Del Norte County, CA Fence Regulations: Fence Requirements (2026)

Del Norte County does not maintain a stand-alone, design-focused fence ordinance; fence rules sit inside the zoning code's height-restriction and yard provisions, and they differ between the inland and coastal codes. For inland (Title 20) interior lots, Section 20.48.70 limits a fence, wall, or hedge to four feet along the front edge or sides of a required front yard and eight feet along any side or rear yard, with anything taller requiring a use permit. Corner lots are governed instead by the sight-obstruction rules referenced at Section 12.08.010 of Title 12, which keep intersections visible for traffic safety. The zoning code defines the yards a fence must respect - front, side, and rear yard (Sec. 20.04.890, 20.04.910, 20.04.900) - and 'structure' broadly (Sec. 20.04.790). In the coastal zone, the same kinds of fences are 'development' under Title 21 and the certified Local Coastal Program, so even routine fencing can require a Coastal Development Permit and must be consistent with coastal-resource policies. There is no general county requirement that residential fences be a particular openness or material, but use-permit and coastal-permit conditions can add requirements. Always confirm whether your parcel is inland or coastal, and whether it is a corner lot, with the Del Norte County Planning Division before building.