What Santa Clara Regulates: A Complete Ordinance Overview

Santa Clara is a mid-sized city in Santa Clara County, California, with about 128000 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 167 ordinances across 44 categories that affect daily life in Santa Clara.

Rental Property Rules

Just Cause Eviction: Santa Clara does not have a local just cause eviction ordinance, but state AB 1482 (Civil Code 1946.2) applies to most rentals over 15 years old and requires just cause for eviction after 12 months of tenancy..

Also covered: Rent Control (moderate), Rental Registration (permissive), Repairs & Habitability (moderate). See the full rental property rules guide for Santa Clara for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Repeat Violator Strikes: A Santa Clara property loses its shot at short-term rental registration for a full year after trouble: Section 18.60.250 requires the City to deny registration if the property carries an active compliance order, a pending citation, or a denied or revoked short-term rental application from the preceding 12 months. Fraud or misrepresentation in the application can get an existing registration revoked outright..

Also covered: Occupancy Limits (moderate), Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (moderate), Taxes & Fees (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Santa Clara for details.

HOA Rules

Dispute Resolution: Santa Clara HOAs must offer Internal Dispute Resolution (Civil Code 5910) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (Civil Code 5925) before most lawsuits between an association and a member can proceed..

Also covered: Assessment & Dues (permissive), Board Procedures (permissive), Architectural Review (moderate). See the full hoa rules guide for Santa Clara for details.

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Santa Clara's Title 18 Zoning Code bans barbed wire, razor wire, and electrified fencing on every parcel in the city under § 18.34.060(D), along with grease coatings and broken glass or other sharp materials worked into a fence or wall. The only exception is an approved monitored perimeter security fence system under § 18.34.060(E), and even that option is limited to Light and Heavy Industrial zoned property..

Also covered: Neighbor Fence Rules (permissive), Retaining Walls (moderate), Height Limits (moderate). See the full fence regulations guide for Santa Clara for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Fencing & Safety Requirements: Santa Clara pool owners must comply with anti-entrapment drain covers under the federal VGB Act, approved safety features, proper electrical bonding, and chemical storage rules to prevent drownings and injuries..

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

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: Santa Clara requires a City permit before removing any protected tree, including heritage trees, listed native species twelve inches or wider, and any private tree with a thirty-eight-inch or wider trunk, under City Code Section 12.35.080. Violations can draw a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per tree plus the tree's assessed monetary value..

Also covered: Native Plants (moderate), Rainwater Harvesting (moderate), Artificial Turf (permissive). See the full landscaping rules guide for Santa Clara for details.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending: Sidewalk vendors selling food or merchandise near Levi's Stadium must hold a police-issued sidewalk vending permit at all times, not just on event days, under SCCC § 5.05.420. On event days, vending is barred entirely on the enumerated stadium-area streets and trails during street or trail closure hours, and every vendor's setup is capped at a 10-by-10-foot footprint..

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

Sign Regulations

Freeway-Facing Signs: Freeway- and expressway-oriented signs in Santa Clara must sit on the same parcel as the business they advertise, stay under 30 feet tall and 200 square feet, and sit within 500 feet of a freeway right-of-way under Title 18 Zoning Code Section 18.42.120(F). Every one needs a Conditional Use Permit, and external illumination is flatly prohibited..

Also covered: Political Signs (moderate), Window Signs (moderate), Holiday Displays (permissive). See the full sign regulations guide for Santa Clara for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Santa Clara makes it unlawful to dispose of refuse on City-controlled disposal land outside the terms of Chapter 8.25 under City Code Section 8.25.330, and any Chapter 8.25 violation defaults to the citywide penalty scheme: up to $1,000 and six months in jail for a misdemeanor..

Also covered: Recycling Requirements (moderate), Mandatory Organics Recycling (restrictive), Pickup Rules & Schedules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Santa Clara for details.

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Santa Clara bans possession, sale, handling and use of all fireworks, including state-classified Safe and Sane fireworks, allowing only permitted public displays and licensed pyrotechnic productions under the Municipal Fire and Environmental Code..

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

Solar Energy

Expedited Solar Permitting: Santa Clara runs a checklist-based expedited review for small residential rooftop solar systems up to 10 kW AC, letting applicants self-verify structural and electrical readiness and get through in one consolidated inspection..

