A Resident's Guide to Brentwood's Local Ordinances

Brentwood, California may not be the biggest city in the state, but it has its own set of local rules that residents need to follow. With 142 tracked ordinances across 44 categories, there is more here than you might expect.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Brentwood charges a 10 percent transient occupancy tax on hotel and short-term rental stays of 30 days or less, collected by the operator and remitted to the city's tax administrator under Brentwood Municipal Code Chapter 3.20..

Water Use Rules

Recycled Water Rules: Brentwood Municipal Code Chapter 13.06 makes recycled water the mandatory first choice for landscape, commercial and industrial uses whenever it is available, and treats using potable water for those purposes instead as against city policy. Service is permit-based, first-come first-served, and administered by the director of public works..

Gambling & Gaming

Card Room Licensing: Brentwood licenses cardrooms under Municipal Code Chapter 5.56, charging $100 per card table per year and capping hours: cardrooms must close between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Brentwood requires a city sidewalk vending permit under Municipal Code Chapter 5.64 before anyone sells food or goods from a cart or on foot on public sidewalks. Vending is limited to set hours, kept 300 feet from farmers markets and permitted special events, and banned from residential-zoned stationary sites..

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

Public Health Rules

Food Handler Certification: Brentwood requires every person who works with food in a food-handling establishment, paid or not, to obtain a health permit from the health officer within thirty days of starting work. The permit is based on a negative chest X-ray report and stays valid for two years..

Also covered: Rodent Control (moderate). See the full public health rules guide for Brentwood for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Running an auto repair, maintenance or service business out of a Brentwood home is flatly illegal. Municipal Code § 17.840.007(G) lists "automotive repair, maintenance or other automotive services" among the uses "expressly prohibited as home occupations," with only a narrow carve-out for the resident's own personal vehicle..

Also covered: Massage Establishments (restrictive), Tobacco Retail License (restrictive), Adult Entertainment (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Brentwood for details.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Brentwood bans all signage for home-based businesses outright. Municipal Code § 17.840.008(H) prohibits "the display of signs or advertising devices identifying the home occupation," along with any outside or window display of products, so a permit holder cannot post even a small placard advertising the business..

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

Public Conduct

Aggressive Panhandling: Brentwood bans aggressive or intrusive solicitation citywide and bars all begging within set distances of ATMs, transit stops, parking structures, schools and parks. A first offense is an infraction; a third offense in six months is a misdemeanor..

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

Building Safety

Building Permits: Brentwood adopts the 2025 California Building Standards Code by reference under Municipal Code Section 15.04.010, covering the Building Code, Residential Code and every other title-24 part for construction citywide. Permits and fees are administered by the community development department, with fees set by city council resolution rather than fixed dollar amounts in the code..

Also covered: Electrical Permits (moderate), Plumbing Permits (moderate), Green Building Code (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Brentwood for details.

Noise Ordinances

Decibel Limits: Brentwood sets exterior noise limits of 60 dBA (residential and commercial) or 65 dBA (industrial) by day, dropping to 45 dBA residential/commercial and 60 dBA industrial at night. Interior multifamily limits run 40-45 dBA overnight and morning..

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

Parking Rules

Abandoned Vehicles: Brentwood treats any abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle left on private or public property (other than a highway) for more than ten days as a public nuisance. Leaving one beyond that window is a misdemeanor under Chapter 10.20 of the Municipal Code, and the city can abate and remove it after notice and a hearing..

Also covered: Driveway Rules (moderate), EV Charging (moderate), RV & Boat Parking (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Brentwood for details.

Landscaping Rules

Water Restrictions: Brentwood bans irrigating with potable water between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Also covered: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (moderate), Tree Trimming (moderate), Weed Ordinances (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Brentwood for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Brentwood bans medicinal and non-medicinal cannabis dispensaries, cultivation facilities and delivery in every zoning district. No permit or license can be issued for any commercial cannabis business anywhere in the city..

Animal Ordinances

Wildlife Feeding: Wildlife in Brentwood (deer, coyotes, turkeys, raccoons, hawks, and mountain lions in nearby Los Vaqueros Watershed) is protected under state law and managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Feeding wildlife is prohibited, and most species cannot be trapped or relocated without a CDFW depredation permit..

Also covered: Bird Protection (moderate), Dog Leash Laws (moderate), Veterinary Clinic Zoning (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Brentwood for details.

Tree Protection

Protected Tree Species: Within the PD-20 planned development zone, Brentwood Municipal Code § 17.470.006 protects native oak trees of four-inch caliper or greater from grading, trenching and construction damage. Builders must fence, map and often replace protected oaks before a grading permit is finalized..

Also covered: Parkway Planting (moderate). See the full tree protection guide for Brentwood for details.

Solar Energy

Expedited Solar Permitting: Brentwood must issue a building permit within three days for a complete small residential rooftop solar application under 10 kilowatts AC, and can require only one consolidated inspection, per its state-mandated expedited solar ordinance..

