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Tehama County, CA Environmental Rules: Boat Dock Permits (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

PF district
Use permit required (§ 17.42.030)
NR district
Permitted by right (§ 17.44.020)
Reviewing body
Planning commission
Scope
Unincorporated county waterways only

Summary

In Tehama County's PF Primary Floodplain district, boat ramps and docks need a discretionary use permit from the planning commission; the NR district allows noncommercial boat launching by right.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Tehama County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Except as provided in Section 17.42.040, the following uses shall be permitted in a PF district upon securing a use permit: A. ...such buildings and structures...will not be appreciably damaged by flooding...3. Public parks and recreation areas and facilities, including boat ramps, docks, parking areas, picnic tables and fireplaces and private and commercial recreation developments and facilities, campgrounds and recreational vehicle parks...

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).

Full Breakdown

Tehama County requires a discretionary use permit for boat ramps and docks built in the PF, Primary Floodplain district, the stream channel and adjacent floodway along waterways such as the Sacramento River, under County Code § 17.42.030(A)(3), with the planning commission confirming the structure will resist flood damage and won't obstruct flood flow. In the separate NR, Natural Resource Lands and Recreation district, noncommercial boat launching and docking facilities are permitted outright, without a use permit, under § 17.44.020(E). This applies only to the unincorporated county.

Violations & Fines

Building a boat ramp or dock in a PF-district floodway without the required use permit violates Title 17 and is enforceable as a misdemeanor under the county's general penalty, § 1.04.042.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit for a dock on my property?
Yes, in the PF Primary Floodplain district: a discretionary use permit is required; in the NR district, noncommercial boat launching and docking is permitted without one.
Does this cover docks in Red Bluff or Corning?
No: those cities enforce their own codes; Tehama County's PF and NR district rules apply only in the unincorporated county.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Tehama County

Noise Ordinances: Quiet HoursSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsFlood ZonesSome RestrictionsFlood Elevation RequirementsSome RestrictionsDefensible SpaceSome RestrictionsErosion ControlSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Vehicle NoiseSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Leaf Blower RulesSome Restrictions

All Tehama County rules

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