Property Use

​Frequently Asked Questions​

The information listed herein is intended for general information purposes only and should not be used in place of adopted County ordinances and regulations. Please contact the Office of Planning and Environmental Review at sacplan@saccounty.net for information regarding specific regulations or before submitting an application.​ Alternatively, you may schedule an appointment​ with the Planning front counter of the Building Assistance Center.​


Yes. The keeping of egg-laying chickens or ducks is considered an Incidental Agriculture Use and is allowed in most residential zoning districts, pursuant to the provisions of Sacramento County Zoning Code 3.9.3.G which can be found in Chapter ​3 of the Zoning Code​​​​​​​.

Typically, an average RD-5 residential lot may keep one egg-laying chicken or duck per 1,000 square-feet of parcel area or 200 square-feet of rear yard area, whichever is less. These animals must be kept at least 20 feet from all neighboring residential dwellings and must have a covered coop or roost. Roosters or crowing fowl are allowed on lots greater than 10,000 square-feet.

Additional information can be found within the Code Enforcement Animal Brochure.​

You may keep horses on a hobby-type basis on agricultural-residential and residential lots 20,000 square-feet or greater.

​Additional information can be found in the ​Code Enforcement Animal Brochure.​

Yes. Short-term rentals are allowed in a primary single-family dwelling or accessory dwelling units (if constructed with a building permit before January 1, 2020) as an accessory use as long as the property owner or a long-term tenant lives on the property at least six months out of the year. Please review the Short-Term Rental Permits webpage.​​

No. Pursuant to Sacramento County Zoning C​ode Section 3.9.3.K​., motor vehicles and equipment used for, or designed primarily for, commercial, industrial or agricultural purposes with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of ten thousand pounds or more, and trailers used for, or designed primarily for, commercial, industrial or agricultural purposes, cannot be parked or stored on any agricultural-residential, residential or interim residential zoned property except when loading, unloading, or rendering service. 

Please review Sacramento County Zoning Code Section 3.9.3.F. for examples of allowed, restricted, or prohibited home occupations. Section 3.9.3.F. can be found in Chapte​r 3 of the​ Zoning Code​​​.​ 

Please contact Business Licensing at (916) 874-6644 for business license questions. You can apply for a business license online through the Department of Finance website.

Please review Chapter 3 of ​the Sacramento County Zoning Code​​​​ for allowed, conditionally allowed, and prohibited uses. 

Commercial cannabis activities are prohibited within the County of Sacramento. Please check our Cannabis in the Unincorporated County webpage for more information. Industrial Hemp cultivation is permitted in the AG-20 through AG-160 (Agricultural) zones, and in the M-1 and M-2 (Industrial) zones. 

A Use Permit by the Planning Commission is required for auto sales in the GC, M-1, and M-2 zones and is not allowed in the LC or SC zones. A Use Permit by the Planning Commission ​is a discretionary permit which costs $14,862 (as of January, 2020) and takes approximately seven to nine months to process and includes public hearings, noticing, and environmental review. ​

Information about cell towers, or wireless communication facilities, can be found in Section 3.6.7. of Chapter 3 o​f the Zoning Code​. ​ 
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