Ventura County, CA Ordinances (2026)

The county's oversized-vehicle work-truck exemption only helps a resident if the vehicle isn't already blocked by that resident's own HOA or property restrictions.

Trimming a protected tree in unincorporated Ventura County can require a tree permit. Pruning oaks, sycamores, and other protected trees beyond specified limits, or encroaching into…

Backyard composting is allowed and encouraged in unincorporated Ventura County. Under SB 1383, the County requires residents and businesses to participate in organic-waste recycling…

Ventura County's Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance landscaping rules (adopted March 2021) require new and rehabilitated landscapes to meet California's Model Water Efficient Landscape…

Ventura County encourages native and pollinator-friendly plants. The 2021 Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance landscaping update promotes native plants supporting bees, butterflies, and…

In the unincorporated coastal zone, no one may remove, alter, or transplant a protected tree without a tree permit. Ventura County Ordinance Code Section 8178-7 applies to every…

Ventura County's Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance landscaping rules do not ban artificial turf, but synthetic turf usually does not count toward landscape or water-efficiency requirements…

Rainwater harvesting is allowed and encouraged in unincorporated Ventura County. Collecting rooftop rainwater for landscape irrigation needs no state water-right permit under…

Section 8109-4.6.8.1 caps short-term rental overnight occupancy at two persons per bedroom for up to five bedrooms, plus two more, to a maximum of ten people. Homeshares are limited to…

Unincorporated Ventura County will not issue a homeshare or short-term rental permit unless the owner carries a commercial general liability policy of at least $500,000 per occurrence…

Renting a home for under 30 days in unincorporated Ventura County requires a County-issued homeshare or short-term rental permit before anyone collects rent, advertises, or facilitates…

In unincorporated Ventura County, a homeshare rental requires the owner to be physically present; a short-term rental permit is for when the owner is not present.

A short-term rental permit in unincorporated Ventura County lasts one year and can be revoked outright for any violation or noncompliance.

Short-term rental and homeshare owners in unincorporated Ventura County must hold a County business license, pay business taxes, and register for and pay transient occupancy tax.

Short-term rentals and homeshares in unincorporated Ventura County must observe quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. with no outdoor amplified sound.

Homeshares and short-term rentals in unincorporated Ventura County must provide one to three on-site parking spaces based on bedroom count, and any permitted garage or driveway on the…

In unincorporated Ventura County, a rental qualifies as a homeshare only if the dwelling is the primary residence of an owner holding at least a 20 percent interest in the parcel, the…

On county-maintained roads in unincorporated Ventura County, the Traffic Ordinance (Division 7, Chapter 1) governs parking, with curb colors controlling time limits (Sec. 7200) and…

Once a curb in unincorporated Ventura County is marked red or signed under County Ordinance Code § 7200(a), stopping, standing, or parking there is unlawful at any time, and the only…

In unincorporated Ventura County's coastal zone, storing an RV, boat, or trailer on a residential lot is allowed only if the owner lives there, the vehicle runs, and it doesn't take…

Where the Board of Supervisors designates an area by resolution, unincorporated Ventura County bans parking any oversized vehicle on a highway at any time, with a $30-a-day civil…

Ventura County declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles on public or private property a public nuisance subject to abatement and removal (Ordinance Code…

Ventura County has no separate EV-parking ordinance in its zoning or traffic code. EV charging infrastructure for new construction in the unincorporated county is set by the statewide…

Unincorporated Ventura County lets only fully operative, licensed, registered vehicles park in a front or street-side setback driveway.

Unincorporated Ventura County has no general overnight parking ban on county roads; the default is the state 72-hour rule (CVC 22651(k)). Oak Park, Oak View, and Casa Conejo bar…

In the unincorporated Coastal Zone, commercial and industrial developments must build off-street loading spaces sited to the rear or side of buildings, away from residential land uses…

Before building, changing, or repairing anything in an unincorporated Ventura County road right-of-way, from a driveway approach to a buried cable, you need an encroachment permit from…

County law bans placing or maintaining any encroachment that blocks a right-of-way, denies public use of a sidewalk, or blocks sightlines for traffic safety.

Owners of unincorporated county lots that front or underlie a sidewalk must repair and maintain it themselves and cover all repair costs.

