Upper Lake, CA

Any unincorporated Lake County building of 10,000 square feet or more used for manufacturing, storage, warehousing, retail, wholesale, hotel, hospital, mortuary or laundry use must…

Lake County's Director of Community Development can abate and tow an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle left on public or private property under Code § 13-31, and…

No vehicle may sit parked or standing on a Lake County street, highway or alley, or a County Service Area road, for more than 72 consecutive hours under Code § 19-37, adopted under…

Commercial trailers, semis and buses cannot park in front of or next to Lake County parks along the Highway 20 scenic corridor for more than two hours under Code § 19-38.2, adopted to…

Lake County's zoning ordinance bars uncovered parking in any required front yard bordering a street, except tandem spaces for single-family, duplex, triplex or fourplex homes paired…

A home business in unincorporated Lake County may display only one non-illuminated sign, capped at one square foot in R1, R2 and small SR lots or two square feet in other zoning…

Home occupations in unincorporated Lake County may see no more than eight customers or clients per day, only between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., for up to one hour each, and only if the home is…

Lake County allows home occupations in residential zones only as a strictly secondary use to the dwelling, with tighter rules in R1, R2 and small SR lots, including where the business…

Lake County requires a minor use permit for any large family day care home caring for seven to twelve children in the unincorporated area. The home must meet fencing, hours, access…

In unincorporated Lake County, grading and site construction activity is limited to 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. under the Grading Ordinance. Work outside that window needs a written…

Lake County treats a dog as a habitual nuisance when its barking, howling, or other noise disturbs the neighborhood's peace. Section 4-5.3 requires the Animal Control Director to…

Lake County's grading ordinance requires disturbed land to be revegetated once grading ends, and Section 30-15 gives native, drought-tolerant, fire-resistant species preference over…

Unincorporated Lake County treats hazardous vegetation on any improved parcel as a public nuisance under County Code Section 13-58. Owners must maintain 30 feet of defensible space…

Lake County requires every owner and occupant of unincorporated land to clear hazardous vegetation and combustible material from parcels, roadways and parkways, or face abatement and…

Lake County bans burning brush, stumps, slash and other flammable debris anywhere in the unincorporated county from May 1 until CAL FIRE's Director proclaims the year's fire hazard…

Lake County's seasonal open burning ban does not cover recreational fires or fires used solely to cook food for people. Sec. 22-3 carves that exemption out of the same rule that…

CAL FIRE has mapped Lake County into Moderate, High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones under Sec. 22-2, with the maps on file and open to public inspection at the County Clerk's…

Unincorporated Lake County bans possessing, storing, selling or setting off any fireworks outright, with narrow carve-outs for licensed storage, manufacturing/testing, and permitted…

Lake County requires every liquefied petroleum gas installation in the unincorporated area to meet NFPA Standard 58, the national safety code for LP-gas storage and handling. The rule…

Lake County's transient occupancy tax reaches short-term vacation rentals because its code defines "hotel" broadly to include any structure rented to transients, exempting only a…

In unincorporated Lake County, a retaining wall three feet tall or less is exempt from setback rules under the zoning ordinance. Anything taller must clear a use-permit review, and…

Unincorporated Lake County caps front-yard fences at four feet and side or rear yard fences at six feet under the Zoning Ordinance's development standard exceptions. Corner lots carry…

A fence in unincorporated Lake County needs a discretionary minor use permit once it goes above the by-right height limits in the Zoning Ordinance, covering taller front-yard fences…

In Lake County's Suburban Reserve (SR) zoning district, small livestock and poultry are capped by a density formula tied to lot size, with up to 24 chickens per 20,000 square feet…

Lake County requires dog owners in the unincorporated area to keep their dog on their own premises unless it is restrained by a leash or chain no longer than six feet under a competent…

Lake County does not require cats to be individually licensed like dogs, but anyone caring for a feral or community cat colony in the unincorporated area must first obtain a cat colony…

Lake County has no breed-specific ban; instead it regulates any animal, of any breed, that behaves viciously. Section 4-14 lets the Animal Control Director declare an animal vicious…

Lake County bans possessing any non-domesticated wild animal, from lions and bears to venomous snakes, in the unincorporated area unless the Animal Control Director issues a wild…

Lake County makes it unlawful to own, harbor, or keep a dog or cat over four months old in the unincorporated area unless the animal has been spayed or neutered. Section 4-17 exempts…

Lake County does not ban pet-store sales, but it requires every commercial kennel or pet shop to hold an annual license from the Animal Control Director. Section 4-6 conditions a new…

Unincorporated Lake County splits veterinary clinics by animal size and zoning district. Large animal clinics need a Minor Use Permit in the Agricultural (A) and Rural Lands (RL)…

In unincorporated Lake County a detached accessory building of 120 square feet or less, no taller than 12 feet, used as a shed or garden-tool storage does not need a building permit…

Lake County's own accessory-dwelling category, the granny unit, caps size at 720 or 1,008 square feet depending on lot size, limits parcels to one such unit, and requires it to be…

