Pop. 78,280 · Alameda County
The City of Alameda's Noise Regulations (AMC Section 4-10) define nighttime as 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and set lower exterior noise limits during those hours. Loud loading, unloading…
City of Alameda Municipal Code Section 4-10.5 limits construction to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Construction outside these…
City of Alameda Municipal Code Section 4-10.5 makes it a violation to keep any animal or bird that barks, howls, or makes noise continuously for 10 minutes, or intermittently for…
Since January 1, 2023 the City of Alameda has banned gasoline, diesel, and other combustion-engine leaf blowers citywide under Municipal Code Section 24-14.1 (Ordinance No. 3307). Only…
City of Alameda Municipal Code Section 4-10.5 prohibits operating any radio, television, phonograph, musical instrument, or similar device so as to create a noise disturbance. Music…
City of Alameda Municipal Code Section 4-10.6 bars operating recreational motorized vehicles off a public highway, and repairing or testing any vehicle, motorboat, or aircraft, in a…
City of Alameda Municipal Code Section 4-10.4 sets numeric exterior dB(A) limits that scale with how long a level is exceeded each hour. Residential daytime limits run 55-75 dB(A) and…
Fixed and industrial noise sources in Alameda must meet the exterior dB(A) standards in Section 4-10.4 at neighboring properties. Persistent commercial or industrial sources that…
Outdoor music in Alameda must meet the City's exterior dB(A) standards in Section 4-10.4 (reduced 5 dB(A) because it is music). Section 4-10.5 also caps sound in any place of public…
The City of Alameda cannot regulate aircraft in flight - the FAA controls airspace and flight paths, and the Port of Oakland operates Oakland International Airport (OAK), whose flight…
The City of Alameda has not adopted a dedicated short-term rental permit. As of 2026 there is no STR-specific license; hosts instead need a general City business license and zoning…
Short-term rentals in the City of Alameda are subject to the City's 14% Transient Occupancy Tax on stays of 30 nights or fewer, charged on the listing price including cleaning fees…
Alameda has no STR-specific registry. A host registers indirectly by obtaining a City business license from the Finance Department, submitting a Zoning Clearance form to the Permit…
Alameda currently has no host-presence (hosted-stay) requirement for short-term rentals, because no dedicated STR ordinance is in force. Whole-home, unhosted rentals are not prohibited…
Alameda's Municipal Code sets no short-term-rental-specific occupancy cap, because the City has no dedicated STR ordinance. Guest occupancy is governed instead by general building…
Alameda imposes no short-term-rental-specific parking requirement, since it has no dedicated STR ordinance. STR guests are subject to the same on-street parking, residential permit…
Alameda has no STR-specific noise clause, but short-term rentals must comply with the City's general Noise Regulations in the Alameda Municipal Code (Chapter IV, Offenses and Public…
Alameda's code imposes no short-term-rental-specific insurance or liability-coverage requirement, because the City has no dedicated STR ordinance. Hosts are not required by City code…
Alameda does not require a short-term rental to be the host's primary residence, because it has no dedicated STR ordinance. Both owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied STRs operate…
Alameda imposes no annual night cap or rental-day limit on short-term rentals, because it has no dedicated STR ordinance. There is no maximum number of nights a property may be rented…
Alameda is a flat, fully developed bay island with no wildland-urban interface, so California's PRC 4291 defensible-space (100-foot clearance) requirement does not apply here. General…
All fireworks are illegal in the City of Alameda. The Alameda Municipal Code makes it unlawful to fire, discharge, or set off any fireworks in the City, with the only exception being a…
Alameda has no special citywide fire-pit ordinance beyond the California Fire Code, which the City adopted as its 2022 edition. Recreational fires must stay at least 25 feet from any…
Alameda enforces California smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements (CRC Sections 314 and 315). Smoke alarms are required in each sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, and on…
