San Rafael — Zoning

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

San Rafael’s zoning ordinance is codified as Title 14 of the San Rafael Municipal Code and organizes zoning by a citywide zoning map, base districts, and overlay districts. The code sets permitted uses, development rules (setbacks, height, lot standards, FAR), and procedural controls (use permits, variances, design review) to implement the General Plan and downtown Precise Plan § 14.01.010, § 14.01.020, § 14.01.030 . Confirm any site-specific rule with the Planning Division — zoning is map-driven and sometimes overridden by separate downtown rules § 14.02.030 .

NOTE: First time commonly-referenced topics below are linked to the site pages you’ll use for next steps: Land Use, San Rafael Development Standards, San Rafael Parking, San Rafael Design Review, San Rafael Overlay Districts, San Rafael ADUs, and the California Building Standards Code.

Division-level grounding

• Title name, components and purpose: § 14.01.010, § 14.01.020, § 14.01.030 .
• How the zoning map and district codes work together: § 14.02.030 (zoning designation system; establishment of base and overlay districts) .
• Division structure (Base districts, Overlays, Regulations applying in many districts, Administrative rules): § 14.02.010 .

District-by-district breakdown

Below are the primary base districts established in the code. Each subsection gives the stated purpose, typical permitted uses (high level), the most decision-relevant dimensional standards (as the code lists them), and where the district is applied or governed.

(Reference: Establishment of base districts § 14.02.030 and district-specific chapters cited below.)

R2a (Single-family Residential — 2 acre minimum)

• Purpose: Very low‑density single-family/hillside/residential estate lots; preserve hillside character § 14.04.010 .
• Typical uses: Detached single-family dwellings, compatible neighborhood services (day care, small religious uses) permitted consistent with chapter 14.04 .
• Key standards: Minimum lot area 2 acres; minimum lot width 150 ft; front yard 20 ft; side/street side 15 ft; rear 25 ft — see Table § 14.04.030 .
• Where it applies: hillside and very low‑density residential areas shown on the zoning map § 14.02.030 .

R1a (Single-family Residential — 1 acre minimum)

• Purpose & uses: Same family of objectives as R2a but one-acre lots; single-family homes and neighborhood-compatible uses § 14.04.010 .
• Key standards: Minimum lot area 1 acre; lot width 150 ft; front 20 ft; side 15 ft; rear 25 ft — Table § 14.04.030 .

R20, R10, R7.5, R5 (Single-family Residential — 20k / 10k / 7.5k / 5k sq ft)

• Purpose: Low‑density single‑family neighborhoods with graduated lot sizes and setbacks; hillside provisions apply where mapped § 14.04.010 .
• Key standards: Table § 14.04.030 lists minimum lot area, minimum lot width, front/side/rear setbacks per district (e.g., R5 front setback 15 ft; side 10% of lot width (min 3 ft)) .

DR (Duplex Residential)

• Purpose: Transition between single‑family and multifamily; allows single‑family and duplexes § 14.04.010 .
• Key standards: Density basis 2,500 sq ft per dwelling unit and setbacks/lot rules in Table § 14.04.030 .

MRx (Multifamily Medium-Density: MR5 / MR3 / MR2.5 / MR2)

• Purpose: Medium-density multifamily (garden apartments, condos), varied unit types § 14.04.010 .
• Typical uses: Multifamily buildings, small civic uses; accessory structures subject to Chapter 14.16 .
• Key standards: Density expressed as sq ft per unit (2,000–5,000) and setbacks per Table § 14.04.030 .

HRx (High-Density Multifamily: HR1 / HR1.5 / HR1.8)

• Purpose: Higher-density multifamily and apartment development consistent with General Plan housing goals § 14.04.010 .
• Key standards: Minimum lot area per unit as shown in Table § 14.04.030; additional design requirements and usable open space guidance in Chapter 14.16 .

GC (General Commercial)

• Purpose: Major retail and service nodes, freeway‑oriented, region-serving centers § 14.05.010 .
• Typical uses: Full range retail, large shopping centers; residential allowed with a use permit; offices conditional in some locations § 14.05.010 .
• Key standards: FAR and trip allocation vary across the district (see § 14.16.150 for FAR policy guidance) and property development standards in Table § 14.05.030 .

NC (Neighborhood Commercial)

• Purpose: Convenience retail to serve adjacent neighborhoods; limited scale to preserve compatibility § 14.05.010 .
• Typical uses: Supermarkets, pharmacies, dry cleaners; limited office or residential in mixed-use form § 14.05.010 .
• Key standards: Smaller height and setback expectations; design to fit one‑to‑two story scale (Table § 14.05.030) .

