Ventura County, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Allowed Zones
- M-1, M-2, M-3 industrial
- Data-Center Rule
- None specific; industrial use
- Entitlement
- PD or Conditional Use Permit
- Also Required
- CEQA; coastal CDP if applicable
- Jurisdiction
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
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 discretionary planning permit plus CEQA review. County zoning governs only unincorporated land, not the ten cities.
The purpose of this zone is to provide suitable areas for the exclusive development of light industrial, service, technical research and related business office uses in an industrial park context, in conjunction with stringent standards of building design, noise, landscaping and performance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
Ventura County's Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance (Division 8, Chapter 1) does not define or name data centers. A server and computing facility is an industrial use and must locate in an industrial zone: M-1 Industrial Park, M-2 Limited Industrial, or M-3 General Industrial, the heaviest manufacturing zone. Because the use is not listed by right, the Planning Division classifies it under Section 8105-5 and requires a discretionary entitlement, a Planned Development Permit or Conditional Use Permit, which triggers CEQA environmental review. Parcels inside the Coastal Zone fall under the separate Coastal Zoning Ordinance and also need a Coastal Development Permit. These rules apply only to unincorporated land; the ten cities, including Oxnard and Thousand Oaks, set their own zoning.
Violations & Fines
Establishing a data center without the required Planned Development or Conditional Use Permit, or on non-industrial-zoned land, is a zoning violation. The county can deny permits, issue stop-work orders, and pursue administrative penalties through its code compliance program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a data center be built in unincorporated Ventura County?
Do Ventura County's zoning rules apply inside cities like Oxnard or Thousand Oaks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura County
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura County to another location·View the California data centers & crypto mining overview
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