Aliso Viejo, CA

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, loading zones run up to 50 feet and passenger loading zones up to 100 feet. A vehicle in a loading zone can stop for no more than five minutes…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no one can park in a designated on-road bicycle lane on the city arterial system or in a divisional island, work on a vehicle on a city street…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, red paint on the curb surface marks a no parking or no stopping area, whether the director found a traffic hazard or the city council created…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no vehicle can stay on a city street longer than 72 consecutive hours, and an oversized vehicle cannot be parked on a city street between 2:00…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 8.24.010(E) declares a nuisance any trailer, camper, boat or motor vehicle on vacant property or in the front yard of a developed lot other…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 9.04.090 bars parking an oversized vehicle on any city street between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on two consecutive days, or beyond 12…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC Chapter 9.06 declares an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle on public or private property a public nuisance. A vehicle…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 15.38.110 allows an RV to be stored in a residential rear or side yard, except where fence heights are limited to less than six feet, with…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, Chapter 13.10 requires the building official to run an expedited permit process for electric vehicle charging stations, with a published…

In unincorporated Orange County, the Board of Supervisors can designate a neighborhood as a permit parking area when a special permit program is determined to be necessary to the…

California doesn't ban private-property towing, but Vehicle Code Section 22658 controls how it happens. A posted sign at least 17 by 22 inches must warn drivers before a tow company…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 8.24.010 treats vegetation as a nuisance by hazard, not by inches: growth that endangers pedestrian or vehicle traffic, harbors rats or…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, rainwater capture appears in the water efficient landscape chapter at AVMC 7.30.030(C). A lot with under 2,500 square feet of landscaped area…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 7.30.050(B) requires irrigation of all landscaped areas to follow established watering windows and water waste rules set by the city, the…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no mature tree can be removed on a lot with development under the urban lot split chapter unless removal is necessary to build a dwelling unit…

Unincorporated Orange County lets residents compost fruit and vegetable garden waste at home, but Section 7-9-102 requires compost piles be screened from neighboring properties…

For ordinary trees on private property in unincorporated Orange County, routine pruning needs no county permit. The County's fire program may require trimming branches within 10 feet…

Since SB 676 took effect in 2024, Government Code 53087.7 protects only drought-tolerant living landscaping from local bans, so cities may again prohibit artificial turf. Civil Code…

AB-1572 prohibits using potable water to irrigate non-functional turf at commercial, institutional, and HOA-common areas, accelerating native and low-water landscape conversions…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 8.26.020 makes it unlawful to feed, or cause to be fed, a nondomesticated animal in any commercial center that has an outdoor dining area…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, owning or having custody of four or more licensed dogs or four or more licensed cats over the age of four months for a non-commercial purpose…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no commercial animal establishment can display, sell, offer for sale, barter, auction or give away dogs or cats. Rescue shops that charge an…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a cat license is optional. An owner who submits a veterinarian-certified rabies vaccine record and pays the fee receives a license certificate…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a dog on public property must be on a substantial chain or a leash not exceeding six feet and under the charge of a competent person, unless the…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, the municipal code has no stand-alone bird ordinance. Birds are protected through the park wildlife rule, which defines wildlife to include any…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 6.04.380 bars keeping horses, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, game birds and other fowl for any purpose within…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, the vicious dog definition turns on conduct and dog fighting, not breed. The director of animal services can tentatively declare a dog vicious…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, running a grooming parlor or mobile grooming facility without a commercial animal establishment license is unlawful under AVMC 6.04.460. The…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, keeping wild or exotic animals as pets runs through an additional or unusual animal license issued by the director of animal services under…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, Table 15.18.020 lists animal hospitals and veterinary clinics as AUP in the CT, CC, CN, BP-1 and BP-2 districts and NP in PO. AUP means an…

OC Animal Care won't sell or give away an unredeemed female dog unless she's already neutered or the adopter pays a neutering deposit: there's no general spay/neuter mandate for pet…

