CHAPTER 2. Boundaries [23070. - 23296.]

Chapter 2 added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.

§§ 23070–23296 · 166 sections

1. ARTICLE 1. Terms Defined §§ 23070–23077 · 8 sections

   • § 23070 The terms and definitions contained in this article apply to the boundary descriptions of the several counties, unless otherwise declared.
   • § 23071 In describing courses, “north,” “south,” “east,” and “west,” mean true courses, and refer to the true meridian.
   • § 23072 “Northerly,” “southerly,” “easterly,” and “westerly,” mean due north, due south, due east, and due west, unless controlled by other words, or by lines,…
   • § 23073 “To,” “on,” “along,” “with,” or “by” a mountain or ridge, mean summit point or summit line.
   • § 23074 “To,” “by,” “along,” “with,” “in,” “up,” or “down” a creek, river, slough, strait, or bay, mean the middle of the main channel thereof.
   • § 23075 “In,” “to,” or “from” the ocean shore mean a point three miles seaward from the shore. “Along,” “with,” “by,” or “on” the ocean shore, mean on a line parallel…
   • § 23076 The mouth of a creek, river, or slough which empties into another creek, river, or slough, is the point where the middle of the channels intersect.
   • § 23077 The use of a county name specified in this division, without further description, is a reference to the county of that name.
2. ARTICLE 2. Boundaries of the Several Counties §§ 23100–23158 · 59 sections

   • § 23100 The boundaries of the several counties of the State are as set forth in this article.
   • § 23101 The boundaries of Alameda County are as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner, being the common corner of San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Alameda; thence…
   • § 23102 The boundaries of Alpine County are as follows: Beginning at the north corner, at a point where the state line crosses the east summit of the Sierra Nevada…
   • § 23103 The boundaries of Amador County are as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner, in the Mokelumne River, on the eastern boundary of San Joaquin; thence up…
   • § 23104 The boundaries of Butte County are as follows: Beginning at the northwest corner of Yuba, in the center line of the Feather River, opposite the mouth of Honcut…
   • § 23105 The boundaries of Calaveras County are as follows: Beginning at the southern corner, at a point in the Stanislaus River where it intersects the eastern line of…
   • § 23106 The boundaries of Colusa County are as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner, being the northeast corner of Yolo, in the Sacramento River, at its…
   • § 23107 The boundaries of Contra Costa County are as follows: Beginning in the Bay of San Francisco at the northwest point of Red Rock, being the common corner of…
   • § 23108 The boundaries of Del Norte County are as follows: Situated in the northwest corner of the State of California, beginning at a point in the Pacific Ocean, on…
   • § 23109 The boundaries of El Dorado County are as follows: Beginning at the junction of the north and south forks of the American River, which is the extreme west…
   • § 23110 The boundaries of Fresno County are as follows: Beginning on the south line of Merced at a point where said line crosses the San Joaquin River; thence south,…
   • § 23111 The boundaries of Glenn County are as follows: Beginning at a point on the eastern boundary line of Lake, at the northwest corner of the SW. 1/4 of Sec. 26, T.…
   • § 23112 The boundaries of Humboldt County are as follows: Commencing at the point where the north line of T. 12 N., R. 1 E., H. B. & M., intersects with the Pacific…
   • § 23113 The boundaries of Imperial County are as follows: Beginning on the second standard parallel south of S.B.B. & M., at the common corner of T.9 S., R.9 E., and…
   • § 23114 The boundaries of Inyo County are as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of Tulare, being the point of intersection of the sixth standard south, Mount…
   • § 23115 The boundaries of Kern County are as follows:
   • § 23116 The boundaries of Kings County are as follows:
   • § 23117 The boundaries of Lake County are as follows: Beginning at the monument on top of Mount Hull, established by T. P. Smythe and R. P. Hammond and party on…
   • § 23118 The boundaries of Lassen County are as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner, on the northern line of Sierra, located on the south boundary of T. 22 N.,…
   • § 23119 The boundaries of Los Angeles County are as follows:
   • § 23120 The boundaries of Madera County are as follows: Beginning at a point where the third standard line south of Mount Diablo base line crosses the San Joaquin…
   • § 23121 The boundaries of Marin County are as follows: Beginning in the Pacific Ocean at the southwestern corner of Sonoma; thence southeasterly along the southern…
   • § 23122 The boundaries of Mariposa County are as follows: Beginning on the boundary line of Madera County, where the Stockton road to Millerton crosses the Chowchilla…
   • § 23123 The boundaries of Mendocino County are as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of Humboldt; thence east on the southern line of Humboldt to the west…
   • § 23124 The boundaries of Merced County are as follows: Beginning at the northwest corner, being the southwest corner of Stanislaus as shown on the survey map of A. J.…
   • § 23125 The boundaries of Modoc County are as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of the State of California; thence west, along the northern boundary line of…
