Sonoma County, CA Ordinances (2026)

Drinking beer, wine, or any alcoholic beverage on a public street, sidewalk, road, alley, or open parking lot is unlawful at all times in unincorporated Sonoma County.

Unincorporated Sonoma County bans loitering in any cemetery or burial ground, defining loiter as idling with intent to commit crime or mischief, or without a lawful errand.

Skateboarders and in-line skaters at the county's designated skate park facility must wear a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads, or face a citation for an infraction.

Unincorporated Sonoma County bans urinating, defecating, or exposing yourself to do so in any public place or place exposed to public view.

Sonoma County bans smoking in unincorporated-area parks, public events, service lines, and outdoor dining areas, plus a 25-foot buffer around any smoke-free space.

A first sheriff's response to a loud party in unincorporated Sonoma County draws a warning; every unabated repeat response bills the host, tenant, or property owner for the deputies'…

Sonoma County declares any unsafe or dangerous building a public nuisance and abates it under Chapter 1's administrative procedure, with notice and order, civil penalties, and liens…

Unimproved parcels in unincorporated Sonoma County must keep vegetation and combustible material cleared within 10 feet of structures and roadway frontage, or face abatement.

Unincorporated Sonoma County bans camping on public property near buildings, homes, schools, waterways, fire zones and shelters at all times, and bars it elsewhere from 7 a.m. to 9…

Unincorporated Sonoma County bars sitting, standing or lying on a sidewalk in a way that blocks foot traffic, but only after a peace officer has asked the person to move on.

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires every single-family, multi-family, and commercial property to subscribe to weekly solid waste, recycling, and organics collection through a…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires every home and business to keep separate blue, green, and gray containers and sort recyclables, organics, and trash accordingly under Sonoma…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires every household and business to source-separate waste into blue (recyclables), green (organics) and gray (trash) containers under County Code §…

In unincorporated Sonoma County, single-family homes must set garbage, recycling and organics carts at the curb or roadside for collection under County Code § 22-5, and larger…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires every single-family, multi-family, and commercial property to subscribe to weekly organic waste collection and sort food scraps and yard waste…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires commercial buildings, larger multi-family projects, and high-volume waste generators to build a dedicated, sized container area for dumpster and…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires weekly curbside collection of trash, recycling, and organics through the county's franchised hauler for every single-family, multi-family, and…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires weekly organic waste collection service, and yard trimmings must go in the green container with food scraps and paper, not the gray trash cart or…

Mobile home park owners in unincorporated Sonoma County must give written notice of any space rent increase at least 90 days before it takes effect, provided in English and Spanish…

Unincorporated Sonoma County does NOT have a local rent control ordinance. The 2024 Residential Tenancy Protections Ordinance (Ord. 6496) added eviction protections but did not adopt a…

On September 17, 2024, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 6496, the Residential Tenancy Protections Ordinance, which applies to rental units in unincorporated…

Sonoma County requires every pit bull over four months old in the unincorporated area to be spayed or neutered, and any dog cited for running at large must be fixed at the owner's…

Sonoma County doesn't require microchips for ordinary pets, but any animal formally found potentially dangerous or vicious must be microchipped and sterilized at the owner's expense.

County parks code bars removing, harming, or destroying any bird, nest, or egg within Sonoma County Regional Parks boundaries without park authority permission, alongside protection…

Cat registration in unincorporated Sonoma County is voluntary, not mandatory like dog licensing: owners may register cats for a lifetime tag, but rabies vaccination is still required…

In unincorporated Sonoma County, no permit is required to keep up to four dogs and/or four cats on a property. Keeping five or more typically requires a license or use permit. Five to…

In unincorporated Sonoma County, the Animal Regulation Ordinance (County Code Chapter 5, Article X, Section 5-115) prohibits dogs from running at large and requires that dogs in public…

Keeping chickens and small livestock in unincorporated Sonoma County is governed by the Zoning Code's animal-density rules, administered by Permit Sonoma. Density depends on the zoning…

Beekeepers in unincorporated Sonoma County must register their apiaries with the County Agricultural Commissioner under California Food and Agricultural Code Section 29040 and…

Sonoma County allows veterinary clinics as a permitted land use countywide, but in Rural Residential Development and Agricultural Resources zones it limits them to treating farm…

Unincorporated Sonoma County does not ban or restrict any dog breed. California Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 prohibits cities and counties from declaring any breed…

Sonoma County bans exotic animals from running at large and prohibits keeping one without proof of the required federal and state permits, inspections, and approvals under County Code…

Unincorporated Sonoma County confines adult entertainment establishments to the C3 general commercial district and requires a minimum 1,000-foot separation from other adult businesses…

Tattoo, piercing and permanent-cosmetics businesses in unincorporated Sonoma County need a county health department facility permit, and each practitioner needs an annual registration…

Sonoma County requires a Secondhand Dealer License through the Sheriff's Office, costing $366 to apply plus state fingerprint and DOJ fees, with a $301 renewal fee due every other year.

