Imperial County — Zoning

Last reviewed: July 6, 2026

Overview

Imperial County’s zoning rules for unincorporated areas live in Title 9 of the Land Use Ordinance and organize every parcel into a single base zone, with optional overlays that refine what may be built and where. The official zoning map maintained by Planning and Development Services (PDS) controls boundaries and designations, and a small-scale version is codified by map chapters in Division 25. Always confirm your parcel’s base zone and any overlays before designing your project. § 90101.01; § 90501.01; § 90501.02; § 90501.04; § 90501.05

Most parcels in unincorporated Imperial County carry one base zone plus zero or more overlays; the sealed, department-issued zoning map is controlling for boundary calls and applied overlays. § 90501.01; § 90501.04

Link to related topics as you plan: start with the county’s zoning & planning overview, then check Land Use consistency, applicable Development Standards, Parking, Design Review, Overlay Districts, Signage, Nonconforming Uses, and Variances and Exceptions.

Zoning framework and maps (unincorporated areas)

• The zoning system establishes base districts for residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, open space, and government/special public uses. § 90501.02
• Overlays (e.g., Lot Size “L-(x)”, Geothermal “G-”, Airport Height “H-”, Urban “U-”, Mixed-Use “MU”) add site-specific rules on top of the base zone. § 90501.03
• The official map is the sealed PDS version; codified map sheets (e.g., Zoning Map Nos. 2–70) and their amendments track historic/area changes. § 90501.04; Division 25 map chapters (e.g., §§ 92502.00–92570.00)

Base zoning districts (unincorporated areas)

Below are the County’s base zoning districts, their purpose/intent, typical uses, and key dimensional rules where the ordinance provides them.

R-1 — Low Density Residential

• Purpose/where it applies: Traditional single-family neighborhoods and subdivisions; up to five dwelling units per net acre, with full infrastructure required. § 90502.00
• Typical permitted uses: One single-family dwelling, one ADU/JADU (per state rules), schools, parks, small day care, certain civic uses and accessories; see the ordinance list. § 90502.01
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Minimum lot size: 6,000 sf; minimum lot width: 50 ft (33 ft at cul-de-sacs). § 90502.04
  • Density: One dwelling per legal parcel; not to exceed 5 du/net acre unless qualified for a bonus; see density-bonus chapter. § 90502.05; § 90305.02
  • Setbacks: Front 25 ft standard with options down to 10 ft or 5 ft under specific parking alley/drive conditions; sides 5 ft each (15 ft street side on corners); rear 25/20/10 ft depending on alley and patio design; accessory at rear 5 ft or 0 ft at alley if fire-rated. § 90502.06; § 90501.12
  • Distance between buildings: 10 ft between primary dwellings; 6 ft min between a residence and detached accessory; greater separations for animal structures. § 90502.08
  • Parking, signs, landscaping: See countywide standards; R-1 cross-references those chapters. § 90502.09; § 90502.10; § 90502.11
• Notes:
  • ADUs/JADUs in R-1 follow state law and local procedures; start with California ADU law. § 90502.01(j)
  • Zero-lot-line options and some reduced setbacks require compliance with the California Building Standards Code. § 90502.06(B)(3)

R-2 — Medium Density Residential

• Intent: One to two units per lot. § 90501.02 (residential areas)
• Permitted uses/standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

R-3 — Medium-High Density Residential

• Intent: More than two attached units per lot. § 90501.02 (residential areas)
• Dimensional note: Where residential occurs in C-3, R-3 setbacks apply. § 90514.06(D)
• Permitted uses/standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

R-4 — Manufactured Home (Mobile Home Park/Subdivision)

• Intent: Manufactured home parks/subdivisions. § 90501.02 (residential areas)
• Permitted uses/standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

A-1 — Limited/Light Agricultural (Rural Residential within Urban Areas)

• Intent: Rural residential/ag-light within urban areas only. § 90501.02 (agricultural areas)
• Permitted uses/standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

A-2 — General Agricultural

• Intent: General crop/animal agriculture; widely applied across the valley. § 90501.02 (agricultural areas)
• Permitted uses/standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

A-3 — Heavy Agricultural

• Intent: More intensive agriculture. § 90501.02 (agricultural areas)
• Permitted uses/standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

A‑A — Conditional Agricultural

• Intent: Conditional agricultural area. § 90501.02 (agricultural areas)
• Permitted uses/standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

AM‑1 — Agricultural-Related Light Industrial

• Intent: Ag-support industrial. § 90501.02 (agricultural areas)
• Typical use note: Cannabis manufacturing allowed with CUP. § 90406.05(A)
• Other standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

