Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find information that might help you understand how to find things or learn about information you might need to know about your city or town.

Code Compliance

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  • Before submitting a Code Compliance complaint, have you considered mediation? Sometimes issues can be resolved between neighbors without a Code Officer’s official involvement.  The Conflict Resolution Center (CRC), is a non-profit provider of mediation and counseling, working with residents, businesses, and organizations of Nevada County to find common ground. You can access more information by visiting ResolveConflicts.org.

    Code Compliance

  • The County does not enforce easement disputes. These are personal legal matters and are resolved civilly.  You may wish to contact the Nevada County Law Library or an attorney for legal advice.

    Code Compliance

  • You can see how to request a review by visiting the administration citation review page.

    Code Compliance

  • Learn about the hearing process and request a hearing on the administrative hearing page.

    Code Compliance

  • All complaints must be verified before any action is taken on our part, therefore a Code Officer will visit your property to confirm the validity of the complaint. If the complaint is valid, the Officer will explain to you all violations that currently exist on your property and the actions necessary to correct them.


    You will also be a given a time frame to correct the violations. The goal of Code Compliance is to achieve voluntary compliance whenever possible. If however, you choose not to work with the County to correct the outstanding issues, you can be cited and ordered to appear in Nevada County Superior Court.

    Code Compliance

  • Code Compliance investigations are the result of public complaints, or referrals from the Board of Supervisors or other agencies regarding conditions on specific properties. We are obligated to act upon those complaints and resolve any violations that may be present.


    Every effort is made to enforce Nevada County standards fairly and consistently. If conditions on another property are of concern to you, please report them to the Code Compliance Division, using the complaint form (PDF).

    Code Compliance

  • The typical steps of the code compliance process include:

      1. A report of an alleged violation is filed with Code Compliance.
      2. A site inspection of the property will occur to determine if a violation exists.
      3. If a violation exists, a “Violation Warning Letter” is generally sent out to the Property Owner.
      4. The Violation Warning Letter will provide a timeframe to cure or fix the violation. That timeframe depends upon the nature of the violation, but generally will allow up to 30 days for compliance. *
      5. If compliance is not achieved, a “Citation Warning Letter,” is generally sent out, allowing for a second chance at compliance before further enforcement actions are taken. 
      6. If none of these enforcement actions yield compliance, a citation may be issued.  
      7. Citations depend upon the nature of the violation. At the lower level, citations start at $100 per violation for the first citation, rise to $200 per violation for the second, then $500 for the third and subsequent citations. Higher level citations for Buildings-related, or safety violations start at $130 per violation, for the first citation, $700 per violation for the second, and $1300 for third and subsequent citations. 
      8. Collection of payment for these citations are handled by the Code Compliance division, or a Collections Agency. If the citations are not paid, they may be added to the tax roll as a special assessment.
      9. Finally, if compliance is not achieved through the citation process, the County may initiate Abatement Proceedings, and/or record a “Notice of Violation” or “Notice of Pendency” on the property.  

        * If the Violation identified poses an immediate life, health or safety risk, for example, leaking septic, fire/electrical danger, or risk of structural collapse, among others, the timeframes and citations for noncompliance may be accelerated seeking more immediate action.
         
        Please remember - the goal of the Nevada County Code Compliance Division is to achieve voluntary compliance on the part of the property owner/tenant, and we will work with you while you form a reasonable and responsible plan for achieving compliance.
    Code Compliance

  • The following organizations may be helpful in non-code compliance complaint situations:

    Code Compliance

  • The length of time given to each property owner varies based on each case and the violations present. Our goal is voluntary compliance whenever possible and we will work with you to achieve this goal.

    Code Compliance