Sonoma County requires an annual Department of Health Services license for every tobacco retailer in the unincorporated area, capping density at one per 2,500 residents and barring new…

Running a car, motorcycle, or RV repair, painting, upholstery, or storage business from home is banned countywide. Sonoma County lists automotive repair and vehicle services among…

Sonoma County adopts the 2022 California Electrical Code and requires a permit for most electrical work in the unincorporated county, with a short, specific list of exemptions for…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires a separate building permit for every building or structure that is erected, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, converted, or demolished, issued…

Sonoma County amends the state Green Building Standards Code to require new single-family homes and their ADUs be built all-electric, with no gas or propane plumbing.

Sonoma County requires automatic fire sprinklers in every new one- and two-family home, regardless of square footage, under its local amendment to the California Residential Code: with…

Unincorporated Sonoma County adopts the 2022 California Plumbing Code by reference under County Code Section 7-13, requiring a permit for plumbing installations and most repairs…

Unincorporated Sonoma County charges a reinspection fee whenever a call for inspection finds work incomplete, uncorrected, or the site inaccessible, and the Permit and Resource…

Sonoma County bans mobile food and merchandise vending within 500 feet of any K-12 school on weekdays, covering vendors on foot, at tables or stalls, or selling from carts, bikes, or…

Unincorporated Sonoma County allows outdoor vendors only with a use permit, set back 20 feet from the property line and road right-of-way, in commercial zones.

Every food truck operating in Sonoma County, including inside its nine incorporated cities, needs a valid health department permit that the driver must carry at all times.

Properly conducted agricultural operations on designated agricultural land in unincorporated Sonoma County cannot be ruled a nuisance under county code if the operation wasn't a…

Sonoma County shields properly conducted farms and ranches on agricultural land from nuisance lawsuits and requires sellers to disclose the Right to Farm Ordinance before selling…

Sonoma County accessory dwelling units can be rented out, but the county bars renting an ADU for less than 30 days and bars selling or conveying an ADU separately from the primary home.

Sonoma County does not require an owner to live on-site for a standalone accessory dwelling unit, but a junior accessory dwelling unit (JADU) carved out of a single-family home does…

In unincorporated Sonoma County, detached residential accessory structures such as sheds need a building permit at 120 square feet or larger, per Permit Sonoma's policy. Sheds…

Sonoma County charges ADU development fees proportionally by square footage compared to the primary residence, and waives them entirely for ADUs under 750 square feet, per County Code…

A permanently sited tiny home on a foundation is typically permitted in unincorporated Sonoma County as an ADU under County Code Sec. 26-88-060 (max generally 1,200 sq ft), processed…

Unincorporated Sonoma County permits ADUs ministerially under County Code Sec. 26-88-060, implementing California ADU law (Gov. Code 66310+). Detached ADUs are generally allowed up to…

Converting a garage into living space in unincorporated Sonoma County is most commonly done as an ADU or Junior ADU under County Code Secs. 26-88-060 and 26-88-061. A building permit…

Uber and Lyft drivers may load or unload passengers at Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport only from the designated TNC pick-up spaces shown on the terminal area map, not anywhere…

Unincorporated Sonoma County designates individual historic structures and historic districts under the HD Combining District, and any exterior alteration, demolition, or new building…

Sonoma County bans retail sale of any flavored tobacco product, plus all electronic smoking devices, at tobacco retailers in the unincorporated county.