Also covered: HOA Restrictions (permissive). See the full solar energy guide for Santa Clara for details.

Noise Ordinances

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound: Santa Clara City Code § 9.05.060 makes it unlawful to run any outdoor sound system or project amplified music, including a live band, for more than five minutes in any single day without a valid amplified sound permit. The same five-minute cap and permit rule covers non-music amplified sound projected outdoors or from a vehicle..

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

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Door-to-door solicitors and peddlers in Santa Clara must register with the city and carry a valid solicitor identification card. Hours are limited, and residents can opt out with No Solicitation signs..

Also covered: No-Knock Registry (restrictive). See the full soliciting & door-to-door guide for Santa Clara for details.

Parking Rules

Abandoned Vehicles: Santa Clara treats an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle sitting on private or public property (not a highway) for more than three days as a public nuisance under Chapter 10.10 of the City Code. The City Manager can enter the property, order removal, and, after a ten-day notice and hearing process, tow the vehicle at the owner's expense; refusing to remove it is a misdemeanor..

Also covered: EV Charging (moderate), Overnight Parking (moderate), Commercial & Oversized Vehicles (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Santa Clara for details.

Home Business

Signage Rules: A home occupation in Santa Clara gets no dedicated business sign at all: Table 4-1 under Zoning Code Section 18.60.120 states no signs are allowed except whatever a dwelling unit could display anyway under Chapter 18.42 (Sign Standards). That leaves only exempt residential signage, since the residential sign table sets no permit category for home-business advertising..

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

Animal Ordinances

Exotic Pets: Santa Clara prohibits exotic and wild animals as pets under California Fish and Game Code Section 2116-2126 and City Code Chapter 6.10; violations carry fines up to 1,000 dollars..

Also covered: Breed Restrictions (limited), Pet Store Rules (moderate), Chickens & Livestock (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Santa Clara for details.

Accessory Structures

Shed & Carport Rules: Santa Clara caps detached sheds and other residential accessory structures at 16 feet tall and 600 square feet under Title 18 Zoning Code Chapter 18.32. Sheds over 120 square feet or 16 feet tall need an Architectural Review Check, and all sheds must clear a 3-foot side and 5-foot rear setback..

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

Cannabis Regulations

Home Cultivation: Santa Clara adults 21+ may cultivate up to 6 cannabis plants per residence under California Proposition 64. Outdoor cultivation is prohibited - plants must be grown indoors in a locked, secure area..

Property Maintenance

Snow & Sidewalk Clearing: Snow is essentially nonexistent in Santa Clara. Property owners are responsible for keeping sidewalks adjacent to their property clear of debris, vegetation overgrowth, and trip hazards year-round..

Also covered: Property Blight (moderate), Vacant Lot Maintenance (moderate). See the full property maintenance guide for Santa Clara for details.

Environmental Rules

Flood Elevation Requirements: Santa Clara adopts CCR Title 24, Part 2, Appendix G for flood-resistant construction in flood hazard areas and lets detached garages sit below the base flood elevation only if they are one story, no larger than 600 square feet, anchored against flotation, and built with flood damage-resistant materials below the BFE..

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

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: In Santa Clara, you cannot plant a tree in the park strip (the parkway between the sidewalk and the street) yourself; the City controls all street tree planting under SCCC § 12.35.050. You may plant shrubs and ground cover in the strip without a permit if you maintain them, but trees are off-limits to residents there..

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

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Santa Clara flatly bans vehicle repair as a home occupation. Title 18 Section 18.60.120 lists vehicle storage, cleaning, dismantling, installation, manufacture, repair, and service among the uses that can never qualify for a home-business Zoning Clearance, no matter how small the operation or how it's advertised..

Also covered: Massage Establishments (restrictive), Secondhand Dealers (restrictive), Pawnbrokers (restrictive). See the full business licensing & operations guide for Santa Clara for details.

Special Events & Permits

Park Event Permits: Santa Clara requires a park use permit for any assembly of more than 50 people that lasts, or is expected to last, longer than 30 minutes in a City park. Applications go to the Director of Parks and Recreation at least ten business days before the event..