O (Office), C/O (Commercial/Office), R/O (Residential/Office), FBWC (Francisco Blvd West Commercial)

• Purpose: Office campus and mixed commercial/office environments; encourage landscaped campuses and pedestrian amenities § 14.05.010–030 .
• Typical uses & standards: Office and limited convenience retail; development standards in Table § 14.05.030 and Chapter 14.16 for site rules .

DMU (Downtown Mixed Use)

• Purpose: Downtown Precise Plan area; governed by the Downtown San Rafael Precise Plan / Form‑Based Code (adopted by separate ordinance and incorporated by reference) § 14.01.020(C) and § 14.05.022 .
• Typical uses: Mixed retail, office, cultural, civic, and significant residential; design and parking often controlled by the form‑based code rather than standard tables § 14.05.022 .
• Key standards: See the Downtown Precise Plan/Form‑Based Code for FAR, height, frontage, and parking rules; where the form‑based code is silent, Title 14 applies § 14.01.020 .

I / LI/O / CCI/O (Industrial and Light Industrial/Office)

• Purpose: Industrial, manufacturing, and mixed industrial-office uses with site-specific FAR and trip-generation controls § 14.16.150 .
• Key standards: FAR ranges (e.g., sliding scale in East San Rafael and Francisco Blvd West) and conditional allowances for office percentages; see Chapter 14.16 and the FAR maps § 14.16.150 .

LMU (Lindaro Mixed Use), PD (Planned Development), M (Marine), P/QP (Public/Quasi-Public)

• Purpose & uses: Site- or area-specific mixed-use or special-purpose districts identified in the code, with standards in their chapters or PD ordinance; public/quasi-public for civic uses § 14.02.030 .
• Key standards: See the district chapter and Chapter 14.16 for site and use regulations.

P/OS (Parks/Open Space) and W (Water)

• Purpose: Protect parks/open space and maritime/waterfront uses § 14.10.030, § 14.11.010 .
• Key standards: Many dimensional items are “NR” (not required) but maximum heights are specified (e.g., 36 ft for P/OS, exceptions via Chapter 14.24) § 14.10.030 .

Overlay Districts (examples)

• The code establishes overlay districts that layer on top of base zoning and add standards: -H (Hillside), -WO (Wetland Overlay), -E/A (Eichler/Alliance), -C (Canalfront Review) § 14.02.030(C) .
• Hillside (-H): applies to lots with average slope ≥ 25% or mapped hillside GP categories; adds stepback, lot standards, and other protections § 14.12.010–030 .
• Wetland (-WO): applies to mapped Army Corps-confirmed wetlands and sets use restrictions and special permitting § 14.13.020–030 .

Quick standards & decision table

This condensed table picks the most decision-relevant items an applicant uses early in project scoping.

Practical guidance / synthesis (plain-English, code-rooted)

• Always start with the zoning map: the code is map-driven and zoning boundaries determine which rules apply (§ 14.02.030 ). If a parcel sits on a district boundary, the code tells how to resolve the boundary using the map scale or property lines § 14.02.040 .
• Downtown projects are typically governed by the separate Downtown Precise Plan/Form‑Based Code; where that form‑based code is silent Title 14 fills in the gaps § 14.01.020(C), § 14.05.022 .
• Many numerical standards (setbacks, heights, lot sizes) live in the district tables (e.g., § 14.04.030, § 14.05.030) and in the site/use rules of Chapter 14.16; always cross-check both the district table and Chapter 14.16 for accessory/use-specific rules § 14.04.030, § 14.05.030, § 14.16.150 .
• Parking rules can control project feasibility: standard parking ratios are in Chapter 14.18 and the downtown parking district contains waivers/unique rules (e.g., off-street parking waiver up to 1.0 FAR) § 14.18.040, § 14.18.060 . See the city’s parking page for practical submittal guidance San Rafael Parking.
• Overlays can add stronger limits (for example hillside stepbacks, wetland protections); the presence of an overlay is independent of the base district and must be checked on the zoning map § 14.12.010–030, § 14.13.020 .

