Moving to Ontario, CA? Here Are the Local Rules You Should Know

Ontario is a mid-sized city in San Bernardino County, California, with about 175000 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 126 ordinances across 40 categories that affect daily life in Ontario.

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Ontario requires a Short-Term Rental Permit and a business license before any dwelling under 30 days is rented. Only the host's primary residence qualifies, and non-owner-occupied vacation rentals are prohibited..

Also covered: Occupancy Limits (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Ontario for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: Removing or relocating any City parkway tree in Ontario requires prior authorization from the Public Works Agency under Municipal Code Sec. 10-2.06.

Also covered: Artificial Turf (permissive), Rainwater Harvesting (moderate), Composting (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Ontario for details.

Rental Property Rules

Just Cause Eviction: Ontario follows California AB 1482 (Civil Code 1946.2), requiring landlords to provide just cause to terminate tenancy after 12 months of occupancy, with relocation assistance for no-fault evictions..

Also covered: Rent Control (limited). See the full rental property rules guide for Ontario for details.

HOA Rules

Dispute Resolution: Ontario HOA disputes must first go through Internal Dispute Resolution under Civil Code 5900 and then Alternative Dispute Resolution under Civil Code 5950 before any civil lawsuit on covenants..

Also covered: Assessment & Dues (permissive), CC&R Enforcement (permissive), Architectural Review (permissive). See the full hoa rules guide for Ontario for details.

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Noise Limits: Ontario caps exterior noise by receiving zone under Municipal Code Sec. 5-29.04: 65 dBA daytime and 45 dBA overnight at single-family homes, and 70 dBA at any hour on industrial land.

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

Fence Regulations

Retaining Walls: Where grade differs between properties or a property and the public right-of-way, Ontario allows a wall or fence combined with a retaining wall above the normal height limit, but a retaining wall adjacent to the public right-of-way is capped at 3 feet, with a free wall up to 6 feet and an overall height of 9 feet; deeper cuts must be tiered..

Also covered: Neighbor Fence Rules (moderate), Material Restrictions (moderate), Height Limits (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Ontario for details.

Public Health Rules

Food Handler Certification: Ontario requires food service workers to hold a valid competency certificate under County Ordinance No. 1964, adopted by reference into City law at Municipal Code Sec.

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

Parking Rules

Curb Color Rules: Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 4-6.408 bars anyone but the City from painting a street or curb surface.

Also covered: Overnight Parking (moderate), Preferential Parking Districts (moderate), Driveway Rules (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Ontario for details.

Home Business

Cottage Food Operations: Ontario permits Cottage Food Operations as a home occupation but requires them to be conducted consistent with California state-law operating requirements and limited to products on the California Department of Public Health Approved Cottage Foods list..

Also covered: Home Daycare (moderate), Zoning & Home Occupation Permits (moderate), Signage Rules (moderate). See the full home business guide for Ontario for details.

Building Safety

Fire Sprinkler Requirements: Ontario requires NFPA 13D fire sprinkler systems installed throughout every one- and two-family dwelling, Group R-3, Group R-4 Condition 1 facility, and townhouse built under the current code, per Fire Code Section 4-4.62. The city adds its own twist on the state standard: a passive purge system to protect Ontario's drinking water supply..

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

Drone Rules

Airport Proximity Rules: No drone may land or take off within five miles of any airport in Ontario without air traffic control authorization. The rule reaches every airport in the city, not just Ontario International, and layers on top of separate FAA airspace restrictions..

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

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Ontario Municipal Code Section 6-3.206 bans dumping, placing or burying solid waste, condemned substances or any deleterious or offensive material on any lot, land, street, alley, water or waterway in the city. The only exception covers land used as a properly permitted landfill, transfer station, materials-recovery facility or organic waste-processing facility.

Also covered: Bulk Item Disposal (moderate), Collection Schedule (moderate), Mandatory Organics Recycling (restrictive). See the full trash & recycling guide for Ontario for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Towing Companies: Ontario requires any company towing vehicles for the Police Department without owner consent to hold both a City business license and a towing carrier permit issued by City Council resolution. Permits are non-exclusive, tied to a written towing services agreement, and carriers rotate on an on-call list the Chief of Police maintains..

