Pop. 66,224 · Madera County
City of Madera Code Chapter 13 regulates fireworks in city parks and the City enforces a zero-tolerance policy on all illegal (non-'Safe & Sane') fireworks. Only State Fire…
Open residential burning in the City of Madera is governed by San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) Rule 4103 plus the State Fire Marshal Title 19 rules…
Madera enforces the California Building / Fire Code requirements for smoke alarms in every dwelling unit and CO alarms in any dwelling with fuel-burning appliances or attached garages…
City of Madera Code Chapter 3-15 (Weed Abatement Regulations) requires property owners to remove weeds, dry brush, dead vegetation, trash, junk, and debris that constitute a fire or…
Madera County adopts the California Fire Code through county code Title 14, Division II (Fire Prevention), Chapter 14.35. Under California Fire Code Section 307, recreational fires…
Recreational backyard fires follow the California Fire Code adopted in county code Title 14 (25-foot setback). Residential wood burning in fireplaces and wood stoves is separately…
Madera County adopts the California Fire Code (county code Title 14, Ch. 14.35), whose Chapter 61 governs liquefied petroleum (LP) gas. Storage and equipment must comply with NFPA 58…
Madera County's foothills and mountains lie largely in CAL FIRE's State Responsibility Area with High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. The county adopts Fire Code/fire-zone…
Short-term rental operators in Madera are responsible for guest noise behavior under §3-11.01. Repeat noise complaints can result in business-license revocation and the Chapter 11…
City of Madera STR operators must collect Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on lodging stays of 30 consecutive days or less under Title VIII (Finance, Revenue, and Taxation). Properties in…
The City of Madera does not maintain a dedicated short-term rental (STR) ordinance separate from its existing land-use and business-license framework. STR operators must obtain a City…
Madera does not set a numeric per-STR occupancy ceiling — occupancy is governed by California Building Code (one person per 200 sq ft of habitable space) and Title VI permit…
Every short-term rental operator in unincorporated Madera County must apply for and obtain an Annual Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate and a business license, pay a…
Madera County's proposed STVR Ordinance would require operators to provide adequate on-site parking for guests, a response to parking congestion in mountain communities. The specific…
Madera County does not limit short-term rentals to an owner's primary residence. The County's tax framework treats all qualifying operators the same, and the proposed STVR Ordinance…
Madera County does not require a host or owner to be present during a short-term rental stay. The proposed STVR Ordinance focused on a permit plus occupancy, parking, noise, trash and…
Madera County has not published an annual cap on the number of nights a property can be rented short-term. Neither the tax framework nor the publicly described draft STVR Ordinance set…
Madera County's publicly described short-term rental rules do not state a specific liability-insurance requirement. The draft STVR Ordinance emphasized permits, occupancy, parking…
City of Madera street parking is governed by Title V (Traffic) — vehicles may not be left on city streets for prolonged periods, must be parked in compliance with posted signs, and the…
Madera Title V (Traffic) restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential zones to active loading/unloading periods. Long-haul rigs, dump trucks, and commercial trailers may not be…
Madera Code §10-3.511 prohibits parking trailers, boats, and motor vehicles on any portion of a front yard or corner-lot side yard except on a paved (asphalt, concrete, gravel)…
Unincorporated Madera County has no general ordinance banning overnight parking on county roads. The main limit is the 72-consecutive-hour rule: under California Vehicle Code 22651(k)…
Madera County Code Section 18.102.140 provides expedited, streamlined permitting for electric vehicle charging stations that qualify under California Government Code 65850.7…
Madera County Code Section 18.102.110 requires off-street loading spaces for commercial, industrial, and institutional development: at least one small-truck loading space for buildings…
Madera County Code Chapter 10.34 declares wrecked, dismantled, inoperative, or unregistered vehicles left over 72 hours on public or private property a public nuisance, under…
Madera County Code Chapter 18.102 sets residential parking and driveway standards. New single-family homes must provide two parking spaces, with covered parking required (one or both…
Heavy and oversized vehicles face two county limits. Zoning Code 18.102.090 bars commercial vehicles of 10,000 pounds or more from residential parcels and county roads except for…
Curb-color meanings in unincorporated Madera County are set by California Vehicle Code 21458, not a separate county color code: red means no stopping, yellow loading of freight, white…
City of Madera Code §5-1.31 restricts livestock — including chickens, goats, horses, and similar animals — to specific zones meeting minimum lot size and setback requirements. Suburban…
