Mariposa County — Land Use

Last reviewed: July 6, 2026

Overview

This page explains how the Mariposa County Title 17 Zoning ordinance governs what you can use land for in the county’s unincorporated areas. Land uses are controlled by the base zoning district on the official zoning map, modified by any overlay districts, and further shaped by countywide supplementary standards (parking, structure placement, signs, and special uses).

You must match your intended use to the specific zoning district for your parcel, then check any overlays and countywide supplementary standards before you design a project or apply for approvals (§ 17.04.030; § 17.108.020).

See the county’s high-level Mariposa County Zoning and district-specific Development Standards pages for context; this page focuses on “what uses go where.” If a proposal triggers parking, consult Mariposa County Parking. If you’re in a design-reviewed area, confirm process via Mariposa County Design Review. For overlay-specific rules, also see Mariposa County Overlay Districts. Historic properties may have additional constraints; start with Mariposa County Historic Preservation. Relief from strict standards, where allowed, is covered under Mariposa County Variances and Exceptions.

How Mariposa organizes districts (unincorporated areas)

Title 17 establishes principal zoning districts (Residential, Resource, Commercial, Manufacturing/Industrial, Public) and several combining “overlay” districts. Key land-use outcomes are determined by the district’s purpose, permitted uses, any conditional uses, and dimensional rules like minimum parcel size and density (§ 17.04.030).

District-by-district land-use guidance

Residential districts

RRZ — Rural Residential Zone (RRZ)

• Purpose/where it applies: Moderately high-density rural residential near or adjacent to a Town Planning Area (TPA) or in rural areas served by community water/sewer (§ 17.16.010).
• Typical permitted uses: Residential and applicable countywide uses in Chapter 17.108 (§ 17.16.010.A.1).
• Conditional uses: Churches, certain private schools, and public stables/arenas on parcels ≥15 acres (§ 17.16.010.A.2).
• Key standards: Minimum parcel size 2.5 acres; density 1 unit/2.5 acres; no division below 5 acres unless community sewer exists (§ 17.16.010.B–C).

MHZ — Mountain Home Zone (MHZ)

• Purpose/where it applies: Moderate residential densities near service areas; accommodates a major share of rural homesites (§ 17.20.010).
• Permitted: Residential; Administrative Use Permit option for small-scale mining (§ 17.20.010.A.1–2).
• Conditional: Churches, certain private schools, and mining (§ 17.20.010.A.3).
• Standards: 5-acre minimum parcel; 1 unit/5 acres (§ 17.20.010.A.5–B).

MTZ — Mountain Transition Zone (MTZ)

• Purpose/where it applies: Lands with limited development potential (§ 17.24.010).
• Permitted/Conditional: Residential; Administrative Use Permit for small-scale mining; conditional churches, certain private schools, and mining (§ 17.24.010.A).
• Standards: 20-acre minimum; 1 unit/20 acres (§ 17.24.010.B–C).

MGZ — Mountain General Zone (MGZ)

• Purpose/where it applies: Larger, remote or constrained terrain; supports diverse low-intensity uses (§ 17.28.010).
• Permitted/Conditional: Residential; non-commercial recreation; Administrative Use Permit for small-scale mining; conditional parks/camps, guest ranches, stables, and mining (§ 17.28.010.A).
• Standards: 40-acre minimum; 2 units/40 acres (§ 17.28.010.2–3).

Resource and rural production districts

GFZ — General Forest Zone (GFZ)

• Where it applies: Privately owned lands primarily within national forest boundaries; supports timber, agriculture, mining, low-density residential (§ 17.32.010).
• Permitted/Conditional: Residential; sustained-yield timber; non-commercial recreation; conditional employee housing, parks/camps, guest ranches, public stables, mining/processing (§ 17.32.010.A).
• Standards: 40-acre minimum; 2 units/40 acres (§ 17.32.010.2–3).

