Local jurisdiction · Kern County

Bakersfield Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

What you can build in Bakersfield depends on its local zoning and planning code, layered on the California Building Standards Code. Ask GoCodebook about any Bakersfield address.

Ask a question free See coverage

Key points

Zoning districts & allowed uses Setbacks & height limits FAR, lot coverage & density Building permits Remodels & change of use ADUs & JADUs Parking requirements Planning & design review

Last reviewed: July 4, 2026

Overview

Bakersfield’s land use and zoning rules are codified in Title 17 — ZONING of the Bakersfield Municipal Code; Title 17 organizes the city’s districts, procedures, and supplemental programs and is the starting point for any local planning question § 17.08.010 . The code distinguishes a set of residential, mixed‑use, commercial, industrial, and combining/overlay districts (for example R‑1, MX‑1, C‑2, M‑2, PE) and also contains dedicated chapters for vehicle parking, design standards, ADUs, and special zones (for example PUD/PCD) § 17.12.010; § 17.10.010; § 17.58.010; § 17.65.010; § 17.52.010 . Read this page as city‑level orientation: where the code places rules (which sections to open), what district names mean locally, and how state housing law is folded into Bakersfield’s Title 17.

How Bakersfield's code is organized

  • The zoning ordinance is grouped by chapters (general provisions, definitions, map boundaries, general regulations / site plan review, then chapters for zone families and special rules). See the Title 17 chapter list (e.g., 17.02 General Provisions; 17.04 Definitions; 17.06 Zones Established—Zoning Map Boundaries; 17.08 General Regulations; residential chapters 17.10, mixed‑use 17.12, parking 17.58, ADUs 17.65) § 17.08.010; § 17.06; § 17.10.010; § 17.12.010; § 17.58.010; § 17.65.010 .
  • Procedural/entitlement rules (director review, conditional use permits, appeals, zone changes) are concentrated in Chapter 17.64, which sets filing, hearing, decision, and appeal rules § 17.64.010–.100 .
  • Site‑level development standards (setbacks, height, accessory structures, objective design rules) are in the zone chapters (e.g., 17.10 residential standards tables, 17.12 mixed‑use tables) and in cross‑cutting chapters such as 17.08 (general regulations including site plan review) and 17.58 (parking) § 17.10.030; § 17.12.030; § 17.08.060; § 17.58.010 .

(If you want the quick code menu, start at the Title 17 chapter list in the municipal code; the table of chapters lists the precise chapter numbers used in the city code) § 17.02 .

Zoning district families (city‑specific names & meaning)

Bakersfield uses familiar families but with local names and density bands spelled out in Title 17:

  • Residential family (Chapter 17.10) — contains R‑S (Residential Suburban), R‑1 (Single‑Unit), R‑2, R‑3, R‑4, R‑5, R‑6 (Urban Core) and others; each zone includes a stated residential density range and points to the applicable development‑standards table § 17.10.010–.030 . For example, the R‑1 density band is 2.1–6 du/acre, R‑4 is 20.1–30 du/acre as listed in the chapter purpose statements § 17.10.010 .
  • Mixed‑use family (Chapter 17.12) — MX‑1 (Mixed‑Use Neighborhood) and MX‑2 (Mixed‑Use Transit) are explicit Bakersfield categories with stated density ranges (MX‑1: 20–30 du/ac; MX‑2: 30.1–100 du/ac) and their own development standards tables § 17.12.010–.030 .
  • Commercial family — multiple commercial chapters: C‑O (Professional & Administrative) § 17.20, C‑1 (Neighborhood) § 17.22, C‑2 (Regional) § 17.24, and C‑B (Central Business) § 17.25; each chapter sets permitted uses, conditional uses, and yard/height rules (for example C‑O front yard 10 ft and height up to 60 ft) § 17.20.070; § 17.20.060 .
  • Industrial family — M‑1 (Light Manufacturing) § 17.28, M‑2 (General Manufacturing) § 17.30, M‑3 (Heavy Industrial) § 17.31; the code specifies permitted and conditional industrial activities and gives dimension/height rules (for example M‑2 building height may reach 150 ft / thirteen stories where stated) § 17.30.040 .
  • Planned / special development zones — PUD (Planned Unit Development) § 17.52 and PCD (Planned Commercial Development) § 17.54 are Bakersfield tools for site‑by‑site customized standards and allow the city to adopt different (more or less restrictive) standards than the base code in the final development plan § 17.52.060; § 17.54.060 .
  • Combining / overlay and special zones — Bakersfield uses overlays like PE (Petroleum Extraction Combining District) § 17.47, AA (Airport Approach) § 17.45, and floodplain overlays FP‑P / FP‑S § 17.42; § 17.44; these modify or add standards to the base zone where applied § 17.47.070–.130; § 17.42.020 .