Checklist

• Confirm parcel zoning designation on the official zoning map and overlay layers (§ 14.02.030) .
• Pull the district table(s) for your base district (e.g., § 14.04.030 for residential; § 14.05.030 for commercial) and record lot area, setbacks, height and density limits .
• Check Chapter 14.16 for site/use regulations, FAR/density calculations, and accessory standards § 14.16.150 .
• Verify parking requirements in Chapter 14.18 and whether downtown parking district rules apply § 14.18.040, § 14.18.060 .
• Identify overlays on your parcel (-H, -WO, -C, -E/A etc.) and read the overlay chapter(s) § 14.12.010, § 14.13.020 .
• Determine whether design review is required and at what level (admin/zoning/planning commission) § 14.25.020 .
• If proposing deviations, evaluate availability of Exceptions or Variance processes § 14.24.020, § 14.23.150–170 .
• For ADUs, consult local ADU-specific rules and state ADU law; start with the city ADU guidance and check Title 14 references (see San Rafael ADUs and California ADU law).
• When in doubt about boundary or special conditions (hazardous materials, wetlands, tidelands, Allardt’s Canal), verify with Community Development — several site-specific constraints are noted in Title 14 § 14.16.310 .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

San Rafael’s Title 14 zoning code divides the city into named base districts (R‑, MR‑, HR‑ residential, GC, NC, O, DMU, industrial, parks, water, etc.) and overlay districts (hillside, wetland, canalfront) that add rules; each district table gives lot sizes, setbacks, heights and allowed uses, while Chapters 14.16–14.18 add site rules, FAR, and parking; downtown is governed primarily by a separate Precise Plan/Form‑Based Code § 14.02.030, § 14.16.150, § 14.18.060 .

Source References

• Title, components, and purposes — § 14.01.010, § 14.01.020, § 14.01.030
• Zoning map, base & overlay district establishment — § 14.02.030
• Residential districts & table — § 14.04.010, § 14.04.030 (Table of development standards)
• Commercial/office districts and standards — § 14.05.010, § 14.05.030 (Table)
• DMU / Downtown form‑based code adoption and reference — § 14.01.020(C), § 14.05.022
• Site/use rules, FAR/density — § 14.16.150, § 14.16.190 (height bonus), § 14.16.330 (density transfer)
• Parking rules and downtown parking district — § 14.18.040, § 14.18.060
• Hillside overlay (-H) — § 14.12.010–030
• Wetland overlay (-WO) — § 14.13.020–030
• Exceptions & authority for minor deviations — § 14.24.020
• Design review authority and criteria — § 14.25.020, § 14.25.050
• Nonconforming & redevelopment references — § 14.16.270 (nonconforming structure rules referenced in various FAR/ redevelopment provisions)

Retrieved passages

• San Rafael Zoning Code (Title 14) High relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code (Section 14.16.030) High relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code (Chapter 14.22) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 14.25.010 (Section 14.25.010) High relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code (Title 14) High relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code (§ 1) High relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code (Section 14.16.040) Medium relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code (title is) High relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code (Chapter 14.18) High relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code (§ 1) Medium relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code (Chapter 14.04) Medium relevance show source text
• San Rafael Zoning Code (§ 12) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Title, components, and purposes — **§ 14.01.010**, **§ 14.01.020**, **§ 14.01.030** (§ 14.01.010)
• Zoning map, base & overlay district establishment — **§ 14.02.030** (§ 14.02.030)
• Residential districts & table — **§ 14.04.010**, **§ 14.04.030** (Table of development standards) fileciteturn1file6 (§ 14.04.010)
• Commercial/office districts and standards — **§ 14.05.010**, **§ 14.05.030** (Table) (§ 14.05.010)
• DMU / Downtown form‑based code adoption and reference — **§ 14.01.020(C)**, **§ 14.05.022** fileciteturn1file0 (§ 14.01.020)
• Site/use rules, FAR/density — **§ 14.16.150**, **§ 14.16.190** (height bonus), **§ 14.16.330** (density transfer) fileciteturn1file16fileciteturn0file2 (§ 14.16.150)
• Parking rules and downtown parking district — **§ 14.18.040**, **§ 14.18.060** fileciteturn0file18 (§ 14.18.040)
• Hillside overlay (-H) — **§ 14.12.010–030** (§ 14.12.010)
• Wetland overlay (-WO) — **§ 14.13.020–030** (§ 14.13.020)
• Exceptions & authority for minor deviations — **§ 14.24.020** (§ 14.24.020)
• Design review authority and criteria — **§ 14.25.020**, **§ 14.25.050** fileciteturn1file15 (§ 14.25.020)
• Nonconforming & redevelopment references — **§ 14.16.270** (nonconforming structure rules referenced in various FAR/ redevelopment provisions) (§ 14.16.270)
• SanRafael_ZoningCode.md

• Official San Rafael code library