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

Redding, 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 137 tracked ordinances across 38 categories, there is more here than you might expect.

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Redding bans possessing, transporting, discharging, or igniting any firecrackers, sky rockets, or fireworks of any kind within city limits unless the person first obtains a city permit, effectively outlawing personal fireworks use citywide under RMC § 9.20.180..

Also covered: Brush Clearance (moderate), Propane Storage (restrictive), Smoke Detectors (moderate). See the full fire regulations guide for Redding for details.

Parking Rules

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles: Redding Municipal Code Section 11.24.070 bars parking a commercial vehicle or trailer weighing 10,000 pounds or more, or longer than 25 feet, in a residential district or on any street or right-of-way adjacent to one. Vehicles actively loading or making a service call, and on-call tow trucks, are exempted..

Also covered: Street Parking Limits (moderate), Driveway Rules (moderate), RV & Boat Parking (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Redding for details.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Lot Coverage Limits: Redding caps building coverage at 40 percent of the lot in every "RE" and "RS" single-family district, rising through the "RM" multifamily districts from 60 percent in RM-6 to 85 percent in RM-30, under Municipal Code Section 18.31.030. Section 18.62.040 defines what counts toward that ceiling, excluding small eaves, open trellises, and low decks and patios..

Also covered: Structure Height Limits (moderate), Setback Rules (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Redding for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Zones: Redding's 'FP' Floodplain Overlay District, adopted to keep the city eligible for the National Flood Insurance Program, splits every mapped floodplain into a floodway where development is largely prohibited and a flood fringe where only limited or use-permitted activity is allowed. Structures other than those specifically listed cannot be located in the floodway at all under Section 18.51.040..

Also covered: Stormwater Management (moderate), Erosion Control (moderate), Flood Elevation Requirements (restrictive). See the full environmental rules guide for Redding for details.

Accessory Structures

ADU Rental Restrictions: Redding bans short-term rentals of accessory dwelling units outright. Municipal Code Section 18.43.140(I)(1) sets a thirty-day minimum lease for any unit on a property developed with an ADU or junior ADU and separately prohibits using either unit as a short-term rental as defined in the city's Section 18.43.180..

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

Property Maintenance

Property Blight: Redding Municipal Code Chapter 1.15 (Abatement of Properties, Buildings, and Conditions) is the city's blight-abatement framework. It authorizes Code Enforcement to declare properties with accumulated trash, abandoned vehicles, overgrown vegetation, tall weeds, dead trees, graffiti, or deteriorated structures as public nuisances and to abate them at the owner's expense.

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

HOA Rules

CC&R Enforcement: Redding's short-term rental ordinance holds that a city hosted-homestay or vacation-rental permit never overrides a homeowners association's separate right to enforce its own CC&Rs, and Development Services must deny a short-term rental permit outright whenever substantial evidence shows a recorded CC&R already restricts that use on the property..

Short-Term Rentals

Short-Term Rental Permits: Redding requires every short-term rental to get city approval before operating: hosted homestays need a Letter of Determination from the Development Services director, while whole-home vacation rentals need a discretionary Site Development Permit under Chapters 18.11 and 18.13, and both permit types expire after twelve months and must be renewed..

Also covered: Night Caps (restrictive), Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (moderate), Taxes & Fees (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Redding for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Pawnbrokers: Redding regulates pawnbrokers under its secondhand vendor licensing law. Anyone buying, selling, or taking property in pawn must get a Chief of Police-issued license, submit to fingerprinting, and file daily buy-form records with the Redding Police Department..

Also covered: Adult Entertainment (restrictive), Secondhand Dealers (restrictive), Auto Repair on Residential Property (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Redding for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Redding charges a 10 percent transient occupancy tax on rent paid by anyone staying 30 consecutive days or less in a hotel, campground, or recreational vehicle park. Operators collect the tax at the time rent is paid and remit it monthly to the city finance officer..

Animal Ordinances

Bird Protection: Within Redding's two designated wild bird sanctuaries, Turtle Bay and Turtle Bay East, it is unlawful at any time to hunt, trap, kill, or destroy any bird or to molest or damage a nest or eggs, under Chapter 7.24, though the city council can order pest-bird control when a species becomes a nuisance..

Also covered: Pet Limits (moderate), Pet Groomer Rules (moderate), Exotic Pets (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Redding for details.

Special Events & Permits

Sidewalk Dining & Cafés: A Redding restaurant can only put tables on a public sidewalk with a license agreement from the director of development services under Chapter 13.25, and that license is limited to the downtown central business district and to the operator of the abutting business..

