Redlands, CA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Barbed wire section
- Redlands City Code § 12.12.130
- Electric fence section
- Redlands City Code § 15.10.030
- Electric fence rule
- Prohibited citywide, limited exception
- Exception standard
- Cal. Civil Code § 835, non-residential only
- Permit required
- Building permit for exempt security fences
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. 2994, 2025
Summary
Redlands bans barbed wire fences and thorn-bearing hedges along any street line, and separately bans electric fences citywide as part of its adopted electrical code. A limited exception lets electrified security fences outside residential zones operate if they meet state Civil Code safety standards and get a building permit.
12.12.130: BARBED WIRE FENCES: It is unlawful to construct or maintain any barbed wire fence or thorn bearing hedge along the line of any street in the city. (Prior code § 75016) ... 15.10.030: ELECTRIC FENCES: CEC article 90, section 90.10 is hereby added to read as follows: It is unlawful to install an electric fence within the city of Redlands. Prohibited electric fences include, but are not limited to, those energized by battery, generator or electrical utility. Electrified security fences that are not in a residential zone and meet the requirements of California Civil Code § 835 are permitted. A building permit is required for an electrified security fence. (Ord. 2994, 2025)
Full Breakdown
130 makes it unlawful to construct or maintain any barbed wire fence or thorn-bearing hedge along the line of any street in the city, a rule the code carries forward from prior code section 75016 in the street and sidewalk use chapter. 030, added to the city's adopted California Electrical Code, states plainly that it is unlawful to install an electric fence within the city of Redlands, and specifies that prohibited fences include those energized by battery, generator, or electrical utility connection, covering essentially every practical way of electrifying a fence.
The section carves out one exception: electrified security fences that are not located in a residential zone and that meet the requirements of California Civil Code section 835, the state law setting safety standards such as warning signage and voltage limits for electric security fences, are permitted, but only with a building permit obtained first. Because this exception is limited to non-residential zones, a homeowner cannot lawfully install an electrified security fence even if it otherwise meets the state safety standard. 020, either a misdemeanor of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, or an infraction with escalating fines of $100 to $500.
The electric fence provisions were most recently carried forward under Ordinance 2994 in 2025, alongside the city's adoption of the 2025 California Electrical Code edition.
Violations & Fines
Maintaining a barbed wire fence or thorn hedge along a street line, or installing an unpermitted electric fence anywhere in the city, exposes the property owner to the code's general penalty under section 1.20.020: a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, or an infraction with fines of $100 for a first offense rising to $500 for repeat violations within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put barbed wire on my fence in Redlands?
Are electric fences legal in Redlands?
Is there any way to get an electric security fence approved?
What happens if I install a banned fence in Redlands?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redlands
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