Madera Code §5-1.28 prohibits any dog from running at large on any public street, road, alley, park, or other public place, or upon any private unenclosed property within the city…
Madera Code Title V Ch. 1 requires a kennel license for anyone keeping more than the threshold number of dogs (typically four) at a single residential address. The kennel license adds…
Madera County Animal Services does not publish any breed-specific ban or breed-restriction ordinance for unincorporated areas. Aggressive-dog complaints are handled case by case based…
Madera County has no leash law for cats. Animal Services describes cats as "free-roaming agents" rather than strays, and asks that loose cats not be called in as strays or brought to…
Madera County's published animal rules focus on common domestic animals and livestock; the binding restrictions on exotic and wild animals come from California state law. California…
Madera County Code Chapter 6.04 includes an Article on Livestock at Large, with Section 6.04.170 addressing restraint of errant livestock, and Chapter 6.24 governs Grazing Area. Owners…
Madera County Animal Services materials do not publish a specific wildlife-feeding ban for unincorporated areas. In Madera's foothills and Sierra communities, intentionally feeding…
Madera County Animal Services investigates animal cruelty and neglect; warning signs include caged animals with little room, lack of weather protection, and overly tight collars…
Madera County does not publish a dedicated backyard-beekeeping ordinance for unincorporated areas; placement is tied to the parcel's agricultural/rural zoning. Statewide, California's…
Madera Home Occupation Permits typically prohibit or strictly limit walk-up customer traffic to the residence to preserve the residential character of the neighborhood. Frequent…
Anyone operating a business from a residence in Madera must first obtain a Home Occupation Permit from the Planning Department, then a Business License from Finance. Home Occupation…
Unincorporated Madera County regulates home-based businesses through the Cottage Industry Home Occupation rules in Zoning Ordinance Chapter 18.89. A cottage industry must be clearly…
A cottage industry in unincorporated Madera County may identify itself only with a small nameplate. Chapter 18.89 limits on-site advertising to a two-square-foot nameplate, and the…
Cottage food operations in unincorporated Madera County are governed by California's Cottage Food Law. A Class A operation registers with the County Environmental Health Division and a…
In unincorporated Madera County, family day care homes are protected by California state law. Both small and large family day care homes are a residential use by right under Health and…
Madera Code Title V Chapter 6 regulates street trees in the parkway / right-of-way — including approved species, tree replacement, protection during construction, abuse of trees, and…
Madera County has no decorative-lawn height limit, but its Weed Abatement ordinance (Code Ch. 7.26) controls tall, dry vegetation as a fire hazard in the unincorporated areas. On…
Madera County does not publish a general private-property tree-removal permit ordinance for the unincorporated areas. Native oak woodlands are addressed through the County General…
Madera County Code Chapter 7.26 declares weeds in the unincorporated areas a seasonal, recurring fire and public-health nuisance. The Fire Department mails notice on or before March 1…
Madera County has no published countywide landscape watering-day schedule for the unincorporated areas; outdoor water use is governed mainly by California State Water Resources Control…
Capturing rooftop rainwater for landscape use is broadly allowed in unincorporated Madera County. California's Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (Water Code § 10574) lets property owners…
Native and drought-tolerant landscaping is encouraged in unincorporated Madera County, and California law protects a homeowner's right to install it. Government Code § 53087.7 bars…
Madera County does not publish a countywide ban on artificial turf for the unincorporated areas. California Civil Code § 4735 protects a homeowner's right to install synthetic grass…
Backyard composting of yard and food scraps is allowed in unincorporated Madera County if it does not create odor or vector nuisances. Statewide, California's SB 1383 (effective…
Under Madera City Code §5-1.26, any dog (or other animal) that habitually or continually disturbs the peace of any neighborhood by barking, howling, or yelping is declared a public…
City of Madera Code §3-11.01 prohibits any unnecessary noise that is physically annoying to a person of ordinary sensitivity, or which is harsh, prolonged, unnatural or unusual in its…
The City of Madera does not publish a numeric construction-hours table; construction noise is enforced under the §3-11.01 unnecessary-noise standard plus Building Division permit…
Amplified music, DJs, and outdoor speakers in Madera are governed by §3-11.01 (unlawful noise) and Chapter 11's party-response provisions. Madera Police can cite at any hour if the…