Also covered: Adult Entertainment (restrictive), Secondhand Dealers (moderate). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Ontario for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: A City of Ontario Building Department permit, plan check, and engineered drawings are required to build a residential swimming pool, and site plans must show all property lines, structures, slopes, walls, gates, fences, and barriers controlling access to the pool..

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

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Every transient occupying a hotel room in Ontario, including short-term and vacation rentals under the code's broad 'hotel' definition, owes an 11.75% Transient Occupancy Tax on rent charged, collected by the operator and remitted to the City's Tax Administrator under Municipal Code § 3-6.03..

Noise Ordinances

Quiet Hours: Ontario does not use a single curfew but enforces lower nighttime exterior noise limits between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

Also covered: Decibel Limits (moderate), Leaf Blower Rules (moderate), Vehicle Noise (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Ontario for details.

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: All fireworks - including state-approved 'safe and sane' fireworks sold in some neighboring cities - are illegal to use, possess, store, or sell anywhere in the City of Ontario. Possession and discharge are prohibited unless a permit is issued by the California State Fire Marshal and approved by the Ontario Fire Department, which is granted only to state-licensed pyrotechnicians..

Also covered: Propane Storage (restrictive), Wildfire Zones (moderate), Smoke Detectors (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Ontario for details.

Sign Regulations

Garage Sale Signs: Ontario caps garage and yard sale signage at one double-faced sign per property, six square feet per side, and the sign may go up only on the actual sale days. The Police Department enforces the chapter alongside the four-weekends-a-year sale limit..

Local Taxes & Fees

Parking Tax: Ontario taxes every paid parking occupancy at 100% of the rent charged, but caps the tax an occupant actually owes at $1.75 per vehicle per day, or 12.5% of the monthly rate for monthly parking. Operators collect it and remit it to the Finance Director..

Also covered: Business Tax Classification (moderate). See the full local taxes & fees guide for Ontario for details.

Special Events & Permits

Street Fair Rules: Ontario requires a City license before anyone stages an outdoor or indoor festival expected to draw 5,000 or more people, and food vendors at that event must hold a valid Health Department permit. Licensing runs through the City Clerk and City Council under Chapter 16..

Also covered: Park Event Permits (moderate). See the full special events & permits guide for Ontario for details.

Water Use Rules

Recycled Water Rules: Ontario requires a signed use agreement and City approval before any property can receive recycled water, restricting it to State Water Board approved uses like irrigation and toilet flushing. Purple-coded pipes, backflow protection, and cross-connection testing are mandatory under Municipal Code Chapter 8C..

Filming & Production

Location Permits: Anyone filming or videotaping a scene for public viewing in Ontario, from a single shot to a full production, owes a flat $200 business license tax under § 3-1.217 and must first obtain a City Film Permit and pay the Citywide Fee Schedule's Film Permit Fee before shooting begins..

Environmental Rules

Stormwater Management: Ontario bans dumping refuse, wash water, pet waste, pool chemicals and dozens of other pollutants into any street, gutter or storm drain that feeds the City's stormwater system. The City Engineer enforces the ban with administrative complaints, civil penalties up to $25,000 per day and misdemeanor prosecution..

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

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Anyone going door-to-door in Ontario selling goods or taking orders for future delivery must first obtain a solicitor's permit from the License Official under § 3-1.702; soliciting without one is a misdemeanor, and applicants must submit fingerprints, a $10 fee, and pass a Police Department background check..

Public Conduct

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions: Ontario bans smoking tobacco, using electronic delivery devices, and consuming cannabis in every public park in the city, at all times, day or night. The ban covers restrooms, playgrounds, athletic fields, aquatic areas, and city-owned parking lots at those parks, but excludes city golf courses.

Also covered: Jaywalking (moderate), Skateboarding Rules (limited), Public Alcohol Use (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for Ontario for details.

