Kern County, CA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Off-street parking areas required to be provided by this chapter shall be designed and developed in accordance with the following standards: A. All off-street parking areas and ingress and egress to parking areas shall be surfaced with the following materials: ... 2. Except as specified by Chapter 19.80 of this title, for all uses in any other area, the required parking areas shall be surfaced with one of the following materials: a. Three (3) inches of bituminous road mix; b. Two (2) inches of asphaltic concrete; c. Three and one-half (3 1/2) inches of Portland Cement concrete; d. Three (3) inches of decomposed granite; e. Three (3) inches of compacted rock dust; f. Three (3) inches of gravel. ... 4. Driveways serving single-family residential dwellings are exempt from the paving requirements specified in Subsections 1 and 2 of this section if greater than one hundred (100) feet in length. The required parking area is still subject to the aforementioned paving provisions. ... E. Driveways for residential developments shall be a minimum of fourteen (14) feet (includes three- (3-) foot taper on each side) in width with fifteen (15) feet of unobstructed vertical clearance. Driveways for commercial and industrial developments shall be a minimum of eighteen (18) feet (includes three- (3-) foot taper on each side) in width with fifteen (15) feet of unobstructed vertical clearance. These requirements may be reduced by the Planning Director upon recommendation of the Kern County Fire Chief. F. Parking spaces requiring backing into a street or road right-of-way are prohibited, except in the case of driveways for lots containing, two (2) or fewer dwelling units. For lots containing a third dwelling unit for which access is taken from other than an arterial or collector road, direct backing into a street or road right-of-way may be authorized by the Roads Department. G. In no case shall any parking be located within an existing right-of-way, proposed secondary or major highway, or within an adopted Official or Specific Plan Line and, except in the case of lots containing only one (1) single-family dwelling or mobilehome and lots zoned for commercial and industrial purposes, off-street parking may not be located in a required front-yard or required side-yard setback abutting a street.