Sonoma County Winery Use Permits, Tasting Rooms and Event Rules
In unincorporated Sonoma County, a winery tasting room in the LIA, LEA and DA agricultural zones or the RRD resource zone is a conditional use, which means it needs a discretionary use permit approved after public review. Since the Board of Supervisors approved the Winery Events Ordinance on March 14, 2023, new and modified permits for winery visitor-serving uses in the LIA, LEA and DA zones outside the Coastal Zone are held to countywide standards: tasting from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., agricultural promotional events from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., a traffic management plan, on-site parking and no rentals to third parties. Existing wineries keep operating under their approved permits.
For a buyer, the permit is often worth more than the building, because it is what allows visitors, tasting and events at all. This guide explains what a Sonoma County winery permit controls, what the 2023 ordinance changed, how the use permit process works, and how to read a seller’s permit. It sits within our vineyard and winery property guides; for the setting, see our Sonoma County guide and our overview of Sonoma wine appellations.
What a winery use permit controls
Permit Sonoma describes a use permit as the approval needed for development that is more intensive than a permitted use. It can be approved only if it is consistent with the General Plan, any area or specific plan and the Zoning Code, and compatible with the neighborhood. Approval comes with conditions, and once those are met and the use vests, the permit runs with the land unless it was granted for a limited term.
For a winery, the conditions typically set the business you can run: production, tasting and visitor activity, the number and size of events, hours, food service, parking, and water, wastewater and traffic requirements. A buyer takes over those conditions, not just the buildings, so the permit file is a core due diligence document.
Zoning: where tasting rooms are allowed
The allowed land use table adopted with the 2023 ordinance treats tasting rooms the same way in each of the county’s agricultural and resource districts.
| Use | LIA (Land Intensive Agriculture) | LEA (Land Extensive Agriculture) | DA (Diverse Agriculture) | RRD (Resources and Rural Development) | TP (Timberland Production) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tasting rooms | Conditional use | Conditional use | Conditional use | Conditional use | Prohibited |
| Periodic special events | Permitted, subject to discretionary criteria | Same | Same | Same | Same |
The table cites Zoning Code sections 26-18-210 and 26-18-260 for tasting rooms and 26-22-120 for periodic special events. Our guide to Sonoma County agricultural zoning explains the districts in more detail.
If the parcel is under a Williamson Act contract, the contract and the county’s rules for compatible uses also limit how much of the land can go to non-farm uses such as a tasting room. Check before you plan one; see our Williamson Act guide.
The Winery Events Ordinance
The ordinance added Section 26-18-260, Winery Definitions and Standards, to the Zoning Code. It had been in development since 2015, through stakeholder meetings, workshops and hearings; the Planning Commission recommended it 5-0 on June 7, 2022, and the Board continued it on November 1, 2022 before approving a revised version on March 14, 2023, on a 3-2 vote.
What we could and couldn’t confirm
Permit Sonoma’s press release confirms the March 14, 2023 approval. As of our October 2026 review, the county’s Winery Events page still describes the March 2023 hearing as upcoming and doesn’t give an ordinance number or effective date, and we found no later amendments. The standards below come from the Section 26-18-260 text presented to the Board for adoption (Exhibit B). Before you rely on a specific number, read the section as codified in the current Sonoma County Zoning Code or ask Permit Sonoma.
Who it applies to
It applies to new use permit applications, and applications to modify existing permits, for winery visitor-serving activities and events on LIA, LEA and DA land outside the Coastal Zone. Existing wineries and tasting rooms continue under their approved use permits, or under the Zoning Code’s rules for legal nonconforming uses. A buyer who later applies to add visitors or events will be held to the new standards for that application.
The definitions that matter
- Winery visitor-serving activities are standard daily operations: sales activities such as tasting, food and wine pairing, tours and seminars, and wine trade activities attended by invitation only by trade partners.
- Agricultural promotional events go beyond daily operations, such as winemaker lunches and dinners, release parties and wine club parties.
- Industry-wide events are sponsored by a recognized wine industry association, held during regular tasting hours and lasting up to three consecutive days.
The operating standards
| Standard | Section 26-18-260 as presented for adoption |
|---|---|
| Tasting rooms and sales activities | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Wine trade activities | 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Agricultural promotional events | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., with cleanup finished by 10 p.m. |
| Industry-wide events | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Number of events and guests | Set in each use permit, sized to septic, water, access, parking, noise and cumulative effects |
| Parking | 1 space per 2.5 guests and 1 per employee; no parking on public or private roads or shared vineyard roads |
| Traffic | A traffic management plan for all visitor activities; events over 100 participants or using overflow parking need parking attendants, an on-site parking and queuing plan and, if requested, a shuttle plan |
| Food | Food must promote wine and stay secondary; no restaurants, cafes, delis or cooked-to-order food |
| Third-party rentals | Not allowed |
Use permits can set shorter hours than these. The standards are a ceiling for new and modified permits, not an entitlement.
Noise setbacks
The ordinance sets default setbacks from the property line of neighboring noise-sensitive uses, such as homes. A project-specific noise study can support a smaller setback if it shows compliance with the General Plan Noise Element.
| Noise source | Default setback |
|---|---|
| Parking lots | 450 feet |
| Outdoor groups or acoustic music | 625 feet |
| Amplified music, brass, horns or drums | 1,600 feet |
On a small parcel with neighbors close by, the 1,600-foot default for amplified music can rule out outdoor amplified events unless a noise study supports something less, so check this before you pay for a site with events in mind.