Removing or damaging a county-designated heritage or landmark tree requires a tree permit from the planning department, with a required site inspection, 15-day public notice period…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires a zoning permit before removing a protected tree, redwoods, oaks, and other native hardwoods, and a discretionary use permit with mitigation for…

Any meeting, gathering, picnic, celebration, parade, or similar assembly of 25 or more people in a county park requires a written permit from the park authority before it happens…

Sonoma County requires a public right-of-way special event permit for any street fair, celebration, or parade with more than 50 participants, issued by the Permit and Resource…

Parades and other special events on unincorporated Sonoma County roads need a public right-of-way permit once more than 50 people take part, filed with Permit Sonoma at least 60 days…

Block parties in unincorporated Sonoma County are regulated as public right-of-way special events. A permit is required whenever a street gathering draws more than 50 participants…

Unincorporated Sonoma County bans replanting turf on slopes over 10%, strips 8 feet wide or less, and any median or traffic island under the county's water-efficient landscape law.

Sonoma County's water-efficient landscape ordinance requires recycled water for water features, ponds, fountains, artificial streams, and pools, whenever it's available on site, part…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires a zoning permit for campaign and political signs, caps size at 16 or 32 square feet depending on district, and bars posting more than 90 days…

Billboards and other outdoor advertising structures facing Highway 101 or any other freeway in unincorporated Sonoma County need a use permit and must sit at least 1,000 feet from the…

Whole-house vacation rentals in unincorporated Sonoma County require a zoning permit under County Code Sec. 26-88-120, issued by Permit Sonoma. Rentals that meet all standards qualify…

Sec. 26-88-120(e)(5) requires one on-site space for rentals up to two guestrooms, two spaces for three or four guestrooms, and at least three spaces for larger rentals. One required…

Sec. 26-88-120(f) sets quiet hours from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and applies General Plan noise standards (for example, an L50 limit of 50 dBA daytime and 45 dBA during quiet hours)…

Renting out a single bedroom while you live in the home is a 'hosted rental' under Sonoma County's zoning code: capped at one guest bedroom, it needs a zoning permit and follows strict…

Sec. 26-88-120(e) caps overnight occupancy at two persons per sleeping room plus two more per property, to a maximum of 12 (children under three excluded). Total daytime guests and…

Unincorporated Sonoma County levies a 12% Transient Occupancy Tax on vacation rental rent, authorized under County Code Chapter 12, Article III. Large lodging operators also pay a 2%…

Whole-house vacation rentals do not require an on-site host, but Sec. 26-88-120(f)(8) requires a certified 24-hour property manager available 24/7 during rentals and located within 30…

Sonoma County vacation rental licensees must disclose if a booking platform is registered as an online host and remain personally liable for any TOT or BIA the platform fails to…

Repeat vacation rental violations in unincorporated Sonoma County trigger an escalating enforcement ladder, from a warning letter to suspensions of one to six months and license…

Sonoma County's hosted rental and bed-and-breakfast permit only applies to homes where a household or person keeps permanent residence; the permit expires automatically once the…

In unincorporated Sonoma County, RVs and boats may not be parked on a County road or right-of-way for more than six consecutive hours under Sonoma County Code Sec. 18-3.10, after which…

Sonoma County Code Chapter 18, Article IV declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles on private or public property in the unincorporated area a public nuisance…

Unincorporated Sonoma County has no blanket overnight parking ban on all County roads. Instead, Sonoma County Code Sec. 18-3.3 allows parking to be prohibited between 2:00 a.m. and…

Street parking on County roads in unincorporated Sonoma County is governed by Sonoma County Code Chapter 18, Article III. Parking is generally allowed except where signs or curb paint…

Unincorporated Sonoma County caps loading-zone parking at 20 minutes for freight, 5 minutes for passenger drop-off, and reserves bus zones for commercial or school buses, all in effect…

Unincorporated Sonoma County has no dedicated County ordinance governing parking in EV charging spaces. The controlling rules come from California Vehicle Code Sec. 22511, which lets…

On County roads in unincorporated Sonoma County, curb colors follow the statewide system in California Vehicle Code Sec. 21458 - red, yellow, white, green, and blue. Only the Public…

On County roads in unincorporated Sonoma County, parking or standing of commercial vehicles rated 10,000 pounds gross weight or more may be prohibited in residential districts under…

In unincorporated Sonoma County, residential parking and driveway standards come from Zoning Code Chapter 26, Article 86. A single-family dwelling requires one covered off-street…

A fence built on top of a retaining wall in unincorporated Sonoma County cannot exceed the allowable fence height when the wall and fence are combined. Fence height is measured from…

Under the 2025 objective standards, residential and K-district fences in unincorporated Sonoma County must use allowed materials such as wood, naturalistic composite wood…

