Pop. 79,246 · Napa County
We currently have 1 ordinance verified for Napa, CA. Our research team is actively working to add more categories including noise rules, parking restrictions, fence regulations, building permits, and other local ordinances that affect daily life.
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Napa Municipal Code Chapter 17.54 (Parking) sets residential driveway standards: a single- or two-family driveway must be at least 20 feet long if leading to a garage or carport, may have up to two parking spaces in the front setback, and is limited to 50 percent of the front-yard area in many zones. NMC Chapter 10.36 (Stopping, Standing and Parking) governs on-street parking, with a 72-hour citywide limit and a December 2024 amendment refining enforcement.
Commercial vehicle parking in unincorporated Napa County is regulated through Napa County Code Title 10 (Vehicles and Traffic), Title 18 (Zoning), and California Vehicle Code Section 22507.5, which authorizes local restrictions on overnight parking of commercial vehicles. Overnight parking of commercial vehicles (typically over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, or over a certain length) on public roads in residential areas is restricted; on private property, commercial vehicle storage in residential zones is generally limited to vehicles used by the resident for their employment, with multiple commercial vehicles or commercial-fleet storage requiring a use permit. Agricultural-purpose vehicles (vineyard tractors, harvest trucks) in AP and AW zones are broadly permitted.
Unincorporated Napa County regulates noise under County Code Chapter 8.16 (Noise Control Regulations). Sections 8.16.060 and 8.16.070 set interior and exterior noise limits using a tabular dBA standard tied to land-use category. Section 8.16.080 enumerates specific prohibited noises that apply at all hours when they create a disturbance across a property line. The General Plan Noise Element supplements the code, and the Sheriff and Code Compliance enforce alongside California Penal Code Section 415.
Napa County Code §8.16.080 prohibits operating any loudspeaker or amplified-sound device when the sound creates a noise disturbance or violates the exterior limits in §8.16.070, except where a variance has been issued by the Noise Control Officer. Wineries are subject to Chapter 8.16 and additionally controlled by Use Permit Conditions of Approval - amplified outdoor music is not typically approved at Napa Valley wineries and requires explicit County permission.
Napa County Code §8.16.080 prohibits keeping or maintaining any animal that causes annoyance or discomfort to two or more reasonable persons of normal sensitiveness residing in separate residences by frequent or long-continued noise. Noise that is audible continuously for ten minutes, or intermittently for thirty minutes, is prima facie evidence of a violation.
Napa County Code §8.16.080 prohibits the operation of construction or demolition tools or equipment between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when the sound creates a noise disturbance across a residential or commercial real property line. The restriction applies in unincorporated Napa County. Activities outside those hours generally require findings of necessity or an emergency.
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.
California sets statewide airport noise limits under Title 21 CCR, with the state preempting most local aviation noise control because federal FAA authority dominates aircraft operations in flight.
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 urges residents to limit lawn watering and prioritize tree care during dry periods. Most water restrictions are imposed by individual retail providers — the City of Napa, Calistoga, St. Helena, American Canyon, and Yountville — each of which adopts its own Water Shortage Contingency Plan. The City of Napa currently bans conventional spray irrigation except on two assigned days per week.
Napa County Code Chapter 8.36 (Fire Protection — Fire Hazard Abatement) requires property owners to clear weeds, dry grass, brush, dead trees, and rubbish that constitute a fire hazard. The Napa County Fire Marshal conducts annual inspections, issues abatement notices, and may have nuisance vegetation removed at the owner's expense under §8.36.100.
Napa County does not impose a numeric inch-based grass height limit on ornamental lawns. Instead, Chapter 8.36 (Fire Protection — Fire Hazard Abatement) regulates combustible dry grass and weeds, requiring property owners to clear or reduce flammable vegetation within 100 feet of structures and along roadsides as part of defensible space.
Government Code 65850.3 prevents California cities and HOAs from banning drought-tolerant artificial turf installed at single-family residential properties.
SB 1383 requires every California resident and business to separate food scraps and yard waste from trash, with universal collection or on-site composting.
AB-1572 prohibits using potable water to irrigate non-functional turf at commercial, institutional, and HOA-common areas, accelerating native and low-water landscape conversions statewide.
The 2012 Rainwater Capture Act allows California residents to capture rainwater from rooftops for non-potable outdoor use without a state water-right permit, preempting most local barriers.
