Pop. 141,384 · Tulare County
Visalia's STR ordinance addresses parking requirements. Operators must ensure adequate parking for guests to avoid impacting neighbors.
Visalia requires STR operators to collect and remit Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) on all short-term stays. The city charges TOT on rentals of 30 days or less.
Since December 6, 2023, every short-term rental in Visalia must hold a city-issued STR permit, a Business Tax Certificate, and operate only in the habitable interior of a primary…
Visalia requires every short-term rental operator to submit proof of insurance covering the STR use as part of the permit application under MC 17.32.166. The city does not publish a…
Visalia caps overnight STR occupancy at two persons per bedroom plus one. A studio is limited to 3 guests; a 4-bedroom STR to 9; a 6-bedroom STR to 13. Weddings, parties, receptions…
Visalia STRs have mandatory quiet hours: no outdoor activity (pools, hot tubs, courts, play equipment) between 10 PM and 6 AM, and no amplified or reproduced sound audible from outside…
Every operator of a short-term residential rental in unincorporated Tulare County must register with the Treasurer-Tax Collector before or within 30 days of starting business. The Tax…
Unincorporated Tulare County imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals. With no STR ordinance adopted (proposal rejected 3-2 on July 9, 2024), non-owner-occupied…
Unincorporated Tulare County does not require an on-site or on-call host for short-term rentals. The proposed ordinance, which would have required contact-information signage at each…
Unincorporated Tulare County imposes no annual cap on short-term rental nights. With the STR ordinance rejected 3-2 on July 9, 2024, there is no limit on how many nights or days per…
Visalia requires vehicles to be parked on improved surfaces. Parking on unimproved areas like grass or dirt in residential zones is prohibited.
Visalia Municipal Code 10.16.210 prohibits parking commercial vehicles with an unladen weight over 5,000 pounds in residential districts, except briefly for loading or unloading.
Visalia has no blanket citywide overnight parking ban, but Visalia Municipal Code 10.16.190 authorizes the City Manager to post 'all-night parking prohibited' zones, and downtown…
Visalia prohibits parking any vehicle on a public street or alley for more than 72 consecutive hours, and recent 2024 amendments now require vehicles to be moved at least 1,000 feet to…
RVs, travel trailers, and boats cannot be stored on a Visalia public street under the 72-hour rule, and a December 2024 amendment added stiff penalties and a 1,000-foot relocation…
Unincorporated Tulare County declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles on private or public property a public nuisance under County Code Chapter 4-9, enacted…
Unincorporated Tulare County has no blanket size-based street-parking ban, but County Code 3-03-1015 prohibits parking commercial vehicles rated 10,000 pounds GVWR or more on posted…
Unincorporated Tulare County has an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations under County Ordinance Code Chapter 7-32 (Ord. No. 3618, effective…
In unincorporated Tulare County, loading zones are designated by curb color under County Code 3-03-1126: yellow indicates a loading zone for freight or passengers, and white indicates…
Curb colors in unincorporated Tulare County are set by County Code 3-03-1126: red = no stopping/standing/parking; yellow = freight or passenger loading; white = passenger loading or…
Visalia Municipal Code section 15.40.020 requires a 'no fee' permit from the City Building Department before any fence is erected, altered, or moved. The Fence Ordinance applies to all…
Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.36 allows fences to be built of any generally acceptable material in residential zones, but barbed wire and electrically charged fences are…
Visalia zoning permits standard residential fence materials (wood, vinyl, masonry, ornamental metal, chain link). Barbed wire, razor wire and electrified fencing are generally…
California law does not require neighbor consent to build a fence, but fences must be within property lines. California's Good Neighbor Fence Act may require shared costs for boundary…
Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.36 caps residential fences, walls, and hedges at 7 feet in height in side and rear yards. Within a required front yard or street-side yard on a corner…
Retaining walls in unincorporated Tulare County follow the adopted California Building Code. Under CBC Section 105.2, a building permit is not required for a retaining wall not over 4…
Beyond general height limits, Tulare County's Zoning Ordinance imposes specific fence requirements in certain situations: commercial off-street parking lots abutting residential zones…
California's Swimming Pool Safety Act in Health and Safety Code Section 115920 mandates statewide drowning prevention barriers around residential pools, with cities prohibited from…
Above-ground pools in Visalia must meet the same safety barrier requirements as in-ground pools. Pools over 18 inches deep require barriers.
Visalia requires all residential pools to have safety barriers per California Building Code. Fences must be at least 60 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates.
Visalia enforces California pool safety laws including barrier requirements, anti-entrapment drains, and permit/inspection requirements for construction.
