Church or place of worship zoning in San Bernardino County

Find your lot's zone on the city zoning map, then read its row. Every status below was read from the San Bernardino County Municipal Code use tables (read October 2026). Base zones only. General information, not legal advice — check with the city before you apply.

Zones where a church or other place of worship can go

San Bernardino County's code calls this use “Places of worship”. Each row links to the use table it comes from. A zone marked “see note” has a condition in the code, for example upper floors only or a larger lot.

Zone	Status	Code
RC Resource Conservation	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
AG Agriculture	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
RL Rural Living	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
RS Single Residential	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
RM Multiple Residential	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
CR Rural Commercial	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
CN Neighborhood Commercial	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
CO Office Commercial	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
CG General Commercial	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
CS Service Commercial	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
CH Highway Commercial	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
IC Community Industrial	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
IR Regional Industrial	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
IN Institutional	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
SD-RES Special Development (residential focus)	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
SD-COM Special Development (commercial focus)	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES
SD-IND Special Development (industrial focus)	Needs a conditional use permit	Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES

Zones where it is not allowed

FW, OS.

What else applies

State law: Federal law (RLUIPA) bars zoning rules that treat religious assembly worse than other assembly uses.
Not covered here: SP (Specific Plan) districts: use rules sit in each specific plan, not in this text. Overlay zones and specific plans can also change the answer.

Other uses in San Bernardino County

Who this affects

HomeownersBuyersReal estate agentsSmall developers

Frequently asked questions

Can I have a church or other place of worship in the RC zone in San Bernardino County?

Only with a conditional use permit. San Bernardino County's use table lists it that way in RC (Resource Conservation) (Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES).

Can I have a church or other place of worship in the FW zone in San Bernardino County?

No. San Bernardino County's use table does not allow it in FW (Floodway) (Division 2 — LAND USE ZONING DISTRICTS AND ALLOWED LAND USES).

Where is a church or other place of worship allowed in San Bernardino County?

Key points