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

Rialto is a mid-sized city in San Bernardino County, California, with about 104000 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 136 ordinances across 42 categories that affect daily life in Rialto.

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Rialto designates local landmarks and historic districts under Municipal Code Section 2.20.060. The historic preservation commission applies ten possible findings covering architectural, cultural or historical significance, and the city council makes the final designation by resolution after public hearings..

Drone Rules

Park Drone Restrictions: Rialto bans flying any motor driven model aircraft, including drones, helicopters and rockets, in city parks under Municipal Code Section 2.45.050(C). The code carves out no exception or permit path for recreational or hobby flying within park boundaries..

Also covered: Recreational Drones (restrictive). See the full drone rules guide for Rialto for details.

Public Conduct

Outdoor Smoking Restrictions: Smoking is not permitted anywhere on Rialto city property under Municipal Code Section 2.45.050(O), which names buildings, parks and parking lots outright. The rule is paired with an identical outright ban on alcoholic beverages in the same subsection..

Also covered: Skateboarding Rules (restrictive), Jaywalking (moderate), Loitering Rules (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Rialto for details.

Curfew Laws

Juvenile Curfew: Rialto Municipal Code 9.76.020 makes it an offense for anyone under 18 to remain in a public place or business during curfew hours: 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

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

Parking Rules

Driveway Rules: On Rialto residential property, vehicles must be kept on the driveway or in the garage. Parking on front lawns, landscaped areas or any non-paved surface is prohibited (RMC 10.28.292), as is parking on vacant or undeveloped land (RMC 18.58.020)..

Also covered: Curb Color Rules (moderate), Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (limited), Overnight Parking (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Rialto for details.

Animal Ordinances

Microchipping: Rialto has no citywide microchip mandate for ordinary pets, but any dog formally declared "potentially dangerous" by the city's animal control board must carry a nationally recognized microchip registration certificate in its file, along with a current photo, proof of insurance or a surety bond, and a distinct second tag at all times..

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

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Dumping waste matter on any public or private road, right-of-way, park or private property without consent is unlawful citywide under RMC § 8.30.020(A). Fines escalate from $100-$1,000 on a first offense up to $750-$1,000 on a third, doubled to as much as $1,000 if the waste is used tires.

Also covered: Bin Placement Rules (moderate), Dumpster Rules (moderate), Yard Waste Collection (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Rialto for details.

Building Safety

Door Locking Hardware: Rialto's Public Safety Building Code requires every entry door on apartments, condos, duplexes and single-family homes to be solid-core with a single-cylinder deadbolt: a one-inch throw, a pry-resistant cylinder guard, and a five-pin tumbler. Strike plates must be 16-gauge steel, bronze or brass, screwed two inches into the jamb, and exterior hinges need non-removable pins..

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

Rental Inspections

Inspection Programs: Rialto requires every rental dwelling unit, motel, hotel and lodging house to hold a valid biennial inspection certificate. Owners of buildings with two or more rental units must register with code enforcement and pass a city inspection before renting, with certificates renewed every two years..

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

Property Maintenance

Vacant Lot Maintenance: Rialto requires vacant and abandoned properties, most often bank-owned homes in foreclosure, to be registered with the city and kept free of graffiti, weeds, dead vegetation, trash, junk and abandoned furniture or vehicles under Section 15.62.050. Front and side yards must stay landscaped to the neighborhood standard, and any pool or spa must be drained or secured behind a locked six-foot fence..

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

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: Rialto's public services director keeps a citywide street tree plan setting the approved species, spacing and planting procedure for every parkway and public tree well. RMC 11.08.030 bars anyone from planting a tree in the public right-of-way that doesn't match the type, variety, location and spacing the director designated for that street..

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Downtown Design Guide: The Downtown Revitalization Overlay Zone under Chapter 18.49 requires community development director approval of a precise plan of design before any exterior demolition, alteration, or removal of a structure along the designated stretch of Riverside Avenue. Section 18.49.030 also sets a duty to maintain buildings in good repair and waives standard building setbacks to preserve the district's tight street wall..

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

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Rialto prohibits flashing signs citywide, defined as any sign illuminated by lights that are intermittently on and off, that change intensity, or that create the illusion of motion, with the sole exception of time-and-temperature displays..

Also covered: Window Signs (moderate), Garage Sale Signs (moderate), Freeway-Facing Signs (moderate). See the full sign regulations guide for Rialto for details.

