University of California-Santa Barbara, CA

In unincorporated Santa Barbara County, whether a short-term rental (STR) or homestay is allowed depends on a parcel's zoning under the Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) Chapter 35, and whether the parcel is in the Inland or Coastal Zone. STRs (whole-house rentals where the owner is not present, less than 30 days) are permitted in most commercial zones; 'homestays' (rental of one or more rooms in an owner-occupied primary residence) are permitted in most residential zones; both require a Land Use Permit from Planning and Development. Operators must also obtain a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate from the County Treasurer-Tax Collector within 30 days of starting business and collect the 14 percent County Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). Within the Coastal Zone, STRs and homestays are currently administered separately under the Coastal Zoning Ordinance pending Coastal Commission certification of comprehensive rules. ADUs and JADUs cannot be used as STRs (30-day minimum rental term applies).

Unincorporated Santa Barbara County enforces the California Building Standards Code (California Building Code and California Residential Code, Title 24) through Santa Barbara County Code Chapter 10 (Building Regulations), together with the Swimming Pool Safety Act in California Health and Safety Code Sections 115920-115929. New or remodeled residential pools and spas at single-family homes require an enclosure at least 60 inches tall plus at least one additional drowning prevention feature, verified by Santa Barbara County Planning and Development Building and Safety at final inspection.

Persistent or habitual dog barking in unincorporated Santa Barbara County is handled as a public nuisance under County Code Chapter 7 (Animals and Fowl), administered by Santa Barbara County Animal Services. Nighttime barking that is clearly discernible at 100 feet from the property line or that exceeds 60 dB at the property line during the 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (or midnight to 7 a.m. weekends) Chapter 40 quiet-hours window is also subject to citation by the Sheriff under Chapter 40. Owners are responsible for restraining their animals so they do not disturb the peace of neighbors.

Unincorporated Santa Barbara County regulates nighttime noise under County Code Chapter 40 - Nighttime Noise Restrictions. Quiet hours run from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from midnight to 7:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. During those hours, no person may make or allow any 'loud and unreasonable' sound that is clearly discernible at a distance of 100 feet from the property line, or that exceeds 60 dB at the property line. Within incorporated cities (Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Goleta, Carpinteria, Buellton, Solvang, Guadalupe) the relevant city noise ordinance applies instead.

In Santa Barbara County, residential open burning (yard-waste, brush, debris piles) is regulated jointly by the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District (SBCAPCD) Rule 401 burn-permit program and by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department under the locally adopted California Fire Code (County Code Chapter 15). Recreational fires (fire pits, chimineas, outdoor fireplaces, charcoal grills, propane patio heaters) are governed by California Fire Code Section 307 as locally amended: any permanent or portable fire pit, outdoor fireplace, barbecue, or grill must be at least 30 feet from any grass, grain, brush, or forested area; have an approved spark arrester, screen, or door over the firebox; be maintained in good repair; and be attended at all times. Ashes and coals from any recreational fire may NOT be deposited or dumped in High Fire Hazard Areas. CAL FIRE issues 'Permissive Burn Day' or 'No Burn Day' status daily during fire season, and discretionary fires are also subject to the SBCAPCD daily-burn-day determination.

All fireworks - including 'Safe and Sane' state-approved fireworks - are ILLEGAL in unincorporated Santa Barbara County and in the cities of Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Buellton, and Solvang. Possession, sale, or discharge of fireworks in those areas is a misdemeanor that can carry up to a $2,000 fine, plus the cost of any resulting wildfire suppression. 'Safe and Sane' fireworks (sold from licensed stands during a limited July window) are legal only inside the city limits of Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Guadalupe. Enforcement is led by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, CAL FIRE, and the Sheriff's Office, with joint patrols around July 4th and New Year's Eve.

Most of unincorporated Santa Barbara County lies in CAL FIRE's State Responsibility Area (SRA) and is mapped as High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ). The Santa Ynez Mountains foothills, Montecito, Mission Canyon, Painted Cave, Hope Ranch, Refugio Canyon, Gaviota, the Santa Maria foothills, Tepusquet, Sisquoc, the Cuyama Valley, and the Santa Ynez Valley wildland-urban interface are all in High or Very High FHSZ areas. Designation triggers Public Resources Code Section 4291 defensible space (100 ft), California Building Code Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction standards, AB 38 sale-time inspections, and County Code Chapter 15 vegetation-management requirements. Recent major fires include the 2009 Jesusita Fire, the 2016 Sherpa and Rey Fires, the 2017 Thomas Fire (the largest in modern California history at the time), and the 2017-18 storm/debris-flow disaster that killed 23 in Montecito.

Santa Barbara County is one of California's highest wildfire-risk counties. Every owner of a structure in a State Responsibility Area (SRA) or in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ) must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around the structure under California Public Resources Code Section 4291 and the locally adopted Fire Code in County Code Chapter 15. The Santa Barbara County Fire Department's Defensible Space Inspection Program inspects parcels annually and, on slopes greater than 30 percent in High Fire Hazard Areas, may require clearance beyond 100 feet - up to 200 feet on 30-40 percent slopes and 250-300 feet on 41-60 percent slopes. AB 38 (effective July 1, 2021) requires a compliant defensible-space inspection at the time of sale of any home in a designated fire hazard severity zone.

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 animal. Dogs may be off-leash only in posted designated off-leash areas. County Code Chapter 7 (Animals and Fowl) administered by Santa Barbara County Animal Services governs leashing, licensing, rabies vaccination, and dog-at-large violations. Every dog four months of age or older must be currently rabies-vaccinated and licensed with the County. Within city limits (Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Goleta, Carpinteria, etc.) the corresponding city ordinance applies, though County Animal Services typically provides field enforcement under contract with most cities.

