Ventura County's Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance landscaping rules do not ban artificial turf, but synthetic turf usually does not count toward landscape or water-efficiency requirements the way living plants and permeable surfaces do. Install on permit-required projects with County review; basic residential installs may still need building or grading approval.
Unincorporated Ventura County does not have a published ordinance outright banning artificial or synthetic turf. The County's landscaping regulations are contained in the Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance update adopted March 9, 2021 (Sections 8109-0.6, 8109-1.2, and 8109-1.3), which set landscape standards by zone and tie water efficiency to the state Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). Under that framework, synthetic turf is generally treated as a non-living, non-irrigated surface rather than as qualifying landscaping, so it typically does not satisfy planting, canopy, or screening requirements that call for living vegetation, and it can affect site permeability and stormwater calculations. For a typical single-family yard, replacing a lawn with artificial turf usually does not require a discretionary planning permit, but it may require grading or drainage review if it changes site runoff, and any associated structures or large impervious changes can trigger Building and Safety review. On discretionary development projects subject to landscape conditions, the County's reviewer determines how much, if any, artificial turf is acceptable within the approved landscape plan. Because the published County materials do not specify a turf percentage cap, owners and developers should confirm with RMA Planning how synthetic turf will be counted before relying on it to meet a landscaping condition.
Artificial turf used to satisfy a required landscape condition without County acceptance can cause a landscape plan to fail review or final inspection. Installations that alter drainage without required grading approval may trigger correction notices from Building and Safety.
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