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Anyone who wants to excavate, build, or otherwise encroach on a Rialto street or sidewalk right-of-way needs a written encroachment permit from the city engineer first, per RMC 11.04.070. Permits require bonding and liability insurance, and contractors must follow the city's street work zone safety rules adopted under Resolution No.

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

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Rialto prohibits every form of commercial marijuana activity, medical or recreational, in every zone in the city, and will not issue a permit, license or entitlement for cultivation, manufacturing, testing, distribution or retail sales..

Outdoor Lighting

Light Trespass & Shielding: Rialto's design guidelines cap exterior lighting at one-half footcandle at any residential property line and one footcandle at any nonresidential property line, and require fixtures to be shielded and coordinated to avoid spillover glare onto neighboring parcels..

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Rialto requires every sidewalk food vendor to carry a sidewalk vending permit under RMC Chapter 5.28, a business license under Chapter 5.04, a CDTFA seller's permit, and a San Bernardino County Health Department permit, all displayed while operating. RMC Section 11.20.020 bans vending in residential zones between 7:00 p.m.

Solar Energy

Expedited Solar Permitting: Rialto must approve small residential rooftop solar systems administratively and without discretion under Chapter 15.05 of the Municipal Code, adopted to comply with the state's Solar Rights Act and AB 2188. The building official reviews applications against a published checklist, can require only one inspection, and may only impose a discretionary use permit with documented evidence of a specific, adverse public health or safety impact..

Also covered: Panel Permits (moderate). See the full solar energy guide for Rialto for details.

Public Health Rules

Restaurant Grade Cards: Rialto adopts San Bernardino County's food inspection grading program citywide. Every retail food establishment must post its county-issued letter grade card in a prominent, publicly visible spot, and removing or hiding it is a misdemeanor violation of the city code..

Business Licensing & Operations

Pawnbrokers: Every pawnbroker doing business in Rialto needs a permit from the police chief, on display at the shop and separate from the regular city business license. RMC Sec.

Also covered: Tattoo & Body Modification (restrictive), Adult Entertainment (restrictive), Towing Companies (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Rialto for details.

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Rialto bases its annual business license tax on gross receipts, employee count, machine count, or another metric tied to the business category. RMC Sec.

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Setback Rules: In Rialto's R-1 single-family zone, Municipal Code Section 18.10.030 sets a 25-foot minimum front yard, interior side yards of at least 10 percent of lot width (three to five feet), corner side yards of 20 percent of lot width (ten to fifteen feet), and a 20-foot minimum rear yard. Corner-lot garages need an extra setback..

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

Landscaping Rules

Water Restrictions: Rialto Municipal Code Chapter 12.20 sets four escalating water-conservation stages. Stage 1 permanently bans runoff, washing pavement, and non-recirculating fountains; the Stage 2 Water Alert adopted in 2016 limits sprinkler irrigation to four days per week, ten minutes per station..

Also covered: Composting (permissive), Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (limited), Weed Ordinances (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Rialto for details.

Accessory Structures

Garage Conversions: Rialto ministerially approves conversion of an existing, legally permitted garage into an ADU with no new setbacks and no replacement parking, but the garage door must be replaced with windows or doors matching the home. Unpermitted units built before 2020 can be legalized under AB 2533..

Also covered: ADU Owner Occupancy (permissive), ADU Rules (permissive), Shed & Carport Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Rialto for details.

Outdoor Cooking

Smoker Rules: Backyard smokers, grills and barbecue pits in Rialto have to meet the same fire-chief compliance standards as incinerators under RMC §§ 9.20.070-9.20.140. Every incinerator and permanent outside grill needs an approved spark arrestor, per § 9.20.100, and grills or barbecue pits can't be used to burn combustible waste materials, per § 9.20.090..

Noise from Specific Sources

HVAC & Mechanical Noise: Rialto Municipal Code Sec. 18.61.160(G) bars mechanical and HVAC equipment from sitting at ground level along any building wall that faces a public street, unless the building's design leaves no other option.

Also covered: Delivery Truck Noise (moderate), Car Alarm Limits (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Rialto for details.

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Rialto is one of the few San Bernardino County cities that allows state-approved safe and sane fireworks. Municipal Code section 5.20.010 limits sale and discharge to the window from noon June 28 through midnight July 6, and all dangerous fireworks are banned..