Also covered: Street Fair Rules (moderate), Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (moderate), Parade Permits (restrictive). See the full special events & permits guide for Santa Clara for details.

Gambling & Gaming

Card Room Licensing: Card rooms are banned in Santa Clara. City Code Chapter 5.70 (Card Rooms) exists in name only: a reviser's note explains the prohibition was reaffirmed by an advisory referendum on November 3, 1992, when voters directed the City Council to repeal a pending ordinance that would have permitted card rooms.

Public Conduct

Aggressive Panhandling: Santa Clara bans soliciting money, employment or business from vehicle occupants in any public street, sidewalk, driveway or right-of-way, and bans the same solicitation aimed at people getting into or out of vehicles in a posted commercial parking lot, under SCCC §§ 5.05.210 and 5.05.220. The ordinance targets curbside and median panhandling and solicitation, not sales from a fixed storefront..

Also covered: Public Marijuana Use (moderate), Outdoor Smoking Restrictions (moderate), Loud Party Ordinance (restrictive). See the full public conduct guide for Santa Clara for details.

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Santa Clara taxes hotel and short-term lodging stays at 13.5% of the rent charged, effective January 1, 2025, under Chapter 3.25 of the City Code. "Hotel" is defined broadly to cover motels, apartment houses, dormitories, mobile homes and house trailers rented for lodging, so short-term rental stays under 30 days fall under the same tax as traditional hotels..

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Every person doing business in Santa Clara pays an annual business tax based on employee count: $45 per employee since July 1, 2023, capped at $350,000 a year, under SCCC § 3.40.360. Businesses without a fixed location that send workers into the city for six or more days a year are taxed on a separate percentage schedule tied to how many days they operate in town..

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Santa Clara Code Chapter 12.50 makes it unlawful to camp or lodge, including sleeping in a parked vehicle, on any public street, publicly owned property, public park, parking lot, vacant lot, drainage culvert, or other place readily open to the public. SCCC § 12.50.010(a) bans the conduct citywide except in a licensed public campground, and the City enforces it as a criminal, civil, or administrative matter..

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

Public Health Rules

Rodent Control: Santa Clara's General Code declares it a public nuisance, and unlawful, for any property owner to let real property become infested with rodents, animal pests, bugs, beetles or insects to the point of endangering nearby dwellings, under Municipal Code § 6.20.020. The Building Official and Health Officer can order the condition abated, and unpaid abatement costs become a lien against the property..

Filming & Production

Location Permits: Santa Clara requires a City-issued permit before anyone, including students, films on public or private property, a facility, or a residence within city limits. SCCC § 12.60.030(a) puts the City Manager's office in charge of issuing permits, and § 12.60.050(b) requires applicants to disclose the filming location, dates, crew size, equipment, and any use of animals or pyrotechnics..

Also covered: Street Closures (moderate), Student Filming (moderate). See the full filming & production guide for Santa Clara for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Generator Noise: Santa Clara's fixed-source noise chapter, SCCC 9.10, exempts a generator's noise from its decibel limits only while the generator is performing emergency work under § 9.10.070(a). Run a generator for any other reason and it counts as a regular fixed noise source that must stay within the zoning district's Schedule A limit or face code enforcement..

Invasive Plant Rules

Prohibited Species: Santa Clara does not run a separate invasive-plant ordinance, but its tree protection code carves out eight species it labels "unsuitable species for single-family lots." SCCC § 12.35.090(c)(4)(F) lists Eucalyptus globulus, Liquidambar styraciflua, Pinus species, Ailanthus altissima, Liriodendron tulipifera, Ulmus pumila, Ceratonia siliqua, and palm trees as automatic grounds for the City to approve a protected-tree removal permit..

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Encroachment Permits: Anyone who wants to cut, open or excavate a Santa Clara street, curb, gutter, driveway, sidewalk or other public right-of-way, or install pipes, conduits or utility structures there, needs an encroachment permit from the City Engineer under Section 12.25.030. Applicants must show a valid business license, cover engineering, inspection and pavement fees, and may need a performance bond..

Also covered: Sidewalk Repair (moderate), Obstruction Rules (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Santa Clara for details.