In unincorporated Tulare County, a building permit from the Resource Management Agency (RMA) is generally required to construct a swimming pool or spa. The County administers building…
Hot tubs and spas in unincorporated Tulare County are permitted through the RMA under the adopted building code. A new or remodeled spa generally triggers the California Swimming Pool…
Visalia limits construction noise in residential areas to daytime hours. Construction activities are generally permitted between 7 AM and 7 PM on weekdays and 8 AM to 5 PM on Saturdays.
Visalia regulates noise under Municipal Code Section 8.36. The city establishes exterior and interior noise level standards with stricter limits during nighttime hours in residential…
Visalia prohibits dogs that bark excessively and disturb neighbors. Animal Control investigates complaints and may cite owners of persistently barking dogs.
Unincorporated Tulare County has no leaf blower ordinance. Equipment noise falls under the general 65 dB boundary limit (Ordinance Code 5-01-1215(b)) and the public nuisance standard…
Unincorporated Tulare County's Social Host Ordinance (Ordinance Code 5-01-1215(b)) prohibits sound from amplified sound devices from exceeding 65 decibels at the property boundary…
The County's enforceable numeric limit is 65 decibels at the property boundary for amplified and excessive noise (Ordinance Code 5-01-1215(b)). The General Plan Noise Element adds…
Outdoor music at parties and gatherings in unincorporated Tulare County is governed by the Social Host Ordinance (Ordinance Code 5-01-1215(b)), which caps amplified and non-amplified…
Industrial and stationary-source noise is controlled through the County General Plan Noise Element and discretionary land-use permits. New noise-generating industrial or commercial…
Unincorporated Tulare County does not regulate aircraft noise. The County General Plan Noise Element states that aircraft operations are preempted by federal and state regulation and…
Engine, motorcycle, and dirt bike noise are 'excessive noise sources' capped at 65 dB at the property boundary under Ordinance Code 5-01-1215(b). Off-road vehicle use near homes is…
Visalia requires dogs to be on a leash or under direct control when off the owner's property. Dogs running at large are subject to impoundment.
Visalia's official Animal Services Licensing page requires every dog and cat over four months of age residing in the city to be licensed but does not publish a numeric per-household…
Under Visalia Municipal Code section 17.12.020, livestock keeping (excluding pigs) is permitted in the R-1-20 zone subject to a cap of two cows, two horses, four sheep, or four goats…
Visalia has no breed-specific dog ordinance because California Food and Agricultural Code section 31683 prohibits cities from regulating any specific dog breed under their…
Visalia allows beekeeping subject to conditions on hive placement and management. Bees must not create a nuisance for neighbors.
Visalia and California state law restrict ownership of many exotic animals. Permits are required for certain species and many dangerous wild animals are prohibited.
Tulare County Ordinance Code Section 4-07-5100 makes it an infraction to let livestock or equine animals stray off the owner's property, with exceptions for supervised movement along…
Tulare County's animal control code regulates cats lightly. Chapter 4-7 defines "Cat" and addresses feral animals but imposes no county cat license, no per-household cat limit, and no…
Tulare County's animal control code does not contain a general wildlife-feeding ban. The controlling rule is California state regulation: Title 14, Section 251.3 of the California Code…
Tulare County does not use the word "hoarding," but it controls animal overcrowding through enforceable limits: a four-adult-dog cap without a kennel permit (Section 4-07-4005), kennel…
Visalia treats carports as accessory structures under Title 17 zoning. Most accessory structures must observe the same front, side, and rear setbacks as the main dwelling, but carports…
California Government Code §65852.2(a)(6) prohibits using ADUs and JADUs as short-term rentals of fewer than 30 days. Visalia goes further: VMC §17.32.166 (effective December 6, 2023)…
Visalia reviews ADU applications ministerially under Visalia Municipal Code (VMC) Chapter 17.32, Article 2 (Accessory Dwelling Units), consistent with California Government Code…
Visalia cannot charge impact fees on ADUs under 750 square feet under California Government Code §65852.2(f)(3)(A), which preempts local fee schedules. For ADUs 750 sf and larger…
Under California AB 587 (codified at Gov. Code §65852.2(a)(6)), Visalia could not impose owner-occupancy requirements on ADUs permitted between January 1, 2020 and January 1, 2025. AB…
Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.14 (adopted by City Council on January 21, 2025) regulates ADUs ministerially under California Gov. Code 66310-66342, allowing attached or detached…
Visalia MC section 17.12.020 permits accessory structures on R-1 single-family lots, including storehouses, garden structures, greenhouses, recreation rooms, and hobby shops…
Visalia MC section 17.14.060(B) recognizes a stand-alone garage converted into an ADU as a Detached ADU, and 17.14.080(C)(1)(c) waives off-street parking for ADUs that are part of an…
A tiny home on a permanent foundation in unincorporated Tulare County is typically permitted as an accessory dwelling unit under the County Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 352) and…
