Moskowite Corner, CA

Napa County's Noise Control Regulations (Chapter 8.16) set lower nighttime exterior and interior noise standards from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., effectively functioning as nighttime quiet hours in unincorporated areas.

In unincorporated Napa County, habitual barking and other animal noise is regulated through Chapter 8.16's general noise-disturbance prohibition rather than a dedicated barking-dog section, and animal-control complaints are handled by the Napa County Animal Services agency.

Section 8.16.080 of the Napa County Code prohibits operating construction, drilling, repair, alteration or demolition tools and equipment in a manner that creates a noise disturbance between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in the unincorporated county.

Unincorporated Napa County does not have a stand-alone leaf-blower ban. Powered garden tools (leaf blowers, mowers, chainsaws) are regulated under the general property-line noise standards in Napa County Code §8.16.070 and the prohibited-noise list in §8.16.080. They cannot be operated in a way that creates a noise disturbance across a residential property line and cannot exceed the §8.16.070 exterior limits, which are lower between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Section 8.16.080 of the Napa County Code prohibits loudspeakers, radios, televisions, musical instruments and similar devices from being operated in a manner that creates a noise disturbance, except under a variance issued by the Noise Control Officer.

The Napa County Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) administers the Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP), which uses a 65 dB CNEL noise contour around Napa County Airport and Angwin-Parrett Field to determine compatible land uses.

Napa County Code Chapter 18.108 (Conservation Regulations), as amended by the 2019 Water Quality and Tree Protection Ordinance, requires permits for tree removal in stream setbacks and sensitive watershed areas, imposes mitigation ratios for cut oaks, and requires retention of at least 70% of pre-1993 tree canopy in sensitive domestic water supply drainages. Note: Measure C (Oak Woodland Initiative, 2018) narrowly failed at the ballot.

Napa County Code Chapter 18.118 (Water Conservation Regulations for Landscape Design) implements the state Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance and requires a Landscape Documentation Package for qualifying new and rehabilitated landscapes in the unincorporated county.

Napa County does not set a single numeric grass-height limit, but Chapter 8.36 declares as a public nuisance the presence of dry grass, weeds, brush, or other combustible vegetation within the 100-foot defensible space around any structure and on undeveloped parcels of one acre or less.

Napa County Code Chapter 8.36 requires property owners to maintain 100 feet of defensible space around structures, including pruning tree portions that extend within 10 feet of any chimney or stovepipe outlet and removing dead or dying wood from trees adjacent to or overhanging buildings.

Napa County Code Chapter 8.36 (the Napa County Fire Hazard Abatement Ordinance) declares uncontrolled growth and accumulation of weeds, combustible vegetation, green waste, and rubbish a public nuisance, requires owners to abate within 14 days of an order, and authorizes county abatement at the owner's expense with lien recovery.

Napa County Code Chapter 8.36 (Fire Protection - Fire Hazard Abatement), as amended by Ordinance 1467, requires defensible space around all structures and treats unmaintained vegetation as a public nuisance subject to abatement. California Public Resources Code Section 4291 layers state-level 100-foot clearance requirements in the State Responsibility Area.

Napa County allows small recreational fires and approved gas fire features under the California Fire Code as adopted in Napa County Code Chapter 15.32, but no-burn day restrictions from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) apply to wood-burning fire pits, and Red Flag Warnings from CAL FIRE can prohibit any open flame in the wildland-urban interface.

Napa County contains extensive Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones across the Vaca Mountains, Howell Mountain, Mount Veeder, and the Mayacamas Range, mapped by CAL FIRE under the 2025 Fire Hazard Severity Zone update. New construction in mapped zones must comply with California Building Code Chapter 7A wildfire-exposure standards, adopted locally through Napa County Code Chapter 15.32.

All fireworks, including state-classified safe-and-sane devices, are prohibited in unincorporated Napa County under Napa County Code Chapter 8.28 (Fireworks). California Health and Safety Code 12500-12728 separately prohibits dangerous fireworks statewide, and no Napa County jurisdiction has authorized safe-and-sane sales by ordinance.

All outdoor burning in unincorporated Napa County is regulated by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District under BAAQMD Regulation 5 (Open Burning), with concurrent CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit notification required. Wood burning is banned on Spare the Air days, and agricultural burning is only allowed on BAAQMD-designated burn days within permissive seasons.