Also covered: HOA Restrictions (permissive), Panel Permits (permissive). See the full solar energy guide for Brentwood for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

E-Bike Classes: Electric bicycles on Brentwood's paved and unpaved trails cannot exceed 15 mph or the posted speed limit. Municipal Code § 7.06.030(D) sets this cap and, in § 7.06.030(B), lets e-bikes exceed the standard 48-inch device length limit that applies to other mobility devices..

Also covered: Bike Lane Rules (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Brentwood for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Obstruction Rules: Brentwood treats anything that blocks free passage on a public sidewalk, street, trail, or park as a nuisance. Municipal Code § 8.00.030(B)(2) covers vegetation, items, or debris that obstruct pedestrian travel, driver sightlines, or lawful use of the public right-of-way..

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

Environmental Rules

Erosion Control: Brentwood requires a grading permit for most land-disturbing work and mandates erosion and sediment control measures on every graded site. Small disturbances under 10,000 square feet can skip the permit if strict size and slope limits are met..

Also covered: Stormwater Management (moderate), Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate), Flood Zones (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Brentwood for details.

Trash & Recycling

Mandatory Organics Recycling: Brentwood businesses must subscribe to the city's three-container collection service, separating source-separated organic waste (green container) and recyclables (blue container) from black-container trash, under Section 8.16.200(E). The city can require food-service businesses to separate food scraps from other organics, and must supply labeled containers in every indoor and outdoor customer area under the same subsection..

Also covered: Recycling Rules (moderate), Bin Placement Rules (moderate), Collection Schedule (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Brentwood for details.

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Brentwood bans using, possessing, discharging, selling, storing or making fireworks anywhere in the city under Section 8.48.020, with no exception for so-called safe-and-sane fireworks. The only carve-outs in Section 8.48.030 are snap caps and party poppers, red highway flares, State Fire Marshal-approved industrial or agricultural items under permit, and a city-permitted public display..

Also covered: Wildfire Zones (moderate), Outdoor Burning (restrictive), Brush Clearance (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Brentwood for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Dark Sky Rules: Brentwood has no residential dark-sky ordinance, but its zoning code forces outdoor lighting in office, commercial and industrial zones to stay on-site. Brentwood Municipal Code § 17.200.004(B)(2) caps glare at one-half foot-candle measured at the lot line and requires every exposed light source to be shielded, with flickering or intense fixtures controlled so they do not become a nuisance across property lines..

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

Outdoor Cooking

Smoker Rules: Brentwood bars open flames, campfires, and barbecues in city parks and facilities without the director's permission, and portable barbecues specifically require a permit under Section 7.02.180(BB). Candles and other open-flame devices are separately barred under Section 7.02.140 except with director approval..

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: Downtown Brentwood is not zoned like the rest of the city: § 17.280.002 hands control of land use and design in the DT zone to the downtown specific plan, which replaces the standard zoning ordinance and controls over any conflicting city planning document for that district..

Also covered: Density Bonus Law (moderate). See the full zoning overlays & bonuses guide for Brentwood for details.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Brentwood bars minors under 18 from public places between 10 p.m. and midnight Sunday through Thursday, and from 12:01 a.m.

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

Special Events & Permits

Park Event Permits: Any event held in a Brentwood park or facility needs a special event permit from the parks and recreation director under Municipal Code Section 7.02.020, valid for up to 12 months. Denials can be appealed to the city manager within 10 days, and violating the permit chapter is a misdemeanor carrying at least a $1,000 fine..

Also covered: Block Party Permits (restrictive), Parade Permits (restrictive), Street Fair Rules (restrictive). See the full special events & permits guide for Brentwood for details.

Right to Farm

Farm Nuisance Protection: Brentwood's Right to Farm ordinance, Municipal Code Chapter 8.01, shields agricultural operations on the city's East County farmland from nuisance lawsuits and complaints filed by nonagricultural neighbors. Section 8.01.030 declares that a properly run farm operating under normal customs cannot become a public nuisance just because homes or businesses later locate nearby, and it specifically protects slow-moving farm vehicles on public roads..

Also covered: Agricultural Zoning Protection (permissive). See the full right to farm guide for Brentwood for details.

HOA Rules

CC&R Enforcement: Before Brentwood approves a condominium conversion, it requires the CC&Rs to be reviewed and approved by the community development director and city attorney, and the city writes itself the right, though not the obligation, to step into the homeowners' association's shoes to enforce the manager's maintenance duties. Owners cannot change city-required CC&R conditions without city approval..

Also covered: HOA Fines & Enforcement (permissive), HOA Disputes (moderate). See the full hoa rules guide for Brentwood for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Brentwood does not issue short-term rental permits because it does not allow short-term rentals at all. Municipal Code Section 17.796.003 makes it unlawful to rent any dwelling unit, or even amenities like a pool or backyard, for thirty consecutive days or less anywhere in the city..

Also covered: Occupancy Limits (moderate), Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Brentwood for details.

