County
Shasta County
Shasta County has an estimated 2025 population of 181,648 across about 3,775.651 square miles of land. The county handles work tied to parcels, records, elections, health, and countywide services. Cities inside it still set many permit and local-service rules.
Starting point
County offices handle the countywide work.
Start with county offices for records, taxes, elections, public health, social services, sheriff services, and work on unincorporated land. Court cases go through the state court system, including the superior court serving the county.
What changes the answer: Cities inside the county can still control city permits, local code, utilities, business licenses, and city-specific rules.
County offices
Start with the task in front of you.
Shasta County handles countywide work and services on unincorporated land. Find the task below, then open the responsible office.
- Property Open the property-tax guide
Assessed value, exemptions, tax bills, and appeals
Shasta County assessor handles value and exemptions. The clerk of the board handles a formal value appeal. The tax collector handles the bill, payment, and penalties.
- Records Open the records guide
Deeds, birth and death records, marriage records, and name changes
Shasta County recorder is the usual office for deeds and many public records. Vital-record access depends on the record and year. A legal name change or divorce decree can involve Superior Court.
- Property work Open local-office help
Building permits, ADUs, zoning, code, water, and septic
For an unincorporated address, start with Shasta County planning or building. An address inside a city or town starts with that local permit counter.
- Housing Open rent and housing help
Rent rules, repairs, notices, and eviction papers
Start with a local rent, housing, or code office if one serves the address. Court papers go to the Superior Court self-help path, and the deadline on the papers keeps running.
- Household help Open the benefits guide
CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, General Assistance, and IHSS
Shasta County social-services agency is the main local office. Coverage, food, cash aid, and in-home support remain separate programs with separate notices.
- Public health Open health and benefits help
Vaccines, disease reporting, health records, and local health programs
Shasta County public health is the local health jurisdiction. Health coverage and benefits still use separate programs and offices.
- Business Open the business guide
Business setup, seller's permits, local licenses, and regulated work
State filings and tax accounts do not replace county zoning, licensing, building, fire, or health approvals for the address.
- Neighborhood services Open local-office help
Potholes, streetlights, graffiti, trash, and service requests
For a county-maintained road or service in an unincorporated area, start with Shasta County. Caltrans, utilities, transit systems, waste haulers, and special districts can own separate reporting paths.
- School and care Open the school and care guide
School enrollment, student records, and child-care checks
The school district handles assignment and records. County offices can help with some family services, while the state licenses child-care facilities.
- Parking Open parking help
Residential, guest, overnight, and local parking permits
A local parking permit is separate from a citation, moving ticket, and toll notice. Match the permit to the address, vehicle, district, or parking facility.
- Tickets Open ticket help
Traffic court, parking citations, and toll notices
Shasta County Superior Court handles traffic court matters. A city or issuing agency handles parking. The toll operator handles toll notices.
- Safety Open emergency checks
Emergency alerts, evacuations, smoke, roads, and power
Use the county or city alert system for local warnings. Follow the local emergency office for evacuation wording, then check the matching state fire, smoke, road, or utility update.
Official county links
Open the office that handles the task.
The county links below come from California statewide directories and official county corrections. Property and recorder links open the state directory because several county offices can share one task.
Shasta County
City, county, and district responsibilities
County and city rules can share one address.
An address in Shasta County can sit inside a city. It can also sit on county land outside any city. That line picks the permit desk and some local rules. It does not move every county job to city hall.
County jobs stay with the county
The county assessor sets property value. The tax collector handles bills. The recorder, elections office, benefits office, and usually the health office also stay with Shasta County. The court serves the county but is part of the state court system.
Permits follow the city line
A city or town usually handles permits, zoning, parking, business licenses, and local code inside its lines. Shasta County handles these jobs on county land outside a city.
Districts can cross city and county lines
Water, sewer, fire, schools, transit, trash, and flood work may belong to a special district or other provider. The parcel or service bill is often the quickest way to name that agency.
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for Shasta County
Community answer · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 4, 2026
Redding business starts with the license and the location
Redding business owners may need a city business license, a home occupation affidavit, county or state permits, and a separate permit-center path for building work.
Community answer · Home and property · Reviewed July 28, 2026
Redding utilities are mostly under one city roof
City of Redding Utilities operates electric, water, wastewater, storm-drain, and solid-waste divisions, but a move request still starts by confirming that the address is in the city's service area.
Community answer · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 4, 2026
Redding project permits start at the Permit Center
Redding's Permit Center handles building and development questions, online permit checks, inspection requests, forms, parcel information, fee requests, and local agency contacts.
Stories & Notes
Stories and local context across Shasta County
Community story · History and culture
Redding has a bridge that really works like a sundial
The Sundial Bridge crosses the Sacramento River in Redding and uses its tall design to cast a moving time shadow.
Community story · History and culture
Anderson River Park gives the city its Sacramento River backyard
Anderson's 440-acre River Park ties the Shasta County city to the Sacramento River with trails, shade, fishing, sports, and summer events.
Community story · Outdoors
Burney Falls is loud, cold, and fed from hidden springs
Burney Falls drops 129 feet, but the surprising part is the spring water pouring from the basalt cliff around the main falls.
Community story · History and culture
Old Shasta's brick ruins show where the northern road once mattered
Shasta State Historic Park preserves brick ruins, streets, cemeteries, and courthouse history from a Gold Rush town that once anchored northern California travel and trade.
Community story · Outdoors
Whiskeytown gives Shasta County a clear lake and mountain park
Whiskeytown National Recreation Area sits west of Redding with a clear lake, waterfalls, mountain trails, Gold Rush history, and forested hills.
Community story · History and culture
Shasta Dam puts California water in one big view
Shasta Dam, built on the Sacramento River between 1938 and 1945, is a major Central Valley Project site for water storage, power, and recreation.
- 2025 population
- 181,648
- Land area
- 3,775.651 sq mi
- Water area
- 71.745 sq mi