Fellows, CA

Unincorporated Kern County levies a 6% Transient Occupancy Tax under Code Chapter 4.16, authorized by California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 7280. Operators must register with the Kern County Treasurer-Tax Collector and file quarterly returns even with zero rental activity. Late returns incur penalties under Section 4.16.100.

Kern County does not require a stand-alone short-term rental permit, but every operator of a hotel, vacation rental, or short-term lodging in the unincorporated area must register with the Kern County Treasurer-Tax Collector and obtain a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate before renting.

Kern County's Transient Occupancy Tax Chapter 4.16 does not set per-bedroom guest caps, overnight occupancy limits, or daytime gathering limits for short-term rentals in the unincorporated area. The only quantitative threshold is the 30-day stay length that triggers the TOT.

Kern County has no STR-specific noise ordinance, but Ordinance Code Chapter 8.36 prohibits loud and raucous noise and restricts amplified sound in unincorporated areas. Construction noise is barred 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays and 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. weekends near homes.

No Kern County ordinance imposes parking requirements specifically on short-term rentals. The standard residential off-street parking minimums of Zoning Ordinance Chapter 19.82 apply, including two spaces per single-family dwelling in unincorporated areas.

Kern County Zoning Ordinance Chapter 19.90 allows one accessory dwelling unit per legal lot, capped at 1,200 square feet, subject to minimum lot size and zoning district setbacks.

Kern County's Chapter 19.90 ADU rules let homeowners convert an existing garage into an ADU subject to size and standards, but other garage conversions to living space still require a building permit and zoning compliance.

Kern County exempts one-story detached residential sheds of 120 square feet or less from building permits, but Chapter 19.08 still limits total detached accessory building area by parcel size and bars them from required yards.

In unincorporated Kern County, carports are regulated as residential accessory structures, and the combined size of all detached accessory buildings on a residential parcel is capped by lot size -- from 600 square feet on lots under 1/4 acre up to 5,000 square feet (or three times the dwelling's square footage) on lots of 3 acres or more. Carports may not occupy a required front, side, or rear yard and generally may not sit closer to the front property line than the main dwelling.

Kern County has no tiny-home-specific ordinance: a tiny house built on a permanent foundation can be permitted as an accessory dwelling unit under Zoning Ordinance Chapter 19.90 (implementing Government Code Sections 66310-66342), but a tiny house on wheels is classified as a recreational vehicle and cannot serve as a permanent dwelling in unincorporated areas. Temporary RV occupancy requires a conditional use permit and is limited to vacant lots of at least 20 acres in select districts.

Only State Fire Marshal-approved 'Safe and Sane' fireworks may be sold or used in unincorporated Kern County, and they are entirely prohibited within the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area (mountain communities like Lake Isabella, Kern River Valley, Frazier Park, and Tehachapi).

Open burning of vegetation in unincorporated Kern County requires a burn permit from the Kern County Fire Department, may only occur on declared 'permissive burn days' during the announced burn season, and is split between two air districts that must each authorize the burn.

Recreational fires (backyard fire pits, chimineas, portable outdoor fireplaces) in unincorporated Kern County are governed by California Fire Code Section 307 as adopted in Kern County Code Chapter 17.32, which imposes setbacks, size limits, and on-site control requirements.

Small recreational backyard fires for cooking or warmth are allowed under California Fire Code § 307 as adopted by Kern County, but any burning of vegetation, debris, or trash requires a burn permit and an air-district 'permissive' day.

Kern County adopted its own Wildland-Urban Interface Code (Ordinance Code Chapter 17.34), tying local hazardous fire areas to the state Fire Hazard Severity Zones, and in 2025 released updated FHSZ maps adding Moderate, High, and Very High zones in Local Responsibility Areas under SB 63.

Kern County requires 30 feet of clearance of all non-ornamental combustibles around every structure and a total 100 feet of fuel reduction, enforced annually by the Kern County Fire Department under Ordinance Code Chapter 8.46. Properties in State Responsibility Areas must complete clearance by June 1 each year.

The Kern County Fire Code requires a construction permit to install or modify LP-gas containers of 125 gallons water capacity or more (other than at a single-family residence) and caps aggregate LP-gas storage at 2,000 gallons water capacity outside M-2/M-3 industrial zones.

Kern County prohibits barbed wire and electrified fences in residential and Estate zones, with narrow exceptions: electrified fences are allowed only for animal containment on RS-combining-district lots of at least 2.5 acres. Sharp wire or points are also barred at the top of fences under 6 feet.

