Humboldt County Municipal Code Ch. 2 Street Names and Building Numbers

§ 442-1. § 442-2. § 442-3. § 442-4. § 442-5. § 442-5.5. § 442-6. § 442-7. § 442-8. § 442-9. § 442-10.

Extent of System. Inclusion at Later Date. City Numbering Areas. System. Exceptions. House Numbers. Assigning Agency. Establishment of Uniform System of Street Naming. Procedural Provisions. Subdivisions. Penalty. 442-1. Establishment of Uniform Numbering System. There is hereby established a uniform system for numbering buildings fronting on all streets, avenues and public ways. All houses and certain other buildings shall be numbered in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. (Ord. 1044, § 1, 8/19/1975) 442-2. Extent of System. The system shall extend over the entire unincorporated area of the County, except for city and community numbering areas as hereinafter defined. (Ord. 1044, § 2, 8/19/1975) 442-3. Inclusion at Later Date. Any incorporated city may be included in the County-wide system at any time upon presentation of a resolution from the governing body of such city to the Board of Supervisors. (Ord. 1044, § 3, 8/19/1975) 442-4. City Numbering Areas. Urbanized and urbanizing areas surrounding incorporated cities shall be assigned numbers based on the cities’ grid systems. The Planning Department shall propose boundaries for each city numbering area. Unincorporated communities shall also have a grid system and a numbering area for which the Planning Department shall establish boundaries and the numbering system. (Ord. 1044, § 4, 8/19/1975)

442-5. System. The numbering system is based on the individual numbering of each road, beginning at its point of origin and increasing in sequence to its point of termination. In the case of a loop road which has two points of intersection on one road, the point of origin shall be deemed to be the first intersection of the loop road encountered as house numbers are ascending. (a) Each mile shall be assigned 1000 numbers per road mile, and two numbers shall be assigned to each 10.56 feet of street or road frontage--one odd number and one even number, with odd on north and east and even on south and west side of road. (b) Each principal building shall be assigned to the frontage on which the front entrance is located. Where any building has more than one entrance serving separate occupants, separate numbers shall be assigned to each entrance serving a separate occupant. (c) A multiple-family dwelling or commercial building having only one main entrance shall be assigned only one number, and separate apartments or suites shall carry a letter designation as A, B, C, etc., as may be required. (Ord. 1044, § 5, 8/19/1975) 442-5.5. Exceptions. (a) The Planning Director may consider an exception from the provisions of Section 442-5, where: (1) A written petition is filed with the Planning Department by the owners of not less than fifty-one percent (51%) of the properties affected by the requested exception; (2) The Planning Director finds, on the basis of the public record and the justification submitted, that the granting of the exception would be consistent with this chapter of the Humboldt County Code; and (3) The numbering system was in existence prior to the adoption of the Uniform Numbering System (Ord. 1044, 8/19/1975) (b) The Planning Director shall consider the following criteria in evaluation of the exception request: (1) The length, type, and location of the street or roadway; (2) Total number of properties affected; (3) Potential for subdivision or development of the area beyond current densities; (4) Degree to which system is logical, non-duplicating and sequenced; (5) Evidence of support for exception by emergency service providers; and (6) Other special circumstances applicable to the request as stated in the petition.

(c) The decision of the Planning Director may be appealed to the Board of Supervisors in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 317-51 et seq. (Ord. 1976, 6/23/1992) 442-6. House Numbers. Every owner, occupant, or agent within thirty (30) days after the effective date of the assignment of a house number, shall install permanently on such premises the number issued, subject to the following provisions: (a) Accessory buildings need not be numbered but, if located on a separate unit of frontage, may be assigned numbers if requested by the owner or proprietor of the principal establishment to which such building or buildings are accessory. (b) All such numbers shall be placed so as to be easily visible and legible from the road upon which said premises front. When the house is some distance from a public road, numbers shall be placed on a mail box or on a post. When the mail box is on a road other than the road on which said premises front, then the house number and road name shall be shown on the mail box. (c) The numbers shall be a size not less than three inches (3") in height, except on mail boxes, in which case the numbers shall be of a size not less than one inch (1") in height. (d) Written notice of the proposed house number assignment shall be mailed by the Planning Department to the person or persons to whom the house is assessed at the address for such person or persons shown on the last equalized assessment roll. Within thirty (30) days after the effective date of the assignment of a house number, the owner, occupant, or agent shall remove or obscure from public view any old or previous number not in accordance with the system. (e) Premises not serviced by mail delivery will be issued house numbers for convenience and safety of residents, who may continue to use post office boxes as a mailing address. (Ord. 1044, § 6, 8/19/1975; Ord. 1509, § 1, 2/2/ 1982) 442-7. Assigning Agency. All numbers shall be assigned through the office of the Planning Department. The installation of the house numbering system established by this chapter shall be accomplished progressively by post office areas and availability of base maps. (a) Numbers shall be recorded on zoning base maps of one inch equals four hundred feet (1" = 400") as shown on the index to zoning maps adopted by the Board of Supervisors on August 10, 1965, so copies can be made upon request. (b) Numbers shall also be recorded in Assessor’s books in the Planning Department. (Ord. 1044, § 7, 8/19/1975)