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 Development Code (LUDC) Chapter 35. Residential (R-1, R-2) and Mountainous (MTN) zones generally allow a limited number of hens (no roosters) for personal use, subject to coop setbacks from neighboring dwellings. Larger livestock - cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine - are allowed only in agricultural and rural-residential zones (AG-I, AG-II, RR, MTN with minimum lot sizes). County Code Chapter 7 (Animals and Fowl) imposes animal-care and nuisance standards regardless of zoning. Cities (Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Goleta, Carpinteria, etc.) each set their own backyard-chicken and livestock rules.

Parking and storage of recreational vehicles, trailers, and boats in unincorporated Santa Barbara County is regulated by County Code Chapter 23 (Motor Vehicles and Traffic) for on-street parking and by the Santa Barbara County Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) Chapter 35 for on-site storage in residential zones. On-street recreational-vehicle parking is generally limited to 72 consecutive hours in any one location, after which the vehicle must be moved at least one-tenth of a mile. RVs may not be occupied as dwellings on a public street. On private property, the LUDC restricts the location and screening of stored RVs, trailers, and boats in residential zones, with specific setback and street-visibility limits and a prohibition on living in the RV as a primary residence outside of permitted RV parks. Cities (Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Goleta, Carpinteria, etc.) each apply their own street-parking rules.

Santa Barbara County protects native trees through several overlapping ordinances. The most important is Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) Chapter 35, Article IX (Deciduous Oak Tree Protection and Regeneration), which regulates the removal of native deciduous oaks (valley oak, blue oak, black oak, scrub oak) on parcels in the inland area. Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) and other native species are protected through the County's environmental review process and the General Plan's Conservation and Open Space Element, plus the Coastal Land Use Plan in the coastal zone. A removal permit, processed through Planning and Development, is generally required before any protected oak may be cut down, and the Planning Commission has jurisdiction over discretionary Oak Tree Removal Permits. Removal of dead, uprooted, or hazard trees is typically exempt, as is removal of trees within 50 feet of an existing residential structure for fire-safety reasons.

Santa Barbara County is chronically water-stressed and operates under a layered set of restrictions: California's permanent statewide Water-Wise Outdoor Use Prohibitions (California Code of Regulations Title 23, Sections 996-997) apply at all times, individual water suppliers (Goleta Water District, Montecito Water District, Carpinteria Valley Water District, City of Santa Barbara, City of Santa Maria, Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board service areas, Cuyama and rural districts) declare their own Stage 1-3 drought stages with specific watering-day and runoff rules, and the State Water Resources Control Board imposes statewide emergency regulations during drought emergencies. Universal rules include: no runoff that crosses the property line, no irrigation during or within 48 hours of measurable rainfall, no use of potable water in non-recirculating ornamental fountains, and required 72-hour leak repair after notice. Lake Cachuma (the South Coast's main reservoir) and the State Water Project allocation are the key supply indicators.

Santa Barbara County allows Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units (JADUs) on most lots with an existing or proposed single-family dwelling, under Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) Section 35.42.075 and parallel provisions in the Coastal Zoning Ordinance and Montecito and Toro Canyon LUDCs. The County's standards were amended on May 18, 2021 (Ordinance 5230 and related actions), effective June 17, 2021 in the inland area, to comply with California Government Code Sections 65852.2 and 65852.22 (and as renumbered to Sections 66310-66342). One ADU and one JADU is allowed by right on a lot with a single-family dwelling; ADUs up to 800 sq ft are allowed with minimum 4-foot interior setbacks. The County prohibits use of ADUs and JADUs as short-term vacation rentals through a 30-day minimum rental term, as authorized by Government Code Section 66314.

Unincorporated Santa Barbara County is a participating NFIP community (CID 060331) that governs development in mapped Special Flood Hazard Areas through Santa Barbara County Code Chapter 15A - Floodplain Management Regulations, which adopts by reference the FEMA Flood Insurance Study and Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). The County Floodplain Administrator must review every development permit within an SFHA. Substantial improvements (50 percent or more of pre-damage market value) trigger full compliance, and lowest floors must be elevated to or above the Base Flood Elevation. After the January 9, 2018 Montecito Debris Flow and 2023 atmospheric-river floods, the County rigorously enforces floodplain rules along Mission, San Ysidro, Romero, Cold Spring, and Montecito Creeks, the Santa Ynez River, Santa Maria River, and coastal flood zones. FEMA released a preliminary FIRM on March 26, 2024 for portions of the County and City of Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara County has roughly 110 miles of Pacific coastline (the Gaviota Coast, Refugio, El Capitan, Goleta, Hope Ranch coastal areas, Mesa, Mission Canyon coastal slopes, Montecito coastal, Summerland coastal, Carpinteria coastal, Rincon Point). Almost all development in the County's coastal zone requires a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) under the California Coastal Act of 1976 (California Public Resources Code Section 30000 et seq.) and the County's California Coastal Commission-certified Local Coastal Program (LCP), which consists of the Coastal Land Use Plan (CLUP) and the Coastal Zoning Ordinance / Article II Coastal Zoning. Santa Barbara County Planning and Development administers CDPs in unincorporated coastal areas, while the City of Santa Barbara and other coastal cities administer CDPs within their own boundaries. Many County CDP decisions are appealable to the California Coastal Commission.