Open burning of yard waste, debris, or trash is effectively prohibited in Alameda. The California Fire Code, adopted by the City, bans open burning unless conducted under an approved…
Propane (LP-gas) storage in Alameda follows the California Fire Code adopted by the City. Small residential barbecue and patio-heater cylinders are allowed, but larger quantities and…
Backyard fires in Alameda are permitted as small recreational fires under the California Fire Code, but must meet clearance and attendance rules and are banned on Bay Area Winter Spare…
The City of Alameda is not in a CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone. As a flat, low-lying, fully developed island in San Francisco Bay with no wildland fuels or slopes, it carries no…
The City of Alameda's Municipal Code Section 7-4.1 lets residents keep up to six (6) chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, or other domestic fowl. Fowl must be kept in an enclosure no part…
The City of Alameda's Municipal Code Chapter VII (Animal Control) contains no beekeeping ordinance, and beekeeping is not listed among the City's regulated animals. Beekeepers in…
The City of Alameda's Municipal Code Section 7-3.8 makes it unlawful to allow a dog on any public street, alley, or public place unless it is securely fastened by a rope, chain, or…
The City of Alameda's Municipal Code does not restrict or ban any dog breed. Chapter VII regulates dogs by behavior through its dangerous and potentially dangerous animal rules…
The City of Alameda's Municipal Code Section 7-9.6 makes it unlawful to keep any wild or exotic animal, reptile, fish, or insect in the City. The ban expressly covers endangered…
The City of Alameda's Municipal Code regulates farm animals directly. Cows may not be stabled within 40 feet of any dwelling (Section 7-5.2); horses, mules, and donkeys may not be kept…
The City of Alameda's Municipal Code Section 7-3.7 limits households to no more than three (3) dogs over four months old, except for permitted veterinary hospitals, kennels, breeders…
Unusually for California, the City of Alameda's Municipal Code requires cats to be licensed: under Section 7-3.1, every cat over four months old in the City must be licensed and…
The City of Alameda's Municipal Code Chapter VII contains no ordinance specifically banning feeding wild animals such as gulls, pigeons, or coyotes. Related city rules apply: keeping…
The City of Alameda's Municipal Code has no ordinance using the term 'animal hoarding,' but several city rules apply: the three-dog limit (Section 7-3.7), the cruelty prohibition…
AMC 8-8.9, adopted in 2025, lets the Public Works Director reserve designated curbside and city-facility spaces for electric vehicles that are actively connected to a charger, and…
Alameda Municipal Code 8-7.11 bans parking or leaving any recreational vehicle, trailer, or boat trailer on city streets at any time. The only exception is a temporary Police…
Alameda has no blanket overnight parking ban for ordinary cars, but AMC 8-7.10 prohibits parking any large vehicle on any city street between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., and AMC 8-25.1…
On this dense island, the Public Works Director sets posted time limits, restricted hours, and No Parking zones street by street. Posted street-sweeping signs require moving your car…
AMC 8-7.9 bars parking a heavy commercial vehicle more than three hours on any residential-district street, except while actively loading/unloading or performing a service in that…
Alameda actively enforces against vehicles blocking driveways, crosswalks, curb ramps, and sidewalks. Residents can request a red curb at their driveway by contacting Public Works, and…
AMC 8-7.8 makes it unlawful to leave any vehicle parked on an Alameda street for more than 72 continuous hours; a vehicle that has not moved at least one mile in any 72-hour window…
AMC 8-7.10 defines a large vehicle as anything over 80 inches wide, 20 feet long, or 10,000 pounds gross weight, and bans parking such vehicles on any city street or property between…
Alameda uses standard California curb colors: white curbs are passenger loading only, yellow curbs are commercial loading with brief passenger stops, and green curbs are short-term…
