Title 19 — ZONING 

Chapter 19.20 — PERMITTED, CONDITIONAL AND EXCLUDED USES IN AGRICULTURAL AND…

Cupertino Zoning Code · 2026-06 edition · ingested 2026-07-06 · Cupertino

19.20.010 Applicability of Regulations. 

No building, structure, or land shall be used in an A, A-1, R-1, RHS, R1C, R-2, R-3, or R-4 zoning district or TH combining district, otherwise than in conformance with the provisions of this chapter.

(Ord. 14-2125, § 5 (part), 2014; Ord. 2085, § 2 (part), 2011; Ord. 24-2261, § 1 (part), 2024)

19.20.020 Permitted, Conditional and Excluded Uses in Agricultural and Residential Zones.

Table 19.20.020 sets forth the Permitted, Conditional and Excluded Uses in Agricultural and Residential zones.

Uses A A-1 R-1 RHS RC1 R-2 R-3
1. Agriculture, hortculture,
vitculture and forestry,
including the following and
similar uses:		 P P - - - - -
a. Field and truck crops,
including drying and
storage,		 P P - - - - -
b. Orchards and
vineyards, including
botling and storage,		 P P - - - - -
c. Tree farms, botanical
conservatories and
arboreta,		 P P - - - - -
d. Barns and sheds, P P - - - - -
Uses A A-1 R-1 RHS RC1 R-2 R-3
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
e. Keeping of draf
animals, animals
providing products
used on the property,		 P P - - - - -
f. Livestock ranches
and dairy farms
depending mainly on
grazing on the
property,		 P CUP - PC - - - - -
g. Processing of dairy
products produced
on the property,		 P CUP - PC - - - - -
h. Poultry raising and
hatcheries,		 P CUP - PC See #33
i. Apiaries, pursuant to
Chapter 8.07,		 P CUP - PC See #11
j. Nurseries,
greenhouses and
landscaping gardens,		 P CUP - PC See #26
k. Boarding kennels, CUP - PC CUP - PC - - - - -
l. Animal breeding; P CUP - Admin. - - - - -
2. Fur farms - CUP - PC - - - - -
3. Retail sale of wine, fruit or
berries produced on the
property;		 CUP - CC CUP - CC - - - - -
4. One primary dwelling unit
per lot/defned air space for
condominiums		 P P P P P - -
5. Two-story structures in an
area designated for a one-story
limitaton pursuant to Secton
19.28.040(I) of this chapter,
provided that the Planning
Commission determines that
the structure will not result in
privacy impacts, shadowing, or
intrusive noise, odor, or other
adverse impacts to the
surrounding area;		 - - CUP -
PC		 - - - -
6. Duplex with not more than
two primary dwelling units per
lot		 - - See
Chapter
19.28		 - - P -
7. Employee housing:
a. For six or fewer
employees in each
dwelling unit on each
lot		 P P P P P P P
b. With no more than
36 beds in group
quarters or 12
units/spaces
designed for use by a
single family or
household on each
lot		 P P - CUP-Admin. - - -
8. An accessory dwelling unit
that conforms to the
requirements of Chapter
19.112;		 P P P P P P P
Uses A A-1 R-1 RHS RC1 R-2 R-3
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
9. Multple-family residental
dwellings		 - - - - - - P
10. Townhome residental
dwellings		 - - - - - - P3
11. Accessory facilites and uses
customarily incidental to
permited uses and otherwise
conforming with the provisions
of Chapter 19.100 of this ttle;		 P P P P P P P
12. Utlity facilites essental to
provision of utlity services to
the neighborhood but excluding
business ofces, constructon
or storage yards, maintenance
facilites, or corporaton yards;		 - - P - - P CUP - CC
13. Temporary buildings for
constructon purposes
(including trailers) for a period
not to exceed the duraton of
such constructon;		 - - - - - - P
14. Home occupatons;
a. When accessory to
permited use and
otherwise
conforming to the
provisions of Chapter
19.120 of this ttle;		 P P P P P P P
b. Requiring a
Conditonal Use
Permit pursuant to
Chapter 19.120 of
this ttle;		 CUP - Admin. CUP - Admin. CUP -
Admin.		 CUP - Admin. CUP - Admin. CUP - Admin. CUP - Admi