Unincorporated Napa County imposes a 13% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on stays of 30 consecutive days or less under Napa County Code Chapter 3.32, plus a 2% Tourism Business Improvement District assessment reported concurrently. Lodging operators must register with the County Auditor-Controller, post the Certificate of Authority on the premises, and remit quarterly. Although STRs of dwelling units are themselves prohibited under Section 18.104.410, the county may still collect back TOT, penalty, and interest under Section 3.32.080 from anyone who operates an unpermitted STR.

Napa County does not operate a short-term rental registration or licensing program for unincorporated areas because Section 18.104.410 prohibits the underlying use. There is no platform-host registry, no permit number to display on listings, and no annual renewal pathway. Operators who collect a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate under Code Chapter 3.32 are not thereby authorized to operate an STR; the TOT certificate and the zoning prohibition operate independently.

Because Napa County Code Section 18.104.410 prohibits short-term vacation rentals of dwelling units in unincorporated areas, the county has no STR-specific quiet-hours or decibel schedule for hosts to follow. Any commercial transient occupancy is itself a zoning violation, and conventional residential noise, nuisance, and disturbing-the-peace provisions apply to occupants regardless of how the property is being rented. Complaints route to Napa County Code Compliance and the Sheriff's Office.

Short-term rentals are flatly prohibited in unincorporated Napa County. Napa County Code Section 18.104.410 bans transient commercial occupancies (rentals under 30 consecutive days) of dwelling units in every residential and agricultural zoning district, and the County does not issue STR or vacation-rental permits.

Napa County does not publish guest-count, bedroom, or night caps for short-term rentals because the underlying use is prohibited. Any rental of a dwelling unit for less than 30 consecutive days in the unincorporated county is itself a violation regardless of the number of guests.

Napa County Code Chapter 6.18 (Keeping of Roosters), as amended by Ordinance 1431 effective Feb. 1, 2026, prohibits roosters on parcels under 0.5 acre, allows 1 rooster on 0.5-1.5 acres, and 4 roosters on parcels over 1.5 acres. Roosters must have water, shelter, room to spread wings and turn around, sanitary housing, a 50-foot setback from neighboring dwellings, and may not be tethered. Hens and other livestock are regulated by zoning (Title 18).

Napa County Code Chapter 6.04 (Animal Control and Rabies Prevention) prohibits dogs over four months of age from running at large in unincorporated Napa County. Section 6.04.190 makes it unlawful to let a dog run loose on any public street, highway, or another person's property without consent.

Napa County Code Chapter 6.12 (Beehives), as amended by Ordinance 1377, requires apiaries to use moveable-frame hives in sound condition and be screened from neighboring dwellings and public walkways. California Food & Agricultural Code section 29040 and Title 3 CCR 6654 require every beekeeper to register hive locations annually with the County Agricultural Commissioner through the BeeWhere system.

Napa County Code Title 6 does not set a numerical limit on the number of dogs or cats a household in the unincorporated area may keep. Cat limits were discussed by the Board of Supervisors in December 2025 (referencing Sacramento County's 4-cat cap) but have not been adopted. Every dog over four months must be licensed and rabies-vaccinated under Cal. Health & Safety Code 121690.

Napa County does not ban any dog breed. California Food & Agricultural Code 31683 prohibits cities and counties from enacting breed-specific dog programs except for spay/neuter and breeding rules. HSC 122331 likewise forbids declaring any breed potentially dangerous or vicious. Napa County uses its conduct-based Dangerous Animals ordinance (Chapter 6.16) instead.

Driveways in unincorporated Napa County are regulated through Napa County Code Title 12 (Streets, Sidewalks, and Public Places) for encroachment permits at the public-right-of-way connection, Title 18 (Zoning) for driveway location and parking surface standards, and Title 15 (Buildings) for grading and drainage when driveway construction triggers grading thresholds. An encroachment permit from Napa County Public Works is required for any new driveway approach connecting to a county road. Rural driveways in fire-hazard areas must meet California Fire Code and Napa County fire-access standards: minimum 20-foot width for two-way access roads serving multiple homes (or 12-foot one-way), maximum grade typically 16 percent, and adequate turnarounds for fire apparatus.

