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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 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…
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 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 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'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's city noise code does not regulate aircraft. Aircraft-in-flight noise is governed by the FAA under federal law, and Bishop Airport is operated by Inyo County, so complaints go…
Bishop prohibits playing radios, instruments or sound devices so as to disturb neighbors' peace and quiet. Sound plainly audible 50 feet away between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. is prima facie…
Bishop's noise code sets no numeric decibel limits. Instead it uses a plainly-audible-at-50-feet standard for nighttime amplified sound and a general prohibition on loud, unnecessary…
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…
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…
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…
Yes. Operating an STR inside Bishop city limits requires a Short-Term Rental Permit under Municipal Code Chapter 17.74, plus a City business license. Permits are valid one year and…
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.
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.
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's STR ordinance does not impose an annual cap on rental nights. STRs are stays of 30 days or less at the owner's primary residence; there is no published limit on total nights…
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…
Open burning of yard waste, brush, and debris requires a permit and compliance with air-district burn-day rules and the California Fire Code. When permitted, open burning must be at…
Backyard fire pits and recreational fires are allowed but regulated by the adopted California Fire Code: keep the fire at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material…
Propane (LP-gas) storage is regulated by the California Fire Code, which Bishop enforces. Small consumer cylinders for BBQ are allowed, but larger tanks require permits, clearances…
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…
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…
Small backyard recreational fires for warmth or cooking are allowed under the California Fire Code but must be at least 25 feet from any structure, constantly attended, and…
California law requires working smoke alarms in all dwellings, and carbon monoxide alarms where there is a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace, or attached garage. Bishop enforces the…
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…
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 bans commercial vehicles from streets the City Council designates and posts as off-limits (BMC 10.48.030). Trucks must also stick to designated truck routes (BMC Chapter 10.44)…
Bishop's Municipal Code sets no local EV-charging parking ordinance. Home and commercial EV-charger installations are governed by California statewide rules — the streamlined…
Bishop 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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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's Zoning Code (Title 17) regulates fence height by yard. As in most California cities, rear and interior side-yard fences top out around six feet, while front-yard fences are…
Bishop regulates fences through Title 17 of its Municipal Code: fences must meet zoning height limits, stay clear of the corner sight-visibility triangle, and sit on your own property…
Under the California Building Code that Bishop has adopted, a building permit is generally required for a fence over 7 feet tall and for any retaining wall over 4 feet. Standard…
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…
Standard residential fence materials, wood, vinyl, chain-link, wrought iron, and masonry or block walls, are all commonly used and allowed in Bishop as long as the fence meets Title 17…
Bishop follows the California Building Code, which requires a building permit for any retaining wall over 4 feet high (measured from the bottom of the footing to the top) or for any…
Bishop's Zoning Code (Title 17) sets fence height and placement standards; it does not impose a broad ban on common materials like wood, vinyl, chain-link, or masonry for standard…
California's Swimming Pool Safety Act in Health and Safety Code Section 115920 mandates statewide drowning prevention barriers around residential pools, with cities prohibited from…
Bishop has no fixed grass-height number. Instead, weeds that grow large enough to become a fire menace when dry, or are otherwise noxious or dangerous, may be declared a public…
Bishop's Municipal Code sets no tree-trimming permit or pruning ordinance for private trees. Trimming is largely governed by California civil law between neighbors, and by the City…
Bishop Municipal Code Chapter 8.08 lets the City Council declare weeds, rubbish, refuse and dirt on any property a public nuisance and abate them. Owners are notified, given a hearing…
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…
Bishop has no tree-removal permit ordinance. Property owners may generally remove trees on their own private property without a city permit. Trees in the public right-of-way or as part…
Bishop has no ordinance banning or specially permitting artificial turf. Synthetic lawns are allowed and fit the City's water-efficient landscaping goals, though drainage must not send…
Bishop's Municipal Code sets no rainwater-harvesting restriction. Rain barrels and simple cisterns are legal in California, and the state encourages capturing rooftop rainwater for…
Bishop has no ordinance banning backyard composting. Home composting is allowed if kept clean and not a nuisance. California's SB 1383 law also requires residents to keep food and yard…
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…
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 allows up to four hens (no roosters) OR four rabbits, or four combined, per single-family lot for noncommercial use. They must be kept in coops or hutches, at least 20 feet from…
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 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…
