Long Beach, CA Local Ordinances Guide

Long Beach is a mid-sized city in Los Angeles County, California, with about 467000 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 185 ordinances across 47 categories that affect daily life in Long Beach.

Building Safety

Fire Sprinkler Requirements: Long Beach Municipal Code § 18.48.440 amends California Fire Code § 903.2.8 to require automatic fire sprinklers in every new multi-family building of three or more units, hotels, motels and similar occupancies, and, going further than the state model code, in every new single-family dwelling and duplex built in the city..

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

Noise from Specific Sources

Bar & Nightclub Noise: Long Beach caps sound in bars, nightclubs and other places of public entertainment on a sliding duration/decibel scale and requires a posted hearing-impairment warning sign wherever the venue exceeds those levels..

Also covered: Generator Noise (moderate), HVAC & Mechanical Noise (moderate), Car Alarm Limits (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Long Beach for details.

Filming & Production

Street Closures: Filming that would impair traffic flow in Long Beach must use City law enforcement personnel and comply with Caltrans traffic control standards under § 5.61.070(E). Traffic and street closures can be restricted to a single twelve-foot lane and stopped intermittently, with emergency road work always taking priority over the shoot..

Also covered: Location Permits (moderate). See the full filming & production guide for Long Beach for details.

Public Conduct

Public Urination: Long Beach makes it a misdemeanor to urinate or defecate in any public place other than a regularly provided toilet facility. Municipal Code § 9.25.010, the City's stand-alone "Public Excretion" chapter, defines the offense using the code's broad definition of "public place" in § 9.02.090..

Also covered: Loitering Rules (moderate), Skateboarding Rules (restrictive), Aggressive Panhandling (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for Long Beach for details.

Fence Regulations

Height Limits: Long Beach caps residential front-yard fences at 3 feet and side/rear ("other") yard fences at 6 feet 6 inches, rising to 10 feet outside the required yard, under LBMC § 21.43.020's Table 43-1. Corner-lot cutoff areas are held to 3 feet, though taller open chain-link or wrought-iron fencing is allowed there if it doesn't block sightlines..

Also covered: Fence Permit Requirements (moderate), Material Restrictions (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Long Beach for details.

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Long Beach designates cultural resources as Landmarks or Landmark Districts through its Cultural Heritage Commission under LBMC Chapter 2.63. Once designated, no owner, renter or occupant may modify the property without a certificate of appropriateness, and nominated properties get interim protection while review is pending..

Home Business

Signage Rules: Long Beach bars any exterior signage for a home occupation outright: LBMC § 21.51.235(B)(2) says no sign can be visible from outside the dwelling, and even a vehicle carrying the business's name has to be parked where it can't be seen from the public right-of-way..

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

Short-Term Rentals

Host Platform Liability: Long Beach makes hosting platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo directly liable for what they publish: they must block bookings for any listing lacking a valid City registration number, report registration numbers, host names, addresses and monthly booking data, and remove flagged listings on notice, or the platform itself is operating unlawfully..

Also covered: Host Presence Rule (moderate), Taxes & Fees (moderate), Extended Home Share (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Long Beach for details.

Special Events & Permits

Parade Permits: Long Beach requires a written permit from the City Manager before anyone holds a parade, demonstration, or other special event on city streets, sidewalks, parks, or piers. Municipal Code Section 5.60.020 covers formations of any size and gatherings of 75 or more people..

Also covered: Park Event Permits (moderate), Commercial Filming on Public Right-of-Way (limited), Block Party Permits (restrictive). See the full special events & permits guide for Long Beach for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Long Beach's business license tax (LBMC Chapter 3.80) sorts every business into one of twelve statutory classifications, from contract construction to oil production to rental of residential property, because each classification is taxed under its own separate section of the code..

Business Licensing & Operations

Secondhand Dealers: Secondhand dealers in Long Beach must hold a police-issued permit and cannot resell purchased or pawned goods for 30 days. Municipal Code § 5.64.010(C) defines the covered business as buying, selling, trading, consigning, or auctioning secondhand tangible personal property, and § 5.64.150(A) sets the 30-day resale hold..

