (50% with an enhanced bonus) above the zoning maximum to unincorporated-area housing developments that set aside affordable units…

Residents in unincorporated Santa Cruz County can hold garage or yard sales at their home up to four weekends a year without any County permit under SCCC § 13.10.616(D)(4). The sale…

Trash and recycling carts in unincorporated Santa Cruz County can't sit uncollected indefinitely. County Code § 7.20.160 requires every premises' containers to be emptied and hauled to…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires every generator, homeowners, tenants, and businesses alike, to subscribe to organics collection and keep yard trimmings out of the trash cart…

Rolling your cart to the curb early or leaving it out for days is a code violation in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. County Code § 7.20.150 caps curbside placement to 24 hours…

Dumping in unincorporated Santa Cruz County outside an approved container or resource management facility is banned outright under County Code § 7.20.180, and the penalties escalate…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires every household and business to subscribe to organic materials collection and keep food scraps and yard trimmings out of the trash and…

Every residence and business in unincorporated Santa Cruz County has had to carry recyclable materials, organic materials, and solid waste collection service from a County-authorized…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County it's an infraction to pull recyclables out of a neighbor's cart or a curbside recycling load. County Code § 7.20.040 gives the County's franchised…

Every commercial, industrial, and multi-family property in unincorporated Santa Cruz County must keep its own discarded-materials containers on site, in good repair, sized to hold…

A business in unincorporated Santa Cruz County that stores discarded materials in large quantities doesn't get to decide for itself how much is too much. County Code § 7.20.140 puts…

Santa Cruz County's noise ordinance (County Code Chapter 8.30) caps sound at the source property line: 75 dBA daytime (8 a.m.–10 p.m.) and 60 dBA at night (10 p.m.–8 a.m.). Data-center…

Santa Cruz County has no dedicated data-center ordinance. On unincorporated land a data center is regulated only as an industrial use, allowed in the M-1 or M-2 districts under SCCC…

Every pharmacy, medical office and other retailer or provider that sells or furnishes hypodermic needles, lancets or other sharps in unincorporated Santa Cruz County has had to run a…

Feeding rats, mice, or other wild rodents and vermin in any outdoor public place in unincorporated Santa Cruz County, including streets, sidewalks, parks, and beaches, is prohibited…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County rentals must meet the 1997 Uniform Housing Code, adopted at County Code § 12.10.252, and any dwelling the Building Official finds dangerous is abated…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, mobile home park owners must give residents 90 days' written notice before any annual general rent adjustment, using the exact form the county's…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County has no local just-cause eviction ordinance; California's statewide Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482, Civ Code 1946.2) applies. AB 1482 requires…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County has no local rent-control ordinance. The City of Santa Cruz rejected Measure M (a comprehensive rent-control measure) in November 2018. The only…

Santa Cruz County bans any nonstormwater discharge from leaving private property or entering the storm drain system, receiving waters, or groundwater. New development and redevelopment…

Coastal-zone development in unincorporated Santa Cruz County needs an approved erosion control plan under SCCC Chapter 16.22 before any grading, land clearing, building or development…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, new and substantially improved buildings in mapped flood hazard areas must have their lowest floor elevated at least 2 feet above the base flood…

Most development in Santa Cruz County's Coastal Zone (extending roughly five miles inland from the Pacific along the North Coast and along Highway 1) requires a Coastal Development…

Santa Cruz County requires a floodplain development permit for any development activity in a mapped flood hazard area, with no exception for small projects. Under §§ 16.13.290 and…

Santa Cruz County sorts every unincorporated-area business into one of five license tax classes under SCCC § 4.02.060, each with its own basic tax plus a per-employee rate. Class A…

Santa Cruz County bans letting a plumbing leak or break run unfixed past a reasonable time, and county code fixes that reasonable time at 24 hours after the leak is discovered or the…

Santa Cruz County allows tertiary-treated recycled water facilities on land zoned CA (Commercial Agriculture) or A (Agriculture), but only next to an existing public wastewater…

New or rehabilitated landscaping covered by Santa Cruz County's Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance can put no more than 25 percent of the total landscaped area into turf, high water…

