Yuba City, CA Public Health Rules: Rodent Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Health Officer finding of dangerous rat infestation
- Owner duty
- Exterminate rats and ratproof on order
- Ratproofing standard
- Seal all rat entry points into structure
- Cost responsibility
- Borne by property owner or possessor
- Classification
- Deemed a public health nuisance
Summary
When the Health Officer finds a Yuba City building or property harboring rats in numbers dangerous to public health, the property is declared a public health nuisance, and the owner or occupant must exterminate the rats and ratproof the premises on the Health Officer's order.
Sec. 4-12.450. - Extermination of rats. Whenever, in the opinion of the Health Officer, it is determined that any building or property in the City contains rats in a number or of a kind dangerous to the health and welfare of the citizens of the City, such building shall be deemed to be a public health nuisance within the meaning of this article, and the person upon whose premises such rats are located shall be required to exterminate them and shall be required further, upon order of the Health Officer, to ratproof the premises designated by such Health Officer to be a public health nuisance.
Full Breakdown
450 of the Yuba City Municipal Code gives the Health Officer authority to act whenever a building or property in the City is found to contain rats in a number or of a kind dangerous to the health and welfare of citizens. Once the Health Officer makes that determination, the building is deemed a public health nuisance, and the person on whose premises the rats are located is required to exterminate them, and, on the Health Officer's further order, to ratproof the designated premises. 150(f) defines ratproofing for this purpose: adequately covering or sealing every hole or means of ingress by which rats can enter the premises, apart from properly constructed and protected doors, windows, and ventilating shafts; on open land, ratproofing means eliminating the conditions that harbor a rat population.
The same definition places the cost of both extermination and ratproofing on the person owning or lawfully possessing the property, whether or not that person caused the infestation. 301 and related entry provisions to investigate rodent complaints and confirm conditions before ordering abatement.
Violations & Fines
Failing to exterminate rats or ratproof premises after a Health Officer determination and order under Section 4-12.450 leaves the condition a standing public health nuisance, subject to the City's general nuisance-abatement and penalty provisions, including infraction fines under Section 1-2.02 of up to $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each further violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides if a property has a rat problem serious enough to enforce in Yuba City?
What does 'ratproofing' require under Yuba City's code?
Can the City make me pay to exterminate rats on my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yuba City
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