MPZ — Mountain Preserve Zone (MPZ)

• Where it applies: Extremely low-density lands with difficult terrain and limited access, often near public lands (§ 17.36.010).
• Uses: Residential; non-commercial recreation; AUP for small-scale mining; conditional employee housing and mining/processing (§ 17.36.010.A).
• Standards: 160-acre minimum; 2 units/160 acres (§ 17.36.010.2–3).

AEZ — Agriculture Exclusive Zone (AEZ)

• Purpose: Preserve agriculture as a viable Mariposa County industry (§ 17.40.010).
• Permitted highlights: Ranching; vineyards/orchards; nurseries/greenhouses; wineries; on-site processing of products grown on-site; seasonal farm stands; tasting rooms per § 17.108.070; u-pick; collaborative ag sales; agricultural homestays; on-site managed B&B/transient rentals; low-density residential/employee housing (§ 17.40.010.A).
• Conditional highlights: Commercial poultry; dairies and dairy plants; slaughterhouses (with added setbacks); fertilizer yards; certain agritourism >36 persons/day; commercial hunting; shooting ranges; dude/guest ranches not part of agritourism; private schools; churches; camps; transient rentals without on-site manager; “glamping” under § 17.108.180 (§ 17.40.010.A.3).
• Standards: 160-acre minimum; 2 units/160 acres; special performance standards for agritourism (traffic/road capacity when >7.5 ADT, and more) (§ 17.40.010.B–D).

TEZ — Timber Exclusive Zone (TEZ)

• Purpose: Timber preserve for growing/harvesting timber, with limited compatible uses; requires a timber management plan and minimum stocking (§ 17.44.010).
• Permitted/Conditional: Timber production and appurtenant facilities; residential/grazing/wildlife and watershed management; hunting/fishing/camping; utilities; conditional timber processing plants, logging camps (time-limited), additional dwellings needed for operations, certain recreation, and mining/quarrying (§ 17.44.010.A).
• Standards: 40-acre minimum; 2 units/40 acres; stocking and forest practice requirements apply (§ 17.44.010.B–D).

IMZ — Industrial Mining Zone (IMZ)

• Purpose: Areas with large-scale mining or significant mineral resources (§ 17.48.010).
• Uses: Residential; AUP for small-scale mining; conditional mining/processing (§ 17.48.010.A).
• Standards: 20-acre minimum; 1 unit/20 acres (§ 17.48.010.2–3).

Commercial and mixed-use districts

CN-1 — Neighborhood Commercial Zone-1 (Indoor)

• Purpose: Neighborhood-serving retail/services (indoor). Detailed permitted-uses list in § 17.76.020 was referenced but not included in retrieved materials (“Minimum parcel size/sign standards in § 17.76.020” are cross-referenced in CN-2 and CG-1). Not found in retrieved materials.

CN-2 — Neighborhood Commercial Zone-2 (Indoor & Outdoor)

• Purpose: Indoor/outdoor neighborhood retail/services (§ 17.80.010).
• Permitted: All CN-1 uses, plus specific retail (e.g., appliances, food/beverage with or without fuel pumps) and services (cafes/restaurants, day care/preschools, auto rental, laundromats/dry-cleaning), public facilities, and on-site handicraft manufacturing for retail sale; residential also listed (§ 17.80.020.A).
• Conditional: Self-storage (§ 17.80.020.A.3).
• Standards: Minimum parcel size and sign/lighting standards reference § 17.76.020; density 1 single-family per legal parcel (§ 17.80.020.B–E).

CG-1 — General Commercial-1

• Purpose: Area/regional retail/service nodes; includes many commercial and some quasi-industrial uses (§ 17.88.010–.020).
• Permitted: All CN-1 and CN-2 uses, plus auto/RV sales & service, bars/lounges, kennels/animal hospitals (indoors), warehousing/storage (enclosed), indoor/outdoor recreation, outdoor sales (no wrecking/junk), lodges/meeting halls, mortuaries, theaters (incl. drive-ins), churches, lumber yards/construction materials (§ 17.88.020.A).
• Standards: 20-acre minimum; 1 unit/20 acres; setbacks typically 100 ft from property lines (reduced to 50 ft if adjacent parcels are same zoning) with added road setback rules (§ 17.88.020.3–4; § 17.88.030).