A home business in unincorporated Ventura County may see clients only from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, no more than six per day with no overlap, and every visit must be by…

Family daycare homes in unincorporated Ventura County are treated as a residential use by right under California law (Health and Safety Code Sec. 1597.45). The Non-Coastal Zoning…

Home occupations in unincorporated Ventura County cannot post any sign naming or advertising the business, on the property or off it, and ads can't reveal the home address.

Running a business from a home in unincorporated Ventura County requires meeting the county's home-occupation standards, which act as the permit route instead of a discretionary…

Cottage food operations in unincorporated Ventura County are regulated by the County Environmental Health Division under California's Cottage Food Law (Health and Safety Code Sec…

Every dog or cat over six months old kept in unincorporated Ventura County must be spayed or neutered under Ordinance Code § 4421-3, unless the owner documents one of the exceptions…

Unincorporated Ventura County lets R-1 lots keep chickens under Sec. 8105-4, but bans roosters, peafowl and guinea fowl there and on any lot under 20,000 square feet; the R-2 zone…

Exotic and wild animals are heavily restricted. California bans private possession of restricted species such as ferrets, most non-native carnivores, and many reptiles, under CCR Title…

Pet stores in unincorporated Ventura County may sell only dogs, cats, or rabbits sourced from a shelter, humane society, or registered nonprofit rescue.

In unincorporated Ventura County's Coastal Zone, the county will not issue the Zoning Clearance that authorizes construction until a bird nesting survey is completed, if the project…

Unincorporated Ventura County bars backyard apiaries on lots under 10,000 square feet and caps hobbyist beekeeping at four hives, with flyaway barriers and setbacks from neighboring…

Dogs in unincorporated Ventura County must stay on a leash held by a capable handler on any public street, park, or common area, and off private property without permission.

Beyond the base pet limit, unincorporated Ventura County caps additional animals at double the standard per-species maximum, only on lots that meet a minimum size, and only with a…

Unincorporated Ventura County requires every veterinary clinic to operate inside a completely enclosed, soundproof building under Ordinance Code Section 8107-10. The only carve-out is…

Ventura County does not ban or restrict any dog breed. California Food & Agricultural Code Section 31683 prohibits cities and counties from regulating dogs by breed, except for…

Ventura County bans camping, property storage, tents, structures, and open flames in its publicly owned Red Line flood-control channels. Outside of emergencies, the county must post a…

Ventura County Ordinance Code § 6305-7 makes it unlawful to remain in a County Park, occupy its grounds, use its facilities or equipment, or let a vehicle remain there outside the…

Every single-family dwelling organic waste generator in unincorporated Ventura County must subscribe to solid waste collection service with a contract collector under Ordinance Code §…

Unincorporated Ventura County has weekly curbside collection of trash, recycling, and organics by County-franchised haulers Athens Services and EJ Harrison & Sons. Collection runs…

Under the County's residential collection agreements, unincorporated Ventura County single-family customers receive free bulky-item pickups each year (the agreements provide up to…

Unincorporated Ventura County provides weekly curbside recycling in a blue cart through franchised haulers. Recycling is mandatory under California law (AB 341/AB 939) and the County's…

Households in unincorporated Ventura County must sort their waste under Ordinance Code § 4770-3(c): organic waste, including food waste, goes in the designated organic waste container…

Trash and recycling enclosures on discretionary coastal-zone development must be built of masonry or wood, screened from view, and can't use chain-link fencing.

Unincorporated Ventura County keeps commercial cannabis premises at least 1,200 feet from schools, day care centers, youth centers, drug rehabilitation centers, parks, and residential…

Adults 21+ in unincorporated Ventura County may grow up to 6 cannabis plants per household under Proposition 64 (CA HSC 11362.2). Plants must be grown indoors or in a locked, fully…

Commercial cannabis activity in unincorporated Ventura County is confined to just three zoning districts, AE, M2 and M3, and requires a County cannabis business license.

