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Pima County, AZ Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Zone
RH Rural Homestead, unincorporated Pima County only
Crop production
No retail sales on-site, § 18.13.020(A)(7)
Livestock & ratites
No numeric head cap in RH zone
Poultry & small animals
Permitted by right, § 18.13.020(A)(12)
Farm stand
750-foot cap plus IR-zone setback rules
Max civil penalty
$750/day individual, $10,000/day corporation

Summary

Unincorporated Pima County's RH Rural Homestead zone lets landowners raise crops, livestock, ratites and poultry, and run a farm products stand without a conditional use permit, under Pima County Code § 18.13.020(A). Crop production can't be sold retail on-site, and a farm stand is capped by the code's own size and setback limits. Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson each set their own rules.

City-specific rules exist: Sahuarita has its own agricultural zoning protection rules that differ from Pima County's county-level regulations. If you live in Sahuarita, check the city-specific page instead.

A. Uses permitted: ... 7. Crop production, used only for the purpose of propagation and cultivation and not for retail sales, including field crops, truck gardening, berry or bush crops, tree crops, flower gardening, nurseries and aviaries; ... 9. The raising and grazing of livestock and ratites; ... 12. The raising of poultry and other small animals; ... 16. Farm products stand, provided: a. The stand does not exceed seven hundred fifty feet, and b. All other requirements of Section 18.12.020(A)(15) (IR Institutional Reserve Zone) are met;

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-64: Contains Supplement, with local legislation through Ordinance 2026-9, passed 7-28-2026, current through 7-28-2026).

Full Breakdown

020(A) lists the permitted by-right uses of the RH Rural Homestead zone, the county's designation for larger rural parcels outside Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson. Subsection (A)(7) permits crop production 'used only for the purpose of propagation and cultivation and not for retail sales,' covering field crops, truck gardening, berry or bush crops, tree crops, flower gardening, nurseries and aviaries. Subsection (A)(9) permits 'the raising and grazing of livestock and ratites' with no numeric head limit written into the RH zone (a limit does apply next door in the GR-1 zone).

Subsection (A)(12) permits 'the raising of poultry and other small animals,' again without a per-acre cap in RH, unlike the forty-animal-per-acre limit set for GR-1 parcels. 020(A)(15), including a dust-proof surface for parking and driveway areas. Item (A)(8) is marked 'Reserved,' meaning a formerly listed use was repealed and left blank rather than renumbered. 030(B) lists related agricultural uses that instead require a conditional use permit: an agricultural processing facility or winery needs Type II review with a 300-foot setback and 600-foot notification radius, a commercial feedlot needs Type III review with a 500-foot setback, and a hog ranch needs Type III review with hogs penned at least 500 feet from any property line. The RH designation applies only in unincorporated Pima County, administered by Development Services; a Tucson-address parcel inside city limits follows Tucson's own code instead.

Violations & Fines

Operating an agricultural use in violation of § 18.13.020 or exceeding a conditional-use permit's conditions is a zoning violation under Pima County Code § 18.95.030, investigated by the chief zoning inspector and decided at a hearing before a county hearing officer. Under § 18.95.040, each day a violation continues is a separate offense, with a maximum civil penalty of $750 per day for an individual or $10,000 per day for a corporation or association. Decisions may be appealed to the Board of Supervisors, then to Pima County Superior Court under A.R.S. § 12-901.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set up a farm products stand on my RH-zoned property in Pima County?
Yes. Pima County Code § 18.13.020(A)(16) permits a farm products stand by right in the RH Rural Homestead zone, but it must meet size and setback rules borrowed from § 18.12.020(A)(15): a minimum 20-foot setback from any property line, a 150-foot setback from intersections, and a dust-proof parking and driveway surface set back 45 feet from the property line.
Is there a limit on how much livestock I can raise in the RH zone?
No. Section 18.13.020(A)(9) permits 'the raising and grazing of livestock and ratites' in the RH Rural Homestead zone without stating a per-acre or per-lot cap, unlike the adjoining GR-1 Rural Residential zone, which limits livestock to one animal per ten thousand square feet under § 18.14.020(A)(9).
Does this right-to-farm zoning apply inside Tucson?
No. Pima County Code Title 18 zoning, including the RH Rural Homestead permitted-use list, governs only unincorporated Pima County. Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Sahuarita and South Tucson each administer their own zoning codes, so a parcel with a Tucson mailing address that sits inside Tucson's city limits follows Tucson's ordinances instead.
What happens if I run a commercial feedlot without a permit?
A commercial feedlot requires a Type III conditional use permit under § 18.13.030(B)(2), with a minimum 500-foot setback from any property line and a 1,000-foot notification radius. Operating one without that permit is a zoning violation under § 18.95.030, punishable by up to $750 per day for an individual or $10,000 per day for a business entity.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Pima County

All Pima County rules

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