   • § 23126 The boundaries of Mono County are as follows: Beginning at the north corner on the state line, being the east corner of Alpine; thence southwesterly, on the…
   • § 23127 The boundaries of Monterey County are as follows: Beginning in the Pacific Ocean, at the southwest corner of Santa Cruz; thence east to the mouth of Pajaro…
   • § 23128 The boundaries of Napa County are as follows: Beginning at the southwestern corner, at a point in Huichica Creek where the said creek empties into San Pablo…
   • § 23129 The boundaries of Nevada County are as follows: Beginning at the northwest corner, at a point in the main Yuba River, at the mouth of Deer Creek; thence up the…
   • § 23130 The boundaries of Orange County are as follows: Beginning at the northwest corner of San Diego County at a point in the Pacific Ocean opposite San Mateo point;…
   • § 23131 The boundaries of Placer County are as follows: Beginning at a point where the west line of T. 10 N., R. 5 E., M. D. B. & M., intersects the northern line of…
   • § 23132 The boundaries of Plumas County are as follows: Beginning at the corner common to Plumas, Butte, and Yuba, situated in the NW. 1/4 of Sec. 15, T. 20 N., R. 8…
   • § 23133 The boundaries of Riverside County are as follows:
   • § 23134 The boundaries of Sacramento County are as follows: Beginning on the northern line of the county, at a point 10 miles north of a point which was, on the…
   • § 23135 The boundaries of San Benito County are as follows: Commencing at a point in the center of the Pajaro River, said point being the northwest corner of the…
   • § 23136 The boundaries of San Bernardino County are as follows:
   • § 23137 The boundaries of San Diego County are as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of the State of California as described in Article XXI of the Constitution…
   • § 23138 The boundaries of San Francisco city and county are as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner, being the northwest corner of San Mateo, in the Pacific…
   • § 23139 The boundaries of San Joaquin County are as follows: Beginning at the junction of the San Joaquin and Mokelumne Rivers on the line of Sacramento; thence up the…
   • § 23140 The boundaries of San Luis Obispo County are as follows: Beginning in the Pacific Ocean, at the northwestern corner of Santa Barbara; thence easterly, on the…
   • § 23141 The boundaries of San Mateo County are as follows: Beginning, at the southwest corner, being the West corner of Santa Cruz; thence on the northwestern line of…
   • § 23142 The boundaries of Santa Barbara County are as follows: Beginning at the southwestern corner of Ventura; thence northerly, on the westerly line of Ventura to…
   • § 23143 The boundaries of Santa Clara County are as follows: Beginning at a point distant North 30° West 1,254 feet from the southwest corner of Sec. 22, T. 5 S., R. 2…
   • § 23144 The boundaries of Santa Cruz County are as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of San Mateo, at a point in the Pacific Ocean south 45 degrees W., three…
   • § 23145 The boundaries of Shasta County are as follows: Beginning at the northern line of Tehama, at the head of Bloody Island, in the Sacramento River; thence to and…
   • § 23146 The boundaries of Sierra County are as follows: Beginning at the south corner of Plumas, in the center of Slate Creek; thence easterly on the southern line of…
   • § 23147 The boundaries of Siskiyou County are as follows: Commencing on the northern line of the State of California at the northeast corner of Del Norte, being on the…
   • § 23148 The boundaries of Solano County are as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner, in San Pablo Bay, at the common corner of Contra Costa, Sonoma, Marin, and…
   • § 23149 The boundaries of Sonoma County are as follows: Commencing at a point in the Pacific Ocean, three miles due west of a point in the center of the channel at the…
   • § 23150 The boundaries of Stanislaus County are as follows: Beginning at the common corner of Stanislaus, Santa Clara, Alameda, and San Joaquin, on the summit of Mount…
   • § 23151 The boundaries of Sutter County are as follows: Beginning at the northwest corner of Sacramento County, said northwest corner being at the intersection of the…
   • § 23152 The boundaries of Tehama County are as follows: Beginning at the point of intersection of the Sacramento River with the south line of T. 23 N., M. D. B.;…
   • § 23153 The boundaries of Trinity County are as follows: Beginning at the northeast corner of Mendocino and southeast corner of Trinity as established and marked by…
   • § 23154 The boundaries of Tulare County are as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner, being the common corner of Kings, Kern, and Tulare, and being located on the…
   • § 23155 The boundaries of Tuolumne County are as follows: Beginning at the most western corner, being the southern corner of Calaveras, in the Stanislaus River; thence…
   • § 23156 The boundaries of Ventura County are as follows: Commencing on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, at the mouth of the Rincon Creek; thence following up the center…
   • § 23157 The boundaries of Yolo County are as follows: Beginning on the southeast corner, at the most easterly northeast corner of Solano, in Sutter Slough, at its…
   • § 23158 The boundaries of Yuba County are as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner at a point at the intersection of the center of the channel of Bear River with…
