Mountain View, CA Local Ordinances Guide

Mountain View, 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 160 tracked ordinances across 42 categories, there is more here than you might expect.

Fence Regulations

Neighbor Fence Rules: Shared fences between Mountain View neighbors are governed by California Civil Code 841 which presumes equal cost sharing for maintenance with 30 day written notice required before work..

Also covered: Fence Permit Requirements (moderate), Retaining Walls (moderate), Height Limits (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Mountain View for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Dumping, throwing or depositing refuse on any public right-of-way, waterway or private property other than an approved disposal area is a misdemeanor under City Code Sec. 16.5, and it's separately unlawful to let waste scatter onto a street or neighboring lot by wind or runoff..

Also covered: Recycling Requirements (moderate), Pickup Rules & Schedules (moderate), Dumpster Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Mountain View for details.

Noise Ordinances

Vehicle Noise: Mountain View bans operating any vehicle equipped with a sound-amplifying device on a public street if the sound carries onto private property or reaches other people using the street, under City Code Sec. 19.20.

Also covered: Leaf Blower Rules (moderate), Construction Hours (moderate), Barking Dogs (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Mountain View for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Mountain View requires pool barriers at least 60 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates to comply with the California Swimming Pool Safety Act (H&S 115920)..

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

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Mountain View prohibits the possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of all fireworks, including 'Safe and Sane' fireworks otherwise legal under California law, per City Code Sec. 14.28.05.

Also covered: Wildfire Zones (moderate), Smoke Detectors (moderate), Fire Pits & Backyard Fires (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Mountain View for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: Cutting down, destroying, removing or relocating a heritage tree anywhere in Mountain View, public or private property, takes a heritage tree removal permit. City Code Sec.

Also covered: Artificial Turf (moderate), Water Restrictions (restrictive), Native Plants (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Mountain View for details.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Mountain View bars any signage for a home-based business. City Code Section 36.28.85(c) states there is "no window display, advertising sign or other identification of the home occupation on the premises," a flat ban that applies to every licensed home occupation citywide..

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

Environmental Rules

Flood Elevation Requirements: Mountain View treats building below the base flood elevation as an exception, not a default: it takes a rare variance to do it, and the floodplain administrator must warn the owner in writing that going below code elevation can push federal flood insurance premiums as high as $25 per $100 of coverage..

Also covered: Erosion Control (moderate), Flood Zones (moderate), Stormwater Management (moderate). See the full environmental rules guide for Mountain View for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Repeat Violator Strikes: A Mountain View short-term rental property gets locked out of registration for 12 months after an active citation, compliance order, or a denied or revoked application, under City Code Sec. 44.6.

Also covered: Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (moderate), Host Presence Rule (moderate), Night Caps (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Mountain View for details.

Water Use Rules

Recycled Water Rules: Within the Shoreline Regional Park Community, Mountain View requires identified retail, commercial and industrial customers to convert their irrigation systems to recycled water under City Code Sec. 35.100.2, and Sec.

Also covered: Leak Reporting Duty (limited). See the full water use rules guide for Mountain View for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Mountain View requires an encroachment permit from the public works director before anyone places a structure, object, or storage container on, over, or under city-owned property or easements. Sec.

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

Public Conduct

Public Alcohol Use: Mountain View bans drinking or consuming alcohol on any public street, sidewalk, median, park or parking lot, and extends the ban to private sidewalks, building aprons and parking lots open to the public, City Code Sec. 21.70.

Also covered: Jaywalking (moderate), Loitering Rules (moderate), Aggressive Panhandling (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Mountain View for details.

Animal Ordinances

Wildlife Feeding: Shoreline at Mountain View Park is declared a wildlife sanctuary by City Code Sec. 38.18(i), and feeding any wild bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate there is banned outright at all times, alongside hunting, trapping, killing or capturing them..

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

Sign Regulations

Freeway-Facing Signs: Mountain View bans any sign designed or maintained primarily to be viewed from a freeway under City Code Sec. 3.18.2, and any sign proposed within 600 feet of a freeway's right-of-way is presumed to be freeway-oriented unless proven otherwise.

Also covered: Window Signs (moderate), Political Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Mountain View for details.

Special Events & Permits

Parklets: A downtown Mountain View business cannot set up a parklet-style outdoor dining or merchandise area in the public right-of-way without a city-issued Outdoor Patio License under City Code Sec. 27.17.

Also covered: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (restrictive), Street Fair Rules (restrictive), Park Event Permits (restrictive). See the full special events & permits guide for Mountain View for details.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Mountain View bars minors under 18 from loitering in public streets, parks or other public places between 10 p.m. and sunrise unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, or actually travelling to or from a lawful activity.

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

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Sidewalk vendors selling food, goods or services on foot or from a cart need an annual mobile vendor permit and fee from the finance director under City Code Sec. 15.15, and must vend only from 7 a.m.

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

Rental Property Rules

Rent Control: The Mountain View CSFRA caps rent increases on pre-1995 multi-family units at CPI (2-5 percent). Just-cause eviction and relocation assistance apply.

Also covered: Just Cause Eviction (restrictive), Repairs & Habitability (moderate), Rental Registration (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Mountain View for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Mountain View flatly bans vehicle repair as a home business. City Code Section 36.28.90(f) lists "vehicle repair (body or mechanical), upholstery, automobile detailing and painting" among the uses found incompatible with residential activity and prohibited as home occupations..

Also covered: Secondhand Dealers (restrictive), Massage Establishments (restrictive), Adult Entertainment (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Mountain View for details.

Building Safety

Fire Sprinkler Requirements: Every new one- and two-family dwelling in Mountain View must have an automatic fire sprinkler system installed, under City Code Sec. 8.40.15.

