Fences and walls in Kern County: the local rules

Each rule below links to the section of the Kern County Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Kern County's code says

Kern County code What Kern County's code adds
Front yard height	No more than 4 feet high, unless a permit requires or the director approves higher. Applies: Required front yards in the E (¼), E (½), E (1), E (2½), R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts. § 19.08.210 · code text In the E (¼), E (½), E (1), E (2½), R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts, no fence, wall or hedge located in the required front yard shall exceed a height of four (4) feet, except when a higher fence, wall or hedge is required as a condition of approval of a discretionary permit or except when approved by the director in the manner contained in subsection G of this section.
Side and rear yard height	No more than 6 feet high, unless a permit requires or the director approves higher. Applies: Rear or side yards in the E (¼), E (½), E (1), E (2½), R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts. § 19.08.210 · code text In the E (¼), E (½), E (1), E (2½), R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts, no fence, wall or hedge located in the rear or side yards shall exceed a height of six (6) feet, except when a higher fence, wall or hedge is required as a condition of approval of a discretionary permit except when approved by the director in the manner contained in subsection G of this section. No more than 4 feet high, unless a permit requires or the director approves higher. Applies: The rear 25 feet of a through lot in the E (¼), E (½), E (1), E (2½), R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts. § 19.08.210 · code text In the E (¼), E (½), E (1), E (2½), R-1, R-2, and R-3 districts, no fence, wall, or hedge located in the rear twenty-five (25) feet of a through lot shall exceed four (4) feet in height, except when a higher fence, wall, or hedge is required as a condition of approval of a discretionary permit, or except when approved by the director following the procedure described in subsection (G) of this section. No more than 4 feet high, unless a permit requires or the director approves higher. Applies: Listed E, R-1, R-2 and R-3 districts: within 10 feet of a reversed corner lot rear line, between street and key lot setback line. § 19.08.210 · code text In the E (¼), E (½), E (1), E (2½), R-1, R-2, and R-3 districts, no fence, wall, or hedge located within ten (10) feet of the rear lot line of a reversed corner lot between the street and the established front-yard setback line on the key lot to the rear shall exceed a height of four (4) feet, except when a higher fence, wall, or hedge is required as a condition of an approval of a discretionary permit, or except when approval by the planning director following the procedure described in subsection (G) of this section.

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Frequently asked questions

How tall can a fence be in Kern County?

Fences: at most 4 ft in required front yards, 6 ft in rear or side yards, unless a permit or the director allows higher.

Fences and walls in Kern County

Key points

What Kern County's code says

Who this affects

Frequently asked questions

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