Napa County does not impose breed-specific restrictions. The County's animal control ordinance targets behavior, not breed, under Chapter 6.04 and related dangerous/vicious dog provisions. California Food and Agricultural Code §31683 also preempts most breed-specific bans, except for mandatory spay/neuter programs.
Napa County Code §18.08.040 defines agriculture broadly to include raising cattle, sheep, horses, goats, pigs, rabbits, and poultry. Chickens and livestock are generally allowed on agricultural and rural parcels, subject to a cap of 25 roosters per acre (maximum 100 per legal parcel) before an administrative permit is required.
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 permits beekeeping under Chapter 6.12 (Beehives) of the County Code, enacted by Ordinance 1377. Apiaries must use movable-frame hives in sound condition and be screened from neighboring dwellings and public walkways. All beekeepers must register hives annually with the Napa County Agricultural Commissioner under California Food and Agricultural Code §29040.
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.
California uniformly applies the State Fire Marshal's propane storage standards through the California Fire Code, which all local jurisdictions must enforce as a minimum.
In unincorporated Napa County, converting an attached or detached garage to habitable living space is treated as a conversion ADU or JADU under Napa County Code Title 18, Chapter 18.104, Section 18.104.180. Conversion ADUs are exempt from minimum setback requirements (they retain the existing structure's setbacks) and from replacement parking under California Government Code Section 65852.2(a)(1)(D)(xi). JADU conversions within an attached garage are capped at 500 square feet and require owner occupancy. A building permit is required from Napa County PBES, and the conversion must meet California Building Code requirements for habitable space (ceiling height, light, ventilation, egress, energy code).
Napa County's ADU and JADU ordinance is codified at Napa County Code Title 18 (Zoning), Chapter 18.104, Section 18.104.180. Detached ADUs are capped at 1,200 square feet and 16 feet in height (taller allowed by administrative permit up to underlying zoning), with 4-foot side and rear setbacks. JADUs are capped at 500 square feet within an existing single-family dwelling. Critically, in the AP (Agricultural Preserve) zone - the 1968 Williamson Act preserve that protects Napa's wine industry - only JADUs are allowed, not ADUs. The less restrictive AW (Agricultural Watershed) zone and all residential districts permit full ADUs. State law (California Government Code Sections 65852.2 and 65852.22) sets the baseline ministerial standards.
In unincorporated Napa County, detached one-story accessory structures (sheds, pump houses, small workshops) that do not exceed 120 square feet of floor area and are not used for habitation, sleeping, or sanitation do not require a building permit under California Building Code Section 105.2 (Item 1), as adopted by Napa County. Larger sheds and any structure with electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work require a building permit from Napa County Planning, Building and Environmental Services (PBES). Zoning setbacks, height limits, and lot coverage standards in Napa County Code Title 18 still apply even to permit-exempt sheds.
California HCD guidance and Health and Safety Code 18007 classify many tiny homes on wheels as manufactured housing or ADUs, granting statewide siting protections.
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.
Because Napa County Code Section 18.104.410 prohibits short-term vacation rentals of dwelling units in the unincorporated county, there is no county-published occupancy schedule, no per-bedroom cap, and no daytime-event headcount for hosts to follow. The threshold is binary: any commercial use of a dwelling unit for under 30 consecutive days is itself the violation. Occupancy rules in the California Building Code and standard residential nuisance provisions still apply to occupants.
Unincorporated Napa County prohibits short-term vacation rentals of dwelling units under Napa County Code Section 18.104.410, which bars 'transient commercial occupancies of dwelling units' for any commercial use lasting fewer than 30 consecutive days. The ban applies countywide outside the incorporated cities (Napa, St. Helena, Calistoga, Yountville, American Canyon); only legally permitted bed and breakfast establishments, hotels, motels, residential care facilities, family day care homes, and farm labor camps are exempt. There is no permit pathway to operate a new vacation rental of a house, cottage, or guest unit in unincorporated areas.
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.
California law requires hosting platforms to verify or disclose liability insurance for short-term rental listings, applying uniformly across all California cities.
Under California Building Code Section 105.2 (Item 2), as adopted by Napa County Code Title 15, fences not over 6 feet (or 7 feet, depending on the CBC edition currently adopted) do not require a building permit. Taller fences, masonry walls over 4 feet measured from the bottom of the footing, and any fence that retains earth (retaining wall) require a building permit from Napa County PBES. Even permit-exempt fences must comply with Title 18 zoning standards, sight-distance rules, and any homeowners-association CC&R restrictions.
