San Bernardino County — Temporary Use Permits

District-by-District Application

The source materials do not identify individual zoning district designations, their purposes, permitted uses, dimensional standards, or geographic applicability for Chapter 85.15 TUPs. Accordingly, no district-by-district schedule can be confirmed from the source materials.

Instead, the County uses the parcel’s applicable land-use zoning district as guidance when the Director establishes TUP conditions. That means a temporary office, sales lot, storage area, or other short-term activity should be evaluated against the district’s normal development context, including San Bernardino County Development Standards, rather than assumed permissible on the same terms across all unincorporated areas. § 85.15.090; § 84.25.050.

Parcel-specific constraints may also arise from San Bernardino County Overlay Districts, but the source materials do not establish which overlays apply to TUPs or what added standards they impose. Verify with the jurisdiction.

Development, Removal, and Display Standards

For a temporary structure or use, the Director may condition access, floor area, height, landscaping, off-street parking, setbacks, signs, utilities, and other site improvements. The actual numerical parking or setback standards are not found in source materials; use the County’s parking and development-standards pages for those related topics, then verify the TUP conditions issued for the site. § 85.15.090; § 84.25.050.

A TUP must address removal and site restoration so the temporary activity does not limit the future range of uses otherwise allowed by the Development Code. The County may require performance security before installation or commencement to ensure cleanup once the structure is removed or the activity ends. § 85.15.090; § 84.25.050.

A valid TUP must be prominently displayed where it remains visible from outside the permitted structure or use and available for inspection. Where applicable, a permitted temporary structure must show approval from the State Department of Housing and Community Development or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. § 84.25.050(B).

Installation must also comply with the Development Code and requirements of County Building and Safety, Fire, and Environmental Health Services, plus applicable state and federal regulations. The applicable California Building Standards Code is a related statewide framework, but its specific requirements are not established in the source materials. § 84.25.050(C).

Construction-Related Temporary Uses

During an approved major development project—including a residential project with five or more dwelling units or any commercial or industrial project—temporary structures or property may be used for offices or equipment/tool storage during construction. § 84.25.040(A).

For an approved minor development project, including residential projects with four or fewer dwelling units, an existing dwelling or temporary structure/property may serve as a temporary residence, office, or equipment/tool storage during construction. This is not an authorization for an accessory dwelling unit; California ADU law is a separate topic. § 84.25.040(B).

Construction-related permits must contain reasonable, necessary conditions for:

• Adequate ingress and egress.
• On-site work.
• Designated on-site storage of asphalt, concrete, and dirt, with a Director-acceptable periodic disposal or recycling schedule.
• Minimizing conflicts with ordinary business and uses in the County. § 84.25.040(C)

The permit may last up to 12 months from issuance of the companion Building Permit or until the development project is complete, whichever occurs first. A written extension request must be submitted at least 14 days before expiration and may extend the permit for up to an additional 12 months when supported by reasonable justification. § 84.25.040(D); § 84.25.040(E).

The construction-related TUP becomes invalid if the Building Permit is cancelled, the related Building Permit work is completed, or the approved TUP term expires. § 84.25.040(F).

Interim Uses That Normally Need a Conditional Use Permit

A TUP may authorize interim operation of a use that normally requires a Conditional Use Permit for no more than 12 months. The TUP cannot authorize construction or establishment of new permanent structures, and the review authority must make the findings required for Conditional Use Permit approval. § 84.25.060(A).

When appropriate, the TUP application must be filed concurrently with the Conditional Use Permit application. The source materials do not state the Conditional Use Permit findings themselves; Verify with the jurisdiction. § 84.25.060(B).

Temporary Special Events: A Separate Permit Track

Chapter 85.16 regulates temporary special events that are not of sufficient magnitude or longevity to require permanent land-use approval. Except where another County Code provision or state law provides otherwise, an organizer must hold an unexpired, unsuspended, and unrevoked Temporary Special Events Permit for each event in the unincorporated areas. § 85.16.030(a)(1); § 85.16.030(a)(2).

The Director may approve or disapprove the permit through staff review without notice. The Department consults relevant County, state, and federal agencies, including County Fire, Public Health, Public Works, Sheriff, Code Enforcement, and listed state and federal land-management agencies. § 85.16.020; § 85.16.030(a)(4).