In Alameda only the city installs and maintains curb markings - residents may not paint curbs themselves. Curb colors follow California Vehicle Code 21458 (red, white, green, yellow…
Alameda's fence section (AMC 30-5.14) does not set a separate retaining-wall height standard; a retaining wall that also functions as a barrier counts toward fence height. Retaining…
Alameda fences must meet AMC 30-5.14: front yards 3 ft, side/rear yards 6 ft, nothing over 3 ft in visibility zones, and height measured from grade within 18 inches. The stated purpose…
Per the City of Alameda's Planning & Building fence handout, a building permit is required for fences over 7 feet tall and for masonry/solid walls regardless of height. Fences 6 feet…
Under Alameda Municipal Code 30-5.14, residential front-yard barriers (fences, walls, hedges) max out at 3 feet, and side/rear-yard barriers at 6 feet. See-through fencing allows…
AMC 30-5.14 bans barbed wire, razor wire, and similar materials on any fence, and prohibits chain-link on residentially zoned or developed property except in limited cases. Chain-link…
Alameda's Municipal Code (AMC 30-5.14) sets fence heights and placement but does not assign cost-sharing between neighbors. Shared boundary fences are governed by California Civil Code…
Alameda's fence code rewards open, see-through materials. Under AMC 30-5.14, "see-through style" fencing (under 50% opaque per square foot, e.g., pickets, lattice, wrought iron) earns…
CA Health and Safety Code 115920 requires pool enclosures at least 60 inches (5 feet) tall with self-closing, self-latching gates around residential pools and spas in Alameda County.
In the City of Alameda, no protected tree may be removed without a Certificate of Approval from the Historical Advisory Board under AMC Section 13-21.7(c). Protected trees include…
The City of Alameda's municipal code does not set a numeric lawn or grass-height limit. Overgrown vegetation is handled as a public nuisance under the City's health-nuisance and…
Alameda encourages native, climate-appropriate planting. The City's Bay-Friendly and Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (AMC Section 30-58) implements StopWaste.Org Bay-Friendly…
The City of Alameda Public Works Department maintains trees and surface roots in the public right-of-way, trimming or removing City trees that affect streets, sidewalks, or sewers…
The City of Alameda controls overgrown weeds and noxious vegetation through nuisance abatement (AMC Section 24-1) and the adopted Alameda Fire Code, not a numeric weed-height…
Alameda's drinking water is supplied by EBMUD (East Bay Municipal Utility District), which enforces permanent water-waste prohibitions: no irrigation runoff, no watering within 48…
The City of Alameda requires organic-waste (compost) collection service for all properties under AMC Chapter XXI (Ordinance 3310), implementing California SB 1383 and 14 CCR rules…
Alameda has no ordinance prohibiting rainwater harvesting. The City's Bay-Friendly and Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (AMC Section 30-58) actively promotes greywater systems and…
The City of Alameda has no ordinance banning artificial turf, but new and rehabilitated landscaping is shaped by its Bay-Friendly and Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (AMC Section…
California's Cottage Food Act bars Alameda from banning home food businesses. The city must treat a registered cottage food operation as a permitted residential use, so it qualifies as…
A home occupation in Alameda must stay incidental to the residence and not change the residential character of the property or neighborhood. On-premises commercial signage in…
Before getting a business license, anyone running a business from an Alameda home must file a Home Occupation Registration with the Planning, Building and Transportation Department. It…
Alameda allows home occupations in residential zones if the business is incidental to the home and registered with the city. Under AMC §30-2 and §30-4.1b, the use may occupy no more…
State law (SB 234 / Health & Safety Code §§1597.40–1597.45) makes both small and large family daycare homes a by-right residential use, so Alameda must treat them like any home and…
Home occupations in unincorporated Alameda County must not generate traffic, parking demand, or deliveries beyond what is normal for a residence, limiting client visits to a small…
