Laws, Zoning and Regulations

Resources in this section can help urban farmers and policy advocates find current information on local, California-wide and national policy developments regarding urban agriculture, as well as toolkits and guides to creating good urban agriculture policy. One law that’s currently of great interest in California is AB551, the Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones Act.

If you are a local decision maker or advocate, learn about what your city can do to support urban farming in our policy brief. Another great resource for legal information and best practices on urban agriculture policy is UrbanAgLaw.org. They offer helpful examples, including many from California cities, on a wide array of topics.

For urban farmers, the most immediate concern is learning about local zoning codes that might impact their urban farm. Each city varies in terms of what is allowed—from backyard chickens, to bees, to sales of garden produce. City websites are the best source of information for local zoning and municipal codes governing various aspects of urban agriculture. Also check some of our local resources.