A Resident's Guide to Anaheim's Local Ordinances

Anaheim is a mid-sized city in Orange County, California, with about 350000 residents. Like most cities its size, it has a set of local rules that may differ significantly from neighboring municipalities. Here is an overview of 197 ordinances across 49 categories that affect daily life in Anaheim.

HOA Rules

Board Procedures: Anaheim HOAs follow California Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, which requires open meetings, four-day notice for regular meetings, and strict executive session limits..

Also covered: Architectural Review (permissive), CC&R Enforcement (permissive), Dispute Resolution (permissive). See the full hoa rules guide for Anaheim for details.

Environmental Rules

Stormwater Management: Anaheim bans illicit connections and prohibited discharges into its storm drain system citywide under AMC Chapter 10.09, the local National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ordinance. New development and significant redevelopment must get a City-approved water quality management plan before breaking ground, and violations can be enforced as a misdemeanor, an infraction, or a public nuisance the City Attorney can sue to abate..

Also covered: Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate), Defensible Space (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Anaheim for details.

Rental Property Rules

AB-1482 Notice Disclosure: Anaheim landlords must give covered tenants written notice of California's AB 1482 rent cap and just-cause eviction protections under Civil Code Section 1946.2, since Anaheim has no local rent control beyond the state statute..

Also covered: No-Fault Evictions (restrictive), Security Deposit Rules (permissive), Source-of-Income Discrimination (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Anaheim for details.

Public Health Rules

Syringe Disposal: California Medical Waste Management Act prohibits placing used syringes in Anaheim trash, recycling, or sewer, requiring residents to use approved sharps containers and drop off at participating pharmacies, fire stations, or hazardous-waste collection events..

Also covered: Food Handler Certification (moderate), Bed-Bug Rules (permissive), Rodent Control (moderate). See the full public health rules guide for Anaheim for details.

Animal Ordinances

Bird Protection: Anaheim has banned killing native insectivorous birds since 1891, decades before state and federal wildlife law caught up. AMC Section 8.12.010 makes it unlawful for anyone within city limits to kill, maim, wound or destroy any swallow, mockingbird, blackbird, or other insectivorous bird.

Also covered: Pet Store Rules (strict), Mandatory Spay/Neuter (moderate), Pet Limits (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Anaheim for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

Red-Light Cameras: Anaheim's City Charter flatly bans red-light cameras and any other automated traffic enforcement system. Voters wrote the ban directly into Charter Section 1213 in 2010, and any council ordinance that tries to authorize one is null and void from the start..

Also covered: Shared E-Scooter Rules (moderate), Bike Lane Rules (moderate), E-Bike Classes (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Anaheim for details.

Immigration Policy

E-Verify Mandates: California Labor Code 2814 prohibits cities from mandating E-Verify use by private employers. Anaheim cannot require E-Verify; only federal contractors and certain federal agencies must use the system locally..

Also covered: Sanctuary Policy Preemption (permissive). See the full immigration policy guide for Anaheim for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Cannabis Delivery Rules: Even though Anaheim bans local cannabis businesses, California Bureau of Cannabis Control regulations and the Bureau v. Santa Cruz County rulings permit licensed retailers from other cities to deliver to Anaheim adult residents at private addresses..

Also covered: Personal Cultivation Limits (moderate), Dispensary Zoning (strict), Buffer Zones (moderate). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Anaheim for details.

Tobacco & Vaping

Flavored Tobacco Bans: California SB 793 upheld by Proposition 31 bans the sale of all flavored tobacco products in Anaheim including menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars, flavored vape cartridges, and flavored chew, with limited exemptions for premium cigars, loose-leaf tobacco, and shisha..

Also covered: Tobacco Age Restrictions (restrictive). See the full tobacco & vaping guide for Anaheim for details.

Single-Use Items

Plastic Straw Rules: California AB 1884 prohibits Anaheim full-service restaurants from automatically providing single-use plastic straws and requires them to be furnished only when a customer specifically requests one..

Also covered: Polystyrene Foam Rules (moderate), Utensils-On-Request (moderate). See the full single-use items guide for Anaheim for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Specific Plans Overview: Chapter 18.72 of the Anaheim Municipal Code lets the City Council adopt a specific plan that replaces standard zoning for a defined area, the mechanism behind the Anaheim Resort, Disneyland Resort, Platinum Triangle and Anaheim Canyon districts. Adoption follows the same public-hearing process as a zoning reclassification, and the new standards supersede the base zone once approved..

