Code Enforcement

The Code Enforcement Division is a reactive agency; this means investigations are conducted only after a complaint has been reported. Directed Enforcement by the Board of Supervisors is the only exception to this at this time.

The Code Enforcement Division conducts its investigations based on a list of priorities provided by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors. As of 12/19/2023, the Board of Supervisors have set the following priorities for enforcement (in the order to which the Code Enforcement Division will investigate):

1. Life/Safety Issues
   Substandard and Dangerous Buildings, HSC§17970.5 Substandard Housing Inspection Reports.
2. Environmental Degradation
   Non-permitted grading and ponds, water diversion (to be referred to CDFW and Waterboard), major vegetation removal within the coastal zone, development within Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Areas (ESHA) without approval, and stormwater/illicit discharge.
3. Non-Permitted Construction
   Active non-permitted construction requiring posting of a Stop Work Order notice.
4. Nuisances
   Excessive storage of trash/refuse on private property visible from public areas, certain public nuisances defined under MCC Chapter 8.75 likely to negatively impact community quality of life.
5. Illegal Cannabis Cultivation
   Violations of MCC Chapter 10A.17 (Non-permitted cannabis cultivation activities and structures) and continued cultivation after a Cannabis Cultivation Business License has been revoked.

Note: For all non-prioritized complaints (e.g., illegal businesses, activities requiring MHRB approval, etc.) which do not meet the criteria of the priorities noted above, the Code Enforcement Division has the discretion to determine the appropriate response to the complaint and the appropriate enforcement methodology to address the complaint as resources and time allow.

Code Enforcement does not investigate instances of the following issues. Please report such issues to the appropriate agency. Contact information for these and other agencies can be found in the section "Other Resources" on this page.

Note: Before proceeding to file a complaint, please refer to the sections titled, “What Does Code Enforcement Investigate?” and “What Does Code Enforcement Not Investigate?” on this page. By doing so, this will ensure the concerns are being reported to the appropriate agency and will minimize any unnecessary delays for response to the complaint.

Online

You can file a complaint online by completing an online complaint form. Please note that the online complaint form has changed. Code Violation complaints and Cannabis Cultivation complaints can now be submitted using the same form.

Complaints that include verifiable Reporting Party contact information will be prioritized by the Code Enforcement Division, and investigated according to the Board of Supervisors-directed priorities.

Anonymous complaints that do not demonstrate a direct nexus to life/safety issues and/or community quality of life may be closed without investigation.

Reporting Party Contact Information:

ALL Reporting Party information is confidential, pursuant to all applicable laws and regulations, and is never released to either the subject of the complaint, or any member of the public requesting information as part of a Public Records Act request (PRA)

The benefits of providing your contact information include:

• Receiving the results of the investigation, if requested (Please Note that Code Enforcement will make every effort to provide the Reporting Party with a disposition following the investigation; however, this is provided as a courtesy only and is at the discretion of the Code Enforcement Division)
• Allowing the investigating officer to contact you in order to obtain additional details about the complaint (if required), as well as important safety information
• Receiving educational information about the Mendocino County Code of Ordinances (MCC) if the complaint is determined to be unfounded
• Receiving additional informational resources, if needed

Suspected Violation Location Information:

In order for Code Enforcement to investigate potential violations, the subject property address and/or parcel number must be correct and accurate. Code Enforcement cannot investigate complaints where a general location and/or unspecified property is indicated.