Filming & Production

Street Closures: Brentwood has no permit written specifically for film shoots, but a production that needs a public street closed goes through the same encroachment permit process as any other temporary use, and its own code lists filming alongside parades and concerts as a purpose covered by that permit..

Also covered: Location Permits (moderate), Production Noise (moderate). See the full filming & production guide for Brentwood for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Brentwood outright prohibits new billboards and animated or electronic message signs. City code declares banning billboards a fundamental land use policy and lists animated signs, which include digital displays, among prohibited signs citywide..

Also covered: Window Signs (moderate), Garage Sale Signs (moderate), Political Signs (strict). See the full sign regulations guide for Brentwood for details.

Tobacco & Vaping

Flavored Tobacco Bans: Brentwood bans the sale of flavored tobacco products outright, and separately bans the sale of electronic smoking devices altogether, under Municipal Code Sections 5.76.050 and 5.76.060. A retailer caught holding four or more flavored products or e-cigarette devices is presumed to be selling them illegally..

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Brentwood bans camping and storing personal property on any city-owned property under Municipal Code Section 7.02.150. Before removing belongings, the city must post a 48-hour Notice to Vacate and then hold impounded items for at least 30 days, except health-hazard items that can be discarded immediately..

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Setback Rules: Brentwood's R-1 single-family zone sets a flat twenty-foot front and rear yard, but side yards scale with lot size. Municipal Code § 17.130.004 requires a five-foot minimum (fifteen-foot combined) in R-1-6, rising to a twelve-foot minimum (thirty-foot combined) in the larger-lot R-1-12 subzone..

Also covered: Structure Height Limits (moderate), Lot Coverage Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Brentwood for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rules: Chapter 17.715 lets one ADU and one JADU onto qualifying lots in the RE, R-1-E, R-1, R-2, R-3, COR, CR and PEC zones. Detached ADUs cap at 16 feet high (up to 20 near transit), size runs 850 to 1,000 square feet, and applications are approved ministerially within 60 days with no hearing..

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

Invasive Plant Rules

Front Yard Gardens: Brentwood requires homes built after 1987 to keep at least half of the front yard and corner-lot side yard covered in living vegetation, and Section 8.36.030 counts vegetable gardens toward that fifty percent alongside trees, shrubs, ground covers and lawns. Skip the requirement and the code calls the bare yard an unlawful public nuisance..

Property Maintenance

Vacant Lot Maintenance: Brentwood treats overgrown weeds on any street, sidewalk or private parcel, vacant or not, as a fire hazard and a public nuisance under Section 8.36.035. Dry grass and cut vegetation over three inches tall triggers the city's weed abatement process, which can end with the city removing the vegetation itself and putting the cost on the property tax bill as a lien..

Also covered: Property Blight (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Brentwood for details.

Rental Property Rules

Repairs & Habitability: Brentwood runs a standing rental inspection program under Chapter 8.44 built to catch substandard housing before it turns into blight. Section 8.44.010 ties the whole chapter to protecting public health, safety and welfare by requiring landlords to fix any "deficiency," defined as a failure to meet any law, permit condition or city ordinance that applies to the property..

Also covered: Rent Increase Notice (moderate), Just Cause Eviction (moderate), Rental Registration (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Brentwood for details.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Brentwood inspects the exterior of every rental property at least once every two years under Section 8.44.040, part of a proactive program covering all residential rentals except mobile homes, RVs, hotels and motels. Section 8.44.030 makes clear the two-year cycle is a floor, not a ceiling, so the city can inspect more often whenever it has reason to..

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

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Brentwood outlaws barbed wire, razor wire, electrified fencing, and chain link visible from public areas in every residential zone. Commercial properties can use these materials only with planning commission design review or conditional use permit approval, or when another law requires them.

Also covered: Height Limits (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate), Neighbor Fence Rules (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Brentwood for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Brentwood allows garage sales without any permit, but Municipal Code Section 17.850.006(E) caps them at three per year per property and two consecutive days each time. Sales beyond that frequency or duration count as an unpermitted temporary use and need a temporary use permit under Chapter 17.850 instead..

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: Above-ground pools in Brentwood are regulated by the California Building Standards Code and the Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code 115920-115929). New or remodeled pools holding more than 18 inches of water must include at least two of seven approved drowning-prevention safety features, and a 60-inch barrier is required..

Also covered: Fencing & Safety Requirements (moderate). See the full swimming pools & spas guide for Brentwood for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Door-to-door commercial solicitors in Brentwood must obtain a Solicitor Permit from the Police Department and carry photo ID while soliciting. Solicitation hours are limited to 9 AM to 8 PM.

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

Drone Rules

Recreational Drones: California Civil Code 1708.8 makes it a civil tort to use a drone to capture images or recordings of someone in a private setting. Brentwood also enforces trespass and peeping laws against invasive drone use.

What to Do With This Information

Whether you are renting, buying, or renovating in Brentwood, knowing the local rules upfront saves headaches later. Dig into the individual ordinance pages linked above for the complete picture, including fines and exemptions.