Bishop, CA
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🏡 Home & Property
🌿 Yard & Garden
🏠 Renting & Housing
🔊 Noise & Neighbors
🐾 Animals & Farming
🔥 Fire & Safety
🚗 Parking & Streets
💼 Business & Licensing
📋 Permits, Signs & Events
🌎 Environment & Utilities
🛡️ Privacy & Civic
🚗 Parking Rules
Overnight Parking
Some RestrictionsBishop has no blanket overnight-parking ban, but no vehicle may be parked on any street, highway, or public parking lot for 72 or more consecutive hours without a city permit, and you…
Abandoned Vehicles
Light RestrictionsUnder BMC Chapter 8.16, keeping an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle on private or public property for more than 10 days is an infraction and a public nuisance the…
Street Parking Limits
Some RestrictionsBishop prohibits stopping, standing or parking in a long list of places: crosswalks, within 15 feet of a hydrant, in front of driveways, on sidewalks, in disabled stalls without a…
RV & Boat Parking
Some RestrictionsBishop has no dedicated RV/boat storage ordinance, but street rules govern: no vehicle (including an RV or boat trailer) may sit on any street or public lot for 72+ consecutive hours…
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Some RestrictionsBishop has no separate oversized-vehicle ordinance. Large vehicles are governed by the general street rules: the 72-hour continuous-parking cap (BMC 10.28.190), council-designated…
Driveway Rules
Some RestrictionsYou may not block a driveway from the street (BMC 10.28.050(J)). On your own property, a motor vehicle in a residential or commercial zone must be kept in an enclosed space unless it…
Curb Color Rules
Some RestrictionsIn Bishop, painted curbs carry the meanings set by California Vehicle Code § 21458 (BMC 10.28.220). The public works director, not private residents, places curb markings; red curb…
Loading Zones
Heavy RestrictionsBishop loading zones are set by City Council resolution and signed/marked by public works (BMC 10.28.210). Yellow zones are for commercial loading only, passenger (white) zones for…
EV Charging
Few RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia Civil Code sections 4745 and 1947.6, plus Government Code 65850.7, create statewide rights for residents to install EV charging stations and require expedited local…
Towing & Impound Rights
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
💼 Home Business
Home Daycare
Few RestrictionsCalifornia law overrides Bishop's zoning for small family child care: a small family day care home is a residential use 'by right' in any residential zone. You still need a state…
Cottage Food Operations
Some RestrictionsBishop residents can sell certain non-hazardous homemade foods under California's Homemade Food Act. You register (Class A) or get permitted (Class B) through Inyo County Environmental…
Home Kitchen Operations
Significant RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Few RestrictionsCaliforniaWhile most home occupation rules are local, state law guarantees certain residential uses statewide, including accessory dwelling units under Government Code 66310 et seq., family…
🏠 Short-Term Rentals
Insurance Requirements
Few RestrictionsThe City of Bishop's STR ordinance does not require hosts to carry a specific liability-insurance policy. It does require working smoke alarms, carbon-monoxide detectors, and…
Short-Term Rental Permits
Some RestrictionsRegister by filing a Short-Term Rental application at City Hall with a $150 fee, site plan, proof of primary residency, and any HOA letter. Neighbors within 300 feet get 30 days to…
Occupancy Limits
Some RestrictionsBishop caps STR occupancy at two overnight lodgers per bedroom. Minor children accompanied by an adult are not counted, and renting to unaccompanied minors under 18 is prohibited.
Taxes & Fees
Some RestrictionsHosts collect and remit Bishop's 12% Transient Occupancy Tax monthly under Municipal Code Chapter 3.20, plus monthly Bishop Tourism Improvement District (BTID) fees, a business-license…
Noise Rules
Some RestrictionsBishop's STR ordinance does not set STR-specific quiet hours. Hosts must ensure the property does not become a nuisance, and the general Municipal Code noise/nuisance rules apply to…
Host Presence Rule
Some RestrictionsBishop ties STRs to the owner's primary residence and requires the application to name the owner, host, and a 24-hour emergency contact so a responsible person can respond to problems.
Short-Term Rental Parking Rules
Significant RestrictionsBishop requires adequate on-site parking for all STR lodgers. On-street parking does not count toward the requirement, and the application site plan must show the off-street spaces.