In unincorporated Orange County, keeping bees is classified as an agricultural use that needs a Site Development Permit. Apiaries are allowed only in the A1 Agriculture and OS Open…

The City of Aliso Viejo, California has no stand-alone leaf blower ordinance. Chapter 8.12 lists leaf blowers as a fixed noise source, and property maintenance noise is exempt between…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, quiet hours run from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. in residential areas, meaning anywhere within 300 feet of a single-family or multifamily residence…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, residential exterior noise is capped at 50 dB(A) by day and 45 dB(A) at night where density is under 10 DU/acre, and 55 and 50 dB(A) at 10…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, construction, repair, remodeling and grading noise is exempt from the Chapter 8.12 noise limits only when the work stays out of 8:00 p.m. to…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no responsible person can allow an animal on their premises to bark, howl, cry or make other sounds that unreasonably disturb neighbors…

In unincorporated Orange County, it's a misdemeanor to operate a vehicle in a way reasonably likely to disturb the peace of any neighborhood or person through noise, dust, smoke or…

Orange County bars regularly scheduled commercial flights at John Wayne Airport from departing between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. (8 a.m. Sundays) or arriving between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. (8…

Amplified sound systems, music and live music are banned in Orange County parks, beaches and recreational areas unless the area is specifically designated and a written permit from the…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, the 10 percent transient occupancy tax in Chapter 3.06 of the Municipal Code reaches single-family dwelling units, duplexes and triplexes rented…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 15.14.165(B) makes liable any property owner, tenant, occupant, agent, broker, property manager or reservation service who arranges or…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, short-term rental uses such as transient lodging for remuneration are prohibited in all residential districts, except as otherwise permitted by…

Two strikes and a short-term rental in unincorporated Orange County goes dark for up to a year. Section 7-9-93(e)(3) ties the county's Short-term Rental Permit to good standing: a…

Orange County does not impose a separate extended home-share category for partial-unit rentals exceeding hosted-only night caps. All short-term rentals in unincorporated areas operate…

Short-term rental guests in unincorporated Orange County must observe the same exterior noise limits as any other resident: 55 decibels from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 50 decibels…

Zoning Code Section 7-9-93 requires unincorporated Orange County short-term rentals to provide at least two off-street parking spaces (garage and/or driveway) at all times. Vehicles…

Under Zoning Code Section 7-9-93, overnight occupancy of an unincorporated Orange County short-term rental is capped at two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons. The…

California requires hosting platforms to warn hosts to check their lease and insurance before listing (Business and Professions Code 22592), and AB 537 requires short-term lodging…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a home occupation cannot make the dwelling a point of customer pickup or delivery, cannot create greater vehicular or pedestrian traffic than…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, small child day care homes (six or fewer children) are permitted in the RL and RM districts without a discretionary permit. Large homes (seven…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, Aliso Viejo Municipal Code § 15.14.150 limits a home occupation to residents of the dwelling, caps it at 15 percent of the combined floor area…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, Aliso Viejo Municipal Code § 15.14.150(B)(4) allows no signs at a home occupation. The same sentence bars outdoor storage, parked vehicles and…

Government Code section 51035 forbids any California city, county, or city and county from prohibiting a cottage food operation in a residential dwelling. The local agency must pick…

California lets home cooks sell meals from their own kitchen under a microenterprise home kitchen operation (MEHKO) permit, capped at 30 meals a day, 90 a week, and $100,000 in annual…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, Aliso Viejo Municipal Code § 15.14.080(J)(1) bars any impact fee on a JADU or on an ADU under 750 square feet of interior livable space. Larger…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs) are governed by Aliso Viejo Municipal Code § 15.14.080. Every…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit can be rented for a term shorter than 30 days, and the ban applies regardless of…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a garage can be converted to a unit under Aliso Viejo Municipal Code § 15.14.080. An attached garage counts as part of a single-family structure…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, owner occupancy is a rule for junior accessory dwelling units (JADUs) under Aliso Viejo Municipal Code § 15.14.080(H)(7). An owner must live in…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, § 15.14.060 allows no more than two yard buildings on a residential lot, each no larger than 200 square feet in ground area. A shed under six feet high can…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, § 15.14.030(H) permits retaining walls up to six feet in height. A wall over 30 inches high and visible from off-site locations must be landscaped with…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, § 15.14.030(L) prohibits barbed wire, razor wire and electrified fencing materials except where required by city, state or federal regulation. Chain link…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, § 15.14.030 caps single-family fences at six feet within side and rear setbacks and 42 inches within front setbacks. Multifamily developments get 42 inches…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, a fence higher than the § 15.14.030 maximums, up to 10 feet, needs an exception permit approved by the director under AVMC 15.74.070. A fence over 10 feet…