Alameda's zoning code (§30-5.12) sets where a pool may sit — in-ground pools and equipment may be in a required rear or side yard with a 5-foot setback from any property line. The pool…
The City of Alameda requires building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits through its Permit Center to construct or alter a pool or spa. California defines a 'swimming pool'…
Small prefabricated above-ground pools (under 24 inches deep, no more than 5,000 gallons, accessory to a home) are exempt from a building permit in Alameda, but any deeper or larger…
Pool safety in Alameda is governed by California's Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code §§115920–115929), which the city enforces at permit issuance. New or remodeled pools…
California treats hot tubs and spas holding more than 18 inches of water as 'swimming pools,' so Alameda's permit, barrier and safety rules generally apply. Alameda zoning §30-5.12…
Carports are accessory buildings under Alameda Municipal Code Section 30-5 and are subject to the same one-story height, rear-yard coverage, setback, and separation limits as garages…
The City of Alameda permits accessory dwelling units and junior ADUs ministerially under Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) Section 30-5.18, implementing California ADU law (formerly Gov…
Storage sheds are 'accessory buildings' under Alameda Municipal Code Section 30-5. They may sit in required side and rear yards but cannot exceed one story (10 ft sidewall, 15 ft at…
Alameda allows garage-to-ADU conversions ministerially under AMC 30-5.18. When a garage, carport, or covered parking is converted in connection with an ADU, replacement parking is NOT…
Alameda has no separate 'tiny home' ordinance. A tiny house on a permanent foundation is regulated as an ADU under AMC 30-5.18 (detached ADU up to 800 sq ft by right, 1,200 sq ft max…
Alameda's Dark Skies ordinance (AMC Section 30-5.16) requires all exterior lighting fixtures to be fully shielded and directed downward, caps LED color temperature at 2,700-3,000…
Alameda Municipal Code Section 30-5.16(b) caps light trespass at 1 foot-candle measured at the property line: no light, combination of lights, or activity shall cast more than one…
Propane and charcoal barbecues are legal in Alameda. Barbecues used solely for cooking are exempt from recreational-fire rules. However, the California Fire Code restricts open-flame…
Backyard smokers and wood/charcoal cookers are legal in Alameda as cooking appliances and are exempt from recreational-fire permits. The same California Fire Code balcony limits as…
Alameda setbacks are set by zone in AMC 30-4. R-1 through R-5 residential districts require a 20-ft front yard, 5-ft side yard, 10-ft street side yard on corner lots, and 20-ft rear…
Alameda caps main building coverage by zone in AMC 30-4: 48% of lot area in R-1, 53% in R-2 through R-5, and 60% in R-6. R-1 also requires a 5,000-sq-ft minimum lot and 50-ft width…
Building height limits in Alameda are set by zone in AMC 30-4: 30 ft in R-1 and R-2, 35 ft in R-3 and R-4, 40 ft in R-5, and 50 ft in R-6. AMC 30-5.8 allows certain rooftop features…
Each single-family, multiplex, and multi-family household in Alameda gets one free on-call bulky/cleanup collection per year through ACI. A set-out may include up to 3 cubic yards of…
Organics (compost) collection is mandatory in Alameda under California SB 1383 and Alameda County's ORRO. Since 2022, all residents and businesses must have organics service through…
Alameda County Industries (ACI) provides weekly curbside collection of garbage, recycling, and organics to Alameda households under an exclusive City franchise. Service is bundled in…
ACI directs Alameda residents to place carts at the curb by 5 a.m. on their collection day, facing the street with wheels against the curb, with three feet between carts and clear of…
Recycling is mandatory in Alameda. Under Alameda County's Organics Reduction and Recycling Ordinance (ORRO / StopWaste), all residents and businesses must subscribe to recycling and…
Removing a protected tree in the City of Alameda requires a Certificate of Approval from the Historical Advisory Board under AMC Section 13-21.7(c). Protected trees include designated…
California provides statewide protections for native oak woodlands and heritage trees through CEQA review, Public Resources Code, and Forest Practice Rules that apply uniformly.
