Santa Barbara County, CA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Santa Barbara County Code Chapter 15A implements the National Flood Insurance Program for the unincorporated territory only; Sec. 15A-6 limits the chapter's reach to 'all areas of special flood hazards within the unincorporated area of the County of Santa Barbara,' so Santa Barbara, Goleta, Lompoc, Santa Maria, Carpinteria and Buellton administer their own floodplain codes. The applicable maps are the September 1978 Flood Insurance Study and the March 15, 1979 Flood Insurance Rate Map, supplemented since June 19, 2018 by the FEMA Recovery Map covering the Montecito and Carpinteria areas mapped after the January 9, 2018 debris flow (Sec.

15A-7). Sec. 15A-13 requires a development permit application on building-division forms before construction, filling, grading, or storage of materials begins in an A or V zone, showing the proposed lowest-floor elevation relative to mean sea level, any floodproofing elevation, required engineer or surveyor certifications, and a description of any watercourse alteration. The floodplain administrator (the flood control director or a designee) reviews the permit, confirms the site is reasonably safe from flooding, and checks that the project will not raise the base flood elevation more than one foot elsewhere (Sec.

15A-15). A property owner who disagrees with a boundary or wants relief from the standards can appeal or seek a variance under Sec. 15A-23 through 15A-25, but the floodplain administrator must find the variance won't cause fraud, victimization, or added public-safety risk. This chapter does not repeal stricter deed restrictions or easements; the more restrictive rule controls (Sec. 15A-9).