Tulare County — Land Use

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes what the Tulare County zoning/planning ordinance (commonly called the Tulare County Zoning Ordinance, Ordinance No. 352, implemented within the Tulare County Ordinance Code) actually says—as applied to the unincorporated areas of Tulare County—about land use: which zone designations exist in the County code excerpts we retrieved, where the code requires conformity to the zoning use table, and the most decision‑relevant standards applicants encounter (setbacks, design review triggers, subdivision consistency, grading thresholds, and agricultural protections). The zoning ordinance itself (Ordinance No. 352) contains the complete zone use tables and dimensional standards; the County Code repeatedly requires that building and land uses conform to that ordinance § 7-11-1030 .

Note: the uploaded materials include many Tulare County Code sections and references to Ordinance No. 352, but the full use‑table and every district text (the complete Title 17 use table) were not available in the retrieved excerpts. Where a specific district rule or use list is not present in the retrieved materials I state “Not found in retrieved materials” and tell you what to verify with the County.

How the Tulare County Code structures land‑use rules (quick orientation)

• The Tulare County Zoning Ordinance is implemented through the County Ordinance Code; uses and zone boundaries shown on the County Supplemental Zoning Map are the controlling instruments for unincorporated property § 7-11-1030 .
• The County requires that subdivisions and permits conform to the Zoning Ordinance (use table, lot sizes, off‑street parking, etc.) § 7-01-1210 .
• The Resource Management Agency Director (planning/building official) must verify compliance with the Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 352) before permitting action § 7-15-1040 .
• Agricultural protections and the County’s “Right to Farm” policy explicitly identify the agriculture zones that the County protects (see zone names listed in the County Code) § 7-29-1000 .

(Internal links used where the topics are naturally discussed: development standards, design review, parking, overlay districts, ADUs, and the California building code are linked below in context.)

District-by-district (what we can confirm from retrieved materials)

Below are the specific district names and special zone types that appear in the retrieved Tulare County Code excerpts. For each I synthesize the purpose or a high‑level rule that the County Code gives; where the ordinance text giving permitted uses or dimensional standards for that district is not present in the retrieved files I mark that explicitly and point to the ordinance reference you must check.

Note: For full permitted‑use lists and dimensional tables for any zone listed below, consult the Tulare County Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 352) directly; the County Code repeatedly points to that ordinance as the master use table § 7-11-1035 .

AE, AE‑10, AE‑20, AE‑40, AE‑80 (Exclusive Agricultural zones)

• Purpose: County Code treats these as the County’s primary agricultural categories; they are examples of the “agricultural land” protected by the County’s Right to Farm policy § 7-29-1000 .
• Typical allowed activity (from County definition): agricultural operations (cultivation, dairying, harvesting, irrigation, preparation for market, etc.) as defined by the Right to Farm chapter § 7-29-1000(b) .
• Dimensional/permitted‑use table: Not found in retrieved materials — consult Ordinance No. 352 (zoning use table) for exact accessory uses, set‑backs and lot minimums § 7-11-1035 .

A‑1 (Agricultural)

• Purpose: Another agricultural zone used by the County; included in the statutory definition of “agricultural land” for Right to Farm protections § 7-29-1000 .
• Permitted uses & standards: Not found in retrieved materials — verify against the Ordinance No. 352 use table.

AF (Foothill Agricultural / Foothill Agricultural Combining)

• Purpose: applies to foothill agricultural areas; mentioned in the list of agricultural zoning categories that the County treats as agricultural land § 7-29-1000 .
• Note: the code references special foothill combining standards and planned development foothill zones elsewhere (see PD F below and grading exemptions) § 7-15-1360 .
• Permitted uses & standards: Not found in retrieved materials.

TPZ (Timberland Preserve Zone)

• Purpose: Identified within the County’s agricultural/working lands categories for Right to Farm purposes § 7-29-1000 .
• Permitted uses & standards: Not found in retrieved materials.

PD F / Planned Development — Foothill (PD F) and F (Foothill Combining)

• Purpose: The County has a Planned Development Foothill zone and a Foothill combining zone referenced as affecting grading, drainage and development standards in steep and foothill areas § 7-01-1380 ; grading rules explicitly call out the "F" Foothill Combining Zone as a context where special site plan and slope stabilization review is required § 7-15-1360(h) .
• Triggers: site plan review / planning commission review and engineered grading are called out where foothill zones or steep slopes exist § 7-15-1360(h), § 7-15-1370 .
• Permitted uses & standards: Not found in retrieved materials.