In Kern County's Estate (E) and Residential (R-1, R-2, R-3) zones, fences in the required front yard cannot exceed 4 feet, while side and rear yard fences are capped at 6 feet. Heights are measured from finished interior grade.

Per the California Building Code as adopted in Kern County Title 17, fences not over 7 feet high are exempt from building permits. Fences exceeding 7 feet, masonry retaining walls, and pool-enclosure barriers require a permit from the Kern County Public Works Building Inspection Division.

In unincorporated Kern County, boundary-fence disputes between neighbors are governed by California's Good Neighbor Fence Act (Civil Code Section 841), which presumes adjoining landowners share equally in the reasonable costs of building, maintaining, or replacing a shared fence. A landowner who intends to incur fence costs must give each affected neighbor 30 days' prior written notice.

In unincorporated Kern County, a retaining wall needs a building permit if it is over 4 feet tall measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, or if it supports a surcharge or impounds Class I, II, or III-A liquids at any height. The retaining portion of a wall does not count toward the county's zoning height limits for fences and walls.

Kern County Zoning Ordinance § 19.94.040 limits home occupations to 25% of the gross area of one floor of the residence (or equivalent accessory building space), restricts work to occupants of the residence, prohibits outside storage, requires appointment-only operation, and caps business vehicles at five tons. The use must remain compatible with the residential character of the neighborhood.

Kern County prohibits all home occupation signs in unincorporated areas. Under § 19.94.040(9), 'No sign shall be permitted, other than the clearly posted address of the home.' The County's official application materials reinforce that 'no advertising signs are permitted on the property' for any home-based business.

Kern County Chapter 19.96 sets development standards and a Planning Director permit process for large family day-care homes serving up to 14 children, though California law now treats family daycare homes as a residential use by right.

Kern County residents can sell approved low-risk homemade foods as cottage food operations. Class A operations register with Kern County Public Health for direct sales; Class B operations need a permit and may also sell through stores and restaurants.

Home occupations in unincorporated Kern County must be run by appointment only and solely by residents of the home. Freight deliveries beyond normal residential frequency are prohibited, and on-site sales are limited to products made on the premises.

Unincorporated Kern County requires a ministerial Home Occupation Permit from the Planning and Natural Resources Department before any business activity may be conducted from a residential dwelling. The one-time filing fee is $50 and applications are typically processed within one to two weeks with no public hearing required.

Unincorporated Kern County requires every property to clear non-ornamental combustibles and vegetation 30 feet around structures and 100 feet of fuel reduction by June 1 each year under Chapter 8.46 (Weeds and Other Hazardous Growths).

Kern County requires non-ornamental trees to be limbed up at least 6 feet from the ground, with dead limbs removed and trees and limbs cleared at least 10 feet from chimney outlets, under Chapter 8.46 (Weeds and Other Hazardous Growths).

Unincorporated Kern County requires new and rehabilitated landscapes to comply with California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) under Title 19, Chapter 19.86 of the Kern County Zoning Ordinance.

Kern County Ordinance Code Chapter 8.46 declares weeds and other hazardous growths a public nuisance subject to abatement, administered by the Fire Department under the Fire Hazard Reduction Program (FHRP).

No Kern County-specific ordinance restricts residential rainwater harvesting in unincorporated areas. Under the California Rainwater Capture Act of 2012, property owners may capture and use rainwater from rooftops without a water right permit.

No Kern County ordinance prohibits artificial turf in unincorporated areas, and state law bars the county from prohibiting living drought-tolerant landscaping on residential property. HOA bans on artificial turf are void under state law, though since 2024 local governments may regulate synthetic turf if they choose.

Removing a western Joshua tree anywhere in Kern County requires authorization from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife under the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act. The California Desert Native Plants Act also requires a permit from the county agricultural commissioner or sheriff before harvesting protected desert plants such as yuccas, cacti, ocotillo, and mesquites.

Section 8.36.020 of the Kern County Code prohibits operating any public address system or sound equipment when the sound emanates beyond the confines of a permanent building to a degree that constitutes 'loud and raucous noise,' or when used to promote any private affair, business, or commercial enterprise.

Kern County's Noise Control chapter (Title 8, Chapter 8.36) does not set general residential quiet hours; only construction noise has explicit time limits. The 'loud and raucous noise' standard in Section 8.36.020 applies 24 hours a day in unincorporated areas.

Kern County does not impose local aircraft-overflight noise restrictions; aircraft noise is federally preempted by the FAA. The county participates in a FAR Part 150 Noise Compatibility Program for Meadows Field Airport (BFL), approved by the FAA effective September 18, 2008.