3. ARTICLE 3. Settlement of Boundary Disputes §§ 23170–23178 · 9 sections

   • § 23170 Every common boundary between counties which has been mutually recognized and used by the counties adjacent thereto for the purpose of the assessment and…
   • § 23171 All common boundaries and common corners of counties not adequately marked by natural objects or lines, or by surveys lawfully made, shall be definitely…
   • § 23172 If the boards of supervisors do not agree upon and finally approve the survey made by the county surveyors, each surveyor shall make a report to the State…
   • § 23173 Upon the reports made by the county surveyors the State Lands Commission shall finally determine and establish the common boundaries and corners, if it can…
   • § 23174 The cost of making any survey pursuant to this article shall be apportioned equally among the counties interested. The boards of supervisors shall audit the…
   • § 23175 Any survey finally approved pursuant to this article is a conclusive ascertainment of the lines and corners included in the survey.
   • § 23176 All surveys and maps of boundary lines legally made and approved prior to March 30, 1874, are valid, and are prima facie evidence of the establishment of such…
   • § 23177 Every common boundary between counties which has been mutually used by the counties adjacent thereto for the purpose of the assessment and collection of taxes…
   • § 23178 Whenever a common boundary between counties has been legally established in accordance with Article 3 of this chapter, or by judicial proceedings, a certified…
4. ARTICLE 4. Minor Boundary Changes §§ 23200–23221 · 22 sections

   • § 23200 The Legislature finds and declares that the existing boundaries of some counties no longer meet the needs of their residents and landowners. The Legislature…
   • § 23201 As used in this article: (a) “Affected county” means any county which contains or would contain territory which is the subject of a boundary change. (b)…
   • § 23202 A boundary line between counties shall not be changed, pursuant to this article, if the change would result in any of the following: (a) The line to be moved a…
   • § 23203 The board of supervisors of any affected county may propose to change the boundary line between that county and another county by adopting a resolution which…
   • § 23204 The board of supervisors of the initiating county shall file its resolution with the board of supervisors of the other affected county.
   • § 23205 (a) A proposal to change the boundary line of two counties may be initiated by petition which shall contain all the matters required to be contained in a…
   • § 23206 Within 30 days of receiving a resolution adopted pursuant to Section 23203 or of determining that a petition filed pursuant to Section 23205 has been signed by…
   • § 23207 The board of supervisors of the conducting county shall give notice of the hearing by each of the following: (a) Notice shall be published pursuant to Section…
   • § 23208 The hearing on the proposed boundary change shall be held by the board of supervisors of the conducting county on the date and at the time specified in the…
   • § 23209 At the conclusion of the hearing, the board of supervisors of the conducting county shall adopt a resolution abandoning the proposed boundary change if: (a) In…
   • § 23210 (a) Not later than 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing, if a proposed boundary change has not been abandoned pursuant to Section 23209, the board of…
   • § 23211 Each county shall continue to provide services to the territory within its own boundaries until the effective date of the boundary change as specified in the…
   • § 23212 When a county boundary is changed pursuant to this article, the boards of supervisors of the affected counties shall file before the following December 1, with…
   • § 23213 All taxes levied before the effective date of the boundary change shall be collected by the officers of and belong to the county in which the affected…
   • § 23214 After the effective date of the boundary change, the officers of the affected counties shall complete all proceedings necessary for the assessment or…
   • § 23215 The officers of an affected county shall immediately execute and deliver to the board of supervisors of the other affected county copies of all assessments or…
   • § 23216 The county superintendent of schools of an affected county shall furnish the superintendent of the other affected county with a certified copy of the last…
   • § 23217 The auditor of an affected county shall transfer to the auditor of the other affected county any money that is or may be due to the other affected county from…
   • § 23218 No school district and no special district, including a special district which is governed by a board of supervisors or whose governing body is the same as the…
   • § 23219 If the affected counties are located in different district court of appeals districts, the district court of appeals district which includes the affected…
   • § 23220 On and after the effective date of the boundary change, the superior court in each affected county shall retain jurisdiction in all cases pending in a session…
   • § 23221 Any action to determine the validity of any minor change to the boundaries of a county pursuant to this article shall be brought pursuant to Chapter 9…
5. ARTICLE 4.5. Alteration of Boundaries §§ 23230–23296 · 68 sections

   • § 23230 This article shall provide the sole procedure for the change, alteration or reformation of existing county boundaries, not authorized to be taken pursuant to…