Alameda's franchised hauler, Alameda County Industries (ACI), provides wheeled garbage, recycling, and organics carts. Carts must be set at the curb by 5 a.m. on the collection day…
The City of Alameda requires property owners and occupants to keep portions of their property visible from public rights-of-way free of accumulated waste matter. Code Enforcement, in…
Garage and yard sales in the City of Alameda are treated as temporary residential household sales under the zoning code (AMC Chapter XXX, §30-5). Such occasional residential sales are…
Lots in the City of Alameda must be kept in good order. Under the zoning code, a person, company, or corporation utilizing a lot must maintain it at all times; vacated or abandoned…
The City of Alameda addresses overgrown weeds and combustible vegetation through its Fire Prevention chapter (AMC Chapter XV) and property-maintenance provisions, rather than a single…
Alameda County, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, has no snow sidewalk clearing ordinance because measurable snowfall is extremely rare in unincorporated lowlands.
Under Alameda Municipal Code Section 30-6.7, signs containing noncommercial, political, religious, or public-service messages are EXEMPT from the sign regulations, provided they comply…
Alameda Municipal Code Section 30-6 defines a 'garage sale sign' as a sign advertising the resale of a resident's used personal property. Garage-sale signs are temporary signs that…
Under Alameda Municipal Code Chapter XXIII (Parks), it is unlawful to be present in any park except during hours it is open to the public. The Recreation and Park Commission sets each…
Alameda County unincorporated areas enforce a juvenile curfew from 10 PM to 5 AM for minors under 18, with standard exemptions for emergency, work, and parental accompaniment.
Municipal Code Section 4-10.4 caps exterior noise at a receiving home at 55 dB(A) daytime and 50 dB(A) at night for more than thirty minutes an hour, with absolute ceilings of 75 and…
The City of Alameda has no cryptocurrency-mining ordinance. A commercial mining site is treated as a data center: classified into a listed industrial use, bound by the Section 4-10.4…
The City of Alameda has no data-center ordinance and no data-center use category. Server facilities are classified into the nearest listed use - Office, Industrial-Light, or…
Alameda County elevators are regulated by Cal/OSHA Elevator Unit under Title 8 CCR 3000-3137. Annual inspections and permits are required, with enforcement by state inspectors.
Scaffolding in Alameda County must comply with California Labor Code 7150-7157 and Cal/OSHA Title 8 CCR 1635-1670. Cal/OSHA permits required over 36 feet; encroachment permits for…
Alameda County enforces California H&S Code 17920.10 treating deteriorated lead paint in pre-1978 housing as substandard. Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda have old housing stocks with…
Pest control in Alameda County is regulated by CA DPR and county Environmental Health. Landlords must provide pest-free housing under Civil Code 1941.1 and SB 655.
Alameda County regulates grading under Title 15 and CBC Appendix J. Permits are required for cuts or fills over 50 cubic yards or 3 feet in depth; hillside overlays have stricter rules.
Alameda County requires erosion control during the rainy season (October 1 to April 30). Projects over 1 acre need a Construction General Permit and a SWPPP.
Alameda County participates in NFIP. FEMA maps designate Special Flood Hazard Areas along the Bay shoreline in Oakland, Alameda, San Leandro, Hayward, and creek corridors countywide.
Alameda County complies with SF Bay Regional Water Board MRP 3.0. Projects disturbing 10,000 sf or more must incorporate Low Impact Development treatment per Provision C.3.
The California Coastal Act, Public Resources Code sections 30000 through 30900, requires Coastal Development Permits for nearly all work in the coastal zone and gives the Coastal…
HVAC condensers, heat pumps, and pool equipment in Alameda County must not exceed residential decibel limits at neighboring property lines: 60 dBA daytime and 50 dBA nighttime. Setback…
Bars and nightclubs in unincorporated Alameda County operate under conditional use permits with noise conditions limiting amplified music, door-open times, and patron crowd noise…
Standby and portable generators in Alameda County must comply with residential noise limits (50 dBA night, 60 dBA day) except during verified power outages. BAAQMD permits apply to…
Alameda County unincorporated areas do not have a rental registration program. Landlords must comply with state disclosures but no county-level rental license is required.