Also covered: Tattoo & Body Modification (restrictive), Pawnbrokers (restrictive), Towing Companies (moderate). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Long Beach for details.

Parking Rules

Preferential Parking Districts: Long Beach forms preferential parking districts under LBMC Chapter 10.32 when residents petition the City Council to curb nonresident on-street parking. A district requires a two-thirds resident petition, a public hearing, and proof the area meets the City's demand criteria before permits are issued..

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

Public Health Rules

Calorie Labeling: Chapter 8.17 caps the default beverage restaurants may bundle with a children's meal in Long Beach: water, nonfat or 1% milk or a non-dairy alternative under 130 calories per serving, or 100% juice under 40 calories per serving, per LBMC § 8.17.030. Customers can still request a soda or other drink instead, the rule only sets the automatic default..

Also covered: Restaurant Grade Cards (moderate), Bed-Bug Rules (moderate), Rodent Control (moderate). See the full public health rules guide for Long Beach for details.

Noise Ordinances

Aircraft Noise: Chapter 16.43 of the Long Beach Municipal Code sets a CNEL noise ceiling and per-runway SENEL limits for every non-governmental flight at Long Beach Airport, restricts touch-and-go training and engine runups to daytime hours, and lets the Airport Manager issue escalating money surcharges against owner/operators who exceed them..

Also covered: Vehicle Noise (moderate), Quiet Hours (moderate), Barking Dogs (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Long Beach for details.

Environmental Rules

Boat Dock Permits: Building or maintaining a private wharf, pier, float, bulkhead, seawall or similar structure anywhere in the Long Beach Marina area requires a permit from the Marine Bureau Director before work begins, plus a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission..

Also covered: Flood Zones (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate), Flood Elevation Requirements (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Long Beach for details.

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Long Beach bans every kind of fireworks, not just the "dangerous" kind, inside city limits. Municipal Code § 8.81.020 makes it unlawful to possess, sell, use, display or explode any fireworks by whatever name known, with a narrow carve-out for licensed pyrotechnic displays under Chapter 18.48.720.

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate), Outdoor Burning (strict), Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (restrictive). See the full fire regulations guide for Long Beach for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Structure Height Limits: Long Beach caps residential building height by zoning district under Table 31-2A, from 24-28 feet in the small-lot R-1-S zone to 65 feet and five stories in the R-4-U high-density zone, with Section 21.31.220 setting separate exceptions for chimneys, flagpoles, antennas and rooftop equipment..

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

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Under Long Beach Municipal Code § 18.30.120, City inspectors periodically check PRHIP-registered rental properties, sampling at least ten percent of units and all common areas and exits, and expanding to a full one-hundred-percent inspection if they find violations. Owners get fourteen days' written notice before an inspection under § 18.30.130, and registration is due within sixty days of acquiring a qualifying property under § 18.30.040..

Rental Property Rules

AB-1482 Notice Disclosure: California Civil Code section 1946.2 requires Long Beach landlords of covered units to give written notice of just-cause eviction protections and the statewide rent cap, using the state-prescribed language at lease signing or by August 1 each year..

Also covered: Repairs & Habitability (moderate), Security Deposit Rules (permissive), Source-of-Income Discrimination (restrictive). See the full rental property rules guide for Long Beach for details.

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: Add a dwelling unit, pursue discretionary development or Site Plan Review, or build a fence under the special height provisions, and Long Beach requires one 24-inch box canopy street tree for every 25 feet of property line in the parkway. LBMC § 21.42.050.B.1 puts species approval and irrigation specs in the hands of the Director of Public Works..

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Long Beach zones cannabis businesses in rather than opting out: LBMC Table 32-1 under Chapter 21.32 lists Adult-Use Cannabis Dispensary as a by-right (Y) use in eight commercial districts, CNP, CNA, CNR, CCA, CCP, CCR, CCN and CHW, but flags it "N" (prohibited) in the CS zone, and industrial-district Table 33-2 bars cannabis businesses outright in the Port-Dependent (IP) district..