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 has no ordinance using the word "hoarding," but it bars keeping animals in unsanitary or overcrowded conditions and bans cruelty, including underfeeding, overloading, or…
Bishop's code has no ordinance that specifically bans feeding deer, coyotes, or bears, so the direct rule comes from California: Fish and Game Code 251.1 prohibits harassing wildlife…
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…
Above-ground pools in Bishop must still meet California's barrier and safety-feature rules when they can hold water over a certain depth. The pool wall may count toward the barrier…
Spas and hot tubs in Bishop are covered by California's Swimming Pool Safety Act just like pools, but a spa or hot tub equipped with a listed safety cover is exempt from the broader…
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…
California's Swimming Pool Safety Act requires new or remodeled residential pools in Bishop to have at least two of seven drowning-prevention features - such as an isolation fence…
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 allows home occupations as an accessory use in residential zones under Title 17 of the Municipal Code, provided the business is clearly incidental to living in the home, causes…
A business run from a Bishop home typically needs a home occupation permit or clearance from the Planning Department under Title 17, plus a City business license. The permit confirms…
Signs for a home occupation in Bishop are tightly limited by the Zoning Ordinance's sign rules (Chapter 17.85). Residential-zone home businesses are generally restricted to a small…
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…
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 has no dedicated tiny-home ordinance. A tiny house on a permanent foundation is regulated as a dwelling or ADU under Zoning Title 17 and the California Building Code. A tiny…
Sheds are accessory structures regulated by Bishop's Zoning Ordinance (Title 17). Small tool sheds generally do not need a building permit, but they must meet the zone's setback…
Carports are accessory structures in Bishop and must follow the Zoning Ordinance (Title 17) standards for setbacks, height, and lot coverage in your residential district. A building…
Backyard propane and charcoal grills are allowed in Bishop, but the California Fire Code restricts open-flame and charcoal grilling on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of…
Wood, pellet, and charcoal smokers are allowed at Bishop homes, treated as open-flame cooking devices under the California Fire Code. Keep them clear of structures and dry brush…
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…
Bishop Municipal Code 8.28.030 requires that litter placed in receptacles be handled so wind cannot scatter it, and that all such receptacles have lids or covers that fit securely…
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 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…
The City of Bishop Municipal Code has no dedicated garage- or yard-sale permit ordinance, so no city permit or sale-day limit is codified. Sellers must still obey the litter and…
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 has no tree-removal-permit ordinance. There is no heritage- or protected-tree program in the Municipal Code, so a private tree can generally be removed without a special city…
California provides statewide protections for native oak woodlands and heritage trees through CEQA review, Public Resources Code, and Forest Practice Rules that apply uniformly.
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…
The City of Bishop's own Municipal Code sets no recycling ordinance, but California's SB 1383 requires all residents and businesses statewide to separate organic waste (food scraps and…
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…
California's SB 1383 mandates organic-waste recycling statewide, but Inyo County qualifies as a low-population rural jurisdiction (under 70,000 residents) and is on CalRecycle's…
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 has no dedicated light-trespass ordinance, but exterior lighting that casts glare or light onto neighboring property can be addressed through the City's zoning performance…
Bishop does not have a formal dark-sky or outdoor-lighting ordinance. Exterior lighting is addressed through zoning performance standards that limit glare onto neighboring properties…
Bishop has no cryptocurrency-mining ordinance. A commercial mining facility is treated as an industrial use in the M-1 district under Chapter 17.60, approved by the planning commission…
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…
Commercial drone operations in California follow uniform federal rules under 14 CFR Part 107 plus statewide California provisions in Civil Code 1708.8 and Public Utilities Code 21401…
Recreational drone flight in California is governed primarily by FAA regulations under 14 CFR Part 107 and 49 USC 44809, with state-level rules added by Civil Code 1708.8 and…
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…
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 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 tightly regulates HOA governance. The Common Interest Development Open Meeting Act (Civil Code 4900-4955) governs board meetings and member access, sections 5100-5145…
California HOAs enforce recorded CC&Rs and architectural rules, but Civil Code section 4765 requires architectural decisions to be fair, reasonable, and in good faith, and sections…
California HOAs may fine members for rule violations, but only under a published schedule of fines and after strict due-process steps. Civil Code section 5855 requires written notice…
California overrides HOA governing documents on several owner protections. The Davis-Stirling Act and related Civil Code sections bar HOAs from prohibiting solar systems, U.S. flag…
California prohibits state and local governments from requiring private employers to use the federal E-Verify system except where federal law mandates it, under Labor Code 2812. The…
The California Values Act (SB 54, 2017) codified at Government Code 7284-7284.12 limits state and local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It applies…
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…
Civil Code section 714 voids HOA covenants and rules that prohibit or unreasonably restrict residential solar energy systems, preempting private and local restrictions.
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 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…