Victorville, CA
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FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Expand/Contract Questions and Answers
Certificates of occupancy can be applied for online. Just visit the City's Citizen Self Service Portal to apply for your certificate of occupancy.
- Once your certificate of occupancy has been applied for and fees paid, please contact the Building Department and Fire Prevention Division directly to schedule your inspections. The Building Department can be reached at (760) 955-5100 and the Fire Prevention Division can be reached at (760) 955-5227.
Building inspections are conducted Monday-Friday in the morning between the hours of 8am-12pm, or the afternoon between the hours of 1pm-5pm. When you schedule your inspection through the City's Citizen Self Service Portal, you are able to choose both the date and time frame (AM or PM) for your inspection.
Immediately upon completion of the building inspection (either approved or failed), inspection results are emailed to the contacts on the building permit. If the inspection is failed, the email notification will include the reasons the inspection was failed.
You can find the status of your case by logging in to our Citizen Access Portal. If you are not registered as a user and not identified as either a property owner or complainant on the case, be sure to register as a user and then call (760) 955-5104 to have us add you to the case.
Or,
You can find out the status of your case by contacting us at (760) 955-5104 and in person at City Hall.
If you have received an invoice from the Code Enforcement Division, then it means two things. First, a Notice of Pendency, or lien, has been recorded on the property. This lien is intended to notice all interested parties that there is an active Code Enforcement case and there are potentially substandard or nuisance conditions that exist thereupon. Additionally, it means all costs associated with administering the City's case are owed to the City and shall be paid prior to its withdrawal. The invoice was generated and is inclusive of all associated costs. It will not accrue interest, but it is best to first comply and then pay it so that the lien can be removed because these liens tend to prevent a person from transferring the property to another or refinancing the loans that use the property as collateral.
Lastly, if you believe this was sent to you in error or there are costs that you do not agree with, then you may contact us at (760) 955-5104.
In all cases, our goal is to obtain voluntary compliance via a cooperative partnership with the property owner or occupants that are impacting the community or commercial zones. To that end, the following is a process that has long been established with proven positive results.
Receive, Process, and Prioritize the Complaint
- A case is created. An officer is assigned for initial inspection to be conducted within 72 hours.
- Priority is set based on the nature of the complaint and impacts to health and safety.
Inspect and Confirm Reported Violations
- A Notice of Violation is issued to the property owner/ occupant if violations are identified.
- A re-inspection occurs within 30 days or sooner to verify violations have been corrected.
- If violations are corrected, the case is closed
Additional Enforcement- If Violations Are Unresolved
- A Notice of Pendency (lien) is recorded with the San Bernardino County Recorder.
- An administrative citation is issued at the first penalty level ($100) for each unresolved violation. A re-inspection is typically done within 15 days to follow up after the citation is issued.
- Additional administrative citations are issued at the second, third and fourth penalty levels ($200, $400, $1000 respectively) for each unresolved violation. Depending on the violations and their severity, re-inspections and citations can be done every day, but typically every 15 days.
- Issue misdemeanor citations for San Bernardino County Superior Court appearance.
- Issue orders to vacate or stop work orders for construction without permits.
- Compliance time extensions are granted only if violations are in the process of being corrected.
Abatement Actions- If Needed
- Secure abatement warrants to address high priority violations unsecured structures.
- Initiate a Notice to Abate action for possible demolition actions.
- Refer the case to the City Attorney for a property receivership appointment action.
Case Closure
- Occurs after the violations are corrected by the occupant or property owner.
- Fines, City enforcement, legal and abatement expenses are recovered.
- A Notice of Pendency withdrawal is completed.
- Applications are submitted online through the City's Citizen Self Service Portal. You may also wish to visit our permit submittal requirements page for additional information prior to applying for your permit.
Personal Cultivation:
Per State law, the city is required to allow cultivation for personal use of six or fewer cannabis plants within a single private residence. Victorville further regulates this allowance, as follows:
- Personal cultivation shall take place indoors only. There shall be no exterior visibility or evidence of cannabis cultivation, including odors. Outdoor cultivation is not permitted.