Also covered: Personal Cultivation Limits (moderate), Buffer Zones (moderate), Home Cultivation (limited). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Long Beach for details.

Immigration Policy

Sanctuary Policy Preemption: Long Beach adopted sanctuary-city resolutions limiting cooperation between local police and federal immigration enforcement. The city follows California SB 54, the statewide TRUST Act, restricting ICE coordination..

Also covered: E-Verify Mandates (permissive). See the full immigration policy guide for Long Beach for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Vending Zones: Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.73.120 bans stationary sidewalk vending outright in residential zones and layers numeric buffers on every other block, 500 feet from freeway ramps, 100 feet from fire and police stations, 25 feet from beach access points, and 20 feet between two stationary vendors, plus a 4-foot minimum clear path, 5 feet in high-volume pedestrian zones..

Also covered: Food Truck Permits (moderate), Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Long Beach for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Owner Occupancy: Long Beach requires the property owner to live in either the primary dwelling or the accessory dwelling unit under Municipal Code § 21.51.276.E.1.a, unless both units are leased to the same tenant who is barred in writing from subletting either unit to anyone else. The City records a deed restriction and can force removal of the ADU at the owner's expense for violations..

Also covered: ADU Rental Restrictions (moderate), Garage Conversions (moderate), ADU Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Long Beach for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Density Bonus Law: Long Beach implements California's Density Bonus Law, allowing housing developers extra units, height, parking concessions, and waivers in exchange for restricted affordable units. The benefits stack with the city's tier-based Inclusionary Housing ordinance under LBMC 21.67..

Mobility & Curb Rules

Bike Lane Rules: Long Beach maintains an extensive bike network, including protected lanes, buffered lanes, and sharrows on streets like Broadway, Third, Pine, and the beach path. California Vehicle Code rules govern lane use, while the city enforces obstruction and parking restrictions in bike facilities..

Also covered: Shared E-Scooter Rules (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Long Beach for details.

Gambling & Gaming

Card Room Licensing: Long Beach permits public cardrooms only as amusement uses. Municipal Code § 5.69.010(D) defines a "public cardroom" as a place where the public plays cards "for enjoyment or amusement purposes only," expressly prohibiting wagering, and § 5.69.050 requires anyone operating one to first obtain a City Council permit or Conditional Use Permit..

Tobacco & Vaping

Flavored Tobacco Bans: California Senate Bill 793, upheld by voters as Proposition 31 in 2022, bans the retail sale of most flavored tobacco products including menthol cigarettes and flavored vape liquids. Long Beach enforces the ban through tobacco retailer licensing..

Animal Ordinances

Exotic Pets: Exotic pets regulated by state and city. Ferrets and hedgehogs are ILLEGAL in California.

Also covered: Pet Store Rules (restrictive), Pet Limits (moderate), Cat Rules (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Long Beach for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Long Beach charges a combined 13% transient occupancy tax on hotel and short-term stays: 6% funds the special advertising and promotion fund, plus a separate 7% general purpose tax deposited to the City's general fund, both collected by the operator from the guest..

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

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Long Beach Municipal Code § 8.60.120 bans depositing waste on any public street, public place or private parcel to avoid disposal liability, and bans dumping in someone else's receptacle without written permission. Violators risk administrative citations and permit revocation, enforced by the Director of Public Works and Code Enforcement under Chapter 9.65..

Also covered: Yard Waste Collection (moderate), Bin Placement Rules (moderate), Recycling Requirements (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Long Beach for details.

Single-Use Items

Utensils-On-Request: California Assembly Bill 1276 prohibits food facilities from automatically including single-use foodware accessories like utensils, straws, condiment packets, and napkins. Customers must specifically request them or check a box for online and delivery orders..

Landscaping Rules

Water Restrictions: Long Beach follows the MWELO (Smartscape) ordinance for new landscaping. Projects 500-2,500 sq ft have streamlined permits; over 2,500 sq ft require a landscape professional.