AM‑2 — Agricultural-Related Medium Industrial

• Intent: Ag-support medium industrial. § 90501.02 (agricultural areas)
• Typical use note: Cannabis manufacturing allowed with CUP. § 90406.05(A)
• Other standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

C‑1 — Light Commercial (Neighborhood)

• Intent: Neighborhood-serving retail and services. § 90501.02 (commercial areas)
• Standards/permitted uses: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

C‑2 — Medium/General Commercial

• Intent: General commercial. § 90501.02 (commercial areas)
• Typical use note: Cannabis retail with delivery allowed by CUP. § 90406.05(B)
• Standards/permitted uses: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

C‑3 — Heavy Commercial

• Intent: Heavier-intensity commercial. § 90501.02 (commercial areas)
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Minimum lot size: 20,000 sf. § 90514.04
  • Setbacks: Front and side none (must meet fire/code requirements); rear 20 ft unless an adequate alley serves loading. § 90514.06(A)–(C)
  • Height: Max 75 ft or six stories. § 90514.07
  • Parking/landscaping: See countywide standards. § 90514.09; § 90514.10
• Use note: Retail with delivery for cannabis also allowed by CUP in C‑3. § 90406.05(B)

M‑1 — Light Industrial

• Purpose: Light manufacturing, warehousing, etc. § 90501.02 (industrial areas)
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Minimum lot size: 10,000 sf. § 90515.04
  • Setbacks: Front 10 ft (0 ft with director/PWD/Fire approval); sides/rear none. § 90515.06
  • Height: Max 80 ft or six stories. § 90515.07
  • Parking/signage: Per countywide chapters. § 90515.09; § 90515.10
• Typical use note: Commercial cannabis (most license types) allowed with CUP. § 90406.05(A)

M‑2 — Medium Industrial

• Intent: Medium industrial. § 90501.02 (industrial areas)
• Typical use note: Commercial cannabis (most license types) allowed with CUP. § 90406.05(A)
• Dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

M‑3 — Heavy Industrial

• Purpose: Heavy industrial. § 90501.02 (industrial areas)
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Setbacks: Front 10 ft (0 ft possible with approvals); sides/rear none. § 90517.06
  • Height: Max 80 ft or six stories. § 90517.07
  • Minimum distance between structures: None beyond California Building Standards Code requirements. § 90517.08
  • Parking/landscaping/signage: Per county standards. § 90517.09–.11

S‑1 — Open Space/Recreational

• Purpose: Protect open space and recreation areas (deserts, mountains, water-fronts); low-intensity recreation; subdivisions must install full infrastructure. § 90518.00
• Typical permitted uses: One residence per legal parcel; marinas/boat ramps; RV/mobile home parks (with RV majority); grazing, duck/gun clubs (outside ONCAP), crop/tree farming (outside ONCAP), and related low-intensity uses. § 90518.01

S‑2 — Open Space/Preservation

• Intent: Preservation-focused open space. § 90501.02 (open space areas)
• Permitted uses/standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

G/S — Government/Special Public

• Intent: Government and special public uses (e.g., schools, public facilities); widely used in map amendments. § 90501.02 (government/special public areas)
• Permitted uses/standards: Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Overlay districts (unincorporated areas)

Overlays append to the base zone as a suffix/prefix and change what’s allowed or how it’s designed. § 90501.03

• L-(x) Minimum Lot Size: e.g., A‑2‑L‑1 means A‑2 with 1‑acre minimum. § 90501.03
• G- Geothermal; REG Renewable Energy/Geothermal: Energy-resource overlays. § 90501.03
• GH Geological Hazard; FP Floodplain; SH Specific Hazard; MP Multipurpose (Restricted): Hazard or use-limitation areas. § 90501.03
• H Airport Approach Height Restriction: Restricts heights/uses; often requires recorded covenants for at least 10 years. § 90501.10
• PE Pre‑Existing Allowed/Restricted: Allows a documented pre-existing base-zoned use to continue with limited expansion/replacement. § 90501.09
• U Urban Areas: County intends to apply the urban jurisdiction’s standards, where feasible, to land within an incorporated city’s urban area or identified urban areas. § 90501.08
• MU Mixed-Use Overlay: May be placed on C‑1 or C‑2 to allow integrated residential and commercial with site plan review. § 90501.11

See the County’s Overlay Districts page for the process perspective.