CG-2 — General Commercial-2

• Purpose: Allows unique general commercial activities prohibited in CG‑1 (§ 17.92.010–.020).
• Permitted: Dismantling yards, bulk fuel storage/sales, billboards, extensive outdoor storage, certain light manufacturing, hospitals/nursing/long-term care, golf courses, RV parks, campgrounds, helicopter pads (§ 17.92.020.A).
• Standards: 40-acre minimum; 1 unit/40 acres; setbacks/design mirror CG‑1 (§ 17.92.020.3–4; § 17.92.030–.040).

CR — Resort Commercial

• Purpose: Highway- and tourist-related services (§ 17.96.010).
• Permitted: Hotels/motels/lodges, restaurants/cocktail lounges, guest ranches/health resorts/clubs, archery/range/tennis/golf/riding stables, campgrounds/RV parks (with § 17.96.050 standards), and 1 residence per business if integral to the structure (§ 17.96.020.A).
• Standards: Minimum parcel size depends on water/sewer (ranges down to 9,000 sf if both are provided on gentle slopes); minimum 50 ft setback where a CR parcel abuts a residential zone; additional placement/design standards reference countywide rules (§ 17.96.020–.040).

YWMU — Yosemite West Mixed-Use

• Purpose: Supports services and housing related to the Yosemite West vacation rental sector (§ 17.106.010).
• Permitted: Multi-family housing, non-public laundromats, maintenance support facilities for local home enterprises/vacation rentals, private offices, self-storage (private use), one single-family + one secondary residence, and vacation rental/B&B (per all applicable county code standards) (§ 17.106.020.A).
• Conditional: Bulk storage of fuel (private use) (§ 17.106.020.B).
• Key dimensional and operational: Height ≤35 ft, setbacks 55 ft from centerline/25 ft from front line, 15 ft side, 20 ft rear, 15 ft building-to-building; min parcel 5 acres; specific parking minima; multi-family ≤4 du/acre; signage capped at 50 sf; neon prohibited (§ 17.106.020; § 17.106.030).

Manufacturing and industrial districts

M-1 — Light Manufacturing and Industrial-1

• Purpose: Light industry near commercial/residential (§ 17.100.010).
• Permitted: A long list of light manufacturing, assembly, repair, warehousing, utilities/public facilities, and similar activities (§ 17.100.020.A).
• Standards: 20-acre minimum; 1 unit/20 acres (§ 17.100.020.3–4).

M-2 — Heavy Manufacturing and Industrial-2

• Purpose: Heavy general industrial uses not allowed in M‑1 (§ 17.104.010–.020).
• Permitted: All M‑1 uses plus bulk fuel, junkyards, billboards, airfields/helipads, heavy outdoor processing (batch plants, crushing, smelting, rendering, refining, etc.) (§ 17.104.020.A).
• Standards: 40-acre minimum; 1 unit/40 acres; setbacks per CG‑1 (§ 17.104.020.3–4; § 17.104.030).

Public ownership districts

PDZ — Public Domain Zone

• Purpose/uses: Public lands (e.g., USFS/BLM) outside Yosemite; primary uses include sustained-yield timber, grazing/agriculture, mining/processing, non-commercial recreation, and hydro-electric generation. County policies apply until lands are reclassified if transferred to private ownership (§ 17.52.010).

PSZ — Public Sites Zone

• Purpose/uses: Lands under federal/state/other government ownership used for public facilities such as schools, parks, buildings, equipment yards, volunteer fire facilities, solid waste sites, and sewer treatment areas (§ 17.56.010).