Other generalized district categories (references in code)

• The County code repeatedly references “commercial” and “industrial” zoning designations and requires subdivision plans and streets to be compatible with those designations § 7-01-1450–1455 .
• However, the explicit R‑(residential), C‑(commercial), and M‑/I‑(industrial) district tables and the full land‑use matrix are not present in the retrieved excerpts. Where the code refers to uses by zone it always points to Ordinance No. 352 — i.e., the zoning ordinance contains the specific use lists § 7-11-1035 .

Key standards & decision‑relevant items (table)

This condensed table lists the most common, decision‑relevant requirements visible in the retrieved County Code excerpts. For precise district‑specific numeric standards (e.g., lot sizes by zone, maximum height in R‑1, exact accessory uses in A‑1), consult Ordinance No. 352 (the Zoning Ordinance).

Practical guidance (plain English synthesis & next steps)

• If your parcel is in an agricultural zone (any AE / A‑1 / AF / TPZ), expect robust protections for agricultural uses and a narrow range of non‑agricultural uses unless a use permit is obtained; see the County’s Right to Farm definitions in § 7-29-1000 .
• Always confirm the actual zone on the County’s Supplemental Zoning Map and then read the Ordinance No. 352 use table entry for that zone before assuming a use is allowed — the County Code repeatedly directs you to the Zoning Ordinance as the controlling use table § 7-11-1030–1035 .
• Expect the Resource Management Agency (Planning/Building) to check zoning conformance at permit application time; unresolved zoning conflicts can stop a building permit § 7-15-1040 .
• If your project involves grading on slopes or the F foothill combining zone, expect site plan review, possibly engineered grading and Planning Commission review § 7-15-1360(h) .
• Use the County’s site plan/design review process early: subdivisions and many commercial/industrial projects require a design conference and committee review § 7-01-1630–1640 .

(Helpful internal links: if your project needs rules on development standards consult the Tulare County Development Standards page, check parking requirements early, and for aesthetic/architectural triggers consult Tulare County Design Review. For overlays use the Tulare County Overlay Districts page; for accessory dwelling or state ADU rules consult California ADU law. Also, building permit work must comply with the California Building Standards Code.)

Checklist (what an applicant must satisfy for a typical land‑use/permit consistency check)

• Verify the parcel’s zoning designation on the County/Supplemental Zoning Map and identify the exact zone listed in Ordinance No. 352 (verify zone name and suffix such as AE‑20, AF, TPZ) § 7-11-1030 .
• Read the Ordinance No. 352 use table entry for that exact zone to confirm whether the intended use is permitted, conditional (requires a use permit/CUP), or prohibited § 7-11-1035 .
• If subdivision or site development, schedule the required design conference and prepare the master plan/site plan materials § 7-01-1630–1640 .
• Demonstrate compliance with building line setbacks and any frontage road exceptions (e.g., 25 ft rule) § 7-19-1190 .
• For projects involving grading: determine grading volume; if >5,000 cu yd procure engineered grading plans; for foothill zones follow the additional slope stabilization/site plan triggers § 7-15-1360–1370 .
• Provide any required off‑street parking as required by the zoning/use and the County’s parking rules (see the County’s parking rules and the Zoning Ordinance) § 7-01-1210 .
• Pay applicable fees or school facility fees before building permits are issued § 7-15-1045 .
• If a use is not permitted, prepare a use permit (CUP) or variance application and notice materials per the Zoning Ordinance hearing rules § 7-11-1035; § 7-15-1050 .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English Summary

Tulare County’s code requires that any land use in the unincorporated area must match the use table and zone rules in the County Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. 352). The County Code excerpts we retrieved confirm the protected agricultural zone names (AE variants, A‑1, AF, TPZ), the 25‑ft frontage road setback rule, site plan/design review triggers for subdivisions and foothill areas, grading thresholds, and that the Resource Management Agency checks zoning before issuing permits § 7-11-1035; § 7-29-1000; § 7-19-1190; § 7-01-1630; § 7-15-1360 .