Section 8.36.020 prohibits construction noise between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. weekdays and 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. weekends when audible at 150 feet from the site, if the site is within 1,000 feet of an occupied residential dwelling. Emergency work is exempt.

Section 7.08.380 of the Kern County Code makes it unlawful to keep or harbor any animal whose howling, yelping, barking, or other noise disturbs or annoys a neighborhood. Each day of continued violation is a separate offense; second and subsequent violations are misdemeanors.

Stationary noise sources at commercial and industrial sites within 500 feet of residentially developed and zoned property in unincorporated Kern County may not exceed an average 65 dB Ldn, with a tighter nighttime test between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

No Kern County-specific ordinance directly restricts leaf blower use, hours, or decibel levels in unincorporated areas; the county's general noise rules and California's statewide small off-road engine law (HSC Sec. 43018.11) are what apply.

Kern County prohibits parking a vehicle on any state highway in the unincorporated county for 72 or more consecutive hours, adopted under California Vehicle Code authority.

Kern County Title 19 limits truck parking at a residence to one truck under 5 tons used for employment or an approved home occupation, and bans any commercial vehicle of 10,000+ lbs GVWR from public or private streets within a residential district.

Kern County does not impose a blanket overnight parking ban on unincorporated streets, but any vehicle left in place for 72 consecutive hours can be declared abandoned and removed under Chapter 10.28.

In unincorporated Kern County, off-street parking areas and driveways must be surfaced with approved materials, residential driveways must be at least 14 feet wide with 15 feet of vertical clearance, and parking is generally barred from required front-yard setbacks abutting a street.

Kern County's zoning ordinance requires commercial, industrial, and larger residential developments in unincorporated areas to provide on-site loading and unloading space in addition to required parking, with freight loading spaces scaled to building floor area or apartment unit count.

California law requires Kern County to approve applications to install electric vehicle charging stations administratively through a nondiscretionary building permit, limits county review to health and safety requirements, and deems applications complete or approved if the county misses statutory deadlines.

Kern County declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative (WDI) vehicles a public nuisance: a vehicle left 72 or more consecutive hours on a county road, or on private property without the owner's consent, is 'abandoned,' and keeping visible WDI vehicles is unlawful with narrow exceptions.

A building permit from the Kern County Building Inspection Division is required before constructing any swimming pool, spa or hot tub in unincorporated Kern County. The County adopts the 2019 California Building, Residential and Plumbing Codes, and Appendix M of the adopted Plumbing Code (Kern County Code section 17.20.190) requires that the method of pool wastewater disposal be approved by the Administrative Authority before any work begins. Pre-gunite, electrical and final inspections are required.

Unincorporated Kern County enforces the California Residential Code Appendix V and the state Swimming Pool Safety Act, which require pool enclosures at least 60 inches tall, with self-closing/self-latching gates that open away from the pool, and no more than 2 inches of ground clearance. The Kern County Residential Code is the 2019 CRC including Appendix V, adopted by reference under Kern County Code section 17.06.030.

Hot tubs and spas count as swimming pools under California's Swimming Pool Safety Act, but units fitted with a locking safety cover meeting the ASTM International F1346 standard are exempt from the Act's drowning prevention requirements in unincorporated Kern County.

California's Swimming Pool Safety Act defines a pool as any structure holding water over 18 inches deep and expressly includes above-ground structures, so above-ground pools in unincorporated Kern County face the same drowning prevention and permit rules as in-ground pools.

When unincorporated Kern County issues a permit to build or remodel a pool or spa at a private single-family home, state law requires at least two of seven drowning prevention safety features, verified by the building official before final approval.

Unincorporated Kern County does not mandate spaying or neutering of pets. Owners of unaltered dogs instead pay higher license fees ($60 per year versus $15 for altered dogs), and California law requires shelters and rescues to sterilize dogs before adoption.

Beekeeping in unincorporated Kern County is governed by state apiary law. All apiary owners must register their colonies and locations with the Kern County Agricultural Commissioner each January, post identification signs at each apiary, and keep registrations current.

Exotic animal ownership in unincorporated Kern County is controlled by California state law. Fish and Game Code section 2118 makes it unlawful to import, transport, or possess restricted wild animals -- including primates, bears, and crocodilians -- without a state permit.

Kern County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and regulates development in Special Flood Hazard Areas through Kern County Code Title 18 Chapter 18.70 and zoning Chapters 19.50 (Floodplain Primary), 19.70 (Floodplain Combining), 19.72 (Floodplain Secondary), and 19.73 (Kern River Corridor). FEMA-issued Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for Kern County and Bakersfield, including Lake Isabella and the Kern River, define the regulated areas where elevation, anchoring, and floodproofing standards apply.