Yolo County, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)

Title 5, Chapter 2 of the Yolo County Code lets card rooms operate in unincorporated Yolo County, but only with a license the Sheriff-Coroner issues after Board of Supervisors approval; Section 5-2.03 makes it unlawful to operate or even participate in the business of a card room without one. A "card room" under Section 5-2.02 is any place where card games are played and the public is invited to participate, with or without payment. Section 5-2.12.1 caps the total supply: one license for each 20,000 residents (or fraction) of the unincorporated territory, and no more than one card room per address.

Operating hours are fixed by Section 5-2.12.2 at everything except 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., when card rooms must be closed. Licensing costs money: Section 5-2.05 sets an annual fee of $252.00 per card table, prorated monthly if the license issues after January 1, plus a $1,000 bond under Section 5-2.07 to guarantee compliance. Section 5-2.06 exempts fraternal and veterans' organizations, lodges, church groups, and farm associations running card games for members or bona fide guests. The Board weighs land-use compatibility and the existing count of card rooms in the area before granting a license, and under Section 5-2.14 the Board can revoke a license (with a 15-day temporary suspension power reserved to the Sheriff-Coroner under Section 5-2.13) if conditions are violated, the license was obtained by fraud, the operator lacks good moral character, minors are allowed to frequent the room, the room is not genuinely open to the public during play, or it is run in a disorderly manner.