Stallion Springs HOA Guide: The CSD and County Rules

The Stallion Springs Community Services District is the closest thing the community has to a city hall. Its services page lists administration, police services, parks and recreation, roads, trash disposal, sewer and water. Its 2026 welcome letter for new residents adds a few details boards should know:

The CSD’s water page warns that new owners may be responsible for a prior owner’s unpaid balance and certain inactive charges, which can be added to the tax bill. Ask about this in escrow.

The CSD’s welcome letter says pre-approval from its Architectural/Community committee (ART COM) is required for construction, grading, fences, sheds, paint or roof color changes, driveways and tree removal. Owners should contact the CSD for the fees.

The same letter says Stallion Springs follows the Kern County Dark Skies Ordinance, and that accent lighting must be low intensity, use less than 100 watts and give off less than 1,600 lumens. Those limits match the County ordinance’s rule for accent lighting (County Zoning Ordinance section 19.81.040), which is summarized under County noise and lighting rules on this page.

If your association also has an architectural committee, an owner may need two approvals for the same project, plus a County building permit. Tell owners that up front, and keep your own review quick and in writing.

The CSD’s water comes from groundwater in the Cummings Basin. Water and sewer are billed every two months, based on water use, and late fees apply after the 20th. The welcome letter lists these charges:

Residents bring household trash to the District dumpsters, which are open at all times and need a Stallion Springs RFID sticker on the car. Hazardous waste such as oil, tires and paint may never be left there, and bulky items, appliances, metal and electronics are taken only on designated Clean Up Days. This part matters to boards: the CSD says condominiums, townhomes and commercial businesses have their own bins and may not use the District dumpsters. If your association runs its own trash service, make sure residents know the difference.

The sewer plant has drawn attention. In its response to a January 16, 2024 Kern County Grand Jury report, the CSD said the plant is over 50 years old and in compliance with state requirements, that the plant has 411 rate-paying customers and that paying for upgrades with so few ratepayers is a major financial challenge. It also cited a County ordinance that bars engineered septic systems where sewer service is available within 200 feet.

A state law passed in 2023 (AB 1572) bars the use of drinking water on nonfunctional turf in HOA common areas starting January 1, 2029. On owners’ own lots, Civil Code section 4735 prevents an association from banning low-water plants or artificial turf.

Police services are one of the CSD’s listed services. The Stallion Springs Police Department offers reports, VIN verifications and other services by appointment Monday through Thursday, and its page warns that appointments may be canceled because of limited police staffing. VIN verifications and citation sign-offs are free for residents. The department takes cash or money orders only.

For a barking dog or other animal nuisance, the CSD sets out these steps:

Stallion Springs is not a city, so County of Kern rules apply. The County Treasurer-Tax Collector says short-term rental operators in unincorporated areas must register for a transient occupancy tax certificate. The tax is 6% under Kern County Ordinance Chapter 4.16. Registration is free and is done through the County’s online portal.

The County Code treats this as a tax registration, not a permit. Kern County Ordinance Code section 4.16.060 says the certificate “does not constitute a hotel business permit, a land use permit” or a license to operate, and it must be displayed prominently in the rental. We did not find a short-term rental chapter in the County Code or its zoning ordinance, so ask County Planning whether any land-use rule applies to your parcel.

The County tax does not decide whether rentals are allowed in your community. California Civil Code section 4741 does not stop an association from prohibiting rentals of 30 days or less, so check what your governing documents say.

Kern County Public Works posts pre-approved ADU plans from several designers, in climate zones 13, 14 and 16. Its instructions say a property in a flood zone is not eligible, fire sprinklers are required if the existing house was built after 2011, and the owner needs will-serve letters for water and sewer, or County septic approval. In Stallion Springs, that means asking the CSD early. The CSD’s ART COM pre-approval also applies to construction.

In January 2026 the State Department of Housing and Community Development wrote to the County that its ADU ordinance is outdated and likely noncompliant with state ADU law. The ADU chapter in the online County Code (Zoning Ordinance Chapter 19.90, codified through July 2026) shows no amendment since 2017, so check sizes and setbacks with the County before you rely on any answer.

Civil Code section 4751 makes void any rule in your governing documents that effectively prohibits or unreasonably restricts building an ADU or junior ADU on a single-family lot. Reasonable rules, such as design standards, are still allowed.

The Kern County Fire Department runs its Fire Hazard Reduction Program under County Ordinance Code Chapter 8.46, “Weeds and Other Hazardous Growths.” It says properties in the State Responsibility Area in and around the mountain communities are the ones typically subject to its June 1 deadline. To check a parcel, ask the program office or the County Assessor, or use the State’s map viewer. Clearance must be done by June 1 each year, and properties must stay free of fire hazards all year.

This matters to boards. Kern County Fire says notices and citations go to property owners, not the HOA. For common areas your association owns, the association is the owner. When a home in a high or very high hazard zone is sold, the seller must give the buyer documentation of defensible space compliance where the local agency requires it, or sign an agreement for the buyer to get it (Civil Code section 1102.19).

Under County Code section 8.46.120, the administrative fine for a weed violation can be up to $500 for a first violation and up to $1,000 for each further violation within a year, and the owner has 15 days after the citation to correct it. If an order to abate is ignored for 15 days, the County can clear the property and bill the owner, and an unpaid bill can go on the tax roll (Sections 8.46.060 and 8.46.110).

Stallion Springs is not a city, so the County noise chapter applies. Kern County Ordinance Code Chapter 8.36 makes these misdemeanors anywhere in the unincorporated County (Sections 8.36.020 and 8.36.030):

For lighting, Chapter 19.81 of the County zoning ordinance is the “Dark Skies Ordinance.” It says it sets outdoor lighting rules for specified unincorporated areas, but the chapter itself does not list them. The CSD’s welcome letter says Stallion Springs follows it. Ask County Planning whether it applies to your parcels. Where it applies, it covers new outdoor lights. Fixtures legally installed before the chapter took effect are exempt unless a property adds 50% or more in floor area or units (Section 19.81.030). Its main rules (Section 19.81.040):

Street lights in public or private rights-of-way, pool lights, lighting required by building codes and seasonal displays of 45 days or less a year are exempt (Section 19.81.050). Written complaints that cite the section go to the County’s Code Compliance Division, with photos if you have them (Section 19.81.070). The CSD’s accent lighting limits match the County’s, and your association’s rules can be stricter.