Ventura County's road ordinance defines student filmmaking as commercial filming. A student shooting a class project in the unincorporated county's road right-of-way needs the same…

Filming in unincorporated Ventura County needs a Film Permit: a ministerial Zoning Clearance for shoots under 60 days that stay within set limits, or a discretionary permit for larger…

A Ventura County film permit is denied if the shoot's noise exceeds what's normal for the area, unless the noise source, like gunfire or aircraft, sits over 2,000 feet from the nearest…

A Ventura County film shoot can't block a public or private road for more than three minutes under a standard ministerial permit: longer closures need neighbor waivers or a…

Ventura County Ordinance Code § 6299-1 bans creating any loud or raucous noise, audible to the human ear, in any residential zone of the unincorporated county between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m…

In unincorporated Ventura County residential zones, running a leaf blower or other loud yard tool that can be heard 50 feet from the property line between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. violates…

A dog that barks continuously for 10 minutes or intermittently for 30 minutes and disturbs neighbors is a public nuisance under unincorporated Ventura County's animal ordinance.

Private helicopter pads are banned across the Santa Monica Mountains overlay zone in unincorporated Ventura County, with an exception only for emergency-service agencies.

Concerts, shows and performances in Ventura County parks need a Director-issued permit before they can be set up, with sheriff patrols as a condition.

Outdoor construction next to an environmentally sensitive habitat area in unincorporated Ventura County must stop at sunset and stay under the county's ESHA noise threshold.

Rooftop and ground-mounted HVAC units, pumps, generators, compressors and fans near sensitive habitat in unincorporated Ventura County must be sited as far as practical from ESHA or…

When a permit is required for the use of a Ventura County Park, § 6304 makes it unlawful to use the park without first obtaining one. The application, filed with the Parks Director…

Festivals, street fairs, animal shows and similar outdoor gatherings in unincorporated Ventura County are permit-exempt below set attendance caps (75-350 people depending on parcel…

A parade, run, or other organized event in an unincorporated Ventura County right-of-way needs a permit from the Road Commissioner, notice to nearby owners five business days ahead…

Building or extending any float, bulkhead, seawall, or other structure, or doing any dredging or excavating, in Channel Islands Harbor or the Outer Harbor requires submitted plans and…

Ventura County bans non-stormwater discharges into the county storm drain system and receiving waters unless permitted or on an approved exempt list, under the county's Clean Water…

Grading in unincorporated Ventura County's coastal zone requires a Coastal Development Permit, and applicants must submit a hydrology and hydraulics report showing storm flow won't…

New homes built in Ventura County's mapped flood zones must elevate the lowest floor at least one foot above the base flood elevation before the county will sign off.

Flood zone regulations in unincorporated Ventura County are governed by the county's floodplain management ordinance and FEMA National Flood Insurance Program requirements. Significant…

Unincorporated Ventura County areas within the California Coastal Zone require Coastal Development Permits under the California Coastal Act. The county administers a Local Coastal…

Hosts of loud, unruly parties where alcohol reaches underage guests face a $1,000 civil penalty plus the cost of police, fire and other emergency response.

Skateboarding, roller skating, and similar wheeled activities are banned on private property in unincorporated Ventura County wherever the property owner posts a notice prohibiting…

Smoking and vaping are banned in unincorporated Ventura County's parks, dining patios, entryways, service areas and other public places under the county's Comprehensive Smoke-Free…

Minors under 18 may not loiter in public places between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. in unincorporated Ventura County unless with a parent or adult spouse.

Drinking beer, wine or liquor over 0.5% ABV on county streets, sidewalks, parks or in a vehicle is illegal throughout unincorporated Ventura County.

Ventura County's zoning ordinance does not assign cost responsibility between neighbors. That is governed by California's Good Neighbor Fence Act (Civil Code 841), which presumes…

Unincorporated Ventura County bans barbed wire, razor-edge wire, and electric wire fencing in urban residential and commercial zones, and extends the ban to industrial lots next to or…

In unincorporated Ventura County, solid fences top out at 7 feet on most lots but drop to 3 feet in street setbacks and sight triangles, with taller see-through and industrial-zone…

Fences under 7 feet in unincorporated Ventura County need no permit, but taller fences, fences wired for lighting or an electric gate, and retaining walls over 3 feet all require a…

Structural retaining walls in unincorporated Ventura County carry no height cap outside driveway sight triangles, but a Zoning Clearance is required once a wall exceeds three feet.