The County may require liability insurance naming the County as an additional insured, in an amount, quality, and type determined under Risk Management policy. It may also require a bond to ensure compliance with conditions, cleanup, and landscape restoration. § 85.16.030(d).

For major events, substantially affected County departments may bill estimated fees within 60 days of Department notification; the applicant must deposit estimated charges at least 60 days before opening. Final billing is due within 30 days after the event, and unpaid charges must be deposited within 60 days after the event. § 85.16.030(c).

Event conditions may address trash, communications, lighting, fire protection, food concessions, weather, medical services, noise, camping, sanitation, water, landscape restoration, and adequate ingress, egress, and parking. Music proposed between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. receives location- and context-specific review. § 85.16.030(h).

Environmental Review and Post-Event Obligations

After a complete application and fees, the Department consults applicable agencies and departments. A temporary special event must comply with CEQA; if it may cause adverse environmental impacts, environmental review is required and an additional review fee applies. § 85.16.030(e).

After the environmental determination, the Director may refer an application to the Board, require a Conditional Use Permit or other land-use approval when the use’s magnitude or longevity warrants it, and must notify the applicant if the Sheriff determines that no permit should issue. § 85.16.030(e)(5).

Every required special-event permit must be conspicuously posted on the premises as the Department specifies. After the activity ends, the site must be cleaned of debris, litter, and other evidence of the temporary activity and then used in compliance with the Development Code. § 85.16.030(g); § 85.16.040(a).

Information Gaps

The source materials do not provide:

• The complete list of TUP types and review authorities referenced in § 85.15.020.
• A district-by-district list of zoning designations, permitted uses, setbacks, height limits, parking ratios, or overlay-specific TUP rules.
• Department handout forms, filing fees, insurance amounts, bond amounts, or performance-security amounts.
• The full temporary-special-event condition list, which is truncated in the supplied text after item (19) of § 85.16.030(h).

For those details, Verify with the jurisdiction before relying on a TUP or special-event strategy.

Checklist

• Confirm the property is in unincorporated San Bernardino County, not an incorporated city.
• Identify whether the proposal is a standard Temporary Use Permit or a Temporary Special Events Permit. § 85.15.040; § 85.16.030(a)(2)
• Identify the applicable underlying zoning district and project-specific design review or overlay constraints, if any. § 85.15.090
• File the TUP application under Chapter 85.03 with Department-required materials and supporting evidence for findings. § 85.15.100
• Prepare site information for access, parking, setbacks, signs, utilities, landscaping, removal, and restoration. § 85.15.090
• For a construction-related TUP, coordinate the companion Building Permit and calendar the 14-day extension-request deadline. § 84.25.040(D); § 84.25.040(E)
• For an interim CUP use, file the TUP and Conditional Use Permit applications concurrently where appropriate. § 84.25.060(B)
• For a special event, confirm whether an exemption applies and meet the 30-day, 90-day, or 180-day filing deadline. § 85.16.030(a)(3); § 85.16.030(b)
• Budget for possible insurance, bonding, departmental charges, CEQA review, cleanup, and performance security. § 85.16.030(c); § 85.16.030(d); § 85.16.030(e); § 85.16.040
• Display the issued permit and complete removal, cleanup, and restoration at the end of the activity. § 84.25.050(B); § 85.16.030(g); § 85.16.040(a)

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

If you want a short-term use in unincorporated San Bernardino County—such as a construction office, seasonal lot, or temporary event—obtain the right permit first, expect site-specific conditions, and plan to remove the use and restore the property when it ends. A temporary approval can be flexible, but it does not convert the use into a permanent entitlement. § 85.15.030; § 85.15.040; § 85.15.090.

Source References

• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 85.15.010 (purpose).
• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 85.15.030, § 85.15.040, § 85.15.050, § 85.15.090, § 85.15.100, and § 85.15.110 (TUP standards, procedures, application, and decision).
• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 84.25.010, § 84.25.020, § 84.25.040, § 84.25.050, and § 84.25.060 (temporary structures, construction uses, display, and interim CUP operation).
• San Bernardino County Development Code, § 85.16.010, § 85.16.020, § 85.16.030, and § 85.16.040 (temporary special events).
• San Bernardino County zoning & planning overview