Modoc County, CA Fence Regulations: Fence Requirements (2026)

Most properties in unincorporated Modoc County are not required to be fenced. The zoning code (Title 18) imposes fencing only in specific situations. Section 18.30.070, which applies to lots in any zone, makes it unlawful to keep wrecked, junked, dismantled, inoperative, or abandoned vehicles on private property more than 72 hours unless they are inside a building or 'placed behind an opaque screening fence' (up to two such vehicles). The same section requires that outdoor storage of merchandise, materials, dismantled automobiles, or salvage 'be enclosed in a sight-obscuring fence of not less than six feet in height,' with stored material kept no higher than the enclosing fence. For emergency shelters, §18.110.090(A)(4) requires 'a gated and fenced outdoor area.' Agricultural fencing for livestock and crops is generally a normal accessory use in the county's many rural and agricultural zones (RR, AG, AE, OFG). When a fence is required or built, it remains a 'structure' subject to yard-placement rules (§18.110.050) and the adopted building code's 7-foot permit threshold. The county does not impose materials or design standards on ordinary fences beyond the 'sight-obscuring' or 'opaque' requirement for screening situations.