San Bernardino County, CA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- County Code § 83.06.070, Ord. 4011 (2007)
- Chain link
- Banned Valley residential; allowed Desert Region
- Barbed/razor wire
- Banned below six feet on residential fences
- Tarp fencing
- Banned in all zoning districts countywide
- Electrified fencing
- Banned unless legally required or buffered
- Retaining walls
- Governed separately by § 83.02.070
- Penalty
- Infraction $100-$500 or misdemeanor $500-$1,000
Summary
San Bernardino County Code § 83.06.070 bans permanent chain-link, barbed wire, razor wire, tarp, and electrified fencing across most residential zoning districts in the unincorporated county, with narrower exceptions written for the Mountain and Desert regions. Barbed and razor wire is allowed only above six feet. Retaining walls and fences ordered by a state or federal agency fall outside this chapter.
(a) Chain Link Fencing. Permanent chain link fencing or similar materials (chicken wire, hog fencing, etc.) is prohibited in residential land use zoning districts in the Valley Region, except in those cases where it is not visible from the public right-of-way... In the Desert Region, the prohibition against chain link fencing will not apply. (b) Barbed Wire/Razor Wire Fencing. Barbed wire and razor wire fencing shall be prohibited in residential land use zoning districts or adjacent to public rights-of-way in commercial and industrial zoning districts. Barbed wire, razor wire, or other sharp pointed material may only be used in the construction of a fence if it is at least six feet above ground level. (c) Tarp Fencing. Tarp fencing shall be prohibited in all land use zoning districts. (d) Electrified Fencing. The use of electrified fencing or wires in conjunction with any fence, wall, roof, hedge, or by itself along the property lines of a parcel within any land use zoning district is prohibited unless required by the law or a regulation of the city, the County, the State, Federal Government, agency, or as a condition of approval.
Full Breakdown
06 of the Development Code, adopted by Ordinance 4011 in 2007 and amended by Ordinance 4043 in 2008, sets four separate material bans that apply differently across the county's three planning regions. Subsection (a) prohibits permanent chain-link fencing, chicken wire, and hog fencing in residential zoning districts in the Valley Region (the San Bernardino, Fontana, and Rancho Cucamonga side of the county), unless the fence is screened from the public right-of-way, sits behind the primary structure, and is camouflaged with plantings, or unless it borders commercial or industrial parcels.
Chain link is allowed for temporary uses everywhere, is allowed in the Mountain Region only when paired with another material such as split-rail and camouflaged, and the ban does not reach the Desert Region at all. Subsection (b) bans barbed wire and razor wire on residential fences and on fences fronting rights-of-way in commercial and industrial districts; either material may still top a fence, but only where it starts at least six feet above grade, which is why barbed-wire toppers are common on desert parcels but not on street-facing residential lots.
Subsection (c) bans tarp fencing everywhere in the county with no regional carve-out. Subsection (d) prohibits electrified fencing and wires on any property line in any zoning district unless a city, county, state, or federal regulation requires it or a permit condition specifies it; an electrified fence can still run inside the interior of a parcel if buffered from neighboring property by a separate physical barrier. 070's setback rules.
Violations & Fines
Fence material violations are Development Code violations enforced under County Code § 11.0206 like any other Code breach. Land Use Services or Code Enforcement can prosecute a violation as a misdemeanor, punishable by a base fine of $500 to $1,000 or up to six months in county jail, or file it as an infraction instead, carrying escalating base fines of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each further violation of the same section. Each day the noncompliant fence stays up counts as a new, separate offense under § 11.0204(d).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install a chain-link fence in my San Bernardino County backyard?
Is barbed wire allowed on a residential fence in the county?
Can I fence my property with tarps for privacy?
Are electric fences legal for keeping livestock in on rural property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California fence regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.