15. Small-family day care home
per dwelling unit;		 P P P P P P P
16. Large-family day care home
per dwelling unit;
a. Which meets the
parking criteria
contained in Chapter
19.124, and which is
at least three
hundred feet from
any other large-
family day care
home.
The Director of
Community
Development or his
or her designee shall
administratvely
approve large day
care homes to ensure
compliance with the
parking and
proximity
requirements;		 P P P P P P P
b. Which otherwise
does not meet the
criteria for a
permited use. The
conditonal use
permit shall be
processed as
provided by CA.
Health and Safety		 CUP - Admin. CUP - Admin. CUP -
Admin.		 CUP - Admin. CUP - Admin. CUP - Admin. CUP - Admi
Uses A A-1 R-1 RHS RC1 R-2 R-3
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Code Secton
1597.46(3);
17. Small licensed residental
care facility, located in housing
of a type permited in the zone
and, where required by state
law, is at least 300 feet from
another regulated community
care facility		 P P P P P P P
18. Large licensed residental
care facility, located in housing
of a type permited in the zone
and, where required by state
law, is at least 300 feet from
another regulated community
care facility		 CUP - PC CUP - PC CUP -
PC		 CUP - PC * CUP - PC CUP - PC CUP - PC
19. Unlicensed Residental Care
facility located in housing of a
type permited in the zone		 P P P P P P P
20. Congregate residence, in
each dwelling unit:
a. With six or fewer
residents		 P P P P P P P
Uses A A-1 R-1 RHS RC1 R-2 R-3
b. With seven or
greater residents
which is a minimum
distance of one
thousand feet from
the boundary of
another congregate
residence and has a
minimum of seventy-
fve square feet of
usable rear yard area
per occupant		 CUP - PC CUP - PC CUP -
PC		 CUP - PC CUP - PC * CUP - PC CUP - PC
21. Transitonal housing located
in housing of a type permited
on the zone;		 P P P P P P P
22. Supportve housing located
in housing of a type permited
in the zone;		 P P P P P P P
23. Supportve housing,
permanent, with no more than
50 units		 - - - - - - P4
24. Single-room occupancy
(SRO) units		 - - - - - - -
25. Permanent emergency
shelter that complies with
Chapter 19.50		 - - - - - - -
26. Hortculture, gardening, and
growing of food products;
a. Recreatonal for
personal use;		 P P P P P P -
b. Limited to maximum
of ten percent of the
lot area and for
consumpton by
occupants of the site;		 - - - - - - P
c. Produce grown on
site may be sold if
the business actvity
is conducted in a
manner consistent		 - - - P - - -
Uses A A-1 R-1 RHS RC1 R-2 R-3
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
with Chapter 19.120,
Home Occupatons
d. Commercial
purposes;		 See #1 See #1 - CUP - Admin. - - -
27. Limited commercial
recreaton uses, such as riding
clubs and related stables and
trails, golf courses, swimming
and picnic grounds;		 See #37 See #37 - CUP - PC - - -
28. Golf courses and driving
ranges;		 CUP - CC CUP - CC - - - - -
29. Commercial swimming
pools and picnic areas;CUP -
CC		 CUP - CC CUP - CC - - - - -
30. Temporary uses subject to
regulatons established by
Chapter 19.156		 CUP - Admin. CUP - Admin. CUP -
Admin.		 CUP - Admin. CUP - Admin. CUP - Admin. CUP - Admi
31. Buildings or structures
which incorporate solar design
features that require variaton
from setbacks upon a
determinaton by the Director
that the design feature, or
features, will not result in
privacy impacts, shadowing, or
intrusive noise, odor, or other
adverse impacts to the
surrounding area.		 P P P P P P P
32. Transmission lines,
transformer statons, television
and radio towers, and other
public utlity and
communicaton structures;		 CUP - PC CUP - PC - - - - -
33. Adult (over 4 months of age)
household pets per dwelling