Also covered: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (restrictive), Tree Trimming (moderate), Rainwater Harvesting (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Long Beach for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Long Beach treats every electronic billboard as a discretionary land use. A Conditional Use Permit is required before any new digital billboard is built or an existing static billboard is converted, and Municipal Code § 21.54.280(B) locks down message timing, motion and nighttime brightness once one is approved and installed..

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

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Long Beach bars building encroachments into the public right-of-way below eight feet, but allows awnings, canopies, signs and balconies above eight feet if clearance and setback formulas are met, and every encroachment requires a City permit under Chapter 14.48..

Also covered: Obstruction Rules (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Long Beach for details.

Water Use Rules

Recycled Water Rules: Long Beach's citywide landscaping code requires decorative water features like fountains and ponds to run on recirculating systems, and mandates recycled water as the source whenever a recycled-water connection is available. The standard sits in LBMC § 21.42.030.A.9, part of the General Requirements every zoning district must meet before Development Services signs off on a Landscape Document Package..

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Sit-Lie Rules: Long Beach bans camping on any public property, including sidewalks and other rights-of-way, between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., under Municipal Code § 9.42.110.

HOA Rules

Architectural Review: Long Beach HOAs typically require an Architectural Review Committee (ARC) application before exterior modifications. Davis-Stirling requires reasonable, written standards and timely decisions (typically 45-60 days)..

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Long Beach Municipal Code Section 5.40.030 caps how often a single address can run a garage sale: single-family addresses get two permits per calendar year, multifamily addresses get one permit per quarter (four per year), and every permit covers no more than three consecutive days..

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Noise Limits: Long Beach caps exterior noise at the receiving property line under Municipal Code Chapter 8.80. Table A in Section 8.80.160 sets 50 dBA day and 45 dBA night at homes, 60/55 in commercial areas, and 65 to 70 dBA in industrial districts.

Also covered: Data Center Zoning & Siting (limited). See the full data centers & crypto mining guide for Long Beach for details.

Employment Preemption

Paid Leave Preemption: California Healthy Workplaces Healthy Families Act mandates at least 40 hours, or five days, of paid sick leave per year for nearly all employees. Long Beach has no expanded citywide leave ordinance..

Also covered: Minimum Wage Preemption (limited). See the full employment preemption guide for Long Beach for details.

Solar Energy

Expedited Solar Permitting: Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 18.77 creates a mandatory expedited permitting track for residential solar energy and energy storage systems, applying to solar applications filed on or after September 30, 2015 and storage-system applications on or after September 30, 2023. Installations eligible for the streamlined process get only one inspection..

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Long Beach bans minors under 18 from public places between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

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

Outdoor Lighting

Billboard Lighting: Long Beach requires billboard illumination to be designed, aimed, and shielded so light falls only on the display surface under Municipal Code § 21.54.250, preventing light trespass into the night sky or onto neighboring property, with all service wiring run underground and compliance verified before a building permit issues..

Also covered: Dark Sky Rules (limited), Light Trespass & Shielding (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Long Beach for details.

Property Maintenance

Vacant Lot Maintenance: Chapter 18.29 of the Long Beach Municipal Code requires whoever controls a vacant lot to keep it free of weeds, dry brush, trash, junk, dumped vehicles and graffiti, secure it behind at least six-foot perimeter fencing, register it with Community Development within thirty days, and pay an annual Vacant Lot Monitoring fee, or face a lien and public-nuisance abatement..

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

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Long Beach requires anyone who peddles, going door-to-door selling goods or food, taking orders and delivering on the spot, to hold a City business license under Municipal Code § 3.80.210 before transacting any business, and to pay the peddling tax set by § 3.80.253(L). Chapter 5.66 layers curfew, school-zone and Tidelands restrictions on top of that license..

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

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: A backyard pool counts as a structure under Long Beach's building permit law, so any in-ground or substantial above-ground pool needs a Building Official permit. Only two narrow categories of very small, shallow pools are exempt under LBMC § 18.04.020(B)(16)-(17)..

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

What to Do With This Information

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