Special planning areas

TPA — Town Planning Areas

In each TPA, adopted specific plans control approvals; where a TPA lacks a specific plan, RRZ rules apply as interim regulations, with CN‑1/CN‑2 permitted uses reviewed under the Use Permit Determination process and CR permitted uses reviewed via Conditional Use Permit (§ 17.12.010.B). Minimum parcel sizes can be reduced with community water/sewer, down to 9,000 sf if both are provided on gentle slopes (§ 17.12.010.C).

Overlay districts that modify uses

• OWO — Open Watershed Overlay: Keeps water-supply watersheds protective. Permitted: single-family, home enterprise, agriculture, parks, managed timber; no conditional uses. Minimum parcel generally 20 acres unless principal zone requires larger; added percolation testing and “erosion hazard” handling apply (§ 17.60.010).
• APO — Airport Overlay: Adds aviation-safety zones (A/B/C). On-airport, allows aviation support uses; Zone A: no structures; Zone B: bars high-occupancy/flammable industries; Zone C: clusters residential/assembly away from heavy flight paths (§ 17.64.010).
• SHO — Scenic Highway Overlay: Uses default to principal zone but adds scenic resource protections. Explicitly allows commercial timber harvesting (per state regs) and makes several uses conditional (e.g., mining, portable sawmills, towers, rural home industry); adds minimum open-space percentages and site design standards (§ 17.65.010–.050).
• REO‑1/REO‑2 — Residential Exclusive Overlays: Limit allowed uses to single‑family residential and minor accessory/domestic animal/utility uses; REO‑2 also allows personal service businesses with resident-only employees (§ 17.68.010; § 17.72.010).

Countywide supplementary land-use standards that often apply

• Countywide standards in Chapter 17.108 apply unless a district says otherwise (§ 17.108.020). This chapter includes: Off‑street parking (§ 17.108.120), Structure location/setbacks (§ 17.108.130), Structure height (§ 17.108.140), Secondary residences (§ 17.108.150), Bed & breakfast and residential transient rentals (§ 17.108.180), Signs (§ 17.108.190), Uses prohibited in all zones (§ 17.108.200), Home enterprises (§ 17.108.070), Rural home industry (§ 17.108.080), and Planned/cluster residential development (§ 17.108.100).
• Planned or cluster residential development is allowed only in RR and MH zones, subject to process and open-space/density standards (§ 17.108.100).

Refer to the linked Development Standards for setbacks and placement, and to Mariposa County Signage for sign allowances. If a design overlay applies, confirm submittal and review via Mariposa County Design Review. For state construction rules, see the California Building Standards Code. For “secondary residences,” also consider state California ADU law and broader California housing laws.

Quick-compare: common rural/resource districts

Checklist

• Confirm your parcel’s base district and any overlays via the county zoning map and the district index on the Mariposa County zoning & planning overview.
• Check whether your intended use is a permitted use, requires an Administrative Use Permit or a Conditional Use Permit (CUP), or is prohibited in that district (see district sections above).
• If in a TPA, confirm whether a specific plan applies; if not, interim RRZ rules plus use-permit pathways for CN‑1/CN‑2 and CUP for CR apply (§ 17.12.010.B).
• Verify minimum parcel size and allowable density for any land division or additional dwellings (§§ listed per district).
• Review countywide supplementary standards for parking, structure location, height, signs, home enterprises, rural home industry, and special transient-rental rules (§ 17.108.070–.200).
• If near airports, scenic highways, or watersheds, ensure overlay restrictions are met (APO/SHO/OWO).
• If historic resources/design review apply, coordinate early with staff; see Historic Preservation and Design Review.
• If standards pose hardship, explore relief via Variances and Exceptions.
• Confirm any project-specific requirements not contained in Title 17 (e.g., environmental review, public works standards) with the County; this page covers zoning/land use only.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

In unincorporated Mariposa County, your allowed land uses depend first on the zoning district (like RRZ, AEZ, CG‑1), then on any overlays (like airport or scenic highway), and finally on countywide rules for parking, setbacks, height, signs, and special uses. Many rural districts have large minimum parcel sizes and very low residential densities, while commercial/industrial districts concentrate more intensive uses in specific locations. If your site is in a TPA without a specific plan, RRZ rules apply for now, with certain commercial/tourism uses reviewed by permit.

