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Sonoma County Agricultural Zoning for Vineyards: LIA, LEA, DA and RRD

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Unincorporated Sonoma County has four main zones for farm and rural land: Land Intensive Agriculture (LIA), Land Extensive Agriculture (LEA), Diverse Agriculture (DA) and Resources and Rural Development (RRD), all in Article 06 of the county Zoning Code. Growing grapes is a permitted use in all four, but a winery’s processing facility generally needs a conditional use permit in every one of them, and so does a tasting room, and the density number attached to the zoning sets how many homes a parcel can have and how small new lots can be.

Zoning is the first question on any rural Sonoma parcel, because it decides if a plan needs only a building permit or a public hearing. This guide explains what each zone is for, how to read the zoning string on a parcel report, what each zone allows for vineyards, wineries, housing and visitors, the vineyard planting permit, and how to pull the zoning for an APN. For the permit process behind a tasting room, see our companion guide to Sonoma County winery use permits.

The agricultural and resource zones at a glance

The UC Cooperative Extension’s Sonoma County agricultural ombudsman page gives the county-wide footprint of each zone and notes which are “right to farm” zones, where the county’s Right to Farm Ordinance protects a farmer’s right to continue normal practices, subject to health and safety standards.

Zone	Acres (share of county)	Right to Farm?	Planning notes
LIA, Land Intensive Agriculture	74,255 (7.7%)	Yes	The General Plan bars new parcels smaller than 20 acres (Policy AR-3a)
LEA, Land Extensive Agriculture	186,462 (19.3%)	Yes	Subdivisions may cluster some lots on 1.5 to 10 acres if the rest stays in farming (Policy AR-3b)
DA, Diverse Agriculture	68,845 (7.1%)	Yes	Recreational uses, specifically bed and breakfast inns and campgrounds of 30 or fewer sites, are limited to LEA and DA (Policy AR-6a)
RRD, Resources and Rural Development	492,658 (about 51%)	No	Protects timber, geothermal, aggregate, watershed and wildlife land and allows only very low-density housing

Two related zones come up on vineyard searches. Timberland Production (TP) is also in Article 06; tasting rooms and crop production are not allowed there.

Agriculture and Residential (AR), in the residential article, allows unlimited animal and crop production on parcels of two acres or more, but it is not a right-to-farm zone and agriculture isn’t its primary use. Our guide to ranch and acreage properties covers animal limits in these zones.

Reading the zoning string: base zone, density and combining districts

A Sonoma County parcel report shows more than the zone name. Permit Sonoma explains that the numbers after the zone set density: in rural areas the first number is acres per dwelling unit, and a second number sets the minimum lot size for a subdivision. Its own examples:

RRD 60: one dwelling unit for every 60 acres.
RRD CC B6 160/240: one unit per 160 acres, a 240-acre minimum for new lots, and “CC,” which marks land in the Coastal Zone, governed by the separate coastal zoning code, Chapter 26C.
AR B6 10/3: one unit per 10 acres, with a 3-acre minimum for subdivided lots.

Letters after the density are combining districts that add rules on top of the base zone. Ones that matter on vineyard land include SR (Scenic Resources), RC (Riparian Corridor), VOH and OAK (valley oak and oak woodland habitat), BH (Biotic Habitat), F1 and F2 (floodway and floodplain), G (Geologic Hazard Area), LG (Local Guidelines), TS (Traffic Sensitive), X (Vacation Rental Exclusion) and Z (Accessory Unit Exclusion). A Z on the parcel, for example, can rule out a second unit you were counting on.

Density is not the only limit on splitting land. The General Plan’s 20-acre floor in LIA applies regardless of the density number, and land under a Williamson Act contract can’t be divided into new parcels smaller than 10 acres for Type I preserves or 40 acres for Type II, or the preserve’s established minimum if larger (Policy AR-8c). See our Williamson Act guide and our guide to subdividing land in Sonoma and Napa.

What each zone allows

This table comes from the county’s agricultural and resource zone land use table as presented with the March 2023 Winery Events Ordinance. “P” is permitted, “P*” is permitted subject to discretionary criteria, “C” needs a conditional use permit, and a dash means the use isn’t allowed. Permitted uses still need the normal building, septic and well permits, and many have their own standards in the code.