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

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

No-Knock Registry: Redding gives residents an enforceable way to stop door-to-door solicitors: post a visible 'No Soliciting' or 'No Peddling' sign under RMC § 6.22.030 and it is unlawful for any peddler, salesperson or even charity fundraiser to knock anyway. Every peddler must also carry a city clerk-issued registration card and photo ID under § 6.22.010, and the Redding Police Department enforces both rules..

Also covered: Solicitor Permits (permissive). See the full soliciting & door-to-door guide for Redding for details.

Noise Ordinances

Leaf Blower Rules: RMC 18.40.100(F)(3) restricts domestic power tools - including leaf blowers and lawn and garden equipment - across residential or commercial property lines. Use is prohibited 10:00 p.m.

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

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Redding Municipal Code Section 10.50.020 bars anyone under eighteen from loitering on streets, parks, or other public places between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.

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

Public Conduct

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions: Redding Municipal Code § 10.20.080 bans smoking any substance, tobacco, marijuana or vapor, in or upon any city park facility, and separately makes it an infraction to leave smoking material on park grounds or refuse to put it out when a city official or officer asks..

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

Building Safety

Childcare Center Rules: Redding requires daycare centers for fifteen or more children in RE and RS districts to sit on at least 20,000 square feet with 80 feet of frontage, cap buildings at 22 feet and one story, and limit normal hours to 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. weekdays under Section 18.43.070..

Also covered: Fire Sprinkler Requirements (moderate), Building Permits (moderate), Green Building Code (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Redding for details.

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Redding makes it unlawful to store or keep solid waste anywhere rats can reach or feed on it, treating every day the condition continues as a separate violation. The rule sits in the city's solid waste chapter and backs up the container and accumulation standards enforced against property owners and haulers alike..

Trash & Recycling

Recycling Requirements: Redding operates a single-stream blue cart for recycling under Redding Municipal Code Chapter 9.28 (Solid Waste and Recycling), administered by the City of Redding Solid Waste Utility. California AB 341 (Public Resources Code §42649+) requires businesses generating 4+ cubic yards/week to recycle; AB 1826 (PRC §42649.81+) extends the rule to commercial organics; SB 1383 (PRC §42652+) is the comprehensive residential and business organics mandate, with Redding resident enforcement that began in January 2024..

Also covered: Illegal Dumping (moderate), Bin Placement Rules (moderate), Bulk Item Disposal (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Redding for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Redding has not opted out of commercial cannabis: retail sales are legal citywide under a city license, but Municipal Code Section 6.12.390 caps the number of licensed cannabis retailers at ten, and lets the city manager authorize fewer if needed to protect public health and safety. Unlicensed retail cannabis sales remain a public nuisance under Section 6.12.380..

Also covered: Buffer Zones (restrictive). See the full cannabis regulations guide for Redding for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Redding taxes businesses under Municipal Code Chapter 6.04, which sets a separate license fee for each named profession, trade, occupation, or business type instead of one flat citywide rate. Professionals, contractors, manufacturers, and retailers each pay under their own fee formula, and any business type not specifically listed defaults to the catchall retail and wholesale rate in Section 6.04.160..

Tobacco & Vaping

Flavored Tobacco Bans: Redding bans the retail sale of all flavored tobacco products citywide under Municipal Code Section 6.13.040(J), adopted in August 2025. Any tobacco product marketed with language suggesting a taste, odor, or cooling sensation other than tobacco itself is presumed flavored, and selling it puts a retailer's city tobacco license at risk..

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Redding prohibits both traditional billboards and electronic message board signs outright. Under Section 18.42.080(B) and (D), freestanding off-site billboards and any sign that changes its message electronically are barred citywide, with only a narrow exception for monument or wall-mounted message boards inside the Public Facilities zoning district..

Also covered: Freeway-Facing Signs (restrictive), Window Signs (moderate), Political Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Redding for details.

Outdoor Lighting

Dark Sky Rules: Redding requires all exterior lighting on new commercial, office and industrial development to be shielded so the bulb or tube itself is never visible from an adjacent property or the public right-of-way. Parking-lot and building lighting must be fully shielded and directed downward, and floodlighting is discouraged unless shielded against light trespass.

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

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Redding bans anyone from placing, using or maintaining barbed wire on a fence that fronts a public lane, alley, avenue, street, highway, sidewalk, crosswalk, park or place, under Redding Municipal Code § 13.12.030, regardless of the property's zoning district..