unit, limited as follows:
a. No specifed number P P - - - - -
b. Maximum of four,
provided no more
than two adult dogs
or cats may be kept
on the site		 - - P - P P P
c. Limited to one per
three thousand
square feet of lot
area, except:
i.Dogs are limited to
a maximum of two
on lots less than one
acre and four for lots
greater than one
acre; and
**ii.**The number of
geese, ducks,
chickens, rabbits and
other farm animals
are not limited on a
site greater than one
acre		 - - - P2 - - -
34. Liter of dogs or cats up to
four months of age;
a. No specifed number P P - P - - -
Uses A A-1 R-1 RHS RC1 R-2 R-3
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
b. Maximum of one - - P - P P P
35. Large animals, provided no
animals are kept, maintained
and raised for commercial
purposes, limited as follows:
Two large
animals for
the frst
40,000
square feet
of land area,
except
mules and
donkeys
which
require
80,000
square feet
for the frst
animal
One
additonal
large animal
for each
20,000
square feet
of land area
One
additonal
large animal
if said
animal is
raised for a
4H project,
a project
sponsored
by a
recognized
agricultural
organizaton
or a school
project		 See #1 See #1 - P2 - - -
36. The keeping of any animal
not otherwise permited above:
#33, 34, and 35		 - - - CUP - Admin. - - -
37. Riding academies,
commercial stables, and the
boarding of horses;		 CUP - CC CUP - CC - See #27 - - -
38. Noncommercial stables, and
the keeping of riding horses:
a. Limited to three
horses on each lot at
the any tme except
that additonal foals
may be retained for a
period of six months;		 P P - See #35 - - -
b. In excess of the
number permited in
#38(a)		 CUP - CC CUP - CC - See #35 - - -
39. Cemeteries, crematoriums,
mausolea, and columbariums		 CUP - CC CUP - CC - - - - -
40. Mines, quarries and gravel
pits;		 CUP - CC CUP - CC - - - - -
41. Guest ranches; CUP - CC CUP - CC - - - - -
Uses A A-1 R-1 RHS RC1 R-2 R-3
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
42. Public and quasi-public
buildings and uses.-		 CUP - CC CUP - CC - - - - -
43. Hog farms; - - - - - - -
44. Catle farms mainly
depending upon feed brought
onto the property;		 - - - - - - -
45. Slaughterhouses, fertlizer
yards, feed yards, boneyards or
plants for the reducton of
animal mater;		 - - - - - - -
46. Commercial feed sales; - - - - - - -
Uses A A-1 R-1 RHS RC1 R-2 R-3
47. Other semiagricultural uses
mainly depending upon raw
materials, semifnished
products, or feed brought on to
the property;		 - - - - - - -
48. Other agricultural uses
which, in the opinion of the
Director of Community
Development, create a private
or public nuisance.		 - - - - - - -
Key:
P– Permited Use
-– Not Allowed/Excluded Uses
CUP - Admin.– Conditonal Use Permit issued by the Director of Community Development
CUP - PC– Conditonal Use Permit issued by the Planning Commission
CUP - CC– Conditonal Use Permit issued by the City Council
1. May be permited in locatons where the use is compatble with existng and planned uses within the development area in the opini
of Community Development,
2. The required lot area for a large animal shall not be included in the required lot area for a household pet or vice versa, except that a
household pets may be kept with large animals,
3. Permited only under the Townhome (TH) Combining District
4. Permited by-right consistent with State law		 o
  1. May be permitted in locations where the use is compatible with existing and planned uses within the development area in the opinio of Community Development,

(Ord. 20-2200, § 10, 2020; Ord. 20-2199, § 4, 2020; Ord. 17-2162, § 5, 2017; Ord. 162159, § 5, 2016; Ord. 16-2158, § 2, 2016; Ord. 14- 2125, § 5 (part), 2014; Ord. 2085, § 2 (part), 2011; Ord. 24-2261, § 1 (part), 2024)