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.
Civil Code 3482.5 provides that no agricultural activity, operation, or facility conducted on agricultural land for commercial purposes shall be considered a nuisance, private or public, after it has been in operation for more than three years if the operation was not a nuisance at its inception. The protection extends against changed surrounding conditions, including new residential development encroaching on farm areas. The statute applies statewide and binds counties, cities, and private parties. Local nuisance ordinances cannot override the state's three-year farming protection. Operations conducted negligently or in violation of state or federal law lose protection.
Plaintiffs filing barred nuisance actions may face dismissal and statutory attorney fees under Civil Code 3482.5(b) when the agricultural defendant prevails.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Santa Barbara County, CA
Persistent or habitual dog barking in unincorporated Santa Barbara County is handled as a public nuisance under County Code Chapter 7 (Animals and Fowl), adm...
Santa Barbara County, CA
Unincorporated Santa Barbara County regulates nighttime noise under County Code Chapter 40 - Nighttime Noise Restrictions. Quiet hours run from 10:00 p.m. to...
Santa Barbara County, CA
Parking and storage of recreational vehicles, trailers, and boats in unincorporated Santa Barbara County is regulated by County Code Chapter 23 (Motor Vehicl...
Santa Barbara County, CA
Whether you can keep chickens, goats, horses, pigs, or other livestock on your property in Santa Barbara County depends on your zoning under the Land Use and...
Santa Barbara County, CA
In unincorporated Santa Barbara County, dogs in public places must be restrained on a leash not longer than 6 feet, held by a person able to control the anim...
Santa Barbara County, CA
In Santa Barbara County, residential open burning (yard-waste, brush, debris piles) is regulated jointly by the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control Di...
See how Lompoc's farm nuisance protection rules stack up against other locations.
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