The City of Madera has not adopted a gas leaf-blower ban. Leaf blowers must comply with §3-11.01's unnecessary-noise standard and California's statewide AB 1346 phaseout of new gas…
Madera County Code Section 9.58.020(C) prohibits raucous off-road vehicle noise from racing or accelerating engines, willful backfiring, and tire screeching, and Section 9.58.020(E)(1)…
Madera County's noise ordinance (Chapter 9.58) does not set numeric decibel (dBA) limits. Instead it uses a qualitative 'disturbing, excessive or offensive' standard, a 'plainly…
Outdoor music and events in unincorporated Madera County fall under the amplified-sound rules of Section 9.58.020(E)(2): no disturbing amplified sound, a strict 10:00 p.m.-8:00 a.m…
Madera County Code Chapter 9.58 applies to all land uses, including industrial and commercial activity, and prohibits disturbing, excessive or offensive noise and over-threshold…
Madera County's noise ordinance (Chapter 9.58) contains no aircraft- or airport-specific noise provisions. Aircraft operations are governed by the FAA under federal law, with…
Madera Code §10-3.506 caps fence height at 3 feet in any front or street-side yard setback and 6 feet in rear/interior side yards (exclusive of front setback). Exterior side yards…
Madera follows California Civil Code §841 — adjoining landowners share equally in the reasonable costs of construction, maintenance, or replacement of a 'good neighbor' boundary fence…
Madera County adopts the California Building Code through County Code Title 14 (Chapters 14.04 and 14.08). Under the adopted Building Code (Section 105.2), a building permit is not…
Madera County adopts the California Building Code (County Code §14.04.030, Chapter 14.08). Under the adopted Building Code Section 105.2, retaining walls over 4 feet measured from the…
Beyond the general zoning location rules in Title 18, fences in rural Madera County must also satisfy state fire-clearance standards. Parcels of one acre or more in State…
Madera County's Zoning Ordinance (Title 18) does not list prohibited fence materials or restrict barbed wire, razor wire, or electric fencing for typical residential and agricultural…
Madera County's Zoning Ordinance does not prescribe approved fence materials. Wood, vinyl, masonry, ornamental metal, chain link, and agricultural wire fencing are all commonly used in…
California's Swimming Pool Safety Act in Health and Safety Code Section 115920 mandates statewide drowning prevention barriers around residential pools, with cities prohibited from…
Madera Code §10-3.513 allows accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on R-zoned lots that allow single-family or multifamily dwellings. ADUs must provide complete independent living facilities…
Madera County has no separate carport ordinance. A carport is an accessory structure regulated under Chapter 18.98 structure regulations and the residential development table in…
In unincorporated Madera County, detached sheds and accessory buildings follow the zoning district's setbacks under Chapter 18.98 and the residential development tables in Chapter…
Madera County does not have a separate garage-conversion chapter. Converting a garage into living space is treated as a building and zoning change under Title 14 and the zoning code…
Madera County has no dedicated tiny-home ordinance. A tiny home on a permanent foundation is treated as a dwelling or accessory dwelling unit under the zoning code (Section 18.04.153)…
In unincorporated Madera County, a residential swimming pool or spa requires a building permit from the County Building Division, which has adopted the California Building Code. Pool…
Unincorporated Madera County enforces California's Pool Safety Act. A pool enclosure must be at least 60 inches high, have no bottom gap over 2 inches, reject a 4-inch sphere through…
Pool safety in unincorporated Madera County is governed by California's Swimming Pool Safety Act. New residential pools must include at least two of seven approved drowning-prevention…
Above-ground pools in unincorporated Madera County are regulated under the adopted California Building Code and the state Pool Safety Act. Pools capable of holding water deeper than a…
Hot tubs and spas in unincorporated Madera County follow the adopted California Building Code and Pool Safety Act. A spa with an approved safety cover meeting ASTM F1346 is exempt from…
City of Madera does not have a dedicated dark-sky / light-pollution ordinance. Outdoor lighting is regulated through general zoning under Title X — no glare onto adjoining residential…
Unincorporated Madera County has not adopted a countywide dark-sky or outdoor lighting ordinance. The only codified lighting controls are sign-illumination limits in Section 18.90.150…
Unincorporated Madera County has no general light-trespass ordinance limiting light spilling onto neighboring property. The only codified containment requirement applies to emergency…
Mobile food vendors (food trucks, taco trucks, hot dog carts, ice cream vehicles) operating in the City of Madera need a City Business License under §3-12.04, a Madera County Mobile…
California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946) preempts most local bans on sidewalk vending, allowing only objective health, safety, and welfare regulations.
