Bishop, CA

California 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…

Bishop 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…

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…

While most home occupation rules are local, state law guarantees certain residential uses statewide, including accessory dwelling units under Government Code 66310 et seq., family…

The 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…

Register 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…

Bishop 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.

Hosts 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…

Bishop'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…

Bishop 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.

Bishop 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.

Yes. 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…

Cats 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop 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…

California 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…

Under 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop 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…

You 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…

In 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop does not ban overnight parking outright. BMC 10.28.190 instead makes it unlawful to park or leave any vehicle standing on a street, highway, or public parking lot for 72 or more…

California 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…

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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop actively encourages water-efficient, low-water-use landscaping. Its Water-Efficient Landscapes ordinance (BMC Ch. 13.07) applies to new and rehabilitated landscaping and…

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…

SB 1383 requires every California resident and business to separate food scraps and yard waste from trash, with universal collection or on-site composting.

The 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop'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…

Bishop'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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop prohibits excessive or unusual motor-vehicle noise, needless horn use and running engines without an effective muffler. Screeching tires, revving, backfiring and loud exhaust…

Bishop makes it unlawful to make or continue any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise that injures or endangers the health, peace or safety of others. Construction and repair are…

California sets statewide airport noise limits under Title 21 CCR, with the state preempting most local aviation noise control because federal FAA authority dominates aircraft…

Properties 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…

The 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…

Only California-approved "safe and sane" fireworks are legal in Bishop, sold from licensed booths around July 4. All "dangerous fireworks" (skyrockets, firecrackers, aerials) are…

California requires permits for most outdoor burning, with statewide CAL FIRE and Air Resources Board rules that uniformly apply alongside local air district restrictions.

California uniformly applies the State Fire Marshal's propane storage standards through the California Fire Code, which all local jurisdictions must enforce as a minimum.

In Bishop, a fence on the property line between two homes is a shared 'good neighbor' fence under California Civil Code 841. Adjoining owners are presumed to share equally in the cost…

Any 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…

If 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…

Bishop 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…

Converting 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…

Bishop 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…

Under 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…

Bishop'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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop'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…

The 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…

The 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop'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…

Bishop'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…

Bishop 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…

Bishop 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…

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…

California 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…

Health 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…

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…

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…

California 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…

Government 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…

California 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…

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'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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Civil 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.

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 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…

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…

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 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…

California's Solar Rights Act and the SolarAPP+ mandate (SB 379) require expedited permit review of small residential solar systems, preempting restrictive local processes.

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

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…