Information Gaps (what the retrieved materials do NOT contain)

• The full Tulare County Zoning Ordinance text / land‑use matrix (the Title 17 zoned use table listing permitted, conditional and prohibited uses per zone) — Not found in retrieved materials. The County Code repeatedly points to Ordinance No. 352 as the controlling source for the use list § 7-11-1035 .
• Zone‑by‑zone numeric development standards (exact front/rear/side setbacks, lot area minima, heights, lot coverage, FAR) for residential (R‑1, R‑2), commercial (C categories), and industrial zones — Not found in retrieved materials.
• The specific text of Section 16.2 (Site Plan Review) or the full Planned Development (PD) regulations as printed in Ordinance No. 352 — Not found in retrieved materials. The County Code references Section 16.2 but does not reproduce it § 7-01-1630 .

Recommend: obtain the full Ordinance No. 352 (Tulare County Zoning Ordinance) use table and the Supplemental Zoning Map from the County planning website or ecode360 to answer parcel‑specific questions (permitted uses, setbacks, and allowed accessory activities).

Source References

• Tulare County Ordinance Code: General Zoning rules and adoption of zoning map — § 7-11-1030, § 7-11-1035 . (Ordinance No. 352 is the Zoning Ordinance referenced throughout.)
• Right to Farm / agricultural zone names and definition of “agricultural operations” — § 7-29-1000 .
• Subdivisions must conform to the Zoning Ordinance (uses, lot sizes, parking) — § 7-01-1210 .
• Design conference / Site Plan Review Committee (subdivision/site plan triggers) — § 7-01-1630–1640 .
• Resource Management Director review and withholding of permits pending zoning compliance — § 7-15-1040 .
• Building line setbacks on frontage roads (25 ft) and exceptions — § 7-19-1190, § 7-19-1195 .
• Grading thresholds and Foothill Combining Zone references (limits and engineering triggers) — § 7-15-1360, § 7-15-1365, § 7-15-1370 .
• Note on where the code text was downloaded from in the uploaded files: ecode360 copy of the Tulare County Code (Ordinance No. 352 references appear throughout) — downloaded from https://ecode360.com/TU4850 (file excerpts provided) .

(Use the County pages linked on this site for related topics: Tulare County Zoning & planning overview, Tulare County Zoning, Tulare County Development Standards, Tulare County Parking, Tulare County Design Review, Tulare County Overlay Districts, Tulare County Nonconforming Uses, Tulare County Variances and Exceptions, Tulare County Landscaping and Screening, California Building Standards Code, California ADU law.)

Retrieved passages

• CBC § 7 (§ 7-15-1940) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (§ 7-25-1005.) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (§ 7-01-1455) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (§ 7-01-1445) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (section 66412.1) Medium relevance show source text
• CBC § 7 (Section 18.7.B.2) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (§ 7-15-1036.) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (Chapter 19) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (§ 7-11-1025) High relevance show source text
• CBC § 7 (§ 7-15-1360) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (§ 7-11-1040.) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (§ 7-31-1040) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (section shall) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (§ 7-09-1375.) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (§ 7-01-1160.) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (section 7-01-2025) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (§ 7-27-1305.) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (section 7-19-1010) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (Chapter 29) Medium relevance show source text
• Tulare County Zoning Code (section as) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Tulare County Ordinance Code: General Zoning rules and adoption of zoning map — **§ 7-11-1030**, **§ 7-11-1035** . (Ordinance No. 352 is the Zoning Ordinance referenced throughout.) (§ 7-11-1030)
• Right to Farm / agricultural zone names and definition of “agricultural operations” — **§ 7-29-1000** . (§ 7-29-1000)
• Subdivisions must conform to the Zoning Ordinance (uses, lot sizes, parking) — **§ 7-01-1210** . (§ 7-01-1210)
• Design conference / Site Plan Review Committee (subdivision/site plan triggers) — **§ 7-01-1630–1640** . (§ 7-01-1630)
• Resource Management Director review and withholding of permits pending zoning compliance — **§ 7-15-1040** . (§ 7-15-1040)
• Building line setbacks on frontage roads (25 ft) and exceptions — **§ 7-19-1190**, **§ 7-19-1195** . (§ 7-19-1190)
• Grading thresholds and Foothill Combining Zone references (limits and engineering triggers) — **§ 7-15-1360**, **§ 7-15-1365**, **§ 7-15-1370** . (§ 7-15-1360)
• Note on where the code text was downloaded from in the uploaded files: ecode360 copy of the Tulare County Code (Ordinance No. 352 references appear throughout) — downloaded from (file excerpts provided) .
• TulareCounty_ZoningCode.md