Illegal dumping in the City of Madera violates Title V Ch. 3 (Refuse) and California Penal Code §374.3. Dumping waste, debris, or hazardous material on public or private property…
Madera County does not publish a separate countywide ordinance dictating curbside cart set-out times or screening for unincorporated areas. Bin placement, set-out and retrieval are…
Under California SB 1383, property owners within Madera County's designated SB 1383 compliance area must comply starting July 1, 2025. Residents in the area must subscribe to organics…
Unincorporated Madera County uses two exclusive franchise haulers split by elevation: Red Rock Environmental Group serves the valley (below ~1,000 ft) and Emadco Disposal serves the…
Roll-off and bulky-waste services in unincorporated Madera County require franchise authorization under Chapter 7.24. Residents can also self-haul bulky and construction debris to the…
Recycling services in unincorporated Madera County are provided through the franchise haulers and county facilities, with the Mammoth Material Recovery Facility at Fairmead processing…
Backyard barbecuing with small propane cylinders is generally allowed at homes in Madera County. Rules come from the adopted California Fire Code (county Title 14): keep fires/grills…
Backyard meat smokers are generally allowed in Madera County and are not separately licensed. Wood- and charcoal-fired smokers are treated like recreational/cooking fires under the…
Setbacks in unincorporated Madera County are set by zoning district in Title 18. Typical residential and agricultural zones require a 25-foot front setback, 10-foot side setback, and…
Maximum building height is set by zoning district in Title 18. Most residential and agricultural zones limit dwellings to 35 feet, with accessory buildings capped at 15 feet and…
Maximum lot coverage is set per zoning district in Title 18's development-standards tables. Agricultural zones are very low (10% in AR-5, 5% in larger ARE zones per §18.53.030), while…
Madera County does not publish a routine tree-removal permit ordinance for private trees in the unincorporated areas. Native oak woodlands are protected at the project level through…
California provides statewide protections for native oak woodlands and heritage trees through CEQA review, Public Resources Code, and Forest Practice Rules that apply uniformly.
In unincorporated Madera County, accumulated junk, debris, dead vegetation and dry brush on residential property are treated as nuisances. Code Enforcement (200 W. 4th St…
Solid waste collection in unincorporated Madera County is provided by exclusive franchise haulers (Red Rock in the valley, Emadco in the mountains) under Chapter 7.24 of the county…
Owners of vacant lots in unincorporated Madera County must clear weeds under Chapter 7.26. Section 7.26.030 requires a thirty-foot-wide strip cleared from each property line and street…
Madera County Code Chapter 7.26 declares hazardous weeds and dry grass a nuisance. On improved lots a 30-foot defensible strip must be cleared around structures; lots under three acres…
Madera County does not appear to have a dedicated garage-sale or yard-sale permit ordinance for unincorporated areas. Occasional residential yard sales are generally treated as an…
In unincorporated Madera County, residential properties may display campaign signs totaling up to 32 square feet under Zoning Code Section 18.90.110, in addition to other allowed…
Unincorporated Madera County has no garage-sale-specific sign ordinance. Temporary yard or garage-sale signs fall under the general Chapter 18.90 sign rules: residential parcels are…
Madera County's Floodplain Management Regulations are in Chapter 14.60 of the County Code, implementing FEMA NFIP requirements. The County participates in the NFIP, and the Madera…
The California Coastal Act, Public Resources Code sections 30000 through 30900, requires Coastal Development Permits for nearly all work in the coastal zone and gives the Coastal…
California Water Code sections 13260 and 13383 implement the federal Clean Water Act through statewide MS4 NPDES permits issued by the State and Regional Water Boards, binding all…
Madera County has no ordinance specific to cryptocurrency or blockchain mining. A commercial mining operation is treated as a data center or industrial use, sited in the IL or IH…
Madera County holds stationary noise from data-center cooling and generators to its General Plan Noise Element: 50 dB Leq daytime and 45 dB Leq nighttime, measured at a nearby home's…
Madera County has no dedicated data center ordinance. In unincorporated areas a data center is an industrial use, sited in the IL (Industrial, Light) or IH (Industrial, Heavy)…
Commercial drone operations in California follow uniform federal rules under 14 CFR Part 107 plus statewide California provisions in Civil Code 1708.8 and Public Utilities Code 21401…
Recreational drone flight in California is governed primarily by FAA regulations under 14 CFR Part 107 and 49 USC 44809, with state-level rules added by Civil Code 1708.8 and…
California sets a statewide minimum wage floor under Labor Code 1182.12, $16.90 per hour for all employers as of January 2026. Local governments are not preempted and may set higher…
California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act under Labor Code 245-249 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees statewide. SB 616 (2023) raised the minimum to 40 hours…