Backyard recreational burning is constrained by VMC Chapter 8.44 (open burning) and the 2022 California Fire Code adopted at VMC 8.20.010. Wood-fueled recreational fires must comply…
Under VMC Chapter 8.56, Visalia Fire's Prevention Division enforces weed and debris abatement on vacant and developed parcels. Grass and weeds must be kept under 3 inches; failure to…
Visalia permits California State Fire Marshal-approved Safe and Sane fireworks (those bearing the official Fire Marshal seal). Any firework that flies, darts, or explodes is illegal…
Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 8.44 prohibits most open burning. Burning of trash, plastic, demolition material, treated wood, and most cut vegetation is banned, and any allowed burn…
Residential fire pits in Visalia must follow California Fire Code §307 setbacks (25 ft open recreational fire; 15 ft portable outdoor fireplace) and VMC 8.44 prohibitions on…
Unincorporated Tulare County has no separate smoke-alarm ordinance; requirements come from the adopted 2022 California Building/Residential Code and state law. Smoke alarms are…
Propane (LP-gas) storage in unincorporated Tulare County is governed by the adopted 2022 California Fire Code (Chapter 61) and NFPA 58, enforced by the Tulare County Fire Chief. Small…
Much of unincorporated Tulare County's foothills and mountains is a Cal Fire State Responsibility Area with high and very-high Fire Hazard Severity Zones — the 2020 SQF Complex…
Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 8.56 (Property Maintenance) governs weeds, overgrowth, junk, and trash on private property. Complaints are taken by the Visalia Fire Department…
Visalia does not publish a single numeric grass-height limit, but Chapter 8.56 of the Visalia Municipal Code (Property Maintenance) treats overgrown weeds, grass, and rubbish on…
Under Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 12.20 (Street Tree Ordinance), the adjoining property owner is responsible for watering and trimming the street tree in front of their property and…
Visalia operates under a permanent Stage 2 Water Alert: sprinkler irrigation is allowed only twice a week (Wednesday/Sunday for even-numbered addresses, Tuesday/Saturday for odd)…
Under Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 12.24 - as amended August 4, 2025 by Ordinance No. 2025-06 - any person who wants to destroy or remove an oak tree on public property with a trunk…
Tulare County has no specific ordinance restricting residential rainwater harvesting. Capturing rooftop rainwater for outdoor, non-potable use in rain barrels or cisterns is allowed…
Unincorporated Tulare County has no ordinance banning artificial turf, and California Civil Code sec. 4735 prevents HOAs from prohibiting drought-tolerant or artificial-turf…
Unincorporated Tulare County does not mandate native plants, but its Water Efficient Landscaping ordinance (Part VII, Chapter 31) promotes xeriscape and water-efficient planting for…
Residential composting in unincorporated Tulare County is shaped mainly by California's SB 1383 organic-waste recycling law, in effect since January 1, 2022. Jurisdictions must provide…
Visalia restricts customer visits to home-based businesses. Home occupations should not generate traffic beyond normal residential levels.
Visalia allows home occupations in residential zones under specific conditions. The business must be secondary to residential use with no visible exterior changes.
Visalia prohibits exterior business signage for home occupations in residential areas. The property must maintain a residential appearance.
A home occupation in unincorporated Tulare County must comply with the home-occupation standards of the County Zoning Ordinance (No. 352). The use must be incidental and secondary to…
Cottage food operations in unincorporated Tulare County follow the California Homemade Food Act (Health & Safety Code 113758, AB-1616). County Environmental Health registers Class A…
Family day care homes in unincorporated Tulare County are governed by California state law, which preempts local zoning. Under the Child Day Care Act (HSC 1597 et seq.; SB 234), small…
Visalia does not regulate decorative lawn ornaments, statuary, or year-round yard decorations on private property. VMC Chapter 8.40 (Nuisances) requires yards to be free of debris…
Visalia distinguishes between residential holiday inflatables and commercial inflatables. Residential holiday inflatables on private property are treated as exempt holiday decorations…
Visalia does not have a specific ordinance regulating residential holiday light displays. Display dates, brightness, and decorative content are not regulated by the City. VMC §17.48…
Visalia does not have a specific ordinance regulating backyard smokers or wood-fired ovens by time of day. Use is governed by VMC §8.44.050 (Outdoor cooking fires), the general…
Built-in outdoor kitchens in Visalia require building, electrical, plumbing, and gas permits issued by the Visalia Building Safety Division under VMC Title 8 (Buildings) and VMC Title…
Visalia enforces the California Fire Code (CFC) as adopted in VMC Chapter 8.20 (California Fire Code) and regulates outdoor cooking fires under VMC §8.44.050. Under CFC §308.1.4 (the…
Visalia participates in the NFIP and regulates development in FEMA flood zones. Properties in the floodplain must meet elevation requirements and obtain floodplain development permits.
