Whittier, CA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

070, titled "Barbed wire, razor wire, concertina wire and other similar materials," opens with a blanket rule that walls and fences cannot be constructed or maintained in a manner or of materials that create a hazard to life, health, or safety, then specifically names razor wire, barbed wire, concertina wire, nails, glass, and electrified fences as prohibited materials that shall not be erected, constructed, or maintained anywhere in the city. Subsection B repeats that the use of barbed wire, razor wire, or electrified fencing material is strictly prohibited except as noted in the section.

The exceptions are narrow and nonresidential only: Subsection F lets the director of community development approve barbed wire fencing through a development review application for nonresidential zones with outdoor storage or display, provided the wire sits at least three feet from any right-of-way property line, stays out of plain view from public streets, is mounted at least six feet above ground with the wire itself not exceeding two feet above the maximum fence height, and is screened by landscaping or a decorative fence material such as wrought iron.

Subsection G allows barbed or razor wire for unmanned public infrastructure, utility sites, and hazardous material storage where the police chief or a federal agency documents a homeland security or public safety need. Subsection C imposes a three-year amortization period on any fencing that was legal when installed but becomes nonconforming, after which Subsection D requires removal within thirty days. No exception exists for ordinary residential yards; the citywide prohibition in the opening paragraph and Subsection B governs residential fencing without qualification.