Ventura County caps stationary-source noise at a noise-sensitive use at 55 dBA Leq daytime, 50 dBA evening, and 45 dBA at night, or ambient plus 3 dBA if higher. Data-center cooling…

Ventura County has no data-center-specific ordinance. A data center belongs in the industrial zones, M-1 Industrial Park, M-2 Limited Industrial, or M-3 General Industrial, and needs a…

Food truck vending in unincorporated Ventura County is subject to zoning regulations and right-of-way rules. The California Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946) limits local restrictions…

Unincorporated Ventura County caps sidewalk vending carts at 74 inches long, 34 inches wide, and 80 inches tall, and limits vendors to one conveyance or display per permit.

Food trucks parking over 30 minutes in unincorporated Ventura County need a Zoning Clearance and can't stay past three hours a day.

Unincorporated Ventura County exempts low patios, paving, and decks from zoning entitlement across every base zone.

Pawnbrokers operating in unincorporated Ventura County must obtain a Sheriff-issued license, pay a $100 annual fee, and file daily reports on every pledge or purchase.

Operating a secondhand goods business in unincorporated Ventura County requires a Sheriff-issued license, a $100 annual fee, and daily reports of purchased goods to the Sheriff's…

Opening a massage business in unincorporated Ventura County takes a Sheriff-issued license for each business location plus the separate Permit to Operate under § 4606, and every…

Tattoo and body-art operators in unincorporated Ventura County must hold a permit or registration from the county's Environmental Health Division before working.

Unincorporated Ventura County bars running an auto repair business from a residential home occupation; it's a commercial-zone-only use requiring a CUP or PD permit.

In unincorporated Ventura County, the Cultural Heritage Board designates Landmarks, Sites of Merit, Points of Interest and Districts under a set of written criteria.

Unincorporated Ventura County protects the tree species listed on Table 1 of its Tree Protection Regulations, along with any heritage tree reaching 90 inches of single-trunk girth, and…

In Old Town Saticoy, an unincorporated Ventura County community near the city of Ventura, landowners must landscape and maintain the parkway strip between curb and building, including…

In Ventura County's coastal zone, a non-native tree with a single trunk 28 inches or more in diameter, or with two trunks that together measure 22 inches, is a heritage tree that…

Ventura County caps how much of a lot buildings may cover on unincorporated land that lies outside a mapped existing community boundary and is not governed by an area plan. Table 9 of…

Unincorporated Ventura County caps principal structures at 25 ft in the Open Space-Recreation zone, extendable to 35 ft with wider side yards.

Unincorporated Ventura County's Open Space-Recreation zone sets a 20-ft front, 10-ft side, 20-ft reverse-corner, and 15-ft rear yard setback.

Ventura County sorts unincorporated-area businesses into three gross-receipts tax groups or a flat rate under its Business License Tax Classification List, with the Tax Collector…

Under Ventura County Ordinance Code § 6834, no person or flavored vaping products retailer, including their agents and employees, may sell, exchange, offer for sale or exchange, or…

County code shields properly run commercial farms in unincorporated Ventura County from nuisance lawsuits over normal farming activity.

Sidewalk food vendors in unincorporated Ventura County must show a Manager's Food Safety Certificate or County Food Handlers Card before the County issues a vending permit.

Unincorporated Ventura County property owners may not store or maintain solid waste in a way that harbors or breeds rats and other rodents.

Unincorporated Ventura County lets detached sheds, garages and gazebos sit as close as 3 feet from interior and rear lot lines, but they can't cover more than 40% of the rear setback…

Unincorporated Ventura County does not require an owner to live on-site for a standalone ADU, but if the lot has both an ADU and a JADU the owner must occupy the JADU or the remaining…

Accessory dwelling units and junior ADUs in unincorporated Ventura County can be rented out, but only for terms longer than 30 consecutive days: the county records a deed restriction…

In unincorporated Ventura County, accessory dwelling unit floor area is capped by lot size, 850 to 1,800 square feet, under the county's ADU zoning standards, which also set height…

Fire pits, fire rings and barbecue grills are allowed only in County-designated areas of Ventura County parks; open ground fires anywhere else in a park are illegal.

