The Clackamas County Code is the set of local laws adopted by the Board of County Commissioners that governs land use, building safety, animals, noise, short-term rentals, solid waste, and related matters in the unincorporated parts of the county. If you live inside an incorporated city such as Lake Oswego or Oregon City, that city’s own municipal code applies to you instead. The county code is organized into numbered titles and chapters, and knowing which title covers your situation is the fastest way to find the rule you need or figure out whether the county can act on a complaint.
How the Code Is Organized
Each major subject area has its own title, and within each title individual chapters address specific topics. The titles most residents encounter are:
- Title 5 — Animals: dog licensing, dangerous-dog rules, and animal enforcement.
- Title 6 — Public Protection: noise control, curfew, and graffiti.
- Title 7 — Roads: road use and right-of-way regulations.
- Title 8 — Business Regulations: short-term rentals and transient lodging tax.
- Title 9 — Buildings: the building code, dangerous structures, excavation, and erosion control.
- Title 10 — Franchises: solid waste, recycling, cable television, and ambulance services.
- Title 12 — Zoning and Development Ordinance: zoning districts, setbacks, permitted uses, accessory dwelling units, and marijuana facility siting.
One point that catches people out: zoning and land use are in Title 12, not Title 10. Title 10 covers franchise subjects such as solid waste hauling and recycling licenses.1Clackamas County. Clackamas County Code
Zoning and Land Use
Title 12 contains the Zoning and Development Ordinance, usually called the ZDO. It sets the requirements that determine how land can be used across unincorporated Clackamas County.2Clackamas County. Zoning and Development Ordinance The ZDO classifies every parcel into a zoning district — residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, and others — and spells out what can be built or operated in each. Permitted uses, setback distances, maximum building heights, and lot coverage limits all vary by district. The county publishes zoning maps showing which district applies to any given parcel, and checking those maps before buying property or starting a project is the single most useful step you can take.
Accessory Dwelling Units
ADU rules are in ZDO Section 839. Inside an urban growth boundary, an ADU can be up to 900 square feet in most districts and up to 500 square feet in the R-2.5 district. Outside an urban growth boundary, the cap is also 900 square feet, and the ADU must sit within 100 feet of the primary dwelling.3Clackamas County. ZDO 839 – Accessory Dwelling Units Rural ADUs must meet wildfire hazard mitigation standards, including State Fire Marshal defensible-space rules in wildland-urban interface areas. One restriction surprises many owners: ADUs in the county cannot be used as short-term rentals.4Clackamas County. FAQ – ADUs in Rural Residential Areas
Marijuana Production, Processing, and Retail
ZDO Section 841 controls where commercial cannabis operations can locate. Production is allowed in agricultural and forest districts such as AG/F, EFU, and TBR. Retail is limited to commercial districts including C-2 and C-3 and several mixed-use zones. Retailers must sit at least 2,000 feet from any public or private elementary or secondary school, measured from the school’s lot line to the closest point of the retail space, and at least 100 feet from any residential zoning district. The 100-foot buffer does not apply if the property fronts a principal arterial or interstate highway.5Clackamas County. Ordinance ZDO-271 – Zoning and Development Ordinance Section 841
Building Permits and Safety
Title 9 covers building safety across four chapters: dangerous buildings and structures (9.01), enforcement of the county building code (9.02), excavation and grading (9.03), and erosion prevention (9.04).6Clackamas County. Clackamas County Code – Title 9 Buildings You need a building permit before new construction, additions, or significant remodeling on any structure in unincorporated county land. Building code violations are treated as the highest enforcement priority. Permits that require plan review — building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical — go through the county’s Development Direct online portal.7Clackamas County. How to Apply for a Permit
Noise Rules
Chapter 6.05 covers noise in unincorporated Clackamas County.8Clackamas County. Apply for a Noise Variance The ordinance applies a lower noise threshold between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and enforcement officers can measure sound levels and issue citations for overnight noise that exceeds the code’s limits. If you need to do something legitimately noisy at those hours — an early concrete pour, a weekend event — you can apply in advance for a noise variance. Applying ahead of time is far cheaper than fighting a citation afterward.