Local guidelines in Dry Creek, Westside Road and Sonoma Valley
Permit Sonoma worked with three areas that have concentrations of visitor-serving wineries: Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley and Westside Road. Citizen advisory bodies set up by the Board review projects under their own adopted guidelines and make advisory recommendations to staff, the Board of Zoning Adjustments, the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors.
- Dry Creek Valley. The Citizens Advisory Council developed guidelines for visitor-serving uses in 2017, and the Board added local advisory guidelines to the council’s Blue Book in October 2018. Our Healdsburg guide covers the nearby town.
- Sonoma Valley. The Citizens Advisory Commission adopted guidelines for winery-related use permit applications on May 26, 2021. See our guides to Glen Ellen and Kenwood.
- Westside Road. Permit Sonoma’s page says an advisory group may be formed to develop guidelines; confirm whether any have been adopted.
The guidelines are advisory, but an application that departs from them should expect closer questions at the hearing. Read the current version for the area before you design a project.
The use permit process, step by step
Permit Sonoma outlines this sequence for a winery use permit.
- Apply. File the Use Permit Application (Form PJR-010) electronically with the required documents and initial fees; paper isn’t accepted.
- Planner assigned. Within three days you get a planner and a welcome letter.
- Deposit. The project is billed at cost. A good-faith cost estimate is due within 30 days and is paid into a trust account, with monthly statements; work stops if a balance is due.
- Referrals and completeness. The application goes to other divisions and agencies, and within 30 days you learn whether it is complete. Site-specific studies may be required, such as biotic and cultural resources, water availability, noise and traffic.
- Environmental review. Staff prepare a CEQA document, often a Mitigated Negative Declaration, which circulates for 30 days (sometimes 20).
- Notice and hearing. The site is posted, owners within 300 feet are notified, and the Board of Zoning Adjustments holds a public hearing.
- Appeal period. A BZA approval can be appealed to the Board of Supervisors within 10 days.
- Conditions. Approved applicants generally have 24 months to meet the conditions of approval, after which the permit vests.
Permit Sonoma doesn’t publish a total timeline or a fixed fee, because projects are billed at cost and the studies vary. Water and wastewater are often the long poles; see our guides to Sonoma County groundwater and well rules and winery wastewater. Diamond may refer you to partners we work with; you’re free to choose any provider.
Reading a seller’s winery permit
- Get the permit and every modification, with the conditions of approval and the approved site plan, from the seller and Permit Sonoma’s records.
- Compare permitted and actual operations: visitor counts, hours, the number and size of events, food service, and any rentals.
- Check compliance records, including any complaints or code enforcement, and whether conditions such as road or septic work were completed.
- Identify legal nonconforming uses, and ask counsel what would cause them to be lost.
- Price your plans. If you will need more visitors or events, assume the new standards will apply to that modification.
- Line up the licenses. County permits don’t transfer the alcohol licenses; see our guide to winery license transfers.
Our winery due diligence checklist covers the rest of the review, and our overview of vineyards and wineries for sale in Sonoma County describes the market.
Questions people ask
Do I need a use permit for a tasting room in Sonoma County?
In the LIA, LEA, DA and RRD zones, yes. Tasting rooms are a conditional use there, so they need a use permit with a public hearing. They are prohibited in the TP zone.
Does the Winery Events Ordinance change my existing winery permit?
No. Existing wineries and tasting rooms continue under their approved permits or legal nonconforming status. The standards apply when you apply for a new permit or to modify an existing one.
What hours can a Sonoma County tasting room be open?
Under the 2023 standards for new and modified permits, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and agricultural promotional events from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. A specific permit can set shorter hours, and older permits follow their own conditions.
When is a traffic management plan required for a winery event?
A plan is required for all visitor activities and events. For events over 100 participants, or that use overflow parking, it must include parking attendants, an on-site parking and queuing plan and, if requested, a shuttle plan.
Can I rent my winery for weddings?
Not under a new or modified permit governed by the 2023 standards, which bar rentals to third parties. Check what an existing permit actually allows before you assume anything.
How long does a winery use permit take?
Permit Sonoma publishes the steps but not an overall timeline. With studies, CEQA review, a hearing and a 10-day appeal period, plan for many months, and longer if water, wastewater or traffic issues need work.
Buying or selling a permitted winery
A clear permit file makes a winery easier to value and to sell. This is general information, not legal advice; talk to a California land-use attorney about a specific property. To discuss a Sonoma County winery or tasting room property, contact us.
Sources & notes
- Permit Sonoma: Board of Supervisors approves Winery Events Ordinance (March 14, 2023)
- Permit Sonoma: Winery Events
- Permit Sonoma: Board summary report, Winery Events Ordinance (March 14, 2023)
- Permit Sonoma: Exhibit A, allowed land use table (March 14, 2023)
- Permit Sonoma: Exhibit B, Section 26-18-260 winery definitions and standards (March 14, 2023)
- Permit Sonoma: Winery use permit application process
- Permit Sonoma: Use permits
- CMPR Law: New Sonoma County ordinance, winery events (March 14, 2023)
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