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

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Redding allows residents to hold garage or yard sales without any permit, but caps them at three sales per twelve-month period, each lasting no more than three consecutive days, under Redding Municipal Code Section 18.17.020(D). A fourth sale within that rolling year is barred outright in every residential zoning district..

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Redding runs historic preservation through the "Local Register of Qualified and Candidate Historic Properties" set up under Municipal Code Section 18.23.030, tied to the Mills Act tax-incentive program rather than a standalone landmark law. The planning commission adds properties to the register and certifies candidates as "qualified" so owners can apply for a Mills Act contract..

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Density Bonus Law: Redding grants density bonuses and zoning incentives to housing developments that set aside affordable units under Chapter 18.26, incorporating California Government Code Section 65915 by reference. A project reserving at least five percent very-low-income or ten percent low-income units qualifies for extra density plus at least one additional incentive by right..

Home Business

Signage Rules: Redding bans on-site advertising for any home occupation. Municipal Code Section 18.43.110(A)(13) allows only one narrow exception: a commercial vehicle already permitted at the residence may carry signage naming the business, but that sign cannot show the business address, and no other sign, banner, or advertising display is allowed anywhere on the property..

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

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: Redding requires a written permit before anyone plants, removes, or alters a tree in a street planting strip or public area. The parks foreman administers a council-approved comprehensive tree plan governing which species go where, and violations are a misdemeanor..

Also covered: Protected Tree Species (restrictive), Heritage & Protected Trees (moderate). See the full tree protection guide for Redding for details.

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: Redding requires a tree removal permit before anyone kills, destroys, or removes a tree over six inches in trunk diameter, developed lot or vacant land, under Municipal Code Section 18.45.030. Skipping the permit exposes the owner to a fine of up to two thousand dollars per tree under Section 18.45.100, plus mandatory replacement planting..

Also covered: Tree Trimming (permissive), Water Restrictions (moderate), Weed Ordinances (limited). See the full landscaping rules guide for Redding for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Redding pool owners must comply with a stack of safety rules: (1) California Electrical Code §680.9 - overhead conductors must clear the pool by 22.5 feet (10 feet for phone/cable); (2) the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (15 U.S.C. §8003) anti-entrapment drain covers; (3) Title 24 Part 6 energy rules for pool heaters; (4) indirect-type pool water discharge to a dry well or subsoil irrigation (no neighbor encroachment); and (5) a GFCI 125V outlet between 6 and 20 feet from the pool wall..

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

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Sit-Lie Rules: Redding bans sitting on a commercial sidewalk, or on anything set on one, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Also covered: Encampment Sanitation (restrictive). See the full homelessness & encampment rules guide for Redding for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Food Truck Permits: Food trucks in Redding need a Mobile Food Facility (MFF) permit from Shasta County Environmental Health under the California Retail Food Code (CalCode, Health & Safety Code §113700 et seq.), a Redding Business License under RMC Chapter 6.02, a California seller's permit, and zoning compliance for each operating location. Sidewalk food vending is protected statewide by SB 946 (the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act) at Government Code §51036 et seq..

Also covered: Vending Zones (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Redding for details.

Rental Property Rules

Rental Registration: Landlords who rent out more than two residential units in Redding must hold a business license and pay an annual per-unit fee under Municipal Code Section 6.04.150. Owners of two or fewer rental units are exempt, while commercial landlords pay a separate fee scaled to the square footage of leased nonresidential space..

Also covered: Rent Control (moderate), Security Deposit Rules (moderate), Just Cause Eviction (permissive). See the full rental property rules guide for Redding for details.

Solar Energy

Panel Permits: Redding administratively approves a permit for a small residential rooftop solar system, capped at ten kilowatts AC or thirty kilowatts thermal on a single or duplex home, once the building official confirms the application meets the city's published checklist. A separate approval from Redding Electric Utility is required before connecting to the grid..

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

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Redding bans placing any obstruction on a public sidewalk, parkway, street or pedestrian mall unless the city has issued an encroachment permit. Potted plants, clocks, drinking fountains and similar private fixtures need a written permit from the director of transportation and engineering before they go on a public sidewalk..

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

Gambling & Gaming

Card Room Licensing: Redding allows card rooms only under a city council-issued license and caps how many gambling tables can run in town. Municipal Code Section 6.14.029 limits the city to twenty-five gambling tables citywide, with no single card room permitted more than twenty, and Section 6.14.030 makes operating a card room without a license unlawful..

What to Do With This Information

If you are moving to Redding, buying a home, or starting a project, use this as a starting point. Each category links to detailed pages with the full text, penalties, and FAQs. Verify anything time-sensitive with Redding's city hall or code enforcement office.