Shared boundary fences in unincorporated Orange County are governed by California Civil Code Section 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Law. Adjoining owners are presumed equally responsible…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, the amended Fire Code in AVMC 13.04.030 restricts spark-producing work in Wildfire Risk Areas: welding, cutting torches, tar pots and grinding…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, outdoor fires burning wood or other solid fuel are not allowed when predicted sustained winds exceed 8 MPH with relative humidity under 25%…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 13.04.560 adopts Chapter 56 of the California Fire Code as amended by the State Fire Marshal and adds two local rules: every fireworks…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a gas fire pit at a Group R property needs Building Department approval and must burn only a gas flame, with combustible construction and…

In unincorporated Orange County, propane and LP-gas storage follows the 2025 California Fire Code's Chapter 61 exactly: the county adopted it in its entirety with zero local…

In wildfire-prone unincorporated Orange County, owners must maintain defensible space around structures. California Public Resources Code 4291 requires clearance up to 100 feet around…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, residential swimming pools must be completely enclosed by a barrier at least 60 inches above grade, with no opening that passes a…

Unincorporated Orange County requires a building permit before construction of a private swimming pool, spa, or hot tub begins, under the county's adopted Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, residents and businesses keep the right to sell or donate their own recyclables. Paying anyone to collect, process, haul or dispose of them…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, trash enclosures must be directly reachable by collection vehicles, sit away from the public viewscape, and have a solid wall on three sides at…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, residential trash collection is prohibited between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, and until 8:00 a.m. on Saturdays following…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, tree trimmings and brush must be cut into pieces not longer than four feet and not thicker than four inches in diameter before being placed for…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no one can place a trash, recycling or organic waste container next to a street or public right-of-way before 6:00 p.m. on the day before the…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, bulky goods can be placed for collection only under an arrangement between the resident or business and the contractor. The code defines bulk…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 7.05.260(B) makes it unlawful to dump, spill, pour or abandon solid waste on any property in the city, or to cause or permit waste to land…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, Chapter 7.05 prints two alternative compliance approaches for homes and for businesses, and the city can choose either. Under section 7.05.300…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, single-family households under AVMC 7.05.300 are automatically enrolled in integrated waste collection with a blue recyclables container and a…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, every owner, occupant or person running a place or premises must arrange solid waste collection with a contractor holding a city franchise…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, property owners and operators must have all solid waste, recyclables and organic waste removed at least once a week to guard against vectors…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, the municipal code's sharps rule governs tattoo, piercing and permanent cosmetic studios. Each procedure area needs a rigid, puncture-resistant…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no one can take off or land a drone during a permitted public event without written or electronic permission from the city. Flights over public…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 8.30.030 bars taking off or landing a drone within 25 feet of another person, on private property without the owner's consent, within 1,500…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, the park chapters name drones in one place: section 11.12.030(P) of the Aliso Viejo Municipal Code puts every drone at the Aliso Viejo Ranch…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, Chapter 8.32 makes it a misdemeanor to urinate or defecate on any public street, sidewalk, alley, park or other public place, or on private…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a loud or unruly disturbance in a residential area between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. can draw a written first notice, and if officers must return…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, smoking is prohibited inside and within 20 feet of a main exit, entrance or operable window of any city-owned, leased or occupied building…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, drinking any beverage over one-half of one percent alcohol by volume on public streets, sidewalks, parks, school grounds, parking lots open to…