Drinking alcohol on any public street, sidewalk, park, beach or parking lot in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is a misdemeanor. Carrying an open, unsealed alcoholic beverage…

Santa Cruz County's Smoking Pollution Control ordinance, SCCC Chapter 7.88, defines "smoking" to include burning or carrying any plant product intended for human inhalation, so…

Santa Cruz County bans skateboards, roller skates, and similar wheeled devices from specific public and posted private areas under SCCC § 8.23.020, including tennis courts, active…

Hosting a loud or unruly gathering on property you own or rent in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is an infraction under SCCC § 8.32.020, and a second Sheriff's response within 12…

Santa Cruz County bans smoking outdoors at every unincorporated county park, beach, recreation area and trail, plus outdoor dining patios, under Chapter 7.88 of the county code. The…

Santa Cruz County has no general public loitering law; its only codified loitering rule sits inside the cardroom chapter. SCCC Section 5.16.120 bars a cardroom owner, operator, or…

Santa Cruz County caps unincorporated cardrooms at one and reserves eligibility for whoever already held the county license as of January 1, 1998, or their successor in interest…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires a separate building permit before any building, structure, or building service equipment covered by the California Building Code is erected…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) with local amendments requiring Energy Star appliances and added insulation on…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County enforces the 2025 California Plumbing Code with local amendments requiring earthquake-actuated gas shutoff valves on new or replacement gas lines and…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County adopts the 2025 California Electrical Code and requires a permit for most electrical work, with a local rule mandating a concrete-encased grounding…

Santa Cruz County requires a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector on every level of a home built under the county's Limited-Density Owner-Built Rural Dwelling program, SCCC…

Santa Cruz County requires an automatic fire sprinkler system in every new building in the unincorporated county, regardless of construction type or square footage, under Fire Code §…

Permitted work in unincorporated Santa Cruz County must stay exposed for inspection until the Building Official signs off under SCCC § 12.10.355. Skipping ahead of an inspection, or…

Santa Cruz County lets a permitted Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) cook on an outdoor barbecue, smoker, or wood-burning oven only with prior Department approval under…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County must offer a streamlined, checklist-based permitting process for small residential rooftop solar systems up to 10 kilowatts AC, limiting review to a…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County bans parking in the striped buffer of a marked bicycle lane under SCCC § 9.36.060. Once curb markings or signs are posted, no motor vehicle may stop…

Santa Cruz County does not set citywide TNC pickup zones, but its Transportation Demand Management ordinance requires large nonresidential and mixed-use developments to provide on-site…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County bars riding a motorized scooter, e-bike, moped, or similar device on any sidewalk unless that sidewalk is also a bikeway, and bars riding on a bikeway…

Santa Cruz County has no general dark-sky ordinance, but its zoning code requires shielded, downward-directed outdoor lighting for permitted non-retail commercial cannabis cultivation…

Santa Cruz County requires off-street parking and circulation-area lighting for any development other than single-family homes to be directed onto the site and away from adjacent…

Restaurants and cafes in unincorporated Santa Cruz County need a discretionary permit before adding outdoor seating: a Minor Use Permit for 12 or fewer seats, or an Administrative Use…

Reserving a Santa Cruz County park facility, building or grounds for a private event runs through Santa Cruz County Code § 10.04.040(C). The Board of Supervisors sets a fee schedule…

A block party in the unincorporated 'County beaches area' of Santa Cruz County needs a permit before it happens. Santa Cruz County Code § 10.20.020(C) expressly defines 'block parties'…

A street-fair-style festival on private land in unincorporated Santa Cruz County runs through the community events and fundraisers rule at Santa Cruz County Code § 13.10.614, not a…

Santa Cruz County's park code doesn't use the word 'drone,' but § 10.04.150 bans operating any motorized model aircraft anywhere in a County park except in an area the Department has…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County bans taking off or landing any unmanned aircraft system, drones included, on the Cotoni-Coast Dairies Unit of the California Coastal National Monument…

Santa Cruz County has no single closing time posted in ordinance for every park. Santa Cruz County Code § 10.04.060 puts that decision with the Director of Parks, Open Space and…