Also covered: Density Bonus Law (limited), Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) (moderate). See the full zoning overlays & bonuses guide for Anaheim for details.

Employment Preemption

Paid Leave Preemption: Anaheim workers receive at least 5 days (40 hours) of paid sick leave annually under California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act. The city has no separate local paid leave ordinance..

Also covered: Minimum Wage Preemption (permissive). See the full employment preemption guide for Anaheim for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Anaheim has not accepted a new short-term rental application since its September 15, 2015 moratorium, and Section 4.05.040.030 bars STRs as an allowable use in every residential zone and virtually every other zoning district. Only owners with a valid Pre-Moratorium Short-Term Rental permit, or specific pre-moratorium conditional-use rentals in the C-G Commercial Zone, may still renew and operate..

Also covered: Extended Home Share (moderate), Repeat Violator Strikes (strict), Primary-Residence-Only Rule (restrictive). See the full short-term rentals guide for Anaheim for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Anaheim charges a 15% transient occupancy tax on rent paid by any guest staying under 30 consecutive days in a hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, or short-term rental. Operators collect the tax with rent and remit it to the License Collector, who enforces the chapter alongside Code Enforcement..

Also covered: Hotel Living Wage (moderate). See the full hotels & lodging guide for Anaheim for details.

Filming & Production

Location Permits: Anyone shooting commercial motion pictures or television photography on public or private property in Anaheim must get a film permit from the Director of Public Works under Municipal Code Section 4.03.030. Applications are due at least ten business days ahead, and permittees cover the City's actual police, fire and traffic control costs..

Invasive Plant Rules

Prohibited Species: Anaheim does not publish its own list of prohibited plants but enforces California Food and Agriculture Code 7270 noxious weed abatement and Public Resources Code 4291 defensible-space rules. The California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) maintains the authoritative list of regulated invasives, including pampas grass, arundo, and French broom..

Also covered: Front Yard Gardens (permissive). See the full invasive plant rules guide for Anaheim for details.

Building Safety

Fire Sprinkler Requirements: Anaheim requires an automatic fire sprinkler system in every new building over 5,000 square feet or more than two stories, and in existing buildings that add 33% or more floor area, add over 2,000 square feet, or add a story above the second floor..

Also covered: Building Permits (moderate), Carbon Monoxide Detectors (moderate), Plumbing Permits (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Anaheim for details.

Earthquake Safety

Unreinforced Masonry: Anaheim completed its mandatory unreinforced masonry (URM) retrofit program under California Government Code 8875 and Anaheim Municipal Code Chapter 15.52. Owners of URM buildings had to retrofit, demolish, or post visible warning placards.

Also covered: Seismic Gas Shutoff (moderate). See the full earthquake safety guide for Anaheim for details.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Anaheim does not operate a citywide proactive rental inspection program. Rental properties are inspected on a complaint-driven basis by Code Enforcement under AMC Title 15 (Building Code) and state habitability law.

Also covered: Tenant Complaint Process (permissive). See the full rental inspections guide for Anaheim for details.

Fire Regulations

Outdoor Burning: Anaheim declares any intentional outdoor burning of material, structure, matter or thing a public nuisance unless the Anaheim Fire Marshal specifically authorizes it. There is no self-permitting exception; every open burn needs sign-off first..

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate), Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (moderate), Fireworks (restrictive). See the full fire regulations guide for Anaheim for details.

Privacy & Surveillance

Recording & Consent Laws: California is a two-party (all-party) consent state under Penal Code 632. In Anaheim, it is a crime to record any confidential communication without the consent of every participant.

Also covered: Security Camera Rules (limited). See the full privacy & surveillance guide for Anaheim for details.

Public Conduct

Loud Party Ordinance: Anaheim makes it a public nuisance to host a party that produces loud and unreasonable noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

Also covered: Public Urination (moderate), Loitering Rules (moderate), Public Alcohol Use (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Anaheim for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Anaheim's gross receipts business tax sorts every business into six rate classes under Municipal Code Chapter 3.08: manufacturing/wholesaling, retailing, dwelling/hotel/motel/transient occupancy, recreation/entertainment/amusement, telephone services, and a catch-all miscellaneous class. Each business pays whichever is greater: a flat minimum or a per-thousand-dollar rate tied to gross receipts..

Business Licensing & Operations

Towing Companies: Anaheim requires a City permit before any company can tow illegally parked vehicles off private property. Chapter 4.75 sets a $500 application fee, mandates warning signs at every entrance, and lets the Chief of Police deny or revoke a permit for cause, with towing without one a misdemeanor..

