Oxnard, CA Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone
- C-R Community Reserve
- Corral setback from lot line
- 100 feet minimum
- Corral setback from right-of-way
- 50 feet minimum
- Height limit
- 2 stories, 25 feet
- Farmworker housing by-right cap
- 12 units or 36 beds
- Prohibited
- Feed lots and cannabis uses
Summary
Oxnard's C-R Community Reserve Zone is set aside for open land uses, permitting farming, plant husbandry, forestry and livestock grazing by right. City Code Section 16-256 lists exactly what qualifies, including corrals, farm animal keeping and produce sales, while Section 16-258 bans feed lots and cannabis cultivation in the zone outright.
The purpose of this C-R Community Reserve Zone is to provide a district of predominantly open land uses which in the public interest should retain this character. ... The following uses are permitted in this zone: (A) Agriculture, plant husbandry, forestry, the growing of plant cover and the sale of produce and plants raised on the premises; (B) Grazing of livestock, provided that the principal food supply of the livestock shall be growing forage cropped on the premises and the livestock are not fed garbage or refuse; (C) Corrals or similar places to gather animals located at least 100 feet from the nearest lot line and at least 50 feet from a public right-of-way; (D) Keeping domesticated farm animals incidental to the operation of a permitted use, including the raising of rabbits, poultry, pigeons or other fowl provided that pens, hutches, coops or other structures for the keeping of such animals are located on the lot in accordance with regulations contained in this section governing location of such structures for livestock.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Contains Supplement current through 1-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
Division 16 of Chapter 16 creates the C-R Community Reserve Zone specifically "to provide a district of predominantly open land uses which in the public interest should retain this character" (Sec. 16-255). Section 16-256 makes agriculture, plant husbandry, forestry, and the growing and on-site sale of plants and produce permitted uses outright, no special use permit required. Livestock grazing is allowed only if the animals' principal food supply is forage grown on the same parcel and they are not fed garbage or refuse. Corrals or similar animal-gathering structures must sit at least 100 feet from the nearest lot line and at least 50 feet from any public right-of-way.
Property owners may also keep domesticated farm animals, including rabbits, poultry and pigeons, incidental to a permitted use, provided pens, hutches and coops follow the same setback framework written into the section for livestock structures. Section 16-256 layers in a farmworker employee housing allowance of up to twelve units or 36 beds under Cal. Health and Safety Code Section 17008, with larger projects needing a special use permit. A separate tier of agricultural-adjacent uses, agricultural processing of a temporary or seasonal nature, oil drilling sites, riding academies, and sale of off-premises agricultural products among them, requires a special use permit under Sections 16-530 to 16-553 per Section 16-257.
Section 16-258 flatly prohibits feed lots and any cannabis-related use, including growing or selling cannabis or cannabis products, anywhere in the C-R zone. Building height in the zone tops out at two stories and 25 feet under Section 16-260 absent a special use permit for additional height. The zone traces to `64 Code Sec. 3 and has been amended by Ordinance Nos. 894, 1401, 1713, 2561, 2671, 2864, 2873, 2928, 2929 and 2961.
Violations & Fines
The Planning Division and Code Compliance enforce C-R zone standards. Operating a use not listed as permitted or approved by special use permit, such as a feed lot or cannabis cultivation banned under Section 16-258, is a zoning violation subject to a correction notice and potential abatement. Related uses started without the Section 16-530 to 16-553 special use permit process, like agricultural processing or a riding academy, can be ordered to cease until the permit is obtained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow crops and sell produce on C-R zoned land in Oxnard?
How far must a livestock corral sit from my neighbor's lot in the C-R zone?
Is a feed lot allowed in Oxnard's C-R zone?
Do I need a permit to keep chickens on C-R land?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oxnard
California rules heatmap·Compare Oxnard to another location·View the California right to farm overview
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How other cities in Ventura County handle agricultural zoning protection.