The California Coastal Act, Public Resources Code sections 30000 through 30900, requires Coastal Development Permits for nearly all work in the coastal zone and gives the Coastal…
California Water Code sections 13260 and 13383 implement the federal Clean Water Act through statewide MS4 NPDES permits issued by the State and Regional Water Boards, binding all…
Setbacks in unincorporated Tulare County are set by zone in the Zoning Ordinance (Ord. 352). In R-1 and R-A residential zones, the front and rear yards are each 25% of lot depth (need…
In the R-1 and R-A residential zones of unincorporated Tulare County, buildings are limited to 2.5 stories and 35 feet to the uppermost part of the roof. The Zoning Ordinance allows…
The Tulare County Zoning Ordinance controls buildable area through minimum lot size and required yards rather than a single maximum lot-coverage percentage. In R-1 and R-A zones, the…
Unincorporated Tulare County has no general tree-removal permit ordinance, no heritage-tree program, and no oak-woodland conservation ordinance. Permits arise only for trees in the…
California provides statewide protections for native oak woodlands and heritage trees through CEQA review, Public Resources Code, and Forest Practice Rules that apply uniformly.
In unincorporated Tulare County, visual blight is a public nuisance under the Public Nuisance Ordinance (County Code Chapter 4-1). Accumulated junk, trash, debris, scrap, inoperable…
In unincorporated Tulare County, every occupied premises must have fly-tight, waterproof, covered garbage cans (or an approved fly-tight pit) that are emptied weekly. County Code…
Unincorporated Tulare County does not have a stand-alone vacant-lot ordinance, but vacant parcels are covered by the Public Nuisance Ordinance (Ch. 4-1) and the Fire Hazardous Weeds…
Unincorporated Tulare County regulates weeds by fire hazard, not by a fixed inch-height. County Code Chapter 4-11 declares weeds, grass, rank growth and combustible rubbish that create…
Unincorporated Tulare County has no fetched stand-alone garage-sale ordinance setting a permit fee or a fixed number of sale days. Occasional residential yard sales are treated as an…
Unincorporated Tulare County uses an exclusive franchise-hauler system. County Code section 4-03-1150 requires the owner of every occupied premises to subscribe to and use regularly…
In unincorporated Tulare County, County Code section 4-03-1130 requires garbage cans to be removed from the street within 24 hours after emptying and bars placing them in a County or…
Unincorporated Tulare County requires franchise haulers to provide bulky-item service. Under County Code section 4-03-1147, the hauler must schedule on-call bulk-waste pickup upon a…
Unincorporated Tulare County requires source separation of recyclables. County Code Chapter 4-3, Article 13 (implementing California SB 1383 and AB 1826) enrolls single-family…
Unincorporated Tulare County mandates organic-waste recycling under County Code Chapter 4-3, Article 13, which implements California SB 1383. Single-family and commercial generators…
Political signs on private property in unincorporated Tulare County are governed by the County Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 352) and California law. Posting campaign signs on County…
Tulare County does not publish a dedicated garage-sale-sign ordinance. Temporary garage-sale and directional signs in unincorporated areas are limited by the County Zoning Ordinance…
Unincorporated Tulare County does not have a standalone dark-sky ordinance, but its General Plan 2030 sets outdoor-lighting policy. Policy LU-7.19 requires lighting in residential…
Unincorporated Tulare County controls light trespass through General Plan policies and nuisance enforcement rather than a numeric light-trespass ordinance. Policy LU-7.18 requires park…
Tulare County has no ordinance specific to cryptocurrency or blockchain mining. A commercial mining operation is treated as a data center or industrial use, sited in the M-1 or M-2…
Tulare County has no standalone noise ordinance. Its General Plan Noise Element bars new industrial noise sources from exceeding 60 dB Ldn/CNEL at the boundary of a residential zone…
Tulare County has no dedicated data center ordinance. In unincorporated areas a data center is an industrial use, sited in the M-1 or M-2 manufacturing zone under Zoning Ordinance No…
Commercial drone operations in California follow uniform federal rules under 14 CFR Part 107 plus statewide California provisions in Civil Code 1708.8 and Public Utilities Code 21401…
Recreational drone flight in California is governed primarily by FAA regulations under 14 CFR Part 107 and 49 USC 44809, with state-level rules added by Civil Code 1708.8 and…
California sets a statewide minimum wage floor under Labor Code 1182.12, $16.90 per hour for all employers as of January 2026. Local governments are not preempted and may set higher…
California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act under Labor Code 245-249 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees statewide. SB 616 (2023) raised the minimum to 40 hours…
California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant…
California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However…
California broadly prohibits open carry of firearms statewide under Penal Code 25850 (loaded firearms in public) and Penal Code 26350 (open carry of unloaded handguns). The prohibition…
California prohibits carrying loaded firearms in vehicles statewide under Penal Code 25400 and 25850. Unloaded handguns transported in private vehicles must be in a locked container or…
California Retail Food Code (Health and Safety Code 113700-114437) sets uniform mobile food facility permit, equipment, and food safety standards enforced by counties statewide.
