Tuolumne County, CA Ordinances (2026)

Backyard composting is allowed and encouraged in unincorporated Tuolumne County. California's SB 1383 organic-waste recycling law applies, with the County administering the program…

Routine pruning of ordinary private trees in unincorporated Tuolumne County needs no county permit. The County has no general private-tree trimming ordinance. Limits arise only for…

Tuolumne County's weed rule is its Hazardous Vegetation Management Ordinance, Chapter 8.14 (Ord. 3428, 2022). Every parcel in the unincorporated county must clear hazardous vegetation…

For covered development projects, Tuolumne County's Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Chapter 15.28.040) requires drought-tolerant ornamental plants rated low or very-low water use…

Tuolumne County has no ordinance specifically permitting, restricting, or banning artificial (synthetic) turf in unincorporated areas. The County's landscaping rules limit live turf…

Tuolumne County encourages rainwater capture rather than restricting it. The County Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Chapter 15.28) recommends rain gardens, cisterns, and other…

Property owners in unincorporated Tuolumne County must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around all structures under California Public Resources Code 4291 and Tuolumne County…

Tuolumne County is an inland Sierra Nevada foothill county with no coastline. The California Coastal Act and Coastal Development Permits do not apply. The county is located…

Tuolumne County has no standalone noise ordinance. Stationary sources like data-center cooling and generators are held to the General Plan Noise Element: 50 dBA Leq daytime and 45 dBA…

Tuolumne County's short-term rental ordinance (Chapter 8.70) does not impose a specific off-street parking quota on short-term rentals. Parking is instead governed by the County's…

Tuolumne County's short-term rental ordinance (Chapter 8.70) is a fire-and-life-safety inspection program and does not set a specific guest occupancy cap. Practical occupancy is…

Tuolumne County does not ban or restrict any dog breed. Instead, the County Animal Control Ordinance regulates individual dogs by behavior, declaring animals 'dangerous' or 'vicious'…

Tuolumne County's Animal Control Ordinance requires any exotic animal that needs a state license to be registered with County Animal Control. 'Exotic' and 'wild' animals are defined in…

Tuolumne County's Animal Control Ordinance does not contain a general wildlife-feeding ban, but California state regulation prohibits knowingly feeding big game mammals such as bears…

Where a dwelling or garage wall serves as part of the pool barrier and has doors to the pool, Tuolumne County requires either a separation fence, self-closing/self-latching doors with…

Above-ground pools holding water over 18 inches deep are treated like other pools in unincorporated Tuolumne County: a building permit and a compliant barrier are required. The barrier…

On county roads in unincorporated Tuolumne County, Ordinance Code Chapter 10.24 prohibits parking that obstructs traffic and lets the Board of Supervisors restrict parking by…

Unincorporated Tuolumne County has no published blanket overnight or 2 a.m.-6 a.m. parking ban on county roads. The main limit is Ordinance Code Section 10.24.030, which bars leaving…

In unincorporated Tuolumne County, a vehicle left on a public road over 72 hours after a posted notice may be removed under Ordinance Code Section 10.24.030 and Vehicle Code 22651(k)…

Tuolumne County publishes no special on-street parking rule for EV charging; standard Chapter 10.24 parking rules apply. For installing chargers, California's AB 1236 (Government Code…

Shared boundary fences in unincorporated Tuolumne County are governed by California's Good Neighbor Fence Law (Civil Code 841), which presumes adjoining owners share fence costs…

Tuolumne County does not restrict front yard vegetable gardens or edible landscaping. California AB 2561 (2022) prohibits local governments from banning front yard food production. The…

Tuolumne County defers to the Tuolumne County Agricultural Commissioner and California Food & Agriculture Code §5004 for noxious weed management. The county does not maintain its own…

Almost all of unincorporated Tuolumne County is a State Responsibility Area protected by CAL FIRE, with over 358,000 acres mapped as moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity…