Abandoned vehicles in unincorporated Napa County are addressed under California Vehicle Code Sections 22650-22711 (Removal of Parked and Abandoned Vehicles) and Napa County Code Title 10. Vehicles left on public roads for 72 or more consecutive hours can be towed under Cal. Veh. Code 22651(o). Abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles on private property are a public nuisance under Cal. Veh. Code 22660 and can be abated through Napa County's vehicle-abatement process. Napa County participates in the Service Authority for Abatement of Abandoned Vehicles (SAAAV) program funded by a $1 DMV registration surcharge. Report abandoned vehicles to the Napa County Sheriff non-emergency line or CHP for state highways.

Napa County's Good Neighbor guidance directs that RVs, campers, boats, and trailers be stored on private property on paved surfaces, not on the street; under Napa County Code Section 15.40.0230(B) a trailer or mobilehome in dead storage may not be parked on any public or private street for more than 48 hours, and state law (CVC §22651(k)) allows removal of any vehicle left on a highway for 72+ consecutive hours.

Napa County prohibits parking any vehicle on a county road for more than 120 consecutive hours under Napa County Code Section 10.08.150, and the California Vehicle Code authorizes peace officers to remove obstructing, illegally parked, expired-registration, and abandoned vehicles in unincorporated areas.

Napa County has not adopted a stand-alone weight-based ordinance restricting commercial vehicle parking in residential districts; the controlling rules are California Vehicle Code Section 22507.5 (authorizing such restrictions for vehicles over 10,000 lbs in residential districts) and the off-street parking and zoning provisions of Napa County Code Title 18, which require commercial uses to provide their own off-street parking and loading facilities under Chapter 18.110.

Napa County has not adopted a county-wide 2 a.m.-6 a.m. overnight parking ban under California Vehicle Code Section 22507.5; the controlling rule is Napa County Code Section 10.08.150 (no parking on a county road for more than 120 consecutive hours) and CVC Section 22651(k), which allows removal of a vehicle parked on any highway for 72 or more consecutive hours.

A Special Fence Permit from the PBES Director is required when a proposed fence does not meet the height/location rules in section 18.104.270 or when a permitted fence will sit inside the road setback. Any fence over 7 feet may also need a separate building permit, and electric gates always require a building permit.

In AP, AW, RS, RM and PD zones, solid fences may be up to 4 ft in the front yard setback and up to 6 ft in side and rear yard setbacks, with see-through fencing allowed taller. Fences over 6 ft in side or rear setbacks must be see-through above 6 ft unless a fence permit is granted.

Napa County defines a fence broadly to allow wood, wire, stone, concrete, glass block or other construction, but in residential and agricultural zones any portion above 6 ft in side or rear yard setbacks must be see-through (deer wire, lattice or chain link). Commercial and industrial fencing must be approved by use permit or site plan, except for agricultural uses.

Napa County does not adopt a separate boundary-fence rule, so California Civil Code 841 controls: adjoining landowners share equally in maintaining the boundary and any benefit-conferring fence, and an owner who wants to build, replace or repair must give the neighbor at least 30 days' prior written notice with details and a cost estimate.

Per the California Building Code section 105.2 (adopted via Napa County Code Title 15, Chapter 15.12), one-story detached storage sheds with a floor area of 120 sq ft or less are exempt from a building permit, but zoning setbacks under Napa County Code Title 18 (including the four-foot side/rear standard for accessory buildings on lots under 60 feet wide) still apply.

Napa County Code Section 18.104.180 (per Ordinance 1456) expressly defines a 'second unit, detached' to include a second unit located within a detached garage or other accessory structure, and section 18.104.180(A)(12) provides that no replacement parking spaces are required when an existing garage, carport, or covered parking is replaced by a second unit.

Napa County Code Section 18.104.180 ministerially permits Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs, called 'second units') and Junior ADUs (JADUs) on legal lots zoned RS, RC, AW, or PD, with a 1,200 sq ft maximum for ADUs (500 sq ft for JADUs) and four-foot side/rear setbacks for new detached units up to 16 feet tall.

Napa County Code 18.104.090 limits home occupations to the dwelling itself (no accessory buildings), confines them to 25% or less of the dwelling's gross floor area, restricts work to resident-occupants only, and prohibits any off-lot detectable noise, vibration, glare, fumes, odors, or electrical interference.