Sonoma County's Zoning Code (Ch. 26) governs fence height and placement, but cost-sharing for a shared boundary fence is set by California Civil Code 841, the 'Good Neighbor Fence…

Many fences in unincorporated Sonoma County need no permit, but a building permit is required for solid wood/concrete/metal/masonry fences over 7 feet and for any fence over 10 feet…

In unincorporated Sonoma County's residential and K districts, fences are limited to 3 feet in required front yards (and within 15 feet of a street corner) and 6 feet in required side…

On Sonoma County-operated water systems (Fitch Mountain, Freestone, Jenner, Salmon Creek), outdoor watering of ornamental landscaping is limited to two days a week - Tuesday and Friday…

Sonoma County encourages rainwater capture. Simple rain barrels for outdoor irrigation generally need no permit, but systems that collect rainwater for potable (indoor) use require a…

Routine pruning of your own trees generally needs no permit, but Sonoma County's defensible-space rules require trees pruned 6 feet up from the ground within 100 feet of structures…

As of late 2025 there is no ban on artificial turf in unincorporated Sonoma County, but the County has raised environmental and health concerns and directed staff to develop a model…

Under California SB 1383 (effective Jan 1, 2022), all Sonoma County residents and businesses must keep organic waste - food scraps and yard trimmings - out of the landfill, typically…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires a permit to remove most protected native trees 6 inches in diameter or larger. A ministerial zoning permit covers smaller trees; a discretionary…

Sonoma County Code Chapter 13A declares hazardous vegetation and combustible material on unincorporated parcels a public nuisance. Owners must abate it - including cutting dry grasses…

In unincorporated Sonoma County, a building permit from Permit Sonoma is required for in-ground pools and spas. Plans must be prepared by a California-licensed civil or structural…

Permit Sonoma guideline CNI-044 implements the California Pool Safety Act: when a pool permit issues, at least two of seven drowning-prevention features are required. The…

California's Homemade Food Act (HSC 113758) lets residents make approved non-perishable foods at home. In Sonoma County, Class A operations self-register and Class B operations get an…

Sonoma County Zoning Code Section 26-88-121 allows home occupations in agricultural, residential, and certain commercial zones without a zoning permit (per Ordinance No. 6363, 2021)…

Home occupations in unincorporated Sonoma County may receive no more than four customers per day, two at a time, and ten deliveries or pickups per week, with customer visits limited to…

California law (HSC 1597.45-1597.46, as amended by SB 234) makes small and large family daycare homes a residential use by right. Sonoma County cannot require a use permit or impose a…

Sonoma County Zoning Code Section 26-88-121 limits a home occupation to one attached, non-illuminated sign no larger than 2 square feet in the unincorporated County. Larger…

Much of unincorporated Sonoma County lies within Fire Hazard Severity Zones, including State Responsibility Area and Very High zones, reflecting catastrophic fires like Tubbs (2017)…

Open burning of vegetation in unincorporated Sonoma County requires a current, valid burn permit from Permit Sonoma plus a permissive burn day from the local air district. Piles are…

Backyard burning of vegetation in unincorporated Sonoma County is allowed only with a valid Permit Sonoma burn permit on a permissive burn day, with piles capped at 4 feet, a 10-foot…

Sonoma County Code Chapter 13A requires owners of parcels in the unincorporated area to maintain defensible space and abate hazardous vegetation year-round. Improved parcels in the…

All fireworks are illegal in the unincorporated areas of Sonoma County, including state-approved 'Safe and Sane' devices and sparklers. There is no legal-sale window. Violators may be…

Propane (LP-gas) and petroleum storage in unincorporated Sonoma County is regulated through the California Fire Code adopted in County Code Chapter 13 and Permit Sonoma's…

Sonoma County Regional Parks close at hours the park authority sets and posts, and the park authority can also declare a separate juvenile curfew for any park area when conditions…

Sonoma County's supplemental density bonus program lets residential projects of five or more units build up to 50 percent above the General Plan and zoning density limit when a set…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires a floodplain development permit and elevates new residential construction at least 12 inches above the base flood elevation inside FEMA-mapped…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires a construction grading permit before any cut, fill, or land-disturbing work over minor thresholds, plus a separate drainage permit for new or…

In unincorporated Sonoma County, new homes and substantial remodels inside a mapped special flood hazard area must raise the lowest floor at least 12 inches above the base flood…