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Density Bonus Law: Santa Clara grants density bonuses of up to 50% under Zoning Code Chapter 18.64 to housing developments that set aside affordable units, but only projects of five or more dwelling units qualify. The bonus scales with the share of low-, very low-, senior, or moderate-income units provided..

Also covered: Downtown Design Guide (moderate). See the full zoning overlays & bonuses guide for Santa Clara for details.

Drone Rules

Event Drone Restrictions: Santa Clara's Unmanned Aircraft Systems ordinance bars drone takeoffs and landings within a one-mile radius of any Major Event citywide for two hours before or after it happens, and within two miles of Levi's Stadium for three hours around any stadium event. City Code Chapter 8.60 defines a Major Event broadly and lets the Chief of Police issue an operating permit..

Also covered: Park Drone Restrictions (restrictive), Recreational Drones (moderate). See the full drone rules guide for Santa Clara for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

Shared E-Scooter Rules: No shared e-scooter or shared bike company can put a fleet on Santa Clara streets without a City permit: Chapter 10.35 of the City Code caps the citywide fleet at 3,000 devices and fines operators $100 to $500 per improperly parked device that blocks a sidewalk or accessibility feature. The City Manager can suspend or revoke a permit for repeated violations or for failing to retrieve impounded devices..

Also covered: Bike Lane Rules (moderate). See the full mobility & curb rules guide for Santa Clara for details.

Building Safety

Fire Sprinkler Requirements: Santa Clara requires an automatic residential fire sprinkler system in every new one- and two-family dwelling and accessory dwelling unit under SCCC § 15.17.030, replacing the state Residential Code's baseline. Existing homes must add sprinklers when additions push total floor area past 3,600 square feet, add more than 1,200 square feet, or when a new basement is added or expanded by more than half..

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

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Setback Rules: Santa Clara's Table 2-3 sets a 20-foot front setback in R1-6L and R1-8L, stepping down to 10 feet in R3 through R6, with a 5-foot interior side setback in R1-6L and 6-to-9 feet in R1-8L, plus separate second-story and rear-yard minimums..

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

Curfew Laws

Park Curfew: Santa Clara's public parks open daily at 6:00 a.m. and close one-half hour after sunset under City Code Section 12.05.060, extending to 10:00 p.m.

Water Use Rules

Recycled Water Rules: Santa Clara Municipal Code Chapter 13.15 bars potable water for landscape irrigation once recycled water reaches a site and meets applicable standards, and requires recycled water for other nonpotable uses when it's available, standards-compliant, and economically feasible. The Water and Sewer Utilities Director enforces the rule under the City's rules and regulations for water service and use..

Outdoor Lighting

Dark Sky Rules: Santa Clara's Zoning Code regulates outdoor lighting under Section 18.40.080 to preserve dark skies and keep glare off neighboring lots. Anyone pulling a building, electrical, or discretionary permit for new development must show the Review Authority the lighting design complies.

Also covered: Light Trespass & Shielding (moderate), Billboard Lighting (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Santa Clara for details.

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Santa Clara residents can hold garage and yard sales without a permit only twice a year, and each sale is capped at two consecutive days. City Zoning Code Section 18.122.040(C) exempts sales within that limit from the Temporary Use Permit process; go beyond it and the City treats the activity as a regulated temporary use..

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Santa Clara protects buildings, sites and districts through its Historic Resource Inventory (HRI) rather than a separate cultural monument list. Title 18 Zoning Code Chapter 18.130 sets three designation criteria, requires Council approval on a Historical and Landmarks Commission recommendation, and locks in a Significant Properties Alteration Permit before any major change..

Data Centers & Crypto Mining

Data Center Zoning & Siting: Santa Clara names "Data Centers" as a defined land use in its Zoning Code. They are allowed in the office and industrial zones - by right or Minor Use Permit in Light Industrial, and by Conditional Use Permit in office/R&D zones - under the use-specific standards of Section 18.60.090..

Also covered: Data Center Noise Limits (moderate). See the full data centers & crypto mining guide for Santa Clara for details.

What to Do With This Information

If you are moving to Santa Clara, 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 Santa Clara's city hall or code enforcement office.