Cottage food operations in Napa County are authorized under California's AB 1616 / Health & Safety Code section 113758 et seq. and are registered (Class A) or permitted (Class B) by the Napa County Environmental Health Division. Class A is capped at $75,000 in 2024+ gross sales and Class B at $150,000. Napa County has not opted into the MEHKO (Microenterprise Home Kitchen) program.

Napa County Code 18.116.020(A) allows one wall-mounted, parallel-to-the-front-wall sign of up to one square foot displaying the occupant's name, address, and occupation without any permit. Any larger or freestanding sign for a home occupation would need a separate sign-permit pathway under Chapter 18.116, and Section 18.104.090(C) bars 'visible evidence' of the home occupation.

Napa County Code (NCC) section 18.104.090(K) requires an administrative permit under Chapter 18.126 before any home occupation may be conducted in the unincorporated county. The application is processed by Planning, Building and Environmental Services (PBES) and includes site plan, floor plan, CUPA hazardous-materials disclosure, and fee.

Unincorporated Napa County applies the California Swimming Pool Safety Act, which requires new and remodeled residential pools and spas to have at least two of seven drowning-prevention features, with strict specifications for any pool enclosure.

Napa County Building Division requires a building permit for every residential pool or spa. Applications go through the Online Permit Center with a Residential Pool & Spa submittal checklist and a Pool Safety Notice acknowledgement.

Under the California Swimming Pool Safety Act, a 'swimming pool' includes any structure holding water deeper than 18 inches - so in-ground spas, hot tubs, and portable spas trigger the same permit and drowning-prevention rules as a swimming pool when a building permit is needed.

Napa County's parks and open space lands are operated primarily by the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District (independent special district) and the California State Parks system (Bothe-Napa Valley, Robert Louis Stevenson). Most regional parks and open-space preserves are open dawn to dusk - typical posted hours run from 8 a.m. to sunset. After-hours presence is treated as trespass or a violation of posted regulations, and the County's Chapter 9.08 juvenile curfew separately covers minors in parks during nighttime hours.

Napa County Code Chapter 9.08 (Curfew for Minors) prohibits minors from being in or upon any public place in unincorporated Napa County during nighttime curfew hours unless accompanied by a parent or guardian or engaged in a specifically exempted activity. Violations are misdemeanors handled under California juvenile court law and procedure per §9.08.020.

Napa County administers floodplain development under Napa County Code Chapter 16.04 (Flood Management) and participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. The county holds a FEMA Community Rating System class 7, providing flood insurance premium discounts. Napa River, Napa Creek, Conn Creek, and Dry Creek define the principal Special Flood Hazard Areas.

Stormwater discharges in unincorporated Napa County are regulated through the Napa Countywide Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program, the State Construction General Permit, and Napa County Construction Site Runoff Control Requirements adopted by the Board of Supervisors on December 12, 2006. Permit Sonoma equivalents do not apply; Napa County Public Works Engineering Division administers locally.

Napa County regulates erosion control through Napa County Code Chapter 18.108 (Conservation Regulations) and Chapter 13.15 (Grading Control). Any agricultural earthmoving, grading, or vineyard replanting on slopes over five percent requires an approved Erosion Control Plan from the Napa County Conservation Division before work begins.

Unincorporated Napa County has not adopted a local just-cause eviction ordinance; tenant protections in the unincorporated county are governed by California's statewide Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482, codified at Civil Code Sections 1946.2 and 1947.12). AB 1482 requires either an at-fault or no-fault statutory reason for eviction after 12 months of tenancy, mandates relocation assistance for no-fault terminations, and applies to most multifamily properties more than 15 years old. Single-family homes and condos owned by individuals (not corporations or REITs) remain exempt from the just-cause requirement.

Unincorporated Napa County has not adopted a local rent-stabilization or rent-control ordinance. The applicable cap is the California statewide Tenant Protection Act rent ceiling at Civil Code Section 1947.12 (AB 1482, 2019), which limits annual rent increases on covered units to 5% plus the regional CPI, not to exceed 10% in any 12-month period. Single-family homes and condos owned by natural persons, units in housing less than 15 years old (rolling), and owner-occupied duplexes are exempt from the cap if the landlord serves the prescribed AB 1482 exemption notice.