California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant…
California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However…
California broadly prohibits open carry of firearms statewide under Penal Code 25850 (loaded firearms in public) and Penal Code 26350 (open carry of unloaded handguns). The prohibition…
California prohibits carrying loaded firearms in vehicles statewide under Penal Code 25400 and 25850. Unloaded handguns transported in private vehicles must be in a locked container or…
California HOAs may levy regular and special assessments, charge late fees and interest, record liens, and ultimately foreclose on delinquent owners under the Davis-Stirling Act. State…
California tightly regulates HOA governance. The Common Interest Development Open Meeting Act (Civil Code 4900-4955) governs board meetings and member access, sections 5100-5145…
California HOAs enforce recorded CC&Rs and architectural rules, but Civil Code section 4765 requires architectural decisions to be fair, reasonable, and in good faith, and sections…
California HOAs may fine members for rule violations, but only under a published schedule of fines and after strict due-process steps. Civil Code section 5855 requires written notice…
California overrides HOA governing documents on several owner protections. The Davis-Stirling Act and related Civil Code sections bar HOAs from prohibiting solar systems, U.S. flag…
California prohibits state and local governments from requiring private employers to use the federal E-Verify system except where federal law mandates it, under Labor Code 2812. The…
The California Values Act (SB 54, 2017) codified at Government Code 7284-7284.12 limits state and local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It applies…
California evictions run through the unlawful detainer process. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 1161, nonpayment requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit (excluding weekends and…
California landlords must keep rentals fit to live in. Civil Code §§ 1941 and 1941.1, reinforced by Green v. Superior Court, imply a warranty of habitability covering plumbing, heat…
Civil Code 1946.2 requires landlords statewide to have just cause to terminate tenancies of qualifying tenants who have lived in a covered unit at least 12 months.
California Civil Code § 1954 limits when a landlord may enter a rented home. Except in emergencies, abandonment, or with tenant consent, the landlord must give reasonable written…
California sets no fixed dollar or percentage cap on rent late fees, but a late fee in a residential lease is treated as liquidated damages. Under Civil Code § 1671, such a fee is…
To end a California month-to-month tenancy, a tenant gives 30 days' written notice. A landlord gives 30 days if the tenant has lived there under a year, or 60 days if a year or more…
California limits annual rent increases statewide to 5% plus the local change in the cost of living, capped at 10%, under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB-1482). It also lets…
California requires written notice before raising a month-to-month tenant's rent. Under Civ. Code § 827, increases of 10% or less in 12 months need 30 days' notice; increases above 10%…
As of July 1, 2024, California landlords may collect no more than one month's rent as a security deposit, regardless of whether the unit is furnished. The deposit, minus any lawful…
California adverse possession requires five years of continuous, open, hostile possession AND payment of all property taxes during that period under Code of Civil Procedure § 325. A…
The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (Williamson Act), Government Code 51200-51297.4, allows landowners to enter contracts with counties restricting land to agricultural use…
The California Right to Farm Act under Civil Code 3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits brought by neighbors who moved in after farming began. The…
California prohibits grocery stores and large retailers from providing single-use plastic carryout bags under Public Resources Code 42280-42288, enacted by SB 270 (2014) and ratified…
California restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that…
California Public Resources Code 42270-42273, enacted by AB 1884 (2018), prohibits full-service restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by the customer…
Civil Code section 714 voids HOA covenants and rules that prohibit or unreasonably restrict residential solar energy systems, preempting private and local restrictions.
California's Solar Rights Act and the SolarAPP+ mandate (SB 379) require expedited permit review of small residential solar systems, preempting restrictive local processes.
California prohibits sale of tobacco and vapor products to anyone under 21 statewide under Business and Professions Code 22958, enacted by SBX2-7 in 2016. The Tobacco 21 standard…
California bans retail sale of most flavored tobacco products statewide under Health and Safety Code 104559.5, enacted by SB 793 (2020) and upheld by voters via Proposition 31 in…
California requires statewide licensing of tobacco and vape retailers under the STAKE Act and the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act. Business and Professions Code 22970…