California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946) preempts most local bans on sidewalk vending, allowing only objective health, safety, and welfare regulations.
California HOAs may levy regular and special assessments, charge late fees and interest, record liens, and ultimately foreclose on delinquent owners under the Davis-Stirling Act. State…
California tightly regulates HOA governance. The Common Interest Development Open Meeting Act (Civil Code 4900-4955) governs board meetings and member access, sections 5100-5145…
California HOAs enforce recorded CC&Rs and architectural rules, but Civil Code section 4765 requires architectural decisions to be fair, reasonable, and in good faith, and sections…
California HOAs may fine members for rule violations, but only under a published schedule of fines and after strict due-process steps. Civil Code section 5855 requires written notice…
California overrides HOA governing documents on several owner protections. The Davis-Stirling Act and related Civil Code sections bar HOAs from prohibiting solar systems, U.S. flag…
California prohibits state and local governments from requiring private employers to use the federal E-Verify system except where federal law mandates it, under Labor Code 2812. The…
The California Values Act (SB 54, 2017) codified at Government Code 7284-7284.12 limits state and local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It applies…
California evictions run through the unlawful detainer process. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 1161, nonpayment requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit (excluding weekends and…
California landlords must keep rentals fit to live in. Civil Code §§ 1941 and 1941.1, reinforced by Green v. Superior Court, imply a warranty of habitability covering plumbing, heat…
Civil Code 1946.2 requires landlords statewide to have just cause to terminate tenancies of qualifying tenants who have lived in a covered unit at least 12 months.
California Civil Code § 1954 limits when a landlord may enter a rented home. Except in emergencies, abandonment, or with tenant consent, the landlord must give reasonable written…
California sets no fixed dollar or percentage cap on rent late fees, but a late fee in a residential lease is treated as liquidated damages. Under Civil Code § 1671, such a fee is…
To end a California month-to-month tenancy, a tenant gives 30 days' written notice. A landlord gives 30 days if the tenant has lived there under a year, or 60 days if a year or more…
California limits annual rent increases statewide to 5% plus the local change in the cost of living, capped at 10%, under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB-1482). It also lets…
California requires written notice before raising a month-to-month tenant's rent. Under Civ. Code § 827, increases of 10% or less in 12 months need 30 days' notice; increases above 10%…
As of July 1, 2024, California landlords may collect no more than one month's rent as a security deposit, regardless of whether the unit is furnished. The deposit, minus any lawful…
California adverse possession requires five years of continuous, open, hostile possession AND payment of all property taxes during that period under Code of Civil Procedure § 325. A…
The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (Williamson Act), Government Code 51200-51297.4, allows landowners to enter contracts with counties restricting land to agricultural use…
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…
California prohibits grocery stores and large retailers from providing single-use plastic carryout bags under Public Resources Code 42280-42288, enacted by SB 270 (2014) and ratified…
California restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that…
California Public Resources Code 42270-42273, enacted by AB 1884 (2018), prohibits full-service restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by the customer…
Civil Code section 714 voids HOA covenants and rules that prohibit or unreasonably restrict residential solar energy systems, preempting private and local restrictions.
California's Solar Rights Act and the SolarAPP+ mandate (SB 379) require expedited permit review of small residential solar systems, preempting restrictive local processes.
California prohibits sale of tobacco and vapor products to anyone under 21 statewide under Business and Professions Code 22958, enacted by SBX2-7 in 2016. The Tobacco 21 standard…
California bans retail sale of most flavored tobacco products statewide under Health and Safety Code 104559.5, enacted by SB 793 (2020) and upheld by voters via Proposition 31 in…
California requires statewide licensing of tobacco and vape retailers under the STAKE Act and the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act. Business and Professions Code 22970…