Use	LIA	LEA	DA	RRD
Agricultural crop production, including vineyards	P	P	P	P
Agricultural processing, which includes wineries	C	C	C	C
Small-scale agricultural processing	P*	P*	P*	P*
Tasting rooms	C	C	C	C
Periodic special events	P*	P*	P*	P*
Agricultural support services	P* or C	P* or C	P* or C	Not allowed
Farm retail sales and farm stands	P	P	P	P
Single-family dwelling, ADU and junior ADU	P	P	P	P
Farm family dwelling	P	P	Not allowed	Not allowed
Guest house	P	P	P	P
Agricultural employee housing: caretaker, full-time, seasonal, temporary camp	P	P	P	P
Agricultural employee housing: year-round or extended seasonal	P	P	P	Not allowed
Agricultural farmstay	P	P	P	P
Agricultural marketing accommodations	C	C	C	Not allowed
Bed and breakfast	Not allowed	C	C	C
Hosted rental	P	P	P	P
Vacation rental	Not allowed	P	P	P
Campgrounds	Not allowed	C	C	C
Horse boarding	P	P	P	P

Three patterns stand out for buyers. LIA is the strictest for visitors, with no vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts or campgrounds.

A winery generally needs a use permit in every agricultural zone, so a “winery parcel” without one is just vineyard land. The table does list small-scale agricultural processing separately, permitted subject to discretionary criteria, so ask Planning where a small operation would fit. And a vacation rental allowed by the base zone can still be blocked by an X combining district or a Williamson Act contract. The table comes from the 2023 ordinance materials, so confirm each use against the current adopted code before you rely on it; our guide to Sonoma County vacation rental rules covers permits and caps.

Wineries, tasting rooms and events

The General Plan’s Agricultural Resources Element sets the tone for every winery application. Processing is allowed in all three agricultural categories only where it “supports and is proportional to agricultural production” (Policy AR-5a).

Visitor-serving uses “shall be secondary and incidental to agricultural production” (Objective AR-6.1), new restaurants and lodging are prohibited except as the policies allow, and hotels, motels and resorts are not allowed. Policy AR-6f treats local concentrations of visitor uses as detrimental and lists road access, groundwater draw and rural character as factors.

Since 2023, new and modified permits for winery visitor activities in LIA, LEA and DA outside the Coastal Zone must meet countywide standards for hours, parking, traffic plans and noise setbacks. The details, and how to read a seller’s permit, are in our winery use permit guide.

Housing on agricultural land

Permit Sonoma says agricultural housing is exempt from density limits when it is directly related to managing and caring for the farm operation. The types it lists:

Agricultural employee dwelling unit: for a full-time agricultural employee and family, at one unit per 20 acres of permanent crops, 50 dairy animals, 100 grazing animals, 30 horses, 3 acres of field-grown nursery stock or 1 acre of greenhouse, among other ratios.
Farm family dwelling unit: for members of the farm operator’s family; requires an agricultural easement of at least 20 years, and on LIA land a Williamson Act contract. The General Plan says it can’t be subdivided from the farm parcel (Policy AR-7b).
Caretaker unit: one year-round unit on properties with seasonal farmworker housing and a qualifying operation.
Seasonal farmworker housing: occupied less than 180 days a year, on parcels of at least 1.5 acres, for up to 19 farmworkers.
Temporary farmworker camps: occupied less than 90 days a year, with up to four self-contained RVs or travel trailers.
Year-round and extended seasonal housing: occupied more than 180 days a year, on parcels of at least 10 acres, for up to 38 farmworkers unless a use permit is obtained.

Permit Sonoma lists park, traffic and affordable-housing fee waivers for many of these units under 1,200 square feet. State law adds a floor: under Health and Safety Code section 17021.6, employee housing of no more than 36 beds in group quarters, or 12 units or spaces for households, is deemed an agricultural land use, and it can’t be required to get a conditional use permit or other discretionary zoning clearance that other farm uses in the same zone don’t need.

On contracted Williamson Act land, the county’s contract rules on residences also apply. For ADUs and building lots generally, see our guide to land, building lots and ADUs in Sonoma County.