If you do not know or are unsure of the exact address or APN, you can use the ZONING WEB MAP to pinpoint the location

Zoning Web Map

Describing the Suspected Violation:

When describing the suspected violation, please note the following: 

• If there is an IMMEDIATE DANGER TO LIFE SAFETY such as downed power lines, gas leaks or fire, call emergency services at 9-1-1
• Pursuant to California Health & Safety Code (HSC) § 17970.5, upon receiving a complaint from a tenant, resident, or occupant, or their agent, Code Enforcement will inspect a building or portion thereof intended for human occupancy that may be in violation of HSC § 17920.10 (Lead Hazards) and/or HSC § 17920.3 (Substandard Building) and subsequently provide a free, certified copy of the inspection report to all affected parties
• Complaints concerning the following will be referred to the appropriate agency. PLEASE NOTE that any such referrals will not be followed up by Code Enforcement. Please contact the relevant agency for any further information:
  • Criminal activity and/or potential threats to Code Enforcement Officer safety (Law Enforcement)
  • Septic issues, raw sewage on the ground, hazardous material spills, wells (Environmental Health)
  • Permitted cannabis sites (Mendocino Cannabis Department)
  • Water diversion, damage to water courses/streams (Dept of Fish and Wildlife/State Water Board)
  • Encroachments on the public right of way (Mendocino County Dept of Transportation and/or CalTrans)
  • Illegal dumping on the public right of way (Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority)
  • Animal issues, such as noise, abuse, strays etc (Animal Control)
  • Commercial timber harvesting and conversions (CalFire)
  • Illegal burns/fires (Air Quality)

Code Enforcement Online Complaint Form

Phone/Email

Although the Code Enforcement Division will still accept anonymous complaints, please note that such complaints that do not demonstrate a direct nexus to life/safety issues and/or community quality of life may be closed without investigation, at the discretion of the Code Enforcement Manager.

All Reporting Party information is confidential, pursuant to all applicable laws and regulations, and is never released to either the subject of the complaint, or any member of the public requesting information as part of a Public Records Act request (PRA)

Please note that complaints that fall outside the list of Board-defined priorities will be investigated as resources and time allow. Also please note that while Code Enforcement does accept and investigate anonymous complaints, failure to provide enough information may result in an investigation being classified as ‘Not As Reported’ or ‘Insufficient Information Provided’ and subsequently closed.

Complainant confidentiality is a top priority for the Code Enforcement Division. Code Enforcement will not release complainant information when conducting its investigations. Additionally, complainant information is always redacted when copies of the complaints and/or reports are requested through a Public Records Act (PRA) request.

The benefits to providing the requested complainant information include the following:

• Receive the results of the investigation (if requested)
• Be able to be contacted by the investigating officer if additional details of the complaint are needed to successfully investigate the complaint and provide important safety information to the investigating officer.
• Receive educational information about Mendocino County Code (MCC) if the complaint is determined to be unfounded.
• Receive additional informational resources, if needed.

The Code Enforcement Division will accept anonymous complaints. However, please note that such complaints that do not demonstrate a direct nexus to life/safety issues and/or community quality of life may be closed without investigation, at the discretion of the Code Enforcement Manager.

It is highly recommended that the complainant provides their contact information in case the investigating officer requires further information. It is important to note that the Code Enforcement Division has the discretion to determine its response to anonymous complaints and how they are prioritized, based on the information provided for the complaint. If the investigating officer determines there is insufficient information to respond to the complaint, the complaint may be closed until further information is received at a later time.

Additionally, if the complaint is filed anonymously, the complainant will not be notified of the investigation’s results.

Intake

The Code Enforcement Division will log all complaints it receives within its jurisdiction, including complaints that do not fall under its purview for regulatory enforcement. In these cases, Code Enforcement will make every effort to forward complaints to the appropriate agency. Please refer to the section titled “What Does Code Enforcement Not Investigate?” for further guidance.

Investigation

The Code Enforcement Division will conduct preliminary investigative research to determine a property’s current owner or legally interested parties, obtain current and historical aerial imagery, and other evidence to support the investigation. Our field investigators will also use relevant and important information provided by the complaining party to assist with their approach. From there, the investigating officer may respond to the location directly to make contact with the property owner and/or responsible party, send a Request for Contact via USPS, or attempt to locate contact information and call using a reliable phone number. When contact is made, the investigating officer will attempt to meet with the property owner and/or responsible party to go over the complaint and noted violations on the subject property or schedule an inspection to do the same. In some cases, the violations may be observed from the public right-of-way, where consent from the property owner is not required.