The City of Aliso Viejo, California has no freestanding loitering offense. Chapter 8.20 instead bars intentionally standing, sitting or lying at a driveway, entrance or exit of a…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, it is unlawful to stand on the roadway of a public street and solicit employment, business, or charitable contributions or alms from the…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, nonmotorized skateboards are allowed on sidewalks at no more than five miles per hour, but not on sidewalks inside a commercial or business…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, Orange County, California, the municipal code declares personal recreational marijuana use, possession, purchase, transport and dissemination unlawful in…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, Chapter 7.50 of the Municipal Code applies to every area of special flood hazard inside city limits, as mapped in the FEMA flood insurance study…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, new residential construction and substantial improvements in a special flood hazard area must have the lowest floor, including any basement, at…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, grading sites must be protected against erosion under Municipal Code § 13.08.330. From October 1st to April 30th, no grading above 200 cubic…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 7.35.040 makes it unlawful to discharge anything but stormwater into the city's storm drain system (the MS4), to build or use an illicit…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 15.50.010 applies fuel modification rules to every area in a very high fire hazard severity zone and to any project where a fuel…

A written County permit is required to build, extend, or alter any pier, dock, piling, bulkhead, or seawall in a County harbor, issued by the Harbors, Beaches and Parks Director.

Development within the coastal zone of unincorporated Orange County requires a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) under OCCO §7-9-127 and the California Coastal Act. The County has…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, running a for-profit card, dice or other gaming operation is a misdemeanor, and no application for a gaming club will be accepted or processed…

California Penal Code § 326.5 lets only tax-exempt nonprofits, mobilehome park associations, senior groups, and school-affiliated charities run bingo, and only under a local city or…

California law exempts private home card games from gambling regulation entirely. Penal Code § 337j(e)(2)(D) excludes any card game played in a private home or residence from the…

California has no legal sports betting, in stores or online. Penal Code section 337a criminalizes bookmaking, pool-selling, and placing or accepting any bet on the result of a sporting…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California (Orange County), Chapter 8.24 of the Municipal Code declares a list of property conditions to be nuisances, including refuse kept on any property…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no person except the city or its contractors may place, change or renew an encroachment in a public street, alley, sidewalk, driveway or gutter…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no person except the city or its contractors can place, change or renew an encroachment in the public way without first getting an encroachment…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, anyone selling food or merchandise from a pushcart, stand or other nonmotorized conveyance on a public sidewalk needs a city sidewalk vending…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, stationary sidewalk vendors are prohibited in every exclusively residential zone and can operate in nonresidential and mixed use zones, within…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 7.10.020 makes it unlawful to run any food handling business, mobile food facilities included, without a food vending permit from the…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 8.24.010 declares a building or structure a nuisance when it has any listed defect to a significant degree, from blocked exits and collapse…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, the city's amended California Fire Code section 304.1.3 requires the owner or occupant of any premises to cut down and remove weeds, grass…

Orange County, California does not experience snowfall in its unincorporated communities and has no snow removal or sidewalk snow-clearing ordinance. Coastal and inland Southern…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, Chapter 8.22 makes it unlawful to sleep, camp and/or store personal property on any public property, with sleeping defined as the hours between…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, it is unlawful to intentionally stand, sit or lie in or upon any street, sidewalk or crosswalk so as to prevent the free passage of persons or…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no one can own, operate or manage a massage establishment without a city massage establishment license, and that license is not valid until a…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, every tattoo, piercing and permanent cosmetics practitioner must register with the Orange County health department, with registration renewed…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, it is unlawful to repair, dismantle, overhaul or do mechanical work on a vehicle, trailer or RV anywhere on a city street, with a tire-repair…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no person, firm or corporation can carry on business as a pawnbroker without first obtaining a license under Chapter 4.03 of the Municipal Code…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, an adult business must sit at least 500 feet from any residential district or use, park, religious institution or school, and at least 300 feet…

Anyone buying, selling, pawning, consigning or auctioning secondhand personal property in unincorporated Orange County must first get a county license before opening for business.