Citywide development standards (where to find the rules)

  • General applicability and site plan rules: the general regulations chapter holds the basic rules and the site plan review process—see 17.08 (including § 17.08.060 requiring site plan approval and § 17.08.080 listing the site plan procedure) § 17.08.060; § 17.08.080 .
  • Setbacks, yards and height limits are located in individual zone chapters (examples: C‑2 side yard where adjacent to residential 20 ft § 17.24.080; C‑O front yard 10 ft § 17.20.070; multi‑unit and residential setback tables are in 17.10 development standards) § 17.24.080; § 17.20.070; § 17.10.030 .
  • Lot coverage / FAR / bulk: Title 17 implements bulk limits through zone tables and PUD/PCD latitude provisions (the code lets PUD/PCD modify lot coverage/height/parking if the public review bodies find justification) § 17.52.060; § 17.54.060 . (Specific citywide numeric FAR values are applied in zone tables or specific‑plan documents — see the zone development tables in 17.10 and 17.12 for the residential/mixed‑use numeric standards) § 17.10.030; § 17.12.030 .
  • Parking and loading standards live in Chapter 17.58; the chapter contains minimums, central‑district exceptions, transit credits, and rules for calculation and shared parking § 17.58.010–.130. For detailed parking math, see 17.58.110 and the tables within Chapter 17.58 — start at the chapter header § 17.58.010 .
  • Landscape, screening and signs are cross‑referenced: Chapter 17.61 (landscaping), 17.60 (signs), 17.61 is referenced in zone chapters as an additional requirement § 17.26.050; § 17.25.050; § 17.61 .
  • Design standards and objective rules for multi‑unit housing are grouped (objective site design is in Chapter 17.14; retail design rules in § 17.08.140) § 17.14; § 17.08.140 .

(If you need the numerical design table for a specific zone, open the particular zone chapter — each zone contains its own “front/side/rear yard,” height, minimum lot area and distance between buildings sections, e.g., § 17.24.080–.110 for C‑2) § 17.24.080–.110 .

Specific plans & overlays

  • Bakersfield supports Specific Plans and Specific Plan lines (Chapter 17.55) and many zones call out that “the general plan, applicable master plan, specific plan, or area plan” controls density and additional rules § 17.12.030; § 17.55 .
  • Overlay and combining districts: the code contains PE (Petroleum Extraction Combining District) § 17.47, FP‑P / FP‑S (Floodplain) overlays § 17.42; § 17.44, AA Airport Approach § 17.45, and the HD (Hillside Development) combining zone § 17.66; overlays either add restrictions (e.g., floodplain prohibited uses) or defer to the base zone for many dimensional rules while adding special review and operating procedures § 17.47.070–.130; § 17.42.060; § 17.44.020 .

Specific plans and PCD/PUD zones can be used to create a site‑level code that replaces or supplements Title 17 standards; the PCD process explicitly allows the planning commission/city council to approve standards “more or less restrictive” than the base code when adopting a PCD § 17.54.060 .

Building permits & review (the local path)

High‑level steps and the controlling code references:

  1. Determine base zone and allowed uses from the applicable zone chapter (e.g., 17.10, 17.12, 17.24) and whether your project is a permitted use, director‑review use, or conditional use § 17.10.010; § 17.12.020; § 17.24.020 .
  2. Site Plan Review: if your alteration requires review, obtain site plan approval under § 17.08.060–.080; the code lists exemptions (e.g., some R‑1 uses, interior-only work, repainting, parking lot restriping) § 17.08.060; § 17.08.070 .
  3. Director Review or Conditional Use Permit (CUP): director review permits are processed administratively (with appeal rights); CUPs follow the public hearing process in Chapter 17.64, with required findings and potential conditions § 17.64.020; § 17.64.060 .
  4. For planned projects: PUD or PCD zones require preliminary and final development plans and the Site Plan Review Committee or planning commission reviews the final development plan before building permits are issued § 17.52.050; § 17.54.050 .
  5. Building permits and technical code compliance are handled under the building code titles adopted by the city (the municipal code cross‑references the uniform codes adopted under Title 15). See local references to Title 15 for building standards § 17.20.030 .