Much of unincorporated Ventura County lies in Fire Hazard Severity Zones, Moderate, High, or Very High, mapped by CAL FIRE's Office of the State Fire Marshal. The 2025 Local…

Discarding lit tobacco, embers or any burning material anywhere in a Ventura County park except a designated disposal area is banned under the county park safety ordinance.

Property owners in unincorporated Ventura County must maintain defensible space, enforced by the Ventura County Fire Protection District under California Public Resources Code §4291…

In unincorporated Ventura County, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are required under the Ventura County Building Code, which adopts California Residential Code §R314 and §R315. When…

Unincorporated Ventura County landscaping must use reclaimed water for irrigation whenever the resource is feasibly available, under the county's water-efficient landscaping ordinance.

Ventura County's zoning code makes state density bonus law directly applicable to unincorporated projects, granting density increases, incentives, and standards waivers to developments…

In the Dark Sky overlay zone, security lights must be fully shielded, aimed downward, and capped at 2,600 lumens with an auto-shutoff timer.

Inside Ventura County's Dark Sky Overlay Zone, outdoor light fixtures installed after November 2018 must be fully shielded, capped at 3,000 Kelvin and 850 lumens, and largely switched…

Guests at hotels, motels, and inns in unincorporated Ventura County pay an eight percent tax on the rent for any stay of 30 consecutive days or less, which the operator collects and…

Ventura County's Coastal Zoning Ordinance caps political signs in the unincorporated coastal zone at 32 square feet each and 96 square feet per lot, and bars posting more than 90 days…

In unincorporated Ventura County, signage placed in a storefront window can't cover more than 25 percent of that window's area, and anything over 10 square feet also counts against the…

Unincorporated Ventura County bans any sign that flashes, scintillates, moves or rotates: a blanket prohibition that rules out standard digital and electronic billboard displays…

Unincorporated Ventura County bars freestanding off-site advertising billboards inside designated Scenic Corridors or anywhere visible from a Scenic Highway, expressly protecting ocean…

Temporary holiday and seasonal string lights are exempt from the county's Santa Monica Mountains outdoor-lighting rules, as long as the bulbs run under 2,700 Kelvin and light only…

In the county's Habitat Connectivity and Wildlife Corridors overlay zone, intentionally planting invasive plant species is prohibited unless the plants are a commercial agricultural…

Ventura County's Coastal Zoning Ordinance bars new plantings of invasive trees, including tree-of-heaven, anywhere in the unincorporated coastal zone, per Appendix T1's tree list and…

Ventura County Ordinance Code § 6307-9 makes it illegal to operate any model aircraft or drone in any County Park, with an exception only for County Parks operated by a lessee. The…

Outdoor generators near environmentally sensitive habitat must be sited as far as practicable from ESHA receptors or screened by a structure or solid wall under the county's…

In unincorporated Ventura County, code enforcement can order abatement of blighted or dangerous properties and fine owners $100 to $1,000 per count for each day a violation continues.

Hot tubs and spas in unincorporated Ventura County follow the same Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance setbacks as pools. Under NCZO Sec. 8106-5.13, spas may be built within 3 feet of side…

Above-ground pools in unincorporated Ventura County follow Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance setbacks and the Ventura County Building Code. Under NCZO Sec. 8106-5.13, pools may sit within 3…

Ventura County's Mobile Home Park Rent Control Ordinance (Division 8, Chapter 10) protects mobile home owners in unincorporated areas from unreasonable rent increases. Annual increases…

California's Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) provides just cause eviction protections for most renters in unincorporated Ventura County who have lived in a unit for 12+ months…

Commercial door-to-door solicitors in unincorporated Ventura County may need a county business license. California's Home Solicitation Sales Act (Civil Code 1689.5) gives homeowners a…

Residents in unincorporated Ventura County can post 'No Soliciting' signs. Solicitors ignoring posted signs and refusing to leave may be cited for trespass under CA Penal Code 602…

California's Solar Rights Act (Civil Code 714) protects homeowners in Ventura County from HOA restrictions that effectively prohibit solar panel installation. HOAs cannot increase…

Unincorporated Ventura County lets residents hold up to two garage or yard sales per business tax year without registering as a business; a third sale in the same year triggers…