Also covered: Pawnbrokers (restrictive), Tattoo & Body Modification (restrictive), Massage Establishments (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Anaheim for details.

Drone Rules

Airport Proximity Rules: Anaheim bans flying a drone or model aircraft inside the controlled airspace of any airport without the airport control tower's prior express authorization. The same section caps altitude at 400 feet and confines flights to daylight hours..

Also covered: Commercial Drones (restrictive), Recreational Drones (restrictive), Event Drone Restrictions (restrictive). See the full drone rules guide for Anaheim for details.

Noise Ordinances

Leaf Blower Rules: California AB 1346 banned the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers effective January 2024. Existing gas equipment may be used during Anaheim's permitted noise hours.

Also covered: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate), Quiet Hours (moderate), Barking Dogs (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Anaheim for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Trimming: Anaheim requires pruning of required and specimen trees to comply with ISA standards per AMC 18.46.090 and Chapter 13.12. Street tree maintenance is coordinated by the city.

Also covered: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (restrictive), Composting (moderate), Artificial Turf (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Anaheim for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Bar & Nightclub Noise: Bars, nightclubs, and other venues holding an Anaheim entertainment permit cannot play or reproduce music, or allow dancing, between 2:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

Also covered: Delivery Truck Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Anaheim for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Dumping solid waste, medical waste or household hazardous waste on someone else's property, on a public street, or anywhere it can rot into a nuisance is a misdemeanor in Anaheim under Municipal Code Section 10.10.170. Anyone who transports or disposes of qualified hazardous waste in violation of the chapter faces the same misdemeanor exposure under Section 10.10.200.030..

Also covered: Mandatory Organics Recycling (moderate), Yard Waste Collection (moderate), Dumpster Rules (restrictive). See the full trash & recycling guide for Anaheim for details.

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Anaheim bans camping in any public area, including streets, parks, sidewalks and parking lots, without written permission from the Police Chief, the Community Services Director, or a City Council resolution. Unauthorized camping is a public nuisance, and personal property stored in public areas is subject to impoundment under a separate notice-and-hold process..

Also covered: Sit-Lie Rules (restrictive). See the full homelessness & encampment rules guide for Anaheim for details.

Tree Protection

Protected Tree Species: In Anaheim's Santa Ana Canyon Scenic Corridor (SC) Overlay Zone, a City permit is required before destroying a 'Specimen Tree,' defined as any oak 25 inches or more in trunk circumference, or any pepper or sycamore 50 inches or more in circumference, measured four feet above grade..

Also covered: Parkway Planting (moderate), Heritage & Protected Trees (moderate). See the full tree protection guide for Anaheim for details.

Parking Rules

Preferential Parking Districts: Every public residential street in Anaheim is eligible for a residential parking permit district under AMC 14.32.450, but a specific block only becomes permit-only after seventy-five percent of eligible residents petition and vote for it under the City's Residential Permit Parking Guidelines. Once established, only vehicles displaying a valid decal may park there..

Also covered: Curb Color Rules (moderate), Loading Zones (moderate), Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (restrictive). See the full parking rules guide for Anaheim for details.

Water Use Rules

Recycled Water Rules: Anaheim's Public Utilities Department treats Recycled Water as the default supply for nonpotable needs whenever it is available and cost-effective, under Anaheim Municipal Code Sections 10.16.110 and 10.16.120. Recycled Water use and distribution must follow the Department's Rates, Rules and Regulations plus Titles 17 and 22 of the California Code of Regulations, keeping every reclaimed-water hookup tied to state health and reuse standards..

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Anaheim's Zoning Code outlaws billboards outright, and the ban is written to be technology-neutral: any off-premises advertising sign, electronic or static, that touts something not sold or conducted on the site where the sign stands is illegal citywide..

Also covered: Freeway-Facing Signs (restrictive), Holiday Displays (limited), Window Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Anaheim for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rules: Anaheim allows one accessory dwelling unit and one junior accessory dwelling unit by right on any single-family lot, on top of the primary home, under Section 18.38.015. A detached unit can reach 1,200 square feet, an attached unit up to 850 square feet for a studio or one bedroom, with 4-foot side and rear setbacks..

Also covered: ADU Impact Fees (limited), Shed & Carport Rules (moderate), Garage Conversions (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Anaheim for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Billboard Lighting: Anaheim caps how bright any lighted sign, including freeway billboards, may shine: no more than 250 foot-lamberts of illumination under Sec. 18.44.150, with indirect lighting held to 800 milliamps and neon to 300 milliamps.