Primary-Residence-Only Rule
Significant RestrictionsYes. Bishop allows STRs only at the property owner's primary residence, and applicants must submit proof of residency. Investor whole-home rentals at non-primary properties are not…
🐔 Animal Ordinances
Cat Rules
Light RestrictionsCats are the one animal Bishop exempts from its leash and at-large restraint rule, so cats may roam. But a cat kept in an unsanitary condition, or one whose cries disturb neighbors, is…
Dog Leash Laws
Significant RestrictionsBishop requires dogs off the owner's premises to be under restraint by a leash no longer than six feet. Dogs may not run at large, trespass, or make habitual loud noise. State law adds…
Breed Restrictions
Some RestrictionsBishop has no breed-specific ban. California Food and Agricultural Code 31683 prohibits any dog program from being breed-specific, so no breed is outlawed. Bishop instead regulates…
Chickens & Livestock
Some RestrictionsBishop treats horses, cattle, sheep, goats and similar animals as "animals" that must be kept in a substantial enclosure and may not run at large. A poultry or animal yard must be at…
Pet Limits
Some RestrictionsBishop sets no simple household cap on dogs or cats, but keeping five or more dogs for breeding and sale is a kennel needing a county-approved kennel license. Chickens and rabbits are…
Exotic Pets
Significant RestrictionsBishop bans letting any dangerous or vicious animal run at large and requires a police permit for any exhibition or parade of wild, dangerous, or vicious animals. Swine are banned…
Beekeeping
Heavy RestrictionsBishop prohibits beekeeping outright. Municipal Code 6.08.110 makes it unlawful to keep or harbor any bees in the city and declares any beehive used or occupied by bees a nuisance…
Wildlife Feeding
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia law makes it illegal to knowingly feed big game mammals, deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, black bear, and Nelson bighorn sheep, anywhere in the state. The California…
🌿 Landscaping Rules
Weed Ordinances
Light RestrictionsBishop Municipal Code Chapter 8.08 lets the city declare weeds, rubbish, refuse and dirt a public nuisance and order abatement. 'Weeds' means mature, seed-bearing or noxious growth…
Water Restrictions
Some RestrictionsBishop draws on the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin and enforces a Water Shortage Contingency Plan. Wasting water is always prohibited (BMC 13.04.050). During drought Stage 1…
Native Plants
Some RestrictionsBishop actively encourages water-efficient, low-water-use landscaping. Its Water-Efficient Landscapes ordinance (BMC Ch. 13.07) applies to new and rehabilitated landscaping and…
Artificial Turf
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaSince 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…
Composting
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaSB 1383 requires every California resident and business to separate food scraps and yard waste from trash, with universal collection or on-site composting.
Rainwater Harvesting
Few RestrictionsCaliforniaThe 2012 Rainwater Capture Act allows California residents to capture rainwater from rooftops for non-potable outdoor use without a state water-right permit, preempting most local…
🔊 Noise Ordinances
Leaf Blower Rules
Some RestrictionsBishop does not ban leaf blowers, but its noise ordinance prohibits operating any noise-creating blower or power fan unless the noise is muffled. Loud, unmuffled blower use can be…
Construction Hours
Heavy RestrictionsBishop's noise ordinance carves out construction and repair activity, allowing it only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Building or repairing before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m. is not shielded…
Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsBishop's noise code targets several commercial and industrial sources: parking-lot sweepers before 7 a.m., early garbage collection before 6:30 a.m., unmuffled blowers and engines, and…
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Some RestrictionsBishop bars casting amplified sound onto the street for commercial advertising and prohibits any outdoor music or sound device that disturbs neighbors. Nighttime outdoor sound plainly…
Barking Dogs
Significant RestrictionsBishop treats keeping any animal or bird that causes frequent or long, continuous noise disturbing neighbors as an unlawful noise. Persistent barking is a code violation abatable…
Vehicle Noise
Significant RestrictionsBishop prohibits excessive or unusual motor-vehicle noise, needless horn use and running engines without an effective muffler. Screeching tires, revving, backfiring and loud exhaust…
Quiet Hours
Heavy RestrictionsBishop bans any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise that injures the health, peace or safety of others. Construction is expressly allowed only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., so nighttime…
Aircraft Noise
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia sets statewide airport noise limits under Title 21 CCR, with the state preempting most local aviation noise control because federal FAA authority dominates aircraft…
🔥 Fire Regulations
Brush Clearance
Some RestrictionsProperties in California's very high fire hazard severity zones must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around structures under state law, and Bishop's Municipal Code requires…
Wildfire Zones
Some RestrictionsThe State Fire Marshal designates fire hazard severity zones (moderate, high, very high) within Bishop. On March 24, 2025, updated maps were issued, and the City must adopt them by…
Fireworks
Heavy RestrictionsOnly California-approved "safe and sane" fireworks are legal in Bishop, sold from licensed booths around July 4. All "dangerous fireworks" (skyrockets, firecrackers, aerials) are…
Outdoor Burning
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia requires permits for most outdoor burning, with statewide CAL FIRE and Air Resources Board rules that uniformly apply alongside local air district restrictions.
