17 local rules on file · Pop. 581 · Yolo County
Showing ordinances that apply to Madison, CA
Madison is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 581 in Yolo County, California. Because Madison is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Yolo County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Yolo County may have different rules.
Yolo County does not impose a single countywide curfew on all noise. Instead, the Yolo County Zoning Code uses a noise standard (Sec. 10-8.416, formerly Sec. 10-4.421) that caps community noise equivalent (CNEL) at 60 dBA at any existing residence or noise-sensitive land use, and applies a tighter 65 dBA Leq nighttime construction limit from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Activities producing noise after 10:00 p.m. typically require a Major Use Permit. Each city in Yolo County (Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento, Winters) sets its own quiet-hours ordinance.
Barking and animal-noise complaints in Yolo County are handled by Yolo County Animal Services (operated through the Yolo County Sheriff's Office), which serves Woodland, Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, the UC Davis campus, and the unincorporated areas. Animal Services investigates barking complaints, with the general nuisance framework in Yolo County Code Title 6 (Animals).
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Yolo County ordinances.
Residential fire pits in unincorporated Yolo County must comply with the California Fire Code (adopted via Yolo County Code Title 7) and with the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District (YSAQMD) burning rules. Recreational fires of clean wood or charcoal are allowed when YSAQMD does not have a no-burn day in effect. Burning of household waste is prohibited statewide, and only safe-and-sane equipment is allowed in mapped High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
Property owners in the State Responsibility Area (SRA) of Yolo County (largely the western foothills around Capay Valley, Esparto, Rumsey, Brooks, Guinda, and the hills above Winters) must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around any structure under California Public Resources Code Section 4291. The space is split into Zone 0 (0-5 ft, ember-resistant), Zone 1 (5-30 ft, lean and clean), and Zone 2 (30-100 ft, reduced fuel). Cal Fire and the local fire protection district inspect for compliance.
All fireworks - including 'safe and sane' - are prohibited in the unincorporated areas of Yolo County. The countywide ban dates from a 2001 ordinance and was amended in June 2025 to raise the fine for a first violation from $100 to $1,000 per firework and to clarify that the ban applies in unincorporated Yolo. The county also bans safe-and-sane fireworks in Cal Fire High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Safe-and-sane sale is limited to the noon-June-28 to midnight-July-4 window in cities that permit it; Davis bans them entirely.
All open burning in Yolo County is regulated by the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District (YSAQMD). Rural yard burning is allowed only on YSAQMD-declared burn days, only with a permit from the local fire protection district, only of dry vegetative material, and only between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (no smoldering after 5 p.m.). Agricultural burning requires separate YSAQMD authorization. Burning of garbage, plastic, and other non-organic material is banned statewide.
Yolo County regulates the parking and storage of recreational vehicles, boats, and trailers on residential property under the Zoning Code, principally Sec. 8-2.2514 (Parking of Recreational Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles, and Recreational Equipment in Residential Zones) and Sec. 8-2.3210 (Recreational Vehicle Parking Permits). RVs may be parked on residential lots subject to surface, setback, and lot-size standards, and on-site RV occupancy is restricted to short-term guest stays absent a permit.
Yolo County enforces abandoned-vehicle rules through California Vehicle Code Sections 22523 (prohibition on abandoning), 22651 (impound authority), and 22658 (removal from private property), administered by the Yolo County Sheriff's Office and the county's Abandoned Vehicle Abatement (AVA) program. A vehicle left more than 72 hours on a public roadway, or any vehicle abandoned on public or private property, may be tagged and towed.
Yolo County allows chickens and other small livestock on residential parcels subject to lot-size and setback rules in Zoning Code Article 8-2.3 (Tables of Agricultural Permit Requirements) and Article 8-2.5 (Table of Residential Development Requirements). On lots smaller than 10,000 sq ft in R-L and R-M, up to 4 hens may be kept and must be at least 25 ft from any residence. RR-2 and RR-5 parcels over 10,000 sq ft can keep up to 7 chickens. Agricultural zones (A-1, A-N) allow farm animals by right.
Yolo County Code Sec. 6-1.401.1 requires that any dog off its owner's private property be restrained by a leash no longer than 8 feet. Limited exceptions cover law-enforcement dogs, licensed hunting dogs, organized training/obedience activities, and dogs actively herding on agriculturally zoned parcels. Yolo County Animal Services (operated through the Sheriff's Office) enforces the leash law countywide.
Yolo County is in the heart of California's almond, sunflower, and seed-crop belt and is a major beekeeping county. State law (California Food & Agricultural Code Sec. 29040) requires every beekeeper to register every apiary annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner via the statewide BeeWhere system. Beekeeping in agricultural zones is allowed by right; residential beekeeping is governed by general nuisance and setback principles in the County Code.
Unincorporated Yolo County does not maintain a comprehensive 'heritage tree' permit ordinance comparable to that of the cities, but native oak removal and agricultural tree work are addressed through the General Plan's oak woodland conservation policies and through specific Conditional Use Permit and CEQA review for development projects. The cities of Davis, Woodland, and West Sacramento operate their own tree-protection ordinances. Statewide street-tree rules under Streets & Highways Code Sec. 22500 may also apply.
Yolo County enforces permanent outdoor water-use restrictions through Sec. 6-8.1102 (Level 1 Drought Response) of the County Code, which applies within county-administered water service areas (notably Wild Wings CSA near Davis-Yolo airport). Restrictions include no daytime irrigation between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and no irrigation runoff. Higher drought levels add stricter rules. Inside cities, each city water utility sets its own rules.
Yolo County permits ADUs ministerially under Cal. Gov. Code Sec. 65852.2 and Sec. 65852.22 through Zoning Code Sec. 8-2.506 (Specific Use Requirements). Detached ADUs are capped at 1,200 sq ft; attached ADUs at 50% of the primary dwelling. Detached ADUs may be up to 16 ft tall; attached ADUs up to 25 ft. Minimum setbacks are 4 ft from rear and side lot lines, and parking is one space per bedroom (waived within 1/2 mile of transit). California HCD reviewed Yolo County's ADU ordinance most recently in December 2025.
Yolo County permits accessory structures (storage sheds, detached garages, gazebos) under the Zoning Code's residential development standards (Sec. 8-2.505) and the California Building Code (adopted in Title 7). Sheds 120 sq ft or smaller and one story are exempt from a building permit under California Building Code Sec. R105.2; larger structures require a permit. Setbacks of typically 4-5 feet from side/rear lot lines apply, and accessory structures must remain subordinate to the primary dwelling.