Marin County Order General Info

You can only leave your house for essential travel. Driving to a park or beach to get outdoors is non-essential travel and is not allowed under the Public Health Order. If you have a park or trail near your house, you can use it if you can access it in a non-motorized way.

Travel that is not allowed:

• Traveling to 2nd home in Marin
• Traveling for vacation in Marin
• Non-essential travel in and out of County

Guidance on Leaving the Bay Area for Vacation

Traveling runs the risk of spreading the virus to other areas and exposing new populations. Crowded travel settings, like airports, may increase chances of getting COVID-19, if there are other travelers with coronavirus infection. The Order requires that you shelter in your place of residence. If you leave the Bay Area for vacation or another reason that is not an essential purpose exempt under the Order, then you may not be permitted to return to your residence. Depending on your unique circumstances, you may choose to delay or cancel your plans. If you do decide to travel, be sure to take steps to help prevent getting and spreading COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases during travel. For the most up-to-date COVID-19 travel information, visit CDC COVID-19 Travel page.

The original March 3rd order was updated on March31st (the new order) to extend restrictions in light of ongoing transmission in the San Francisco Bay Area.

This new Order requires that most people continue sheltering in their place of residence until May 3, 2020.  This new Order replaces the prior Shelter-in-Place Order, which was set to expire on April 7, 2020.  It also adds to the list of restrictions to slow the spread of the COVID-19 disease. 

You are still allowed to participate in “essential activities” or to work for an “essential business” if it is not possible for you to work from home.  This means that you are allowed to leave your home for specified reasons—like to make sure you have the necessities of life (discussed more below) such as getting food and medical supplies, or to perform work for an essential business that you cannot complete from your home.  You are also allowed to go outside to take care of a pet or for exercise so long as you don’t congregate in a group and maintain at least six feet of distance between you and other people who aren’t part of your family or living unit.   

Last Updated: 4/7/2020

No.  Essential government functions will continue, including first responders, emergency management personnel, emergency dispatchers, and law enforcement.  Other government functions or offices may be subject to reduced schedules or may be closed as part of the effort to fight the spread of COVID-19.  Each government agency identifies the services that qualify as Essential Governmental Functions, and designates the personnel who will continue providing those functions. Information on the availability of County services is regularly updated on the Marin County website.

Unless your work is exempted in the Order, you cannot go to work at a physical location in the County even if you want to.  You can work from home for any business if your employer allows it and your work can be done from home. It is important that we all do our part in stopping COVID-19 – staying home is an important part of that.

Yes.  In addition to the statewide order, the County Health Officer’s Order remains in effect.  All residents must comply with the restrictions in both the County and State Orders.  If the restrictions in the two orders are different, you must comply with the stricter of the two orders. 

No.  You do not need to carry official documentation (and the County does not issue any) demonstrating that you are exempt under the new Order.  But be prepared to explain if requested by law enforcement why your travel is authorized under the Order. 

No.  If your business is covered in the list of essential businesses in the Order, then you may operate your business from a facility in the County so long as you create, post, and implement a Social Distancing Protocol for each facility using the template attached to the Order.  You do not need to obtain any specific authorization from the County to run your business.  The County does not issue written determinations or authorizations. 

It is mandatory.  This Order is a legal Order issued under the authority of California law.  You are required to comply, and it is a crime (a misdemeanor) not to follow the Order. 

This new Order was issued by Health Officers of Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, and Alameda Counties and the City of Berkeley.  Those public health professionals have the authority under state law to issue Orders to protect the health and welfare of everyone in their jurisdictions.