Also covered: Light Trespass & Shielding (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Anaheim for details.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Anaheim requires a building permit before installing, altering, or replacing any solar energy system, issued through Municipal Code Chapter 15.04's nondiscretionary review. Small residential rooftop systems qualify for a streamlined checklist process with a single consolidated inspection, while systems flagged for a specific health-or-safety impact can be routed to a conditional use permit before the Planning Commission..

Also covered: Expedited Solar Permitting (limited). See the full solar energy guide for Anaheim for details.

Special Events & Permits

Parade Permits: Anaheim requires a police-issued permit before any parade of twenty or more people, animals, or vehicles can use city streets. Applicants must apply to the Chief of Police at least seven days ahead and pay a nonrefundable $25 processing fee, though spontaneous parades reacting to current events can apply as little as twenty-four hours in advance..

Also covered: Street Fair Rules (restrictive), Commercial Filming on Public Right-of-Way (moderate), Park Event Permits (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Anaheim for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Anyone peddling goods door-to-door or soliciting sales, opinions or endorsements in Anaheim needs a license under Municipal Code Section 3.32.060 before starting. Independent peddlers pay $50 a year and independent solicitors pay $100 a year, dropping to $10 if their employer holds a $250 principal's license..

Also covered: No-Knock Registry (moderate). See the full soliciting & door-to-door guide for Anaheim for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Obstruction Rules: Excavating, building or placing any structure in an Anaheim street, alley, sidewalk or utility easement requires a right-of-way construction permit from Public Works, with fees, a plan-review deposit, and security to cover damage; unpermitted first offenses are infractions, and repeat offenses within a year are misdemeanors..

Also covered: Sidewalk Repair (moderate), Encroachment Permits (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Anaheim for details.

Fence Regulations

Fence Permit Requirements: Anaheim caps front-yard fences at 3 feet, but a single-family lot backing a major arterial with alley access can get a 6-foot sound attenuation fence through Administrative Review approval under Municipal Code Sec. 18.46.110.060.0604..

Also covered: Height Limits (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate), Material Restrictions (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Anaheim for details.

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Zoning & Siting: Anaheim's Zoning Code has no data-center use class. Because the Industrial (I) zone's Table 10-A doesn't list them and unlisted uses are prohibited, the Planning & Building Director must classify a data center under an existing use before it can be built..

Also covered: Data Center Noise Limits (moderate). See the full data centers & crypto mining guide for Anaheim for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Anaheim regulates sidewalk vendors under the framework created by California Senate Bill 946, the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act. All sidewalk vendors, whether stationary or roaming, must obtain a City of Anaheim sidewalk vending permit and a County of Orange health permit before selling food or merchandise on public sidewalks..

Also covered: Vending Zones (moderate), Food Truck Permits (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Anaheim for details.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Anaheim bars anyone under 17 from public places, vacant lots or business establishments between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

Also covered: Park Curfew (moderate). See the full curfew laws guide for Anaheim for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Structure Height Limits: Anaheim caps single-family home height by zone: 35 feet/2-1/2 stories in RS-2, 30 feet/2 stories in RS-3, and just 25 feet/2 stories in the hillside RH-1, RH-2 and RH-3 zones. Accessory structures like garages and sheds top out at 16 feet or one story..

Also covered: Setback Rules (moderate), Lot Coverage Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Anaheim for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Anaheim residents may hold a garage sale only on the first full weekend of March, June, September and December, and only between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Home Business

Home Daycare: Small family daycare (up to 8 children) is permitted in residential zones under California Health and Safety Code 1597.44. Large family daycare (9-14 children) may require a conditional use permit.

Also covered: Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate). See the full home business guide for Anaheim for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Anaheim treats an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle left on private or public property, outside a highway, as a public nuisance under Municipal Code Chapter 6.80. The Council found such vehicles promote blight, invite plundering, create fire hazards, and endanger children; owners get a 10-day notice to abate before a hearing and forced removal..

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Anaheim requires pool barriers per AMC 6.56 and California Building Code. Minimum 60-inch barriers with self-closing, self-latching gates.

Also covered: Pool Permits (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Anaheim for details.

What to Do With This Information

This overview covers the big picture, but the details matter. Each ordinance page for Anaheim includes the full text, violation penalties, and frequently asked questions. Use those pages when you need specifics.