Unincorporated Lake County has no sign category specifically named 'garage sale signs.' Garage and yard sales are addressed as 'rummage sales' in the Zoning Ordinance, which limits a…

Off-site billboards in unincorporated Lake County are capped at 400 square feet per face, one per lot, and 12 feet tall from grade to the sign's bottom under Zoning Ordinance Section…

Holiday lighting and decorations that do not name a business or product are a permitted special-purpose sign in every unincorporated Lake County zoning district under Zoning Ordinance…

In unincorporated Lake County, temporary political signs are permitted in all zoning districts under Section 45.3(x) of the Zoning Ordinance. No political sign may be erected earlier…

Temporary sale signs painted on or taped to the inside of a storefront window are a permitted special-purpose sign under Lake County Zoning Ordinance Section 21-45.3(r), exempt from…

Lake County does not enforce homeowners association CC&Rs. In the Residential Design (RD) Combining District, the county only offers a voluntary "courtesy review" that notifies an…

In Lake County's Residential Design ("RD") combining district, an HOA's architectural review committee can petition the Board of Supervisors for a formal "courtesy review" of building…

Lake County has no dedicated data center ordinance. In the unincorporated Clear Lake region a data center is treated as a high-technology or computer use, allowed in the MP Industrial…

Lake County's zoning performance standards (Article 41, Section 41.11, Table 11.1) cap noise received at a residential property at 55 dBA daytime and 45 dBA at night, measured beyond…

A principal residence in Lake County's R1 zone is capped at 35 feet, while accessory structures such as garages and sheds top out at 20 feet, under Zoning Ordinance Section 21-10.16…

In Lake County's R1 Single-Family Residential zone, a one-story home can cover no more than 35 percent of the lot, dropping to 30 percent once the house is two stories. The rule sits…

R1-zoned lots in unincorporated Lake County must keep a 20-foot front yard (or 45 feet from the road centerline, whichever is greater), a 15- to 20-foot rear yard depending on height…

Unincorporated Lake County bans outdoor, non-greenhouse cannabis cultivation within 1,000 feet of any K-12 school, a public park with playground equipment, a drug or alcohol rehab…

Unincorporated Lake County does not permit standalone cannabis dispensaries. Type 10 and 10A state dispensary licenses may only be paired with a licensed microbusiness, and even then…

Lake County's Vacant Structures Ordinance declares unsecured vacant buildings a public nuisance and blight. Owners must obtain a Building Official boarding permit within 30 days of…

Unimproved parcels in unincorporated Lake County must be cleared of flammable and dead vegetation within 30 feet of any neighboring structure or roadway frontage, with grass trimmed…

Lake County's zoning ordinance directs anyone developing a commercial cannabis cultivation site to avoid and minimize removing commercial tree species regulated under California Code…

Lake County bans any non-storm water discharge into the County storm drainage system or natural surface waters outside limited exceptions the Director authorizes. Illicit connections…

Improved parcels in unincorporated Lake County must maintain 30 feet of defensible space around every building, and the County Fire Official can extend that to 100 feet based on slope…

Any development or placement of structures inside a Special Flood Hazard Area in unincorporated Lake County needs a development permit reviewed by the county's Floodplain Administrator…

Unincorporated Lake County requires the lowest floor of new residential construction in a mapped Special Flood Hazard Area to sit at least one foot above the base flood elevation. The…

Anyone building or altering a pier, dock, or boat ramp in Clear Lake's foreshore or nearshore must first get an administrative encroachment permit from Lakebed Management. Placement is…

Commercial and industrial development in unincorporated Lake County must limit exposed soil, preserve natural drainage features, and install sediment basins under Zoning Ordinance…

Lake County bans the retail sale of any flavored tobacco product, including flavored vape liquid and menthol cigarettes, at every licensed tobacco retailer in the unincorporated…

Anyone who prepares or packages food for a Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MHKO) in unincorporated Lake County must hold a Food Handler Certification before the county will…

Lake County Code Section 13-10 requires property owners to clear garbage and refuse within seven days to stop rodent and vector harborage, mandates watertight containers no larger than…

In unincorporated Lake County, a large family day care home or nursery school serving 7 to 12 children, including resident children, needs a minor use permit from the Community…

Lake County will not schedule a final or temporary occupancy inspection until five separate departments and agencies have signed off on a project, from Public Works encroachment…

Unincorporated Lake County wires and rewires under the 2022 California Electrical Code, adopted wholesale off the 2020 National Electrical Code by county ordinance. Any electrical…

Plumbing work in unincorporated Lake County runs on the 2022 California Plumbing Code, based on the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted by county ordinance. A permit from the Building…

Lake County builds green-building compliance into every covered project by adopting the 2022 California Green Building Code wholesale as its own. New construction in the unincorporated…

Lake County enforces the 2022 California Building Code as its own, so any building or structure needs a county building permit before construction. Only a narrow, non-human-occupancy…

Unincorporated Lake County treats garage and yard sales as a non-profit rummage sale use that is capped at more than six but not more than twelve days per calendar year, with hours…