The code sets document and plan submittal requirements for development plans and for entitlements; see § 17.66.040 for the list of items required on development plans (topography, access, landscape, utilities, grading, drainage, etc.) § 17.66.040 .

State housing law in Bakersfield — how it interacts with the local code

  • Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs / JADUs): Bakersfield has a dedicated ADU chapter Chapter 17.65 that explicitly implements state ADU law (Government Code Sections 66310 et seq.). ADUs/JADUs are permitted in any zone that allows residential uses and the chapter is designed to streamline ADU approvals consistent with state law § 17.65.010; § 17.65.030 .
  • SB 9 / lot split / ministerial duplex laws and state density bonus: I did not find explicit local ordinance provisions that implement or limit SB 9 ministerial lot splits or explicit density‑bonus tables in the retrieved Title 17 excerpts. Bakersfield’s mixed‑use and residential chapters reference consistency with the general plan and state law and often flag that certain changes must “comply with Government Code sections,” but explicit SB 9 (ministerial two‑unit creation) procedures or a local density‑bonus ordinance were Not found in the retrieved materials — verify with Planning staff or the full municipal code online Not found in retrieved materials (verify with jurisdiction) .
  • Rent control / local tenant protections: no rent control scheme or local rent‑control ordinance appears in the Title 17 zoning text excerpts; Bakersfield’s Title 17 is focused on land use, and if rent regulations exist they would be in another title of the municipal code or at the county/state level — Not found in retrieved materials (verify with the city clerk or housing department) Not found in retrieved materials .

Practical orientation — where you should look first (quick map)

  • For allowed uses and dimensional rules: open the specific zone chapter (e.g., § 17.10 for R‑zones, § 17.12 for MX zones, § 17.24 for C‑2) § 17.10.010; § 17.12.010; § 17.24.020 .
  • For whether you need site plan review or can proceed ministerially: read § 17.08.060–.080 (site plan required and exemptions) § 17.08.060; § 17.08.070 .
  • For procedural steps, timelines, and appeals: read Chapter 17.64 (director review, CUPs, hearings, appeals) § 17.64.020; § 17.64.060; § 17.64.090 .
  • For parking calculations and exceptions (central district, transit credit): open Chapter 17.58 § 17.58.010; § 17.58.055 .

Information Gaps (what to verify with the city)

  • Local treatment of SB 9 (ministerial two‑unit and lot‑split procedures) and any locally adopted objective standards for SB 9 ministerial approvals — Not found in retrieved Title 17 excerpts; check planning counter or the full municipal code online Not found in retrieved materials .
  • Any local density bonus ordinance or specific numeric FAR standards citywide beyond the zone tables — density and bulk are handled in zone tables and PUD/PCD, but a consolidated “density bonus” implementation section was not seen in the retrieved excerpts Not found in retrieved materials .
  • Rent‑control/tenant‑protections: not part of Title 17 zoning text found here — check other titles or county/state law Not found in retrieved materials .

Source References

  • Title 17 — ZONING, Bakersfield Municipal Code (chapter list and Title 17 table) (see the Title 17 chapter index and individual chapters cited below) § 17.02; § 17.04; § 17.06; § 17.08; § 17.10; § 17.12; § 17.20; § 17.24; § 17.30; § 17.42; § 17.44; § 17.47; § 17.52; § 17.54; § 17.58; § 17.65 .
  • Site plan and general provisions: § 17.08.010–.080 (General regulations; site plan approval & exemptions) .
  • Residential zones and standards: § 17.10.010–.040; § 17.10.030 (R‑zones purpose, density and development standards) .
  • Mixed‑use zones (MX‑1, MX‑2): § 17.12.010–.030 (MX purposes, density bands and development tables) .
  • Commercial examples (C‑O, C‑2, C‑C): § 17.20.060–.070; § 17.24.080; § 17.26.060 (height and yard examples) .
  • Industrial height example (M‑2): § 17.30.040 (M‑2 building height) .
  • PUD / PCD special development rules: § 17.52.050–.110; § 17.54.050–.060 (prelim/final plans, latitude to change standards, expiration) .
  • Parking and loading: Chapter 17.58 (17.58.010 et seq.) (parking tables, central district rules, transit credit) .
  • Procedures, director review and CUP findings & appeals: Chapter 17.64 (17.64.020; 17.64.060; 17.64.090) .
  • ADU chapter (purpose, applicability, consistency with Gov. Code): § 17.65.010–.030 .
  • Development plan submittal items (what the city expects on plans): § 17.66.040 (topography, access, landscaping, utilities, drainage, etc.) .