Alameda County unincorporated areas are covered by AB 1482 just cause eviction rules requiring landlords to cite a specific lawful reason for terminating tenancies over 12 months.
Alameda County unincorporated areas fall under California AB 1482 statewide rent cap limiting annual increases to 5 percent plus CPI, maximum 10 percent.
California evictions run through the unlawful detainer process. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 1161, nonpayment requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit (excluding weekends and…
California landlords must keep rentals fit to live in. Civil Code §§ 1941 and 1941.1, reinforced by Green v. Superior Court, imply a warranty of habitability covering plumbing, heat…
California Civil Code § 1954 limits when a landlord may enter a rented home. Except in emergencies, abandonment, or with tenant consent, the landlord must give reasonable written…
California sets no fixed dollar or percentage cap on rent late fees, but a late fee in a residential lease is treated as liquidated damages. Under Civil Code § 1671, such a fee is…
To end a California month-to-month tenancy, a tenant gives 30 days' written notice. A landlord gives 30 days if the tenant has lived there under a year, or 60 days if a year or more…
California requires written notice before raising a month-to-month tenant's rent. Under Civ. Code § 827, increases of 10% or less in 12 months need 30 days' notice; increases above 10%…
As of July 1, 2024, California landlords may collect no more than one month's rent as a security deposit, regardless of whether the unit is furnished. The deposit, minus any lawful…
California adverse possession requires five years of continuous, open, hostile possession AND payment of all property taxes during that period under Code of Civil Procedure § 325. A…
Alameda County prohibits blocking sidewalks with vehicles, merchandise, overgrown vegetation, or construction materials. Clear 4-foot ADA-compliant passage must be maintained.
Under CA Streets and Highways Code 5610, adjacent property owners are responsible for maintaining sidewalks fronting their property in Alameda County unincorporated areas.
Recreational drones in Alameda County must comply with FAA 14 CFR Part 107 and 49 USC 44809 rules including Remote ID, registration, and no flights over people or above 400 feet.
Commercial drone operations in California follow uniform federal rules under 14 CFR Part 107 plus statewide California provisions in Civil Code 1708.8 and Public Utilities Code 21401…
Alameda County HOAs conduct architectural review under Civil Code 4765. Associations must provide fair, reasonable procedures with written decisions within a defined timeframe and a…
Alameda County HOAs enforce CC&Rs under Civil Code 5850-5865. Before imposing fines, associations must provide written notice, an opportunity to be heard, and a published schedule of…
HOAs in Alameda County operate under California Davis-Stirling (Civil Code 4000+). Board meetings require 4-day notice, open session participation, and minutes available within 30 days.
Alameda County HOAs follow Civil Code 5600-5740 for assessments. Regular assessments cannot increase more than 20 percent annually, and special assessments over 5 percent of budget…
Alameda County HOAs must offer Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) under Civil Code 5900-5920 and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) before filing most lawsuits. Both processes are…
California HOAs may fine members for rule violations, but only under a published schedule of fines and after strict due-process steps. Civil Code section 5855 requires written notice…
California overrides HOA governing documents on several owner protections. The Davis-Stirling Act and related Civil Code sections bar HOAs from prohibiting solar systems, U.S. flag…
Alameda County offers 3-business-day solar permitting under AB 2188 and SB 379. Systems must comply with Title 24 and the 2022 Solar Mandate for new homes.
Alameda County HOAs cannot prohibit solar under CA Civil Code 714 (Solar Rights Act). Only reasonable restrictions are allowed that do not significantly reduce efficiency or raise cost.