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…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 9.04.040(E) bars stopping, standing or parking within a designated on-road bicycle lane anywhere on the city arterial highway system once…

At John Wayne Airport, no driver may pick up or solicit passengers for hire, including rideshare fares, without a contract authorizing the pickup issued by the Board of Supervisors.

Unincorporated Orange County bars installation of any automated traffic enforcement system, including red-light cameras, on county streets or for traffic enforcement in unincorporated…

Unincorporated Orange County defines electric bicycles by Class 1, 2 and 3 under County Code § 6-4-102, then layers its own rules: no rider under 16 may operate a Class 3 e-bike…

A low-speed vehicle in California may not be driven on any roadway with a speed limit above 35 miles per hour. Vehicle Code section 21260 permits it to cross a faster road only where…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, air conditioners are named in the Municipal Code as a fixed noise source, so their sound is measured against the Chapter 8.12 dB(A) limits at…

In unincorporated Orange County, portable and standby generators are classified as fixed noise sources under Division 6 and must meet the 55/50 dB(A) exterior noise limits set for…

The City of Aliso Viejo, California, taxes occupancy in any hotel at 10 percent of the rent the operator charges. The tax is a debt the guest owes the city, extinguished only by…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, minors under 18 may not be in a public place or on the premises of an establishment from 11:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. any night of the week…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, city parks and recreational areas are open only during hours the city council sets by resolution. No one except a valid city permit holder can…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, Table 15.10.030 sets maximum structure height at 35 feet and 2 stories in the RL district, 35 feet in RM, 45 feet in RH and 65 feet in RVH. PRD projects are…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, Table 15.10.030 prints a 10 foot front setback and a 10 foot rear setback for single-family detached and attached homes. Detached lots print 10 feet on one…

In unincorporated Orange County, single-family zoning districts AR, E1, RHE, E4, RE and RS cap building site coverage at 35 percent of the lot; R1 carries no numeric maximum under the…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, outdoor dining is an accessory use that needs an administrative use permit under AVMC 15.22.190. The area cannot exceed 1,000 square feet, and an exception…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a block party on a cul-de-sac needs no special event permit if 100 percent of the cul-de-sac residents approve the street closure and emergency…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a fair or festival is a special event that needs a city manager permit, and every permit carries conditions covering booth inspections, waste…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, no one can organize, advertise or sell tickets to a special event, including a parade or a public assembly of 250 or more people on city…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a gathering of 250 or more people in a city park is a public assembly, and a public assembly is a special event that needs a city manager…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, commercial photography at the Aliso Viejo Ranch for the private use of the people photographed needs a city reservation and permit, and every…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, every child day care center or preschool in a nonresidential district must follow AVMC 15.22.180, no matter how many children it serves. The section limits…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, the City Council adopts the California Plumbing Code, 2025 Edition, in section 13.02.010(E) of the municipal code. Building Code section 109.4…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, working on a building, structure, mechanical, gas, electrical or plumbing system before obtaining the necessary permits is a violation, and the…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, the City Council adopts the California Electrical Code, 2025 Edition, by reference in section 13.02.010(C) of the municipal code. Building Code…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, every new building with a Group R fire area must be sprinklered throughout under the amended California Fire Code § 903.2.8 in AVMC 13.04.090…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, section 13.02.010(F) of the municipal code adopts the California Green Building Standards Code, 2025 Edition, and violations are misdemeanors…

In unincorporated Orange County, no building or structure can be occupied until the Building Official inspects it, finds no code violations, and issues a Certificate of Occupancy.

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, parking lot lighting must use decorative fixtures with full cutoff shields that direct light downward, building illumination must be indirect…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, outdoor lighting must be designed and shielded to minimize spillover onto neighboring properties. AVMC 15.62.070(C) lets the city require a…

Unincorporated Orange County limits how bright and where billboard lighting can shine: direct light rays must stay on-site, and signs facing homes within 100 feet can't be lit at all.