Lake County charges a 9 percent transient occupancy tax on rent paid at any hotel or other lodging in the unincorporated area. The operator collects it from the guest, registers with…

In unincorporated Lake County, placing, constructing or installing anything in, on, under or over a county road, highway or sidewalk right-of-way requires an encroachment permit from…

Lake County's cannabis business tax classifies commercial cannabis operators by activity type, not a flat rate. Nurseries pay per square foot of cultivation, testing labs pay nothing…

Unincorporated Lake County bans smoking and tobacco use within 30 feet of building entrances and windows, and in the unenclosed areas of county property, parks, service areas and…

In unincorporated Lake County, an adult who owns or controls a residence may not let a party continue there once they know a minor is obtaining, possessing or drinking alcohol on the…

Lake County bans possessing or drinking alcohol in any County park or public recreational area unless a Public Services Department facility use permit for a special event allows it…

Riding a skateboard, bike, scooter or inline skates is banned on specific county properties under Code Sec. 15-44, including the Lakeport courthouse sidewalks, two tennis courts, and…

Anyone operating an apartment house, hotel, motel or lodging house in unincorporated Lake County must first get a Certificate of Occupancy and Operating Permit from the Lake County…

Lake County's adopted International Property Maintenance Code sets a hard floor on rental heat: dwellings must maintain 68 degrees in every habitable room, and occupied indoor work…

Selling tobacco, e-cigarettes, or vape products anywhere in unincorporated Lake County requires a tobacco retailer's license from the county for each location. Operating without one is…

Unincorporated Lake County requires every dealer in secondhand goods to report all weekly purchases to the Sheriff by 10 a.m. Monday and to keep a complete, publicly inspectable record…

A home-based business that uses a work vehicle, including auto or equipment repair, is limited by Lake County's home occupation rule to one vehicle under 1.5 tons in R1, R2 and SR…

Commercial and multi-family properties in unincorporated Lake County that use a Refuse/Litter Control plan in place of a screened dumpster enclosure must specify the type, size and…

Only a hauler under contract with the County of Lake may collect or dispose of another person's garbage in the unincorporated area. Property owners and businesses may still self-haul…

Every dumpster serving a commercial or industrial use, or a multi-family building with three or more units, in unincorporated Lake County must sit inside a screened enclosure at least…

Dumping refuse, garbage, junk, cans or rubbish on any public highway, right-of-way, camping place or public ground in unincorporated Lake County is a misdemeanor punishable by up to…

Boarding houses, restaurants, hotels, apartments and dwellings that subscribe to commercial garbage service in unincorporated Lake County must keep a water-tight metallic can or…

For commercial and multi-family properties in unincorporated Lake County that qualify for a Refuse/Litter Control plan instead of a screened enclosure, the county's Community…

In unincorporated Lake County, anyone under 18 may not be in a public street, park or other place open to the public between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Violating minors are guilty of a…

Every county park in unincorporated Lake County closes at 11:00 p.m. and reopens at 6:00 a.m. under Code Sec. 15-16.5, with anglers actively fishing exempted. Kelseyville Community…

Lake County requires anyone selling door to door or place to place in the unincorporated area, including solicitors taking future orders or collecting charitable donations, to hold a…

In unincorporated Lake County, a property designated a Historic Preservation District (HPD) or Historic Preservation Site (HPS) faces a major use permit requirement before any exterior…

Lake County's Burning Regulations impose a seasonal ban on burning brush, slash and other flammable debris from May 1 until CAL FIRE proclaims the hazard abated, but Sec. 22-3.1 carves…

Lake County makes it a crime to bring, keep, sell, gift, or plant nine listed non-native invasive aquatic plants anywhere in the unincorporated county, including Clear Lake. The…

Lake County Code Section 3-45.1 shields lawful agricultural operations from nuisance claims unless the activity meets the specific nuisance standard set in California Civil Code…

Lake County's Right to Farm Ordinance protects agricultural operations only on land zoned Agricultural Preserve (APZ), Agricultural (A), Timberland Preserve (TPZ), Rural Lands (RL) or…

Alcohol is banned in every Lake County park and public recreational area unless the group hosting a parade, concert, wedding or similar special event first gets a Facility Use Permit…

Anyone operating a music, dance or similar outdoor festival open to the public in unincorporated Lake County must first obtain a license under Code Sec. 15-23, applying at least 60…

Unincorporated Lake County has no standalone 'dark sky' ordinance, but Section 41.8 of the Zoning Ordinance requires that all exterior lighting accessory to any use be hooded…

In unincorporated Lake County, Section 41.8 of the Zoning Ordinance prohibits any unobstructed beam of light from being directed beyond a property's exterior lot line and requires all…

Lake County's Planned Development Residential ("PDR") district can grant extra density beyond the General Plan's baseline under Section 13.23, but only through approval of a general or…

Three-dimensional lawn statuary, from decorative figures of people and animals to product replicas, counts as a permitted special-purpose sign under Lake County Zoning Ordinance…