442-8. Establishment of Uniform System of Street Naming. There is hereby established a uniform system of street naming and all streets, avenues and public ways established after the effective date of this chapter shall be named in accordance with the provisions hereof: (a) All streets, roads and public ways running generally northerly and southerly shall be known as “streets”. (b) All streets, roads and public ways running generally easterly and westerly shall be known as “avenues”. (c) All streets, road or public ways running in a variable, curving or winding direction shall be known as “drives” or “roads”. (d) All cul-de-sac or dead-ends, not a continuation of any of the above, shall be known as “courts” or “places”. (e) No street established or named after the effective date of this chapter shall bear name in a language in conflict with the preceding provisions of this section, unless the proposed name change is to the historical name of the street, avenue, road or place, and the historical designation conflicts with subsections (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this section. (f) The Board of Supervisors may adopt further designations or any additional rules and regulations which may be required from time to time upon recommendations of the Planning Commission by amending this Code section. (g) All streets, roads and public ways established after the effective date of this chapter shall be known by the same name for its entire length, and where a street, road or public way changes direction of ninety degrees (90°) or more, each direction shall be known by a different name; provided that, where such exists on the effective date of this chapter, such name may continue to exist provided there shall be no further extension of the street, road or public way. (h) Residents on private undedicated streets or roads may take advantage of the County House Numbering System and have their area included on the official maps provided a name is selected for their street or streets. Private streets shall be designated as “lanes”, and proposed names must be submitted to the Planning Department for checking as to possible conflict with existing names of public dedicated streets and roads. (Ord. 1044, § 8, 8/19/1975; Ord. 1678, § 1, 3/5/1985) 442-9. Procedural Provisions. For the purpose of clarifying the systematizing the present street naming pattern in the County and to implement the application of the matters set forth in Section 442-8 herein, there is hereby adopted the following plan: (a) The Planning Commission is hereby authorized to report and recommend to the Board of Supervisors the proposed names of all new streets, roads and public ways. (b) Said Commission shall follow the plan set forth herein and such other rules as are also herein set forth.

The Humboldt County Code is current through Ordinance 2788, passed May 12, 2026. Disclaimer: The Office of the County Counsel has the official version of the Humboldt County Code. Users should contact the Clerk of the Board’s office for ordinances passed subsequent to the ordinance cited above. County Website: humboldtgov.org County Telephone: (707) 445-7236 Hosted by General Code. (c) If said Commission finds existing streets now carrying more than one name, it may hold a public hearing to determine a suitable, singular name and report and recommend a singular name to the Board of Supervisors as authorized by §§ 970.5 and 971 of the Streets and Highways Code. (Ord. 1044, § 9, 8/19/1975) 442-10. Subdivisions. Every subdivision tentative map submitted to the Planning Commission for their approval after the effective date of this chapter shall be accompanied by the report and recommendation by the Planning Department of the proper names of any and all streets, roads, or public ways hereafter dedicated to public use. The Planning Department shall check and assign street names in subdivisions. (Ord. 1044, § 10, 8/19/1975) 442-11. Penalty. Any person, firm, partnership, copartnership, or corporation, whether as principal, agent or employee, failing or refusing to display a proper house number after notice of such has been given in accordance with this chapter, or wilfully displaying or permitting to be displayed any improper numbering after aforesaid notice, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof may be punishable by a fine of not more than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), or by imprisonment in the County jail of said County for a term not exceeding thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. (Ord. 1044, § 11, 8/19/1975)

Division 1 – Division 2 –

V Divisions: Food Processing and Establishments Solid Waste and Source Separated Materials

Plants and Animals Emergency Medical Services System Hazardous Materials Programs for Children and Families Medical Marijuana Partnership Healthplan of California Commission Coal and Petroleum Coke Storage and Handling Sales of Nitrous Oxide