15 local rules on file · Pop. 50,547 · El Dorado County
Showing ordinances that apply to El Dorado Hills, CA
El Dorado Hills is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 50,547 in El Dorado County, California. Because El Dorado Hills is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, El Dorado County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in El Dorado County may have different rules.
El Dorado County regulates noise in unincorporated areas through Title 9 (Public Peace, Morals and Welfare) of the County Code, supported by the General Plan Public Health, Safety and Noise Element. The General Plan applies an exterior noise criterion of 60 dB Ldn at outdoor activity areas for residential uses and 65 dB Ldn at the building facade. In the Tahoe Basin, additional noise standards in TRPA Code of Ordinances Chapter 23 apply. Vacation home rentals (Chapter 5.56) are subject to specific 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. quiet hours. Active disturbances are enforced by the El Dorado County Sheriff under California Penal Code Section 415.
Barking dog complaints in unincorporated El Dorado County are handled by El Dorado County Animal Services under Title 6 (Animals) of the County Code. Habitual barking that disturbs the peace can be cited as a public nuisance under Title 6 and may also be enforced as disturbing the peace under California Penal Code Section 415. Animal Services typically requires written complaints from one or more neighbors documenting dates, times, and duration of barking before formal enforcement. State law (California Food & Agricultural Code Section 31000+) authorizes counties to abate nuisance dogs.
These unincorporated areas are also governed by El Dorado County ordinances.
All fireworks - including 'safe and sane' fireworks - are prohibited in unincorporated El Dorado County. The prohibition is implemented through Title 8 (Public Health and Safety) Chapter 8.08 (Fire Prevention) and is reinforced by the County's high wildfire risk and CAL FIRE State Responsibility Area designation across most of the unincorporated area. Possession, sale, use, or discharge of any fireworks in unincorporated El Dorado County can result in misdemeanor citation. State authority is California Health & Safety Code Sections 12500-12728 (State Fireworks Law) and Title 19 CCR Section 980 et seq.
Open burning and outdoor fires in unincorporated El Dorado County are regulated under Chapter 8.08 (Fire Prevention) of the County Code and by the local fire protection district with jurisdiction. Outdoor wood-burning fire pits, fire rings, and bonfires are restricted year-round and prohibited entirely during declared fire season and on no-burn days. CAL FIRE Amador-El Dorado Unit declares the start and end of fire season for the State Responsibility Area. Permanently installed gas fire pits with a self-contained gas supply are generally allowed but must comply with manufacturer setbacks and local fire district rules. Within the Lake Tahoe Air Basin, additional El Dorado County Air Quality Management District (AQMD) no-burn day rules apply.
El Dorado County requires 100 feet of defensible space around every habitable structure under Chapter 8.09 of the County Code (Ordinance 5186, adopted July 16, 2024), aligned with California Public Resources Code Section 4291 and 14 CCR Section 1299. Defensible space is split into Zone 1 (0-30 feet, 'lean and green') and Zone 2 (30-100 feet, reduced fuel). Additional clearance up to 300 feet may be required where steep terrain, weather, structure age, road access, or vegetation warrants. Inspections are performed by CAL FIRE, the local fire protection district, or El Dorado County Office of Wildfire Preparedness and Resilience.
Most of unincorporated El Dorado County sits within a CAL FIRE State Responsibility Area, and large portions are mapped as High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ). The County adopted updated FHSZ maps consistent with CAL FIRE's statewide remap. Properties in High and Very High FHSZ are subject to: 100-foot defensible space under Chapter 8.09 of the County Code, Chapter 7A fire-resistant construction standards (California Building Code), AB 38 defensible space inspections at sale, and additional access, water supply, and fuel modification requirements under the County's Fire Safe Regulations and Title 130 Zoning. Recent fires include the King, Caldor, and Mosquito fires.
Backyard chickens and livestock are broadly allowed in most residential zones in unincorporated El Dorado County under Title 130 (Zoning). The R1A (One-Acre Residential) and R3A (Three-Acre Residential) zones expressly allow low-intensity commercial agricultural pursuits, including the raising and grazing of domestic farm animals. The exact number and species permitted depend on the zoning designation and parcel size. The County has no countywide chicken cap for unincorporated residential lots. Title 6 nuisance and animal-control rules and Title 8 health rules still apply. The incorporated City of Placerville and certain HOA areas (El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park) impose stricter limits.
El Dorado County Code Title 6 (Animals) requires that dogs be confined to the owner's property or maintained on a leash whenever off the owner's property. A dog 'at large' off its owner's premises and not under restraint is subject to impound and citation. El Dorado County Animal Services patrols and responds to loose-dog complaints, including on Tahoe-area trails where unleashed dogs are an ongoing problem. State authority is California Food & Agricultural Code Section 30951 et seq. Cities of Placerville and South Lake Tahoe and Eldorado National Forest land have their own leash rules.
El Dorado County Code Title 10 (Vehicles and Traffic) and Title 130 (Zoning) regulate where RVs, boats, and trailers can be parked on residential parcels in unincorporated areas. RV use as temporary housing is allowed on parcels of 1 acre or larger zoned for residential use under a Temporary Recreational Vehicle Permit (Title 130) - up to two years per permit, one permit per lot. Within an established RV park or campground, the maximum length of stay is 30 days. On residential parcels, RVs and boats may be stored on the owner's property subject to zoning setbacks; within many El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, and Tahoe-area HOAs, separate CC&Rs further restrict RV/boat storage. Street parking is governed by Title 10 and California Vehicle Code Section 22651.
In the Lake Tahoe Basin portion of unincorporated El Dorado County (Strawberry east to Tahoma and Meyers), the Board of Supervisors adopted updated winter no-parking restrictions on county-owned public roads, highways, and rights-of-way that are in effect annually from November 1 to May 1. The previous rule prohibited parking only 'when snow removal conditions exist' - which created enforcement ambiguity. The current ordinance, aligned with neighboring Placer County's approach, imposes a flat no-parking rule for the entire winter window so that snow plows can operate without interference. Violations are subject to citation and towing under Title 10 and California Vehicle Code.
Most of unincorporated El Dorado County's foothill population is served by El Dorado Irrigation District (EID), which sets watering-day rules by season under its water shortage contingency plan. South Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Basin are served by South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) and Tahoe Keys Water Company. EID's standard schedule allows once-per-week irrigation Nov 16-Apr 15, twice-per-week Apr 16-Jun 15 and Sep 16-Nov 15, and three-times-per-week Jun 16-Sep 15, with even-numbered addresses on Sun (and Wed/Fri) and odd-numbered on Sat (and Tue/Thu). Irrigation is recommended between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. and must be turned off during and 48 hours after measurable rainfall. Authority is California Water Code Section 350 et seq.
El Dorado County's Oak Resources Conservation Ordinance (Ordinance 5061, implementing Chapter 130.39 of the Zoning Ordinance and the Oak Resources Management Plan) requires a permit for removal of any native oak tree with a single trunk of at least 6 inches diameter at breast height (dbh) or multiple trunks aggregating at least 10 inches dbh, with limited exceptions. Personal-use removal of up to 8 oaks per parcel per year, total not to exceed 140 inches dbh, is exempt from mitigation. Healthy oaks documented as hazardous (by an ISA-certified arborist or insurance company) are exempt. Penalties include fines up to three times the replacement value plus mandatory replanting.