- Personal cultivation shall only occur in residential zones of the City.
- No more than a total of six cannabis plants, mature or immature, are permitted on the premises of a private residence.
- Cannabis cultivation for personal use may not be sold.
Commercial Cannabis Activity Prohibited:
With one limited exception, Victorville prohibits all commercial cannabis activity license types from establishing, operating, maintaining, conducting, allowing, or engaging in commercial cannabis activity, whether or not for profit, anywhere within the City of Victorville.
Limited Exception:“State-licensed” medicinal cannabis delivery services that are established/located outside the jurisdictional boundaries of the City of Victorville are permitted to make deliveries of medicinal cannabis and cannabis products only to Qualified Patients possessing Identification Cards (or their primary caregivers) within the City of Victorville, provided such delivery services comply with the provisions of Section 13.150.040 of Ordinance No. 2376, and all other applicable State and local laws and regulations.
- Walls and fences 3 feet in height or taller require a building permit when located in the rear or side yards. Walls and fences eighteen inches or taller require a building permit when located within front yards. For more information as to when a permit is required, please contact the Building Division at (760) 955-5100.
- The Planning Commission meets on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The City Hall Council Chambers are located at 14343 Civic Drive. You may stop by the Planning Division to view a copy of the Planning Commission Agenda or they can be downloaded from our City Agenda page here. Planning Commission Agendas can be accessed on the Friday preceding the Planning Commission meeting. For more information, please contact the Planning Division Staff at (760) 955-5135.
You can find the zoning district for a particular piece of property by
- Entering in the address online here
- Asking Planning Division Staff by calling (760) 955-5135; or
- Making an email request to planning@victorvilleca.gov
- Our public counter is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Fridays. You may reach us at (760) 955-5135 or stop by the Planning Division, located at 14343 Civic Drive.
- A setback is the distance by which a structure or other feature must be separated from a lot line or other designated point or line. Since setbacks vary by zoning district, it is recommended you speak with Planning Division Staff to help you determine the zoning and setbacks for a particular piece of property. You can obtain this information by calling the Planning Division at (760) 955-5135 or by emailing the request to planning@victorvilleca.gov
- Sign regulations vary by property. Thus, before you change or add new signs, we recommend you speak to your property manager and the Planning Division at (760) 955-5135 to review all of the related sign regulations. Then, if advised, you can apply for a sign permit online through the City's Citizen Self Service Portal.
- The City may have copies of your blueprints. If you would like to request a copy, please complete the Public Records Request Form or contact the Building Division for further assistance at (760) 955-5100.
- Yes, a banner requires a permit and is only permitted on a temporary basis, 30 days per quarter annually and only in connection with store openings, special sales or promotions. Please contact the Planning Division at (760) 955-5135 to learn more.
Have your voice heard: There are two main ways to get involved – a survey and two public workshops.
Survey
The City invites the community to provide input on housing needs and opportunities in Victorville. Please ensure your priorities for housing are heard by taking the online survey.
Public Workshops
The first public workshop will be held on February 1, 2021 at 5:00 pm. The meeting will be held virtually. Check back here for a link to join the meeting.
- ALL INTERESTED PERSONS are invited to attend said Public Meeting to express their opinion in this matter.
A second public workshop will be held in March to share the draft Housing Element update and gather public input on it. Check back on this page for public notices and workshop presentations.
- At this time the City of Victorville is in the middle of a transition period and has limited shelter spaces for lost dogs. The city is asking our residents to partner with us by trying to find the owner by posting the lost animals to the following websites: Paw Boost, the neighborhood app, and the nextdoor app. In many cases a lost dog will wander back home so long as it is not removed from the neighborhood it was found wandering. If you have any additional questions and to place the animal on our lost and found list, please call the City of Victorville Animal Control at (760) 955-5089.