Alameda County's Code Enforcement Division investigates violations in unincorporated areas. Complaints can be filed by phone at (510) 670-5460, by email at…
Alameda County Code Enforcement typically conducts initial site visits within 3-5 business days of receiving a complaint. The full enforcement process, from initial notice to…
The most common code violations in unincorporated Alameda County include property nuisances (junk, debris, overgrown vegetation), junk vehicles, unpermitted structures, illegal…
Security cameras are legal on residential and commercial properties in Alameda County. Video-only recording in public-facing areas is permitted. Audio recording triggers California's…
In unincorporated Alameda County, residential fences up to 6 feet tall in rear and side yards generally do not require permits. Front yard fences are typically limited to 3-4 feet…
California is a two-party (all-party) consent state. Recording any confidential communication without all parties' consent is a crime under Penal Code 632. This applies to phone calls…
California maintains a state-level list of noxious weeds and invasive plants regulated by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Alameda County follows state regulations…
Alameda County does not have a specific bamboo ban, but running bamboo that spreads onto neighboring properties can be addressed as a nuisance under county ordinances and California…
Alameda County generally permits front-yard gardens including food gardens in unincorporated areas. California law (AB 2561) prohibits local governments from banning front-yard food…
In unincorporated Alameda County, storage sheds under 120 square feet without electrical or plumbing are exempt from building permits. Larger sheds require permits. All sheds must meet…
Residential fences up to 6 feet tall in unincorporated Alameda County generally do not require building permits. Fences over 6 feet, retaining wall/fence combinations, and fences in…
Small ground-level decks (under 200 sq ft, less than 30 inches above grade, not attached to a building) are generally exempt from permits in Alameda County. Larger or elevated decks…
Most renovation work in unincorporated Alameda County requires building permits. Cosmetic changes like painting and flooring replacement are exempt. Work involving structural…
California sets a statewide minimum wage floor under Labor Code 1182.12, $16.90 per hour for all employers as of January 2026. Local governments are not preempted and may set higher…
California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act under Labor Code 245-249 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees statewide. SB 616 (2023) raised the minimum to 40 hours…
California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant…
California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However…
California broadly prohibits open carry of firearms statewide under Penal Code 25850 (loaded firearms in public) and Penal Code 26350 (open carry of unloaded handguns). The prohibition…
California prohibits carrying loaded firearms in vehicles statewide under Penal Code 25400 and 25850. Unloaded handguns transported in private vehicles must be in a locked container or…
California Retail Food Code (Health and Safety Code 113700-114437) sets uniform mobile food facility permit, equipment, and food safety standards enforced by counties statewide.
California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946) preempts most local bans on sidewalk vending, allowing only objective health, safety, and welfare regulations.
California prohibits state and local governments from requiring private employers to use the federal E-Verify system except where federal law mandates it, under Labor Code 2812. The…
The California Values Act (SB 54, 2017) codified at Government Code 7284-7284.12 limits state and local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It applies…
The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (Williamson Act), Government Code 51200-51297.4, allows landowners to enter contracts with counties restricting land to agricultural use…
The California Right to Farm Act under Civil Code 3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits brought by neighbors who moved in after farming began. The…
California prohibits grocery stores and large retailers from providing single-use plastic carryout bags under Public Resources Code 42280-42288, enacted by SB 270 (2014) and ratified…
California restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that…
California Public Resources Code 42270-42273, enacted by AB 1884 (2018), prohibits full-service restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by the customer…
California prohibits sale of tobacco and vapor products to anyone under 21 statewide under Business and Professions Code 22958, enacted by SBX2-7 in 2016. The Tobacco 21 standard…
California bans retail sale of most flavored tobacco products statewide under Health and Safety Code 104559.5, enacted by SB 793 (2020) and upheld by voters via Proposition 31 in…
California requires statewide licensing of tobacco and vape retailers under the STAKE Act and the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act. Business and Professions Code 22970…