Dog Licensing
Chapter 5.01 requires every dog in Clackamas County to be licensed, and owners have 30 days after acquiring a dog or moving into the county to get one.9Clackamas County. Dog Licenses and Laws A current rabies vaccination is required. Current fees:
- One year, spayed or neutered: $32
- One year, fertile: $52
- Three years, spayed or neutered: $96
- Three years, fertile: $156
- Replacement tag: $5
The chapter also addresses dangerous dogs, requiring owners to keep them in a secure enclosure meeting standards approved by the county’s Hearings Officer. A continuing violation, such as a dog that roams free day after day, can produce a separate citation for each day it continues.10Clackamas County. Clackamas County Code Chapter 5.01 – Animal Licensing, Services and Enforcement
Short-Term Rentals
Chapter 8.10 regulates short-term rentals, defined as any dwelling unit rented for lodging for up to 30 consecutive nights.11Clackamas County. Clackamas County Code Chapter 8.10 – Short-Term Rentals You must register the property with the county before advertising it or hosting any guests. The registration application requires the property location and owner contact information, proof of liability insurance covering the rental, a transient room tax registration form, a designated contact person authorized to respond to complaints, and a signed affidavit confirming compliance with building, fire, and occupancy standards.
Maximum occupancy is two people per sleeping area plus four additional occupants. Temporary beds like roll-out cots or fold-out couches do not count as sleeping areas, but the people using them do count toward the four extra occupants. Guests cannot sublease or use the property to generate income beyond their own stay.
Operators also owe a 6% transient lodging tax on stays of up to 30 consecutive calendar days under Ordinance 8.02, and must register with the county and collect the tax from guests.12Clackamas County. Transient Lodging Tax Failing to register or collect the tax is a separate violation from any issue with the rental registration itself.
Solid Waste
Solid waste rules sit in Chapter 10.03 under Title 10, not under Title 6.13Clackamas County. Codes Enforced in Clackamas County Accumulations of trash, junk, and debris on private property can trigger a code enforcement investigation, especially when the conditions create health hazards or attract vermin.
Filing a Code Enforcement Complaint
Code Enforcement handles a specific list of codes: the ZDO (Title 12), building safety (Title 9), solid waste (Chapter 10.03), road use (Chapter 7.03), graffiti (Chapter 6.11), and Oregon DEQ rules. Many complaints the county receives fall under a different agency — a city government, a state agency, or a homeowners’ association — and the county cannot act on those.
To file a complaint about a violation the county does handle, use the complaint form on the county website.14Clackamas County. County Code Violation Complaint Include the exact address, a clear description of what you’re seeing, and supporting evidence such as dated photographs.
Anonymous vs. Confidential Complaints
Anonymous complaints, where no name or contact information is provided, are not investigated at all.15Clackamas County. Complaints Intake Policy You can request confidentiality, but the rule depends on the type of violation. For non-safety issues, two separate confidential complaints from different people are required before the county opens an investigation. For life, health, safety, or environmental hazards, a single confidential complaint is enough, and the same applies if confirmed criminal activity is occurring on the property. Either way, you must give the county your name and contact information. Confidential means the county shields your identity as allowed by state law; it does not mean reporting without identifying yourself.
Enforcement Priorities and Penalties
Not every violation gets the same attention. The Board of Commissioners uses a priority ranking from 1 (most urgent) to 7 (least urgent), with Priority 1 covering serious threats to the public or environment.16Clackamas County. 2018 Code Enforcement Violation Priorities All building code violations automatically receive Priority 1 status. The county pursues most categories through Priority 4, so violations ranked 5 through 7 may receive less active enforcement depending on available resources.
When a violation is confirmed, the penalty structure sets a minimum fine of $750 and allows up to $5,000 per violation under the applicable statute. For continuing violations, each day counts as a separate offense and can carry its own daily penalty.17Clackamas County. Clackamas County Code Enforcement Penalties That accumulation is what turns an ignored notice into a genuinely expensive problem.
Cases are heard by an independent Code Enforcement Hearings Officer who decides on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners. Hearings are open to the public and conducted virtually through Zoom, with a link posted about one week before the hearing date. The Hearings Officer’s decision is the county’s final determination, and any further appeal goes to Clackamas County Circuit Court.18Clackamas County. Code Enforcement Hearings Officer