Source References

• Title 17 organization and applicability — § 17.04.030; § 17.108.020.
• RRZ — § 17.16.010.
• MHZ — § 17.20.010.
• MTZ — § 17.24.010.
• MGZ — § 17.28.010.
• GFZ — § 17.32.010.
• MPZ — § 17.36.010.
• AEZ — § 17.40.010.
• TEZ — § 17.44.010.
• IMZ — § 17.48.010.
• PDZ — § 17.52.010.
• PSZ — § 17.56.010.
• OWO — § 17.60.010.
• APO — § 17.64.010.
• SHO — § 17.65 (selected standards).
• CN‑2 — § 17.80.020.
• CG‑1 — § 17.88.020; § 17.88.030.
• CG‑2 — § 17.92.020–.040.
• CR — § 17.96.010–.050.
• M‑1 — § 17.100.010–.020.
• M‑2 — § 17.104.010–.070.
• YWMU — § 17.106.010–.030.
• Supplementary standards (parking, setbacks, height, signs, etc.) — § 17.108.010–.200.
• TPAs — § 17.12.010.

Retrieved passages

• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Chapter 17.108) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Chapter 17.108) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Section 17.108.120) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Chapter 17.108.) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (section 17.40.010.A.4) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (section 17.88.030) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (title is) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Chapter 17.108.) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Chapter 17.108) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (section in) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Chapter 17.108.) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (section 17.108.200) Medium relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Section 17.88.020) Medium relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Chapter 17.108.) Medium relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Chapter 17.108.) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Title 14) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Chapter 17.108) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (Chapter and) High relevance show source text
• Mariposa County Zoning Code (section 17.108.050.) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Title 17 organization and applicability — § 17.04.030; § 17.108.020. (Title 17)
• RRZ — § 17.16.010. (§ 17.16.010.)
• MHZ — § 17.20.010. (§ 17.20.010.)
• MTZ — § 17.24.010. (§ 17.24.010.)
• MGZ — § 17.28.010. (§ 17.28.010.)
• GFZ — § 17.32.010. (§ 17.32.010.)
• MPZ — § 17.36.010. (§ 17.36.010.)
• AEZ — § 17.40.010. (§ 17.40.010.)
• TEZ — § 17.44.010. (§ 17.44.010.)
• IMZ — § 17.48.010. (§ 17.48.010.)
• PDZ — § 17.52.010. (§ 17.52.010.)
• PSZ — § 17.56.010. (§ 17.56.010.)
• OWO — § 17.60.010. (§ 17.60.010.)
• APO — § 17.64.010. (§ 17.64.010.)
• SHO — § 17.65 (selected standards). (§ 17.65)
• CN‑2 — § 17.80.020. (§ 17.80.020.)
• CG‑1 — § 17.88.020; § 17.88.030. (§ 17.88.020)
• CG‑2 — § 17.92.020–.040. (§ 17.92.020)
• CR — § 17.96.010–.050. (§ 17.96.010)
• M‑1 — § 17.100.010–.020. (§ 17.100.010)
• M‑2 — § 17.104.010–.070. (§ 17.104.010)
• YWMU — § 17.106.010–.030. (§ 17.106.010)
• Supplementary standards (parking, setbacks, height, signs, etc.) — § 17.108.010–.200. (§ 17.108.010)
• TPAs — § 17.12.010. (§ 17.12.010.)
• MariposaCounty_ZoningCode.md

• Official Mariposa County code library