Sonoma County prohibits discharging anything but stormwater into the county's stormwater system, requiring construction sites, parking lots, and businesses to control pollutants and…

Outdoor cannabis cultivation must sit at least 1,000 feet from any K-12 school, public park, childcare center, or drug treatment facility, with indoor grows requiring a 600-foot school…

Commercial cannabis in unincorporated Sonoma County is zone-gated under Sec. 26-88-250: activities need a Zoning, Minor Use, or full Use Permit keyed to Table 1A-D, and adult-use…

Sonoma County bans invasive plants rated moderate or higher on the California Invasive Plant Inventory from any new or rehabilitated landscape project that needs a building or grading…

Unincorporated Sonoma County caps garage and craft sales at two days per calendar year in the AR and RR zones without a use permit. Three or four sales days in a year require a…

Unincorporated Sonoma County has no dedicated amplified-music ordinance, but the General Plan Noise Element treats amplified sound as especially intrusive: stationary-source standards…

The County Code contains no countywide ordinance fixing construction start and stop times for unincorporated Sonoma County. Construction noise is generally addressed through…

Sonoma County Code section 5-126 makes it a public nuisance for an animal owner to allow a dog or other animal to disturb the neighborhood by barking, howling or making other noise…

Sonoma County has no ordinance specifically restricting or banning leaf blowers in the unincorporated area. Leaf-blower noise is treated like other property-maintenance noise…

This is the one true Sonoma County noise ordinance: Code Chapter 3, Article III limits aircraft noise at the County-owned Sonoma County Airport. Section 3-41 caps takeoff noise at 83.2…

Vehicle noise in unincorporated Sonoma County is governed by California state law, not a County ordinance. Vehicle Code 27150 requires an adequate muffler at all times, and 27151 bans…

Unincorporated Sonoma County has no comprehensive noise-control ordinance setting fixed neighborhood quiet hours. Instead the General Plan Noise Element uses daytime (7 a.m.–10 p.m.)…

Industrial and commercial (stationary-source) noise in unincorporated Sonoma County is governed by the General Plan Noise Element's Table NE-2 performance standards, applied through…

Unincorporated Sonoma County has no dedicated data-center ordinance, and Permit Sonoma's official position is that AI data centers are not allowed in any zoning district.

Sonoma County caps new stationary-source noise at 50 dBA L50 daytime and 45 dBA L50 at night, measured at the property line of any noise-sensitive use. Data-center cooling and…

Building setbacks in unincorporated Sonoma County are set by each zoning district in Chapter 26. In the R1 Low Density Residential district, the front yard must be at least 20 feet…

Maximum building height in unincorporated Sonoma County is set by each zoning district. In the R1 Low Density Residential district, the main building may be up to 35 feet and accessory…

Maximum lot coverage in unincorporated Sonoma County is set by zoning district. In the R1 Low Density Residential district, buildings may cover no more than 40% of the lot, with a…

Sonoma County bans flying a drone in ways that impede firefighting, search and rescue, law enforcement, or other public safety operations, with violations charged as a misdemeanor or…

In the Taylor/Sonoma/Mayacamas Mountains scenic combining zone, exterior lighting on new homes and structures must be downward-facing, fully shielded, capped at 1,000 lumens per…

Sonoma County caps exterior lighting only within the Taylor/Sonoma/Mayacamas Mountains scenic combining zone: fixtures must be shielded, downward-facing, capped at 1,000 lumens, and…

Unincorporated Sonoma County charges a 12% transient occupancy tax on short-term lodging rent, collected by operators and remitted to the county tax collector.

Unincorporated Sonoma County bars standing, sitting, or lying on a sidewalk so as to block pedestrian traffic once a peace officer has told the person to move on, under County Code §…

Sonoma County requires a written encroachment permit from the road commissioner before digging, placing signs, planting, or building in any county highway right-of-way, with violators…

Sonoma County must administratively approve small rooftop solar systems under an expedited checklist process, with only one inspection required and no discretionary zoning review…

Unincorporated Sonoma County waives zoning clearance for small rooftop solar and caps inspections at one under its Solar Rights Act streamlined review process.

Anyone involved with a microenterprise home kitchen operation in unincorporated Sonoma County must obtain a Food Handler Certification under the county's MEHKO ordinance, on top of the…

Sonoma County posts a color-coded pass, conditional-pass, or closed placard at every inspected food facility after each routine inspection, visible to patrons from the entrance.