Plans, Policies, and Regulations

The Marin Countywide Plan (CWP) is the comprehensive long-range general plan that guides land use and development in the unincorporated areas of Marin County. The CWP was amended in January 2023 and includes the 2023 Housing Element.

The Local Coastal Program is a land use plan for Marin County’s coastal zone that guides land use and development in accordance with the California Coastal Act.

There are 22 separate Community and Area Plans that contain policies to guide land use and development in the unincorporated areas of Marin County.

Marin County has a variety of land use plans and reports that relate to specific topics such as transportation, telecommunication facilities, Gnoss Field airport, and property development surveys.

Development in the Marin County Coastal Zone is governed by Title 20 – the Coastal Zoning Code, formally known as the Marin County Local Coastal Program, Implementation Plan Regulations.

The Development Code contains the zoning and subdivision regulations for all unincorporated areas of Marin County that are not within the coastal zone.

The Single family Residential Design Guidelines establish criteria for the design of detached single-family residences.

The Multi-family Residential Design Guidelines establish criteria for the design of multi-family residential developments.

The Form Based Code establishes objective design standards for multi-unit housing development and is incorporated by reference into the Development Code.