Shasta County, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitted zone
- C-2 (Community Commercial) only
- Permit required
- Discretionary use permit
- Grouped with
- Bars and nightclubs
- Parking requirement
- 1 space per 2 play-area seats
- Governing section
- Code Section 17.44.030(B)
Summary
A card room can only operate in Shasta County's Community Commercial (C-2) zone district, and even there it needs a discretionary use permit alongside bars and nightclubs. The county requires at least one parking space for every two seats in the play area, plus separate restaurant and bar parking.
17.44.030 - Uses requiring a use permit. The following uses are permitted in the C-2 district if a use permit is issued: A.Auto service station, self-serve and non-self-serve auto wash, auto repair services, excluding auto body and painting businesses, equipment rental;B.Bar, nightclub or cardroom;... (Ord. 2002-2 § 5, 2002; Ord. 99-4 § 29, 1999; Ord. 95-3 § 54, 1995; prior code § 5.02.210 (C))
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
020), the same tier of review required for auto service stations, motels, bowling alleys and other higher-impact commercial uses listed in the same section. The C-2 district itself is restrictively defined: it is the county's community commercial zone intended for a broader range of retail and service uses than the smaller C-1 neighborhood commercial district, so a card room proposal outside a C-2-zoned parcel is not an option regardless of permit type. 140, which sets a card room's required parking at "1 parking space for each 2 seats in the play area, plus restaurant and bar parking" if the establishment includes a restaurant or bar operation alongside the card tables.
), any local use permit approval operates alongside, not instead of, the state licensing and registration process administered by the California Bureau of Gambling Control; county approval addresses only the zoning and land-use side of siting a card room.
Violations & Fines
Operating a card room in the unincorporated county without an approved use permit, or outside the C-2 district where the use is permitted, is a zoning violation subject to the county's code enforcement process, and a use permit can be conditioned, suspended or revoked by the Planning Commission if the parking, hours or operating conditions attached to the permit are not met.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where in Shasta County can a card room legally operate?
Does a Shasta County card room need more than a zoning approval?
How much parking does a card room need in Shasta County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shasta County
California rules heatmap·Compare Shasta County to another location·View the California gambling & gaming overview
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