Specific plan and conditional zones frequently seen

• Mesquite Lake Specific Plan: Includes heavy industrial subzones like MLI‑3; sometimes combined with geothermal overlay. § 92514.04; § 92514.05
• Glamis Specific Plan: Commercial recreation districts CR‑1/CR‑2/CR‑3. § 92570.06 (92570.09)
• McCabe Ranch II Specific Plan: Applied via rezoning from A‑2. § 92512.15 (map amendment)
• Rancho Los Lagos Specific Plan: Converted from A‑2‑U/AM‑1 to SPA zones. § 92513.00 et seq. (amendment excerpt)
• Imperial Center Commercial (ICC): A special commercial zone mapped near Heber. § 92512.12

Frequently used countywide use allowances tied to zoning

• Commercial cannabis: Allowed by CUP in M‑1/M‑2, manufacturing by CUP in AM‑1/AM‑2; retail with delivery by CUP in C‑2 and C‑3; also various allowances within named Specific Plans. § 90406.05; § 90406.04
• Industrial hemp: Cultivation in A‑2/A‑3/AM‑1/AM‑2; processing in M‑1/M‑2/AM‑1/AM‑2; plus allowances in SP zones. § 90406.06; § 90406.07

Snapshot table: decision-relevant standards (selected zones)

For parking, landscaping, and signage, use the countywide chapters referenced by each zone and summarized on Parking, Landscaping and Screening, and Signage.

Checklist

• Confirm your parcel is in the unincorporated area and identify the base zone on the official map (ask PDS for a sealed copy). § 90501.04
• Identify all applied overlays (L‑, G‑, REG, GH, FP, H‑, SH, MP, PE, U‑, N‑, SPA, MU). § 90501.03
• Verify your proposed use is permitted or requires a conditional use permit in that zone (e.g., cannabis, hemp, residential). § 90406.04–.07; zone-specific chapters
• Check dimensional rules: minimum lot size, setbacks, height, and any special spacing rules (e.g., R‑1 innovative options, M‑1/M‑3 zero-lot-line with approvals). § 90502.06; § 90515.06; § 90517.06
• Confirm consistency with the General Plan land use category and any applicable Design Review. § 90101.01
• Apply countywide Parking, Signage, and Landscaping and Screening standards referenced by your zone. Zone cross-references in § 90502.09; § 90514.09; § 90517.09
• If within the U overlay (urban area), coordinate with County/PDS for which city standards apply. § 90501.08
• If nonconforming or seeking relief, review Nonconforming Uses and Variances and Exceptions. § 90501.09 (PE)

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

For unincorporated Imperial County, first find your base zone and any overlays on the County’s official zoning map, then match your use and building envelope to the zone’s rules. Neighborhood R‑1 lots have clear minimum sizes and setbacks, heavy commercial/industrial zones often allow zero side/rear yards with approvals, and overlays like “H‑” (airport) or “U‑” (urban) can significantly alter what’s allowed. § 90502.04–.06; § 90514.06; § 90515.06; § 90501.10; § 90501.08

Source References

• Title 9 Land Use Code – Purpose/Applicability for unincorporated areas: § 90101.01
• Division 5, Chapter 1 – Base zones established; overlays; map/boundary rules: § 90501.01–.05, .08–.12
• R-1 Low Density Residential: § 90502.00–.13; density bonuses: § 90305.02
• C-3 Heavy Commercial standards: § 90514.04–.10
• M-1 Light Industrial standards: § 90515.04–.10
• M-3 Heavy Industrial standards: § 90517.06–.11
• S-1 Open Space/Recreational: § 90518.00–.01
• Cannabis/hemp zoning: § 90406.04–.07
• Zoning map chapters and amendments (area examples, SP zones): Division 25 excerpts, e.g., § 92514.04–.05; § 92570.06 (92570.09); § 92512.12

Retrieved passages

• Imperial County Zoning Code (Section 8) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 92540) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 3 (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• California Building Code High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (Section 90502.01) High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• California Building Code High relevance show source text
• Imperial County Zoning Code (Section 90501.16.) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Title 9 Land Use Code – Purpose/Applicability for unincorporated areas: § 90101.01 (Title 9)
• Division 5, Chapter 1 – Base zones established; overlays; map/boundary rules: § 90501.01–.05, .08–.12 (Chapter 1)
• R-1 Low Density Residential: § 90502.00–.13; density bonuses: § 90305.02 (§ 90502.00)
• C-3 Heavy Commercial standards: § 90514.04–.10 (§ 90514.04)
• M-1 Light Industrial standards: § 90515.04–.10 (§ 90515.04)
• M-3 Heavy Industrial standards: § 90517.06–.11 (§ 90517.06)
• S-1 Open Space/Recreational: § 90518.00–.01 (§ 90518.00)
• Cannabis/hemp zoning: § 90406.04–.07 (§ 90406.04)
• Zoning map chapters and amendments (area examples, SP zones): Division 25 excerpts, e.g., § 92514.04–.05; § 92570.06 (92570.09); § 92512.12 (§ 92514.04)
• ImperialCounty_ZoningCode.md

• Official Imperial County code library