Propane Storage
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia uniformly applies the State Fire Marshal's propane storage standards through the California Fire Code, which all local jurisdictions must enforce as a minimum.
🏊 Swimming Pools & Spas
Pool Permits
Some RestrictionsAny new swimming pool, spa, or hot tub in Bishop requires a building permit from the City before construction. Plans are reviewed for the Swimming Pool Safety Act barrier and…
Fencing & Safety Requirements
Some RestrictionsIf your Bishop pool barrier is an enclosure, California law requires a fence at least 60 inches high, gaps no wider than 4 inches, no more than 2 inches under the fence, and a…
🏗️ Accessory Structures
ADU Rules
Some RestrictionsBishop must allow accessory dwelling units under California state law. A detached ADU can be up to 1,200 sq ft, with only a 4-foot side/rear setback and no owner-occupancy requirement…
Garage Conversions
Some RestrictionsConverting a garage into living space in Bishop requires a building permit and zoning review. Many owners convert garages into accessory dwelling units under state ADU law, which…
🏚️ Property Maintenance
Property Blight
Light RestrictionsBishop Municipal Code Chapter 8.06 makes it a public nuisance to keep property with accumulated waste, junk vehicles, deteriorated structures, dead vegetation, or broken windows. The…
Vacant Lot Maintenance
Significant RestrictionsUnder Bishop Municipal Code Chapter 8.07, the owner of a vacant building must register it within 30 days and keep the property maintained: landscaping alive, exterior intact, and no…
📐 Building Setbacks & Zoning
Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsBishop's Zoning Code caps residential building height at 26 feet in all residential zones (R-1, R-2, R-2000, R-3, and RM), which corresponds to a 2-story maximum for both single-family…
Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsBishop imposes no separate maximum lot-coverage percentage. The City's Zoning Code controls building placement and bulk entirely through required setbacks and parking, not through a…
Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsBishop's Zoning Code requires a 15-foot front and rear setback and a 5-foot side setback in the R-1 and R-2 single-family and low-density residential zones. Higher-density R-2000, R-3…
🗑️ Trash & Recycling
Bulk Item Disposal
Some RestrictionsThe City of Bishop Municipal Code has no dedicated bulky-item or large-trash pickup ordinance. Residents dispose of oversized items through the private hauler (Bishop Waste) or the…
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Some RestrictionsThe City of Bishop does not codify a mandatory municipal refuse-collection ordinance; residential trash and recycling are collected by a private hauler (Bishop Waste). The city code…
Bin Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsBishop Municipal Code 8.28.030 requires trash and recycling receptacles to have securely fitting lids and to be handled so wind cannot scatter contents onto streets, sidewalks or…
Illegal Dumping
Significant RestrictionsBishop Municipal Code 8.28.020 prohibits depositing litter anywhere except public receptacles, private receptacles for collection, or official city dumps. Depositing from a vehicle is…
🪧 Sign Regulations
Political Signs
Some RestrictionsBishop's sign code (Chapter 17.85) does not list political signs among permit-exempt signs, but state and constitutional limits protect temporary political signs. Along state highways…
Garage Sale Signs
Some RestrictionsBishop's sign code (Chapter 17.85) does not list garage/yard sale signs among its permit-exempt signs, and it bans ground-mounted signs in the public right-of-way and signs attached to…
🖥️ Data Centers & Crypto Mining
Data Center Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsBishop sets no decibel limit. Municipal Code Chapter 8.12 bans any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise that injures or endangers health, peace or safety, and exempts construction…
Data Center Zoning & Siting
Some RestrictionsBishop has no data-center ordinance and no "data center" use. Server buildings go in the M-1 General Industrial District under Municipal Code Chapter 17.60, which lists no such use, so…
🏪 Business Licensing & Operations
🌱 Cannabis Regulations
Dispensary Zoning
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia licenses cannabis retailers under MAUCRSA, but Business and Professions Code section 26200 preserves each city's and county's power to zone, permit, or completely prohibit…
Home Cultivation
Few RestrictionsCaliforniaHealth and Safety Code section 11362.2 grants every adult 21 or older the statewide right to cultivate up to six cannabis plants indoors, and bars local governments from completely…
💼 Employment Preemption
Minimum Wage Preemption
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Paid Leave Preemption
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia'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…
🌍 Environmental Rules
Coastal Development
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaThe 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…
Erosion Control
Significant RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia requires anyone clearing, grading, or disturbing one acre or more of land to obtain coverage under the State Water Board's Construction General Permit, file a Notice of…
Flood Zones
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaGovernment Code sections 65302 and 65962, together with Water Code section 8401 and the State Building Code Chapter 16, set uniform floodplain mapping, disclosure, and construction…
Stormwater Management
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia Water Code sections 13260 and 13383 implement the federal Clean Water Act through statewide MS4 NPDES permits issued by the State and Regional Water Boards, binding all…
🔫 Firearms
Concealed Carry
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant…
Local Firearms Preemption
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However…
Open Carry
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Firearms in Vehicles
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
🍔 Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors
Food Truck Permits
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia Retail Food Code (Health and Safety Code 113700-114437) sets uniform mobile food facility permit, equipment, and food safety standards enforced by counties statewide.
