Petaluma, CA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- General ban
- No barbed wire fence along any public street
- Governing section
- PMC § 13.04.010
- AG/I exception
- 1 ft vertical barbed wire, permit required
- Exception use test
- Outdoor storage or livestock keeping only
- Permit needed
- Fence permit, Community Development Dept.
- Municipal Code currency
- Through Ord. 2916 NCS, Dec 1, 2025
Summary
Petaluma Municipal Code Section 13.04.010 makes it unlawful to erect or maintain a barbed wire fence along any public street in the city, a ban that reaches every zoning district. The Implementing Zoning Ordinance carves out one narrow exception: up to one foot of vertical barbed wire on top of a fence in an Agricultural or Industrial district, with a fence permit, for outdoor storage or livestock uses.
It is unlawful for any person to erect or maintain any barbed wire fence along any public street in the city.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010 of the Petaluma Municipal Code flatly bans barbed wire fencing along any public street citywide; the section traces to Ordinance 20 CS, one of the oldest surviving provisions in the streets and public places title, and applies regardless of the zoning district the property sits in. 060, and only where the property's use includes outdoor storage of goods or vehicles or the keeping of livestock. Outside those two districts, and for any fence not tied to outdoor storage or livestock keeping, barbed wire is not permitted at any height.
060, supported by a scaled plot plan showing property lines, adjacent streets and rights-of-way, plus a dimensional detail of the proposed materials and height. The fence chapter of the zoning ordinance is current only through Ordinance 2907, passed September 8, 2025, while the general Municipal Code barbed wire ban is current through Ordinance 2916 NCS, passed December 1, 2025.
Violations & Fines
Erecting or maintaining a barbed wire fence along a public street without qualifying for the AG/I storage-or-livestock exception is a violation of the Municipal Code. Absent a section specifying its own penalty, Petaluma's general enforcement chapter classifies a code violation as a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine or six months in county jail, or the enforcing authority may instead charge it as an infraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put up a barbed wire fence in Petaluma?
Is there any place in Petaluma where barbed wire is allowed?
Do I need a permit just for a regular fence in Petaluma?
What zoning district determines whether barbed wire is allowed at all?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
California rules heatmap·Compare Petaluma to another location·View the California fence regulations overview
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Material Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle material restrictions.