Santa Cruz County bars minors under 18 from lingering in public places between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. under the Youth Protection Curfew, SCCC § 8.21.030. The ordinance lists nine…

Santa Cruz County caps how much of a residential lot can be covered by buildings under SCCC § 13.10.323(C), with limits ranging from 10% on RR, RA, and R-1 parcels over an acre up to…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County sets minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks by zone district in the Site and Structural Dimensions Chart at SCCC § 13.10.323(C). Setbacks scale…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County caps single-family building height at 28 feet in most residential zones under SCCC § 13.10.323(C), dropping to 25 feet (17 feet for beach lots) in the…

Santa Cruz County's Agricultural Land Preservation and Protection ordinance, SCCC Chapter 16.50, shields a commercial farm from nuisance claims once it has operated for three years…

Santa Cruz County adopted its own sanctuary ordinance in 2026. Santa Cruz County Code § 10.07.030 bars any County-owned or County-controlled parking lot, open space or building from…

Santa Cruz County doesn't ban camping countywide; it lets the Board of Supervisors designate specific 'no camping zones' in the unincorporated area, and once a zone is designated under…

Santa Cruz County caps the exterior noise from residential or commercial air-conditioning and mechanical units near homes at 60 dB for older units and 55 dB for units installed after…

Santa Cruz County has no separate decibel limit for bass frequencies: instead, SCCC § 8.30.010(C)(2) lists 'pitch (frequency) of the sound, e.g., very low bass or high screech' as one…

In Santa Cruz County's commercial, tourist accommodation, visitor-serving, professional/administrative, public facility, and industrial zone districts, SCCC § 13.10.581(B) caps window…

Santa Cruz County places no size or number limit on political signs anywhere in the unincorporated area. SCCC § 13.10.583(B) allows them without restriction on top of the general…

Guests at a hotel, motel, inn or similar commercial lodging facility in unincorporated Santa Cruz County pay a 12% transient occupancy tax on rent under SCCC § 4.24.030, collected by…

A tattoo parlor in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is zoned as a personal service business under the Commercial Uses Chart, needing a Minor Use Permit in the C-1 Neighborhood…

Opening an adult bookstore or adult motion picture theater in unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires a development permit that can only be granted if the site clears three distance…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, a bath or massage establishment cannot open within 1,000 feet of another one, or within 500 feet of an elementary school, junior high school, or…

Selling tobacco or vape products anywhere in unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires a County tobacco retailer license from the Health Officer, in addition to the state license, and…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County bans the sale or possession-for-sale of any flavored tobacco product, including flavored vape liquid and menthol cigarettes, by any licensed tobacco…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, placing anything in the road right-of-way, including a sidewalk, that obstructs or interferes with its normal use requires a written encroachment…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, you cannot build a sidewalk, driveway, fence, or any other private improvement in a county road right-of-way without a written encroachment permit…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County closed cannabis retail licensing to new applicants on November 30, 2016, per SCCC § 7.130.090, so no new dispensary may open. Existing licensees may…

SCCC § 7.130.110(E) keeps a licensed cannabis retail business at least 600 feet from a school, another cannabis retailer, or a drug or alcohol treatment facility, and at least 300 feet…

Santa Cruz County's zoning code applies to every unincorporated parcel no matter what a subdivision's CC&Rs say, and County staff will not step in to enforce a homeowners association's…

Santa Cruz County designates historic resources by Board of Supervisors resolution under SCCC § 16.42.050, ranking each NR-1 through NR-5. Once listed, exterior changes, new…

Santa Cruz County's Swimming Pool Enclosure Ordinance (SPEO), effective 1/1/08, requires single-family homes and duplexes in the unincorporated area with a pool, spa, or hot tub to…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, installing or altering a swimming pool, in-ground spa, or hot tub requires a building permit and engineered plans meeting current California codes…

Mobile food units operating in unincorporated Santa Cruz County need a valid food facility permit from the County Health Officer before selling food, and county zoning treats food…

Homeowners in unincorporated Santa Cruz County can plant in the parkway strip between the sidewalk and the curb without an encroachment permit under SCCC § 9.70.050(A)(1)(c), as long…