Where to read the Bakersfield code

The Bakersfield municipal and zoning code is published online — view the official Bakersfield code library. That lets you read the ordinance section by section.

GoCodebook goes further: it reads the Bakersfield ordinance together with the California Building Standards Code and answers your question — zoning, setbacks, FAR, height, ADUs, permits — with the controlling citation for your parcel.

Who this affects

Bakersfield homeownersReal estate developersArchitects & designersReal estate agentsInvestorsGeneral contractorsADU buildersPermit consultants

Frequently asked questions

What zoning districts does Bakersfield have?

Bakersfield’s zoning ordinance is organized by chapter and includes residential zones (R‑S, R‑1, R‑2, R‑3, R‑4, R‑5, R‑6 in Chapter 17.10), mixed‑use (MX‑1, MX‑2 in Chapter 17.12), multiple commercial zones (C‑O, C‑1, C‑2, C‑B, C‑C), industrial zones (M‑1, M‑2, M‑3), and combining/overlay districts such as PE (Petroleum Extraction) and FP‑P/FP‑S (floodplain); consult the chapter headings in Title 17 for the full list § 17.10.010; § 17.12.010; § 17.47.070; § 17.42.010 .

Do I need a site plan review or a building permit to remodel a house in Bakersfield?

If the work changes the exterior, increases floor area, or changes use/intensity, site plan approval is required under § 17.08.060; some work is specifically exempt (interior work, routine maintenance, small exterior work that does not require a building permit) under § 17.08.070 — always check with the planning counter and building permits counter for whether your specific project is exempt § 17.08.060; § 17.08.070 .

Can I add an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on my Bakersfield lot?

Yes — Bakersfield has a dedicated ADU chapter. ADUs and JADUs are permitted in any zone allowing residential uses and Bakersfield’s ADU chapter is written to implement state ADU law (Government Code) and to streamline approval § 17.65.010; § 17.65.030 .

What are typical setback and height rules I should expect for commercial zones?

Setbacks and heights are zone‑specific. Example local rules: C‑O front yard minimum 10 ft and max building height 60 ft in the C‑O chapter § 17.20.070; § 17.20.060; C‑2 side yard of 20 ft where adjacent to residential § 17.24.080 .

How does the conditional use permit (CUP) process work in Bakersfield?

CUPs and director review permits are processed under Chapter 17.64. Director review permits are processed administratively (with appeals possible), while CUPs require public hearings, findings that the use is desirable and consistent with the general plan, and possible conditions; appeals follow the procedures in § 17.64.090 § 17.64.020; § 17.64.060; § 17.64.090 .

Are there special downtown or transit‑oriented rules?

Yes — Bakersfield has MX‑2 (Mixed‑Use Transit) and a C‑B (Central Business) designation aimed at higher density/transit oriented development; MX‑2 lists a high‑density range (30.1–100 du/ac) and the mixed‑use chapter includes development standards and tables for transit/neighborhood formats § 17.12.010; § 17.12.030 .

Does Bakersfield impose local rent control?

A local rent‑control ordinance was not identified in the Title 17 zoning excerpts retrieved; Title 17 addresses land use, not tenancy/rent regulation — verify in other municipal code titles or with city housing staff Not found in retrieved materials .

What chapter controls parking counts and exceptions (e.g., downtown credits)?

Park­ing and loading are controlled by Chapter 17.58, which contains the required spaces by use, central‑district and Old Town Kern exceptions, and transit credits § 17.58.010; § 17.58.055 .

If my property is inside a PUD/PCD, can the city waive normal setbacks or parking rules?

Yes — PUD and PCD approvals explicitly allow the planning commission or city council to set standards “more or less restrictive” than the base code for items including heights, percent coverage, parking ratios and architecture when the preliminary/final development plan is approved § 17.52.060; § 17.54.060 .

More in Bakersfield code

Ask about any Bakersfield property

Get a cited, plain-English answer on Bakersfield zoning, setbacks, FAR, ADUs, remodels and permits — for any address.

Start Free Trial

Other jurisdictions in Kern County

Arvin zoning & codes

California City zoning & codes

Delano zoning & codes

Kern County zoning & codes

Maricopa zoning & codes

McFarland zoning & codes

All California jurisdictions

California Building Standards Code