Santa Cruz County, CA Environmental Rules: Coastal Development (2026)

Santa Cruz County Code Chapter 13.20 (Coastal Zone Regulations) and Chapter 18.60 (Local Coastal Program Administration) implement the California Coastal Act of 1976 in unincorporated portions of the Coastal Zone. The Coastal Zone extends about five miles inland from the Pacific along the North Coast (from the San Mateo County line south through Davenport, Bonny Doon coast, and west of Highway 1) and along the Highway 1 corridor through Aptos, La Selva Beach, and the Pajaro coast. The County has a California Coastal Commission-certified Local Coastal Program (LCP) consisting of a Land Use Plan and an Implementation Plan. Within the Coastal Zone, most new development - including new homes, additions over certain thresholds, demolitions, grading, fences/walls over 6 ft, septic systems, accessory structures, and significant tree removal - requires a Coastal Development Permit (CDP). Every project must meet the zone-district standards, Coastal Zone Design Criteria (minimum grading and tree-cutting, suitable landscaping, harmonious appearance, no ridgetop development), and LCP policies on public access, visual resources, sensitive habitat, and bluff/sea-level-rise hazards. CDPs in the appealable zone (typically within 300 ft of the mean high tide, in tidelands, near major coastal roads, or in sensitive habitats) can be appealed to the California Coastal Commission within 10 working days.