   • § 23231 As used in this article: (a) “Accepting county” means the county accepting transferred territory by reason of a county boundary change. (b) “Clerk” means the…
   • § 23232 Proceedings under this article shall not be subject to the provisions of the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 (Division 3…
   • § 23233 Proceedings to change, alter, or reform the boundary lines between counties may be initiated by petition, or by resolution of the legislative body of either…
   • § 23234 A petition shall contain in substance the following: (a) An accurate description of the proposed new boundary line as it will appear or exist if the existing…
   • § 23235 The petition shall be signed by qualified electors of either affected county equaling in number not less than 25 percent of the number of electors of each…
   • § 23236 When the territory to be transferred from one county to another is uninhabited, proceedings may also be initiated by a petition signed by the owners of not…
   • § 23237 Each elector, after signing a petition, shall add the name of the county in which the elector resides, the elector’s place of residence, giving a street and…
   • § 23238 A petition may consist of a single instrument or several counterparts.
   • § 23239 A petition may designate not more than three persons as chief petitioners setting forth their names and mailing addresses.
   • § 23240 No petition shall be accepted for filing pursuant to this article unless the signatures thereon shall have been secured within six months of the date on which…
   • § 23241 All petitions shall be filed with the clerk of the transferring county. All counterparts of a petition shall be filed at the same time.
   • § 23242 Within 30 days after the date of filing of a petition, the clerk of the transferring county shall examine the petition and determine whether it is signed by…
   • § 23243 If the clerk certifies a petition to be insufficient the clerk shall give mailed notice thereof to each of the chief petitioners, if any, and file the petition…
   • § 23244 If the clerk certifies a petition to be sufficient, the clerk shall immediately transmit a copy of the certification to the board of supervisors of both…
   • § 23245 In certifying the sufficiency of a petition, the clerk shall compare the name of each person signing the petition with the registration records of the county…
   • § 23246 A resolution to initiate proceedings for a county boundary change shall contain the information required for a petition by Section 23234.
   • § 23247 Upon receipt of the certification of a petition or a certified copy of a resolution, the board of the transferring county shall forthwith transmit a copy of…
   • § 23248 Upon receipt of notice pursuant to Section 23247, the Governor shall create a County Boundary Review Commission to review the proposed county boundary change,…
   • § 23249 The commission shall determine: (a) An equitable distribution, as between the transferring county and the accepting county, of the indebtedness of each…
   • § 23250 In determining the fiscal impact of the proposed boundary change and the economic viability of each affected county if the proposed boundary change is…
   • § 23251 Within 10 days after notice and acceptance of appointment of the last appointed member, the members of the commission shall meet at the principal…
   • § 23252 The commission shall conduct a public hearing to receive information regarding its determinations, and to hear any protests and objections to the proposed…
   • § 23253 At any time prior to final adjournment of the hearing on protests, any owner of property within the uninhabited territory proposed to be transferred may file…
   • § 23254 On the date and at the time set for hearing, the commission shall hear and consider all protests made by owners of property within the uninhabited territory…
   • § 23255 The commission shall determine at the hearing or within 30 days after the closing of the hearing whether or not a majority protest, of owners of property…
   • § 23256 On the date and at the time fixed for hearing, the commission shall also hear and may grant or deny any request for exclusion filed pursuant to Sections…
   • § 23256.5 At any time prior to the final hearing on the proposed county boundary change, any owners of real property within the territory proposed to be transferred and…
   • § 23257 Written requests for exclusion of any territory within the territory proposed to be transferred and contiguous to the boundary line thereof may be filed with…
   • § 23258 Boundary lines between counties may not be changed if as a result of such change: (a) a strip of untransferred territory less than 200 feet wide and more than…
   • § 23259 The hearing of protests and requests for exclusion may be continued from time to time during the course of the commission’s determinations. By citation or…
   • § 23260 Except as otherwise provided in this article, the commission may, in determining a fair, just and equitable distribution of the indebtedness of the…
   • § 23261 The commission shall also identify and determine the location and value of all real and personal property owned by the transferring county located within the…
   • § 23262 Except as provided by the commission, when the boundary change is effected the territory which is transferred shall be relieved of annual tax liability for the…
   • § 23263 Members of the commission shall receive as compensation a per diem not to exceed fifty dollars ($50) a day for every day they are actually employed together…
