La Selva Beach, CA

More than half of Santa Cruz County residents live in the Wildland Urban Interface - one of the highest shares in California. CAL FIRE maps designate most rural parcels as Moderate-to-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, with Very High zones in Bonny Doon, Boulder Creek, Summit Road, Aptos Hills, and north of Corralitos. WUI building standards (CBC Chapter 7A) and SCCC 7.92 apply.

Under SCCC Chapter 7.92 (Fire Code), all fireworks - including 'Safe and Sane' fireworks - are prohibited everywhere in Santa Cruz County, including on all beaches and in all four incorporated cities. The ban reflects extreme wildfire risk after the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire.

Santa Cruz County adopts the California Fire Code via SCCC Chapter 7.92. Open burning (including recreational fires and fire pits) is heavily restricted countywide due to wildfire risk, particularly in the State Responsibility Area covering most of the Santa Cruz Mountains. CAL FIRE CZU and local fire districts issue burn permits and may declare red-flag bans.

SCCC Chapter 7.92 (Fire Code) and California PRC 4291 require property owners countywide to maintain defensible space around structures. A firebreak must be cleared of flammable vegetation for at least 30 feet on each side of any building (or to the property line if closer), and 100 feet total in the State Responsibility Area.

SCCC Chapter 16.34 (Significant Trees Protection) protects trees in the Coastal Zone of Santa Cruz County. Any tree at least 20 inches d.b.h. (about 5 ft circumference), or a sprout clump of five or more stems each over 12 inches d.b.h., or a group of five or more trees each over 12 inches d.b.h. on one parcel, is a 'significant tree' and may not be removed without a permit.

Santa Cruz County Code Chapter 7.69 (Water Conservation) applies countywide in unincorporated areas. Daytime irrigation between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. is prohibited (drip and hand watering with shut-off nozzle excepted), watering is limited to two days per week, automatic systems to 15 minutes per station, and outdoor watering is banned during and 48 hours after measurable rainfall.

Santa Cruz County Code Title 6 (Animals) requires dogs to be under physical restraint - leash, tether, or in a person's grasp - whenever off the owner's property. In public, dogs must be leashed except at designated off-leash areas, must be accompanied, and cannot be left unattended more than 15 minutes.

Under SCCC Title 6 (Animals), chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, other fowl, rabbits, and guinea pigs are allowed in the unincorporated county only if they cannot run at large, are confined at all times to the owner's property, and provided a predator-proof house or coop with an enclosed runway. Livestock (horses, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry) is regulated through zoning.

Santa Cruz County allows Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior ADUs on any parcel where the zoning district or General Plan permits residential use, under SCCC Chapter 13.10. ADUs can be attached or detached, new construction or conversion. Properties with ADUs or JADUs cannot have short-term/vacation rentals under state law.

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, RVs, boats, and oversized vehicles are regulated under SCCC Title 9 (Vehicles and Traffic) and Title 13 (Zoning). Overnight parking and camping in any County off-street lot are prohibited; the Director of Public Works can establish RV parking restrictions on residential streets following neighborhood petition under SCCC 9.70.600.

Santa Cruz County requires a Short-Term Rental Permit for any rental under 30 days in unincorporated areas under SCCC 13.10.694. Hosted Rentals (host occupies a bedroom) and Non-Hosted (formerly 'Vacation') Rentals (whole home) are distinct categories; permits last five years. STRs are banned on parcels with an ADU or JADU per state law, and only one STR per person/entity/property is allowed.

Santa Cruz County Code Chapter 16.13 (Floodplain Management Regulations) implements FEMA floodplain rules countywide. Developers and subdividers of parcels in flood hazard areas must record a Declaration of Flood Hazards with the County Recorder as a condition of permit approval. New construction in Special Flood Hazard Areas must meet elevation, anchoring, and flood-resistant materials standards.

Most development in Santa Cruz County's Coastal Zone (extending roughly five miles inland from the Pacific along the North Coast and along Highway 1) requires a Coastal Development Permit under SCCC Chapter 13.20 (Coastal Zone Regulations) and Chapter 18.60 (Local Coastal Program Administration). The County's certified Local Coastal Program implements the California Coastal Act of 1976.

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County has no local just-cause eviction ordinance; California's statewide Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482, Civ Code 1946.2) applies. AB 1482 requires 'just cause' to terminate tenancies of 12+ months and caps annual rent increases at 5% + CPI (max 10%) for most rentals more than 15 years old.

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County has no local rent-control ordinance. The City of Santa Cruz rejected Measure M (a comprehensive rent-control measure) in November 2018. The only applicable rent cap is statewide AB 1482 (Cal. Civ Code 1947.12): 5% + regional CPI annually, maximum 10%, for most non-exempt rentals more than 15 years old.