In unincorporated Napa County, fences not exceeding 6 feet in height generally do not require a building permit under California Building Code Section 105.2 (Item 2), as adopted by Napa County Code Title 15. Fences over 6 feet (often over 7 feet, depending on which CBC edition the County has adopted) require a building permit. Zoning standards in Napa County Code Title 18 set additional limits: front-yard fences are typically capped at 3 to 4 feet, side and rear yard fences at 6 feet, with sight-distance triangles required at corners and driveways. California Civil Code Section 841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act) governs cost-sharing between adjoining residential owners.
California Civil Code Section 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act, presumes adjoining landowners share equal benefit and equal cost responsibility for boundary fences, applying statewide regardless of city ordinance.
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 adopting weaker standards.
California Building Code under Title 24 universally requires permits and engineering for retaining walls over four feet measured from the bottom of the footing, applying statewide regardless of local variation.
Napa County allows limited home-based businesses ('home occupations') in residential zones under Napa County Code Section 18.104.090, but only after the operator obtains an administrative permit. The home occupation must be incidental and subordinate to residential use, occupy no more than 25% of the dwelling's gross floor area, be conducted only by persons who are regular residents of the premises, generate no exterior change in appearance, produce no off-lot noise or odor, be conducted only inside the dwelling (not in accessory buildings), and generate no traffic above normal residential levels.
The California Homemade Food Act, codified at Health and Safety Code sections 113758 and 114365, sets uniform rules for cottage food operations and bars local governments from prohibiting them in residential zones.
Health and Safety Code sections 1597.40 through 1597.465 require all California cities and counties to treat licensed family daycare homes as permitted residential uses, preempting any local prohibition or restrictive zoning.
California's Swimming Pool Safety Act covers above-ground pools deeper than 18 inches, requiring uniform drowning-prevention features and barriers regardless of pool type.
California Health and Safety Code sections 115920-115929 (Swimming Pool Safety Act) impose statewide minimum fencing and drowning-prevention standards for new and remodeled residential pools.
Hot tubs and spas fall under California's Swimming Pool Safety Act when capable of holding water deeper than 18 inches, requiring barriers, covers, or other approved safety features.
California's Swimming Pool Safety Act and Title 24 Building Standards Code establish uniform anti-entrapment, drain cover, and safety equipment requirements for all residential pools.
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.
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 Commission appeal jurisdiction over local decisions.
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.
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, with local rules limited to ground-based regulation.
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 Government Code 853 applying uniformly statewide.
California sets a statewide minimum wage floor under Labor Code 1182.12, currently $16.50 per hour for all employers as of 2025. Local governments are not preempted and may set higher minimums; many cities exceed the state rate substantially.
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 or five days annually effective January 2024, applying universally.
California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant standards, preempting local variations on issuance criteria and qualifications.
California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However, local governments retain limited authority over discharge, sensitive places, and zoning of gun businesses.
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 applies uniformly across all California cities and counties without local variation.
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 the vehicle's locked trunk; long guns must be unloaded but need not be locked.
California Retail Food Code (Health and Safety Code 113700-114437) sets uniform mobile food facility permit, equipment, and food safety standards enforced by counties statewide.
California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946) preempts most local bans on sidewalk vending, allowing only objective health, safety, and welfare regulations.
California prohibits state and local governments from requiring private employers to use the federal E-Verify system except where federal law mandates it, under Government Code 7285.1 and 7285.3. The restriction applies uniformly to every California city and county.
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 uniformly to every California agency and bars participation in most civil immigration enforcement.
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 for ten-year minimum terms in exchange for reduced property tax assessment based on farming income.
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 law applies statewide and limits both private and local government nuisance actions.
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 as Proposition 67 in 2016. Recycled paper or reusable bags require a 10-cent minimum charge.
California restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that polystyrene foodware achieve 25 percent recycling by 2025 or face statewide sales prohibition.
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. The on-request rule applies uniformly to dine-in restaurants statewide.
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 applies uniformly across all California jurisdictions.
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 November 2022. The ban applies uniformly to all California retailers.
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 establishes uniform retailer licensing, while local governments may adopt stricter rules.