City
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is a city record. City or town offices may handle local rules inside their limits, while county offices still handle records, taxes, courts, and many services.
Starting point
Confirm the address is inside local limits first.
If the address is inside Santa Barbara, city or town offices may handle local permits, code, and services. If it is outside limits, county routing may be the better first stop.
A mailing city is not always the same as city government jurisdiction.
2025 population
86,422
Land area
19.489 sq mi
Water area
17.96 sq mi
Directory notes
Local layers to keep on the same page.
Confirm city or town limits.
A mailing address can use a nearby place name. If the address is outside limits, county offices may handle permits, code, and land-use routes.
County still matters.
Santa Barbara County can still matter for assessor, tax collector, recorder, court, public health, social service, and election records.
Some layers are separate.
Water, sewer, fire, school, utilities, coast, earthquake maps, wildfire zones, parks, and trails may point outside city hall.
County layer
County shown for Santa Barbara
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for Santa Barbara
Place note · Money and taxes · Reviewed July 6, 2026
Santa Barbara business tax certificate is not the same as a permit
Santa Barbara treats its Business Tax Certificate as a city tax record, while separate business permits may still apply depending on the activity.
Place note · Cars and driving · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Santa Barbara residential parking permits are online now
Santa Barbara residential parking permits use an online application system, and the permit is tied to the license plate rather than an old paper routine.
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 4, 2026
Santa Barbara flood map questions should use the current city map
Santa Barbara's FEMA mapping page gives residents a current place to review flood hazard map changes and the city's interactive flood hazard map.
Place note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 4, 2026
Santa Barbara permit applications use the Accela portal
Santa Barbara's Accela permit portal handles construction and land development applications, status checks, resubmittals, corrections, and payments.
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 3, 2026
Santa Barbara utilities split water, trash, and power
Santa Barbara utility billing is the place for water and sewer account questions, while trash service, electric delivery, and water emergencies use separate contacts.
County layer · Home and property · Reviewed July 6, 2026
Santa Maria building permits move through plan review and inspections
Santa Maria building projects can involve plan review, local and state code checks, permit counter questions, and inspections through the city's Building Division.
Almanac notes
Stories and local context near Santa Barbara
Place note · History and culture
Old Mission Santa Barbara still shapes the city view
Old Mission Santa Barbara ties the city to mission-era history, Chumash labor and community, Franciscan life, gardens, museum rooms, and a hillside view toward the ocean.
Place note · History and culture
Stearns Wharf is Santa Barbara's easy first waterfront walk
Stearns Wharf dates to 1872 and gives Santa Barbara visitors a working waterfront stop with ocean views, shops, restaurants, the Dolphin Fountain, and Sea Center touch tanks.
County layer · History and culture
Santa Maria's history museum keeps the Valley close
The Santa Maria Valley Historical Society Museum pulls together ranch life, local families, early business, film memories, firefighting, and Allan Hancock history in one downtown stop.
County layer · History and culture
Buellton's pea-soup fame grew out of ranch and highway roots
Buellton began with the Buell Ranch, then became a highway stop known for Pea Soup Andersen's and Central Coast road trips.
County layer · Outdoors
Carpinteria's seal rookery asks visitors to slow down
The Carpinteria Harbor Seal Rookery is a coastal place where bluff views, pupping season closures, and wildlife rules all matter.
County layer · Outdoors
Goleta's butterfly grove is a seasonal coastal treat
Goleta's butterfly grove and Ellwood Mesa are best approached as coastal open space with seasonal monarch habitat, not a promised butterfly show.
County layer · History and culture
Guadalupe's dunes hid part of a giant silent-movie set
The Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes hold one of California's stranger film stories: pieces of Cecil B. DeMille's 1923 Ten Commandments set were buried in the sand.
County layer · History and culture
La Purisima gives Lompoc a full mission-park story
La Purisima Mission State Historic Park near Lompoc has restored mission buildings, Chumash context, living-history programs, and a CCC restoration layer.