   • § 23264 The commission shall adopt a resolution making its determinations and transmit its report in writing within 180 days of the date of notice and acceptance of…
   • § 23265 If either board disapproves the proposed boundary change, no further proceedings shall be taken for that boundary change and no new proceedings for…
   • § 23266 If the territory proposed to be transferred is uninhabited, no majority protest has been made and the boards of both affected counties approve the proposed…
   • § 23267 If the proposed territory to be transferred is inhabited and the boards of both affected counties have approved the boundary change, the board of the…
   • § 23268 The proclamation and notice of election shall be published at least once a week for three weeks commencing not less than 70 days prior to the date of the…
   • § 23269 The notice of election shall contain the following: (a) A statement of the proposition to be voted on and a description of the county boundaries as they will…
   • § 23270 All qualified electors of the territory proposed to be transferred who have been registered electors of the county 30 days prior to the date of the election…
   • § 23271 Ballots at the election shall contain the words “Shall (description of territory) be transferred to (name of county accepting transferred territory)?” To the…
   • § 23272 The election shall be governed and controlled by the general election laws of the state so far as applicable, except as otherwise provided in this article.
   • § 23273 If more than one argument for or more than one argument against the proposed boundary change is filed with the clerk of the transferring county the clerk shall…
   • § 23274 The elections official shall cause a ballot pamphlet concerning the proposed boundary change to be printed and mailed to each qualified elector in the…
   • § 23275 The clerk shall also prepare and mail a sample ballot to the qualified electors of the territory proposed to be transferred. The sample ballot shall be mailed…
   • § 23276 The law relating to the preparation, printing, and distribution of sample ballots and primary elections does not apply to any election held pursuant to this…
   • § 23277 Except as otherwise provided by this article, the election shall be conducted as other elections in the transferring county.
   • § 23278 The board of the transferring county shall appoint as election officers three representatives who reside in the affected county represented.
   • § 23279 Immediately on the closing of the polls the election officers shall: (a) Canvass the ballots. (b) Make up and certify the tally sheets of the ballots cast. (c)…
   • § 23280 The clerk of the transferring county shall upon the completion of a canvass of the vote in the territory proposed to be transferred, forward to the board of…
   • § 23281 If upon a canvass of the total votes cast in the territory proposed to be transferred at the election, it appears that more than 50 percent of the total number…
   • § 23282 The board of supervisors of the county from which territory is transferred shall cause a copy of the resolution adopted pursuant to Section 23281 to be filed…
   • § 23283 If upon a canvass of the total votes cast in the territory proposed to be transferred at the election, it appears that 50 percent or less, of the total number…
   • § 23284 All costs of the election shall be borne by the county accepting transferred territory if the boundary change is effected. If the boundary change is not…
   • § 23285 Whenever county boundaries are changed pursuant to this article, the board of supervisors of both affected counties shall cause to be filed before the…
   • § 23286 When a county boundary is changed, all taxes levied before the boundary change was effected shall be collected by the officers of and belong to the county in…
   • § 23287 The transferring county shall continue to provide necessary services from the date the county boundaries are changed until service responsibilities and…
   • § 23288 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no special district, which is organized within either affected county and governed by the board of supervisors…
   • § 23289 After the county boundary change is effected, the officers of the accepting county shall proceed to complete all proceedings necessary for the assessment or…
   • § 23290 The officers of the transferring county shall immediately execute and deliver to the board of supervisors of the accepting county, copies of all assessments or…
   • § 23291 The county superintendent of schools of the transferring county shall furnish the county superintendent of schools of the accepting county with a certified…
   • § 23292 The auditor of the transferring county shall draw a warrant on the treasurer of that county in favor of the treasurer of the accepting county for all money…
   • § 23293 The treasurer of the transferring county shall immediately cause to be transferred to the county treasurer of the accepting county all money standing to the…
   • § 23294 Where the county accepting territory is located in a different district court of appeals district than the transferring county, the district court of appeals…
   • § 23295 On and after the date the boundary change is effected, the superior court in the transferring county shall retain jurisdiction in all cases pending in a…
   • § 23296 Any action to determine the validity of any change, alteration, or reformation to the boundaries of a county pursuant to this article shall be brought pursuant…