Del Norte County, CA Fence Regulations: Permit Requirements (2026)

Two separate approvals can apply to fences in unincorporated Del Norte County. First, the building side: the California Building Code, adopted statewide and enforced by the County Building Inspection Department, exempts fences not over seven feet in height from a building permit (CBC Section 105.2). Second, the zoning side: Title 20, Section 20.48.70 (Height Restrictions) requires a use permit before a fence, wall, or hedge exceeds four feet along a required front yard or eight feet along a side or rear yard of an interior lot. So a six-foot side-yard fence typically needs neither a building permit nor a use permit, while a six-foot fence in a front yard does need a use permit even though it is under the seven-foot building-permit threshold. Third, location matters: within the certified coastal zone, fences are development under Title 21 and the Local Coastal Program, and a Coastal Development Permit may be required regardless of height. Corner lots must also satisfy the intersection sight rules referenced at Section 12.08.010. Because the building-permit threshold, the zoning use-permit threshold, and the coastal-permit requirement are independent, contact both the Planning Division (707-464-7254) and Building Inspection (707-464-7253) before building near a front line, a corner, or the coast.