Vending Zones
Few RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946) preempts most local bans on sidewalk vending, allowing only objective health, safety, and welfare regulations.
🎰 Gambling & Gaming
Card Room Licensing
Significant RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia's Gambling Control Act bars any city or county from issuing a gambling license to a cardroom unless a local ordinance authorizes it first: one adopted by voters after…
Charitable Bingo and Raffles
Significant RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Social Gambling Rules
Few RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Sports Betting Law
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
🏘️ HOA Rules
Assessment & Dues
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Board Procedures
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia'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…
CC&R Enforcement
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Clotheslines & Energy Devices
Light RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Drought Landscaping Rights
Significant RestrictionsCaliforniaCivil 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…
EV Charger Rights
Light RestrictionsCaliforniaCivil 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…
Flag Display Rights
Few RestrictionsCaliforniaCivil 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…
HOA Fines & Enforcement
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Lien & Foreclosure Limits
Light RestrictionsCaliforniaA 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…
Rental Restriction Limits
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaCivil 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…
⚖️ Know Your Rights
DUI Checkpoint Legality
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaSobriety 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…
Recording Police
Few RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Stop & Identify Laws
Light RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Vehicle Search & Consent
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
🔑 Rental Property Rules
Eviction Notice & Process
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Repairs & Habitability
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Just Cause Eviction
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCivil Code 1946.2 requires landlords statewide to have just cause to terminate tenancies of qualifying tenants who have lived in a covered unit at least 12 months.
Landlord Entry & Notice
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Late Fees & Grace Periods
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Lease Termination & Notice to Vacate
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaTo 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…
Rent Control
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia limits annual rent increases statewide to 5% plus the local change in the cost of living, capped at 10%, under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB-1482). It also lets…
Rent Increase Notice
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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%…
Security Deposit Rules
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaAs 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…
Squatter's Rights & Adverse Possession
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
🚜 Right to Farm
Agricultural Zoning Protection
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaThe 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…
Farm Nuisance Protection
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaThe 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…
🛍️ Single-Use Items
Plastic Bag Rules
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Polystyrene Foam Rules
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that…
Plastic Straw Rules
Some RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
☀️ Solar Energy
HOA Restrictions
Significant RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia Civil Code section 714 makes any HOA covenant, deed restriction, or governing document provision that effectively prohibits or restricts a solar energy system void and…
Panel Permits
Few RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia's Solar Rights Act and the SolarAPP+ mandate (SB 379) require expedited permit review of small residential solar systems, preempting restrictive local processes.
🚬 Tobacco & Vaping
Tobacco Age Restrictions
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Flavored Tobacco Bans
Heavy RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
🚗 Vehicle Equipment Laws
Underglow & Auxiliary Lighting
Significant RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Dash Cam & Windshield Mounting
Light RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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 & Filtering
Few RestrictionsCaliforniaLane 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…
Plate Covers & Obstruction
Significant RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Radar Detector Rules
Few RestrictionsCaliforniaNo 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…
Studded Tire & Chain Rules
Light RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…
Window Tint Limits
Significant RestrictionsCaliforniaCalifornia 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…