Welcome to RMA

The Resource Management Agency strives to ensure that its customer service standards are consistent with the Agency’s Mission Statement:

The mission of the Resource Management Agency, in cooperation with the public and our partner agencies, is to protect the consumer and community’s health, safety, and environment by carrying out adopted laws and policies, and educating, assisting, and empowering Ventura County residents and businesses to be good stewards of the land and our resources.

Values

In addition, RMA has identified those core values which will guide us in carrying out our mission. These values are directly related to our customer service and include:

  • Honesty, hard work, and ethical behavior

  • Transparency and accountability

  • Equitable treatment and respect of all constituents

  • Excellence in service delivery

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NEW! Planning telephone-Zoom appointment

Starting on September 5, 2023, customers may schedule a 15-minute telephone or Zoom meeting with a Planner from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Join Online Booking

Online Zoning Clearance Applications

The County of Ventura Planning Division is accepting online Zoning Clearance applications using Citizen Access

Remote Zoning Clearance Permit Processing

New Standardized Plans for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Farmworker/ Animal Caretaker Dwelling Units

The County’s Building & Safety Division has prepared, and is making available to the public, a complete set of standardized plans for one-, two- and three-bedroom units that can be utilized for the construction of Detached ADUs and Farmworker/Animal Caretaker Dwelling Units.

Standardized Plans for ADU

Study of Potential Disadvantaged Community Designations

The Ventura County Planning Division is researching potential disadvantaged community designations in unincorporated areas near the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, and Santa Paula and is seeking public input on the environmental pollution burdens and socioeconomic burdens that may be experienced by community members in these areas.

Project Website

Renewable Energy Program COS-O

Updates are available for General Plan implementation work for Policy EV-4.4 and Programs COS-O and HAZ-O to plan for the development of renewable energy generation and battery energy storage facilities. Click on the link below for the recent Planning Director Use Equivalency Determination.

Renewable Energy Program COS-O

Proposed Amendments to Oil and Gas Regulations

The Board of Supervisors directed the Resource Management Agency to propose Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance (NCZO) and Coastal Zoning Ordinance (CZO) amendments to revise certain oil and gas regulations.

Proposed Amendments to Oil and Gas Regulations

Senate Bill 9, Ministerial Two-Unit Housing Development and Lot Splits

Effective January 1, 2022, Senate Bill 9 allows eligible properties in single-family residential zones to construct two units, or to split their lot to accommodate additional units, with a ministerial permit.

Senate Bill 9, Ministerial Second Units and Lot Splits

RI-NU Wastewater Treatment Facility

Applicant seeks to continue to accept, treat and dispose offsite by trucks various types of non-hazardous waste streams.

RI-NU Wastewater Treatment Facility

Ventura Ranch Housing Project

The County received discretionary applications for a Tentative Parcel Map and a Planned Development Permit for a 328-unit for a farmworker housing complex called Ventura Ranch.

Ventura Ranch Housing Project



 

The Planning Division provides land use services to the public in the areas of residential, commercial and industrial permitting, engages in long range community planning and zoning enforcement, and coordinates a variety of regional programs in the unincorporated areas of Ventura County.


Planning and regulation of land use stem from the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which gives police power to the States. The courts have held that this police power may be used to regulate a wide variety of activities as long as it is exercised in a manner that is related to the protection of the public’s health, safety, and welfare, and does not contradict constitutional principles, including the concepts of due process, equal protection, and the unlawful taking of property without compensation. State and community planning, zoning, subdivision regulations, sign controls, growth management regulations and environmental regulations are all examples of police power.

Our website is designed to inform and educate the public about the services we provide and to allow easy access to planning documents and studies, environmental documents, Zoning Ordinances, the County General Plan and Area Plans, permit application materials, meeting agendas for the Planning Commission and other hearings, and relevant census and demographic information.

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The chief responsibility of the Planning Division is to regulate the use of land and structures within unincorporated areas of the county. Using these regulations and others, the Planning Division issues permits for uses and structures and enforces both permit conditions and maintains consistency with the County’s Zoning Ordinances and General Plan.

Planning Office:

Ventura County Government Center Administration Building - 3rd Floor
Resource Management Agency
Planning Division
800 S. Victoria Avenue
Ventura, CA 93009

Planning and Zoning Information: Office Hours open to Public – Monday through Friday from 8 am to 2 pm. Customers can also schedule a 15-minute appointment with Planning Staff Monday through Friday from 2 pm to 3 pm. Inquiries can be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or the phone numbers below:

(805) 654-2488 or (805) 654-2451

Discretionary Permit Coordinator: To submit a Conditional Use Permit, Planned Development Permit, Subdivision Application, or other Discretionary Permit Applications contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for an appointment at (805) 654-2468.

Ayuda en Español: (805) 654-2451

More information on the public counter services in the Planning Division can be found here.

Additional Resources:

About Us

Hours and Counter Services

Planning Division Policy, Programs & Permitting Section Organization/Teams

Contact Planning

Staff Phone and Email Directory

Planning Division Organizational Chart

Public Brochures and Frequently Requested Information

Recently Approved and Pending Projects List - Updated monthly, this map and accompanying list show the discretionary projects approved by the Planning Division in the last six months and projects currently in process.

Public Hearing Agendas - Agendas and staff reports for Planning Commission, Cultural Heritage Board, and Mobile Home Park Rent Review Board hearings.

One-Stop Permitting Website - This website provides both an overview of the County development process and step-by-step guidance to individuals seeking land use permits for residential, commercial, and industrial development projects of subdivisions within unincorporated Ventura County.

What's My Zoning? - This tool identifies the zoning designation for parcels located within the unincorporated areas of Ventura County.

County View Interactive Map - This free online GIS map includes a variety of data layers available to the public including aerial photographs, zoning information, assessor parcel numbers, jurisdictional boundaries, and general plan designations. Start your search by typing in an address.

Citizen Access - This online permitting database provides real-time, direct access to all Planning permits that are in process or have already been issued. Information on permits issued by other county departments is also available on this system.

Permit NavigatorHave you submitted a permit application but are experiencing difficulty in having your permit issued?  Have you submitted a permit application but are receiving conflicting information regarding your permit application?

First, contact the department director:
Planning – Dave Ward
Building & Safety – Ruben Barrera
Environmental Health – Charles Genkel
Code Compliance – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If this is not able to resolve your concerns please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Management Assistant to the Director of RMA.

If your concerns still have not been resolved, please contact the Permit Navigator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The Permit Navigator works to facilitate process improvements that result in a more user-friendly permitting process both for customers and staff.  The Navigator works county-wide and across departments, agencies, and divisions to accomplish these results.   It is important to note that the Permit Navigator does not have the authority to revise, relax or ignore any laws, code requirements or minimum standards.