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

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Rialto Municipal Code 9.38.020 makes it unlawful to camp, occupy camping facilities, or use camping paraphernalia on any private property, city park, or other public property. Violators face a misdemeanor and are civilly liable for encampment cleanup costs..

Code Violation Reporting

Common Violations: Rialto declares a lengthy list of everyday property conditions to be public nuisances: overgrown lawns past six inches, peeling paint visible from the street, uncontained trash, graffiti left over a week, and clotheslines in front yards among them. Any owner, tenant or occupant is liable..

Short-Term Rentals

Taxes & Fees: Rialto charges a 9 percent transient occupancy tax on any stay of 30 consecutive days or less, including short-term rentals booked through a hotel, motel or similar structure. Operators collect it from guests and remit it quarterly to the city's tax administrator..

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

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Barbed wire and razor wire are prohibited in all Rialto residential zones, and no sharp points may top any fence under six feet. City design standards also require decorative, durable materials and restrict undersized concrete block..

Also covered: Retaining Walls (moderate), Fence Permit Requirements (moderate), Neighbor Fence Rules (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Rialto for details.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Rialto bans all on-site display and advertising for home occupations except a single non-illuminated nameplate no larger than one square foot. Advertising that identifies the home's street address is also prohibited, except in telephone directories and on business cards..

Also covered: Cottage Food Operations (moderate), Home Daycare (moderate), Customer Traffic Restrictions (moderate). See the full home business guide for Rialto for details.

Noise Ordinances

Barking Dogs: Rialto prohibits noisy animals: city guidance states animals cannot disturb the peace and quiet of neighbors, and noisy fowl such as roosters are banned outright. Animal noise complaints are handled under Title 6 of the municipal code, not the general noise ordinance..

Also covered: Decibel Limits (moderate), Vehicle Noise (moderate), Quiet Hours (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Rialto for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: Building a pool or spa in Rialto requires a building permit through the city's Online Permit Center, with plans that show compliance with the pool fencing chapter, and the pool cannot be filled until fences and gates pass inspection. State law adds that any new or remodeled residential pool must include at least two of seven drowning prevention safety features verified at final inspection..

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

Environmental Rules

Stormwater Management: Rialto's storm sewer ordinance bans discharging anything but rainwater into the city's storm drains, gutters and channels. Chapter 12.60 implements the city's NPDES permit under the Clean Water Act, prohibiting pollutants like motor oil, wash water, pool backwash, restaurant grease and construction debris from entering the municipal separate storm sewer system, with the public works director empowered to issue civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation per day..

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

Water Use Rules

Recycled Water Rules: Rialto Utility Authority delivers recycled water under RMC 12.32.070 to customers inside its retail service boundaries, and the city can extend service to other agencies or private retailers whose territory sits outside that boundary. Customers must be ready to accept delivery either through a direct city connection or via a retail agency's own distribution system..

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Noise Limits: Rialto's noise ordinance, Municipal Code Chapter 9.50, sets no decibel limits. It bans plainly audible and unreasonably loud noise, and Section 9.50.060(O) exempts sounds in industrial zones incidental to permitted uses.

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

Special Events & Permits

Park Event Permits: Exclusive use of a Rialto park or recreation facility, whether for a picnic shelter, ballfield, or building, requires advance approval from the Recreation and Community Services Department or, in some cases, the city council, plus payment of council-set fees before the reservation is valid..

Rental Property Rules

Rent Control: Rialto regulates rent only in mobile home parks. Under RMC Chapter 4.01, a park owner cannot charge more than the space rent in effect when the ordinance took effect, and no increase is valid until the resident and owner agree, mediation ends, or the Mobile Home Rent Review Commission issues a final decision after a hearing.

Also covered: Rental Registration (restrictive), Repairs & Habitability (restrictive), Rent Increase Notice (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Rialto for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Rialto charges a 9 percent transient occupancy tax on room rent at any hotel, motel, or similar lodging for stays of 30 consecutive days or less. Operators collect the tax from guests and remit it to the city's tax administrator on a quarterly schedule..

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Rialto caps garage sales at four per calendar year for any person or address, each lasting no more than three consecutive days. Sales are further restricted to one specific weekend per quarter, and a permit from the city's chief licensing officer is required before any sale begins..

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Anyone who peddles goods or solicits orders door-to-door in Rialto needs a permit before starting, issued by the director of administrative and community services under RMC Sec. 5.28.020.

What to Do With This Information

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