Tobacco & Vaping

Flavored Tobacco Bans: Ontario Municipal Code Chapter 34 bans selling, displaying, or possessing with intent to sell any flavored tobacco product or flavor enhancer, including menthol, mint, fruit, and candy-flavored vape liquids. A retailer caught holding four or more flavored units is presumed to intend a sale.

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Ontario's Code Enforcement Director treats abandoned, partially destroyed, or substantially deteriorated buildings as a public nuisance under Municipal Code Chapter 22. Owners get a Notice of Violation and an abatement deadline; unresolved hazards can be summarily abated, with costs recovered by lien or special assessment against the property..

Also covered: Vacant Lot Maintenance (moderate), Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (limited). See the full property maintenance guide for Ontario for details.

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Ontario bans camping and storing personal property on public property, streets, sidewalks, parks, and any parked vehicle under Municipal Code Chapter 23. Narrow exceptions cover consensual camping on private residential property, City-approved campgrounds, and permitted special events; each day of violation is a separate offense..

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

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Anyone building a curb, driveway, retaining wall, sign, fence, or sprinkler line in an Ontario public right-of-way must first get an encroachment permit from the City Engineer, pay the set fee and deposit, and restore the right-of-way to original condition afterward..

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

Gambling & Gaming

Card Room Licensing: Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-5.01 makes it unlawful to play, maintain, or operate draw poker or any other card game for money, chips, or tokens anywhere a charge is made for tables, chairs, cards, or admission.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-15.03 limits garage and yard sales to no more than four weekends a year, on Council-designated Friday-through-Sunday weekends, and restricts sale hours to 7:00 a.m.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-7.02 makes it unlawful for anyone under 18 to remain on a public street, park, or other public place between 10:00 p.m.

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

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Altering or demolishing a designated Historical Resource in Ontario, California without a Certificate of Appropriateness is a misdemeanor and an expressly declared public nuisance under Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 9-1.2680.

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: Ontario regulates every parkway tree planted along its streets under Municipal Code Sec. 10-2.07.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Ontario's Chapter 8 solar ordinance defines which rooftop systems qualify as a permitted "small residential rooftop solar energy system": no larger than 10 kW AC or 30 kW thermal, installed on a single or duplex dwelling, and within the City's legal building height. Routine maintenance and like-kind replacement need no new permit..

Also covered: Expedited Solar Permitting (limited), HOA Restrictions (moderate). See the full solar energy guide for Ontario for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Car Alarm Limits: Ontario exempts vehicle and building alarms from its general noise standards only if the alarm shuts itself off within 45 minutes of activation. Under Ontario Municipal Code § 5-29.06(c), an alarm or bell that runs longer than 45 minutes in an hour loses its exemption and becomes an enforceable noise violation..

Animal Ordinances

Mandatory Spay/Neuter: Ontario's only mandatory spay-neuter rule targets pet pot-bellied pigs, not dogs or cats generally. Section 6-1.230 bans breeding pot-bellied pigs kept as pets and requires every one to be spayed or neutered, with veterinary certification of that status, plus health and vaccination records, before the city will license the animal.

Also covered: Chickens & Livestock (moderate), Cat Rules (moderate), Pet Limits (limited). See the full animal ordinances guide for Ontario for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Vending Zones: Under California SB 946, Ontario cannot ban sidewalk vendors citywide but regulates time, place, and manner through OMC Chapter 5, with no vending in parks during events or within 15 feet of curb cuts for ADA access..

Cannabis Regulations

Home Cultivation: Ontario residents 21 and older may grow up to 6 cannabis plants indoors per residence under Proposition 64, but outdoor cultivation is banned by OMC Chapter 9 ordinance..

Also covered: Dispensary Zoning (strict). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Ontario for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rules: Ontario permits accessory dwelling units ministerially under Section 5.03.010 of the Development Code, limiting detached and attached ADUs to 850 square feet for a studio/one-bedroom and 1,000 square feet for two or more bedrooms, with 4-foot rear and side setbacks, a 16-foot detached height limit, and one parking space per unit..

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

What to Do With This Information

Think of this as a map of the regulatory landscape in Ontario. For any rule that directly affects a decision you are making, click through to the full ordinance page for penalty details and exceptions, and confirm with the city if the stakes are high.