Also covered: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (moderate), Plumbing Permits (moderate), Childcare Center Rules (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Mountain View for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Every business operating in Mountain View pays an annual business registration and license tax scaled to its average number of employees, from $75 for a single-employee operation up to $584,195 plus $150 per employee for firms above 5,000 workers. The tax administrator counts employees using the same figures reported to the state Employment Development Department..

Parking Rules

Preferential Parking Districts: Mountain View's Residential Parking Permit (RPP) program lets the city council designate neighborhood zones, under state Vehicle Code Sec. 22507, where only permit holders may park past posted time limits.

Also covered: Overnight Parking (moderate), EV Charging (moderate), Curb Color Rules (restrictive). See the full parking rules guide for Mountain View for details.

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Mountain View bans property conditions that create rodent harborage citywide. Sec.

Tree Protection

Heritage & Protected Trees: Mountain View requires every owner of a heritage tree, generally one with a 48-inch trunk circumference, to keep it healthy and forbids injuring, damaging, destroying, moving or removing it without a city permit. City Code Sec.

Also covered: Parkway Planting (moderate), Protected Tree Species (restrictive). See the full tree protection guide for Mountain View for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rental Restrictions: Mountain View lets owners rent an accessory dwelling unit or junior ADU independently of the main house under City Code Sec. 36.12.100, but forbids selling either unit separately from the primary dwelling.

Also covered: Shed & Carport Rules (moderate), Garage Conversions (moderate), ADU Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Mountain View for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Mountain View has not opted out of cannabis retail, but it caps it hard: only nonstorefront retail cannabis businesses are allowed, limited to three citywide, each requiring a conditional use permit, police department registration, and a valid state license under City Code Sec. 36.30.60.

Solar Energy

HOA Restrictions: California Civil Code 714 prohibits Mountain View HOAs from unreasonably restricting residential solar. Aesthetic guidelines are allowed but cannot significantly raise cost or cut performance..

Also covered: Expedited Solar Permitting (moderate), Panel Permits (moderate). See the full solar energy guide for Mountain View for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Mountain View requires all exterior lighting on multi-family and nonresidential properties to be shielded so it does not cause off-site glare or nuisance, under City Code Sec. 8.22.05 and Sec.

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Mountain View designates historic resources under City Code Sec. 36.54.65, placing buildings, structures, sites or objects the city council finds meet one of four criteria, such as ties to a significant person or event, distinctive architecture, or research value, on the Mountain View Register of Historic Resources, after which a historic preservation permit is required before significant changes..

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Mountain View residents can hold a garage or yard sale up to four times a year per property, capped at three days per sale, under City Code Sec. 36.12.55(b), which treats the sale of miscellaneous household items from a yard or open garage as an allowed residential accessory use..

HOA Rules

CC&R Enforcement: HOA CC&R enforcement in Mountain View must follow Davis-Stirling due process rules, with written notice, a hearing opportunity, and fines limited to published schedules..

Also covered: Dispute Resolution (moderate), Architectural Review (limited), Board Procedures (moderate). See the full hoa rules guide for Mountain View for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Mountain View taxes hotel stays at ten (10) percent of the rent charged. City Code Sec.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Setback Rules: Mountain View's R1 single-family zone sets minimum yard setbacks in City Code Sec. 36.10.25: 20 feet from the front property line for the first-floor wall, at least 5 feet per side, 15 feet on a corner lot's street side, and a rear setback equal to 20 percent of lot depth or 15 feet, whichever is greater, capped at 40 feet..

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

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Noise Limits: Mountain View does not set numeric decibel limits. Its Noise Control ordinance, City Code Chapter 10, Article 13, prohibits any noise that creates a "noise disturbance" across a residential property boundary, judged by a reasonable person of normal sensitivities.

Also covered: Data Center Zoning & Siting (permissive). See the full data centers & crypto mining guide for Mountain View for details.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Mountain View abates buildings that endanger life, health or safety under its Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, adopted at City Code Sec. 8.98.10.

Also covered: Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Mountain View for details.

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Mountain View runs a mandatory hotel, motel, and multi-family housing inspection program under Secs. 25.55-25.56.

Also covered: Tenant Complaint Process (limited). See the full rental inspections guide for Mountain View for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

Bike Lane Rules: Mountain View can bar oversized vehicles from parking on streets adjacent to class II bike lanes once the city council designates those streets by resolution and posts signs, under City Code Sec. 19.79.3.

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Mountain View has banned camping, lodging or tarrying overnight on a vacant lot or in any building without the owner's or occupant's permission since 1938. The rule applies citywide to any vacant lot, hay or straw storage site, or building..

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Density Bonus Law: Mountain View City Code Sec. 36.48.80 requires the city to grant a density bonus above zoning and general plan limits when a housing development of five or more base units sets aside 5% of units for very low-income households, 10% for lower-income households, or 10% for moderate-income common-interest units, implementing State Density Bonus Law (Gov.

Outdoor Cooking

BBQ & Propane Rules: Mountain View's Fire Code bans charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices on combustible balconies and within 10 feet of combustible construction, per City Code Sec. 14.24.05.

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Mountain View's Agricultural (A) zoning district, City Code Section 36.24, exists to keep farmland from being crowded out by incompatible development. It permits agriculture, ranch and farm dwellings, and single-family homes outright, requires a one-acre minimum lot, and pushes animal enclosures at least 100 feet from any residential or commercial property line..

Gambling & Gaming

Card Room Licensing: Mountain View bans new cardrooms outright: Sec. 9.2 makes it unlawful for any person or business entity to open, operate, keep or maintain any cardroom within city limits, except for preexisting cardrooms licensed before January 17, 1995.

What to Do With This Information

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