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a small residential rooftop solar system is permitted by submitting the city's completed checklist and standard plans, based on the California…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a complete, approved application for qualifying residential solar gets its building permit the same day, if it is submitted during the building…

California's Solar Rights Act (Civil Code §714) provides strong protections for homeowners installing solar panels in unincorporated Orange County. HOAs cannot prohibit solar…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, a condominium owner who wants a room addition, spa, patio cover, outdoor fireplace, play equipment or air conditioning unit in common area needs prior…

California HOAs may levy regular and special assessments, charge late fees and interest, record liens, and ultimately foreclose on delinquent owners under the Davis-Stirling Act. State…

California's Davis-Stirling Act gives every HOA member the right to inspect and copy association records under Civil Code § 5205. Boards must produce current-year records within 10…

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…

California voids any HOA governing-document clause that effectively bans or unreasonably restricts a clothesline or drying rack in an owner's exclusive-use backyard. Civil Code Section…

Civil Code section 4735 voids any HOA rule that bans low-water plants, turf replacement, or artificial turf, and bars fines for cutting back watering during a declared drought…

Civil Code § 4745 voids any HOA covenant or governing-document rule that prohibits or unreasonably restricts installing an EV charging station in an owner's unit or designated parking…

Civil Code § 4705 bars every California homeowners association from limiting a member's display of the United States flag on their own lot or within their exclusive-use common area…

California law caps homeowners association fines at $100 per violation or the amount listed in the association's published penalty schedule, whichever is less. Civil Code section 5850…

A California homeowners association cannot foreclose on a member’s home over unpaid dues until the delinquent assessments alone reach $1,800, or until the assessments secured by the…

Civil Code § 4741 bars every California homeowners association from adopting or enforcing a rule that prohibits, or unreasonably restricts, renting out a separate interest, and sets a…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, student films are exempt from the city's film and photo shoot permit rules. AVMC 15.46.020(D)(4) lifts the section's requirements for student…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, professional film, video and still photography on public property or in public rights-of-way needs a temporary use permit under AVMC 15.46.020…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, a film shoot that uses public streets, sidewalks, medians or parkways must hold encroachment permits and use California Highway Patrol or Orange…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, window signage is exempt from a sign permit but capped at up to 20 percent of the total window area on each building side under Aliso Viejo…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, off-site garage or yard sale signs, circulars, posters and similar displays are prohibited by Aliso Viejo Municipal Code § 15.34.170(A)(20)…

The City of Aliso Viejo, California prohibits billboards and outdoor advertising signs outright under Aliso Viejo Municipal Code § 15.34.170, along with off-premises signs and any…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, Aliso Viejo Municipal Code § 15.34.170(A)(11) prohibits signs oriented toward a freeway unless approved pursuant to § 15.34.120. The same…

The City of Aliso Viejo, California has no stand-alone political sign category. Under Aliso Viejo Municipal Code § 15.34.160, any sign the chapter already permits can carry an…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 15.58.010 grants a density bonus to residential projects of five or more dwelling units that reserve 10 percent of units for lower income…

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, AVMC 15.62.060 requires street frontage parkways on development projects to be of ample width, generously landscaped and treated as one…

California provides statewide protections for native oak woodlands and heritage trees through CEQA review, Public Resources Code, and Forest Practice Rules that apply uniformly.

In the City of Aliso Viejo, California, cannabis businesses have no zoning path at all. AVMC 15.40.030(B) prohibits medical marijuana dispensaries, collectives and delivery services in…

Orange County Ordinance No. 17-011 (codified at OCCO §7-9-146.8 through §7-9-146.14) strictly regulates personal cannabis cultivation in unincorporated areas. Indoor cultivation of up…

Unincorporated Orange County's Fire Code adds permit and clearance rules for outdoor fireplaces and fire pits at apartments and other Group R buildings, but portable barbecues and…

Orange County's Fire Code exempts backyard grills, smokers and other cooking-only devices from the setback rules that govern fire pits and fireplaces, but it still bans any outdoor…

Unincorporated OC treats overcrowded, unventilated, unsanitary or substandard housing as a public nuisance under the Uniform Housing Code.

California AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019) requires landlords countywide in Orange County to provide written notice of statewide rent caps and just-cause eviction protections…

The Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) administers Section 8 housing-choice vouchers for most unincorporated areas and many cities. Landlords are required to accept voucher…

Unincorporated Orange County has no local rent control ordinance. Tenants are protected by California's statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), which caps annual rent increases at…

Unincorporated Orange County has no local just cause eviction ordinance. California's Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482, Civil Code §1946.2) provides statewide just cause eviction…

Unincorporated Orange County does not require rental property registration. There is no countywide rental registry, landlord licensing, or rental inspection program for unincorporated…

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 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…

Unincorporated Orange County's A1 General Agricultural District permits farming, ranching and crop sales as by-right uses on a 4-acre minimum site.

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 AB 1884 prohibits OC full-service restaurants from automatically providing single-use plastic straws; customers must explicitly request one. Many OC coastal cities go…

California AB 1276 requires OC food facilities to provide single-use utensils, napkins, stirrers, and condiment packets only when customers request them or affirmatively select them at…

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…

Orange County does not require employers or contractors to use the federal E-Verify system, and California Assembly Bill 1065 prohibits cities and counties from forcing private…

In unincorporated Orange County, data centers are not a listed use in the M1 "Light Industrial" district, so they can proceed only with a discretionary Use Permit approved by the…

Unincorporated Orange County has no data-center-specific noise rule, but its Noise Control Ordinance caps exterior noise reaching any residential property at 55 dB(A) daytime (7…

California's noxious weed list applies in Orange County. The OC Agricultural Commissioner enforces plant quarantines and pest regulations. The county's Water Efficient Landscape…

In unincorporated Orange County, flower, fruit and vegetable gardening is allowed in every residential district, but all growing, harvesting and selling must stay entirely on your own…

Solicitors in unincorporated Orange County must respect posted no-soliciting signs on residential properties. The county's business licensing ordinance and California Penal Code…

Door-to-door solicitors and peddlers operating in unincorporated Orange County must obtain a business license through the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The Sheriff's Business…

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…

Sobriety checkpoints are lawful in California and stopping at one is a statutory obligation, not a courtesy. Vehicle Code § 2814.2(a) requires a driver to stop and submit to a sobriety…

California is one of the few states that answers this by statute rather than by case law alone. Penal Code § 148(g) says that photographing or making an audio or video recording of a…

California has no general stop-and-identify statute. The old Penal Code § 647(e), which required a person lawfully detained to give "credible and reliable" identification, was held…

California has no statute that requires you to consent to a search of your car, and none that requires an officer to warn you that you may refuse. What the Legislature and the voters…

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 works from a closed list: Vehicle Code section 24003 says no vehicle may carry any lamp or illuminating device not required or permitted by the code, so an accessory light…

California measures dash cam placement in square inches. Vehicle Code section 26708(b)(13) lets a video event recorder occupy a seven-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield…

Lane splitting is lawful in California. Vehicle Code section 21658.1, added by AB 51 in 2016, defines it as driving a motorcycle with two wheels in contact with the ground between rows…

California does not let you put a cover over your license plate. Vehicle Code section 5201(c) allows exactly two things: a full car cover on a lawfully parked vehicle, and a license…

No section of the California Vehicle Code makes it an offense for a private motorist to own, carry or use a radar detector. The prohibition in Vehicle Code section 28150 reaches only…

California permits metal studded tires only between November 1 and April 30, and only where the studs are tungsten carbide or another suitable material and the metal touching the road…

California never publishes a "legal VLT" for front side windows because it does not permit aftermarket darkening there at all. Vehicle Code section 26708(d) allows only clear…