Planting a vineyard: the VESCO permit

Zoning allows the vines; a separate permit governs the ground work. Sonoma County Code Chapter 36 requires a permit for vineyard and orchard planting, replanting and agricultural grading or drainage, issued by the county Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures, and the permit must be approved before any work begins. The application sets two levels by slope and soil:

Project	Level I	Level II
New planting, no highly erodible soils	Under 15% slope	15% to 50% slope
Replanting, no highly erodible soils	Under 30% slope	30% or more
New planting, any highly erodible soils	Under 10% slope	10% to 50% slope
Replanting, any highly erodible soils	Under 15% slope	15% or more

Planting on slopes over 50% is prohibited. Every new planting needs a biological assessment, Level II projects need engineered erosion control plans, and sites in the Russian River watershed that use water for frost protection need a frost protection registration.

Site work for new plantings must happen between April 1 and October 15, applications filed after September 15 may not be issued the same year, and a VESCO permit expires five years after it is issued. Our guides to vineyard development and Sonoma County groundwater and well rules cover the water side.

How to look up zoning for a Sonoma County parcel

Confirm it’s unincorporated. Inside a city, the city’s zoning applies, not Chapter 26.
Pull the parcel report. Search the APN or address in Permit Sonoma’s Parcel Search and note the full zoning string, including the B6 density and every combining district.
Read the combining districts. Check each one against the plan: SR and RC can shape building sites, Z can bar a second unit, X can bar vacation rentals, and CC sends you to the coastal code.
Check contracts and easements. Ask the title officer and Permit Sonoma about any Williamson Act contract, agricultural easement or conservation easement.
Check the permit history. Look for VESCO permits, use permits and building permits, and compare them with what’s on the ground.
Call Planning. Permit Sonoma’s Planning Division takes zoning questions at (707) 565-1900, option 5. For anything that needs a use permit, ask Planning about the process and likely studies before you remove contingencies.

Our vineyard due diligence guide covers the rest of the review, and our Sonoma wine appellations guide explains the AVAs that often matter as much as the zone.

This is general information, not legal advice; talk to a California land-use attorney about a specific parcel and plan.

Questions people ask

What is LIA zoning in Sonoma County?

Land Intensive Agriculture, a farm zone covering about 74,255 acres. Crop production, including vineyards, is permitted; wineries and tasting rooms need a use permit; vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts and campgrounds aren’t allowed; and the General Plan bars new parcels under 20 acres.

What is the difference between LIA, LEA and DA?

All three are right-to-farm agricultural zones. LIA has the 20-acre floor on new parcels and allows no vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts or campgrounds. LEA, the largest by acreage, allows clustered subdivisions and, like DA, can consider bed and breakfasts and campgrounds with a use permit; DA doesn’t allow farm family dwellings.

Can I build a winery on LIA, LEA or DA land?

Generally only with a conditional use permit, which requires a public hearing. Agricultural processing, which includes wineries, and tasting rooms are conditional uses in LIA, LEA, DA and RRD; a separate small-scale processing category is permitted subject to discretionary criteria.

Can I plant a vineyard without a permit in Sonoma County?

Vineyards are a permitted use in the agricultural zones, but planting, replanting and agricultural grading need a VESCO permit from the county Department of Agriculture/Weights & Measures before work begins, and planting on slopes over 50% is prohibited.

What does B6 mean on Sonoma County zoning?

It is the density combining district. In rural areas the first number is acres per dwelling unit and an optional second number is the minimum lot size for subdivisions; “RRD CC B6 160/240” means 160 acres per unit and 240-acre minimum lots.

Can I have a vacation rental on agricultural land in Sonoma County?

Not in LIA. The land use table permits vacation rentals in LEA, DA and RRD, but an X combining district, a Williamson Act contract or the county’s vacation rental permit rules can still rule one out.

How many farmworker units can I build on a vineyard?

For full-time agricultural employee units, Permit Sonoma’s ratio is one per 20 acres of permanent crops. Seasonal housing for up to 19 workers needs at least 1.5 acres, and year-round housing for up to 38 workers needs at least 10 acres and is not allowed in RRD.

How do I look up the zoning for a Sonoma County parcel?

Search the APN or address in Permit Sonoma’s Parcel Search, then read the full zoning string, including the density and combining districts, and call the Planning Division at (707) 565-1900, option 5, with questions.

Looking at rural Sonoma land for vines, a winery or a house? Start with our vineyard and winery property services, or contact us with an APN and we’ll walk through its zoning, contracts and permit history with you before you write an offer.

Sources & notes

Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.