Tuolumne County's Hazardous Vegetation Management Ordinance (Chapter 8.14) requires property owners in unincorporated areas (outside the City of Sonora) to clear weeds, grasses, brush…

Unincorporated Tuolumne County has no ordinance regulating leaf blowers, gas-powered yard equipment, or the hours they may be used. With no countywide noise ordinance, leaf-blower…

Tuolumne County Zoning Ordinance Chapter 17.54 treats small and large family day care homes as permitted uses in single-family residences in nearly all districts (except O, O-1, and…

California's Solar Rights Act (Civil Code §714) prohibits HOAs from banning solar panels. Any CC&R restriction that reduces system efficiency by more than 10% is void. Pine Mountain…

California Proposition 64 allows adults 21+ to grow up to 6 cannabis plants for personal use. Tuolumne County bans all commercial cannabis but cannot prohibit personal home cultivation…

In unincorporated Tuolumne County, blight such as accumulated garbage, refuse, rubbish and recyclables on private property is a code violation abated under Chapter 1.10 Code…

Tuolumne County does not have a snow removal ordinance for sidewalks or private property. Higher elevation communities (Twain Harte, Long Barn, Pinecrest) receive significant snowfall…

On private property in unincorporated Tuolumne County, signs are regulated under Title 17, Chapter 17.34. Political signs are protected noncommercial speech, so content-based bans are…

Tuolumne County has no local rent control ordinance. California's Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) provides statewide rent caps but exempts most single-family homes and properties less…

Tuolumne County has no local just cause eviction ordinance. California AB 1482 provides statewide just cause eviction protections for tenants who have occupied a unit for 12+ months…

Tuolumne County does not require long-term rental property registration or landlord licensing. Short-term rentals (1-30 days) must have a TOT Certificate and Fire and Life Safety…

Unincorporated Tuolumne County uses a franchised-hauler system under Title 7, but curbside pickup is optional - residents may subscribe to a hauler or self-haul to a transfer station…

Tuolumne County does not designate specific food vending zones. Mobile food vendors operate under general zoning and business license requirements. SB 946 (2018) protects sidewalk…

Food trucks and mobile food vendors in Tuolumne County require a permit from the Environmental Health Division and a county business license. SB 972 (2018) streamlines mobile food…

Tuolumne County does not have a specific solicitor or peddler permit ordinance for unincorporated areas. Door-to-door solicitation is generally permitted subject to trespassing and…

Tuolumne County does not have a no-knock or do-not-knock registry ordinance. Homeowners can post 'No Soliciting' signs enforced under California trespassing law. The county's rural…

HOAs in Tuolumne County (Pine Mountain Lake, etc.) are governed by the California Davis-Stirling Act (Civil Code §4000-6150). Board meetings must be open to members with proper notice…

HOA communities in Tuolumne County (Pine Mountain Lake, etc.) may require architectural review for exterior modifications. These are private CC&R requirements enforced by the HOA, not…

HOA assessments in Tuolumne County communities are governed by the Davis-Stirling Act. Regular assessments cannot increase more than 20% per year without member vote. Special…

The Davis-Stirling Act requires HOA disputes in Tuolumne County to go through internal dispute resolution (IDR) or alternative dispute resolution (ADR) before litigation. Tuolumne…

CC&R enforcement in Tuolumne County HOA communities is a private matter between the association and homeowners. The county does not enforce CC&Rs. The Davis-Stirling Act governs fine…

Tuolumne County does not regulate residential security cameras. California's two-party consent law (Penal Code §632) restricts audio recording without consent but does not prohibit…

California is a two-party consent state under Penal Code §632. Recording confidential conversations without all parties' consent is a crime. This applies throughout Tuolumne County and…

Most unincorporated areas of Tuolumne County lack formal sidewalk infrastructure. Where sidewalks exist, repair responsibility follows California Streets and Highways Code provisions…