If violations are observed and confirmed, the investigating officer will advise the property owner and/or responsible party of the violations and the corrective actions needed to resolve them. An inspection report may be provided as a courtesy to provide this information in writing. The officer will also provide a reasonable time frame for these corrective actions to be accomplished.

It is important to note that compliance is determined by the efforts made by the property owner and/or responsible party. The Code Enforcement Division can extend timelines based on positive forward movement of efforts taken to resolve the violations. Lack of effort (as demonstrated to the investigating officer) or refusal to bring the violations into compliance will not afford additional time and will result in formal enforcement action being taken.

Enforcement

Voluntary compliance is always the goal for the Code Enforcement Division, and it will make every effort to work with property owners and/or responsible parties to support their bringing the violations into compliance. However, if there is lack of demonstration that compliance will be achieved, the violations will formally become a Code Enforcement case and a Notice of Violation (NOV) will be issued to all legally responsible parties, as allowed under Mendocino County Code (MCC) Chapter 1.08. The NOV will provide a specific timeline for all noted violations to be resolved, AND what the required corrective actions are to resolve them. Failure to comply with the formal NOV will result in one or more of the following:

• Issuance of one or more Administrative Citations (ACs) with civil penalties
• Lien Recordation of the Notice of Violation on the property’s title
• In some cases, seek an injunction through the local courts (litigation)

The Code Enforcement complaint will not be closed until all documented violations are resolved. This may include meeting the required conditions for discretionary permits such as a Use Permit or Coastal Development Permit.

• Policy #1 - Case Management Structure(PDF, 382KB)
• Policy #2 - Safety Standards Policy and Procedure(PDF, 399KB)
• Policy #3 - Inspection Warrant Procedures(PDF, 364KB)
• Policy #4 - Substandard Housing Inspections & Reports(PDF, 362KB)
• Policy #5 - Multiple Unit Substandard Housing Inspections & Enforcement(PDF, 385KB)

Case Management Structure(PDF, 94KB)

Air Quality Management District (AQMD)
Phone: (707) 463-4354

California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Northern Region
Phone: (530) 225-2300
askregion1@wildlife.ca.gov

California Department of Housing & Community Development (HCD)
Phone: (800) 952-8356

CalTIP
Californians Turn in Poachers and Polluters (CalTIP) is a confidential program that encourages the public to provide the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) with information leading to the arrest of poachers and polluters. To report a potential poaching or pollution problem call 1-888 334-CALTIP (1-888 334 2258).

CalTrans
Phone: (707) 445-6600 (Eureka office)

Fire Departments
Including CalFire, there are 23 local fire agencies in Mendocino County. If you have any concerns regarding fire, or potential fire hazards, please contact your local fire department.

Incorporated Areas of Mendocino County
To report a violation in one of the incorporated communities in Mendocino County, please call one of the following numbers.

Mendo Recycle
Phone: (707) 234 6400
info@mendorecycle.org
Mendo Recycle is Mendocino County’s solid waste department. Any complaints regarding illegal dumping in the public right of way or on public property should be reported to Mendo Recycle.

Mendocino Cannabis Department (MCD)
Phone: (707) 234-6680
CannabisProgram@mendocinocounty.gov

Mendocino County Department of Transportation (DOT)
Phone: (707) 463-5474
dot@mendocinocounty.gov

Mendocino County Environmental Health (EH)
Phone: (707) 234-6625 (Ukiah office)
Phone: (707) 961-2714 (Fort Bragg office)
enviroh@mendocinocounty.gov

Mendocino County Sheriff's Office (MCSO)
Phone: (707) 463-4086 (non-emergency)

Regulations

• Regulations informational page