A Resident's Guide to Vacaville's Local Ordinances

Vacaville is a mid-sized city in Solano County, California, with about 102000 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 145 ordinances across 40 categories that affect daily life in Vacaville.

Water Use Rules

Turf Replacement Rebates: Vacaville is phasing out potable-water irrigation of purely decorative "nonfunctional" turf on commercial, industrial, institutional and HOA common-area properties, forcing those parcels to convert to climate-appropriate landscaping by fixed 2027-2029 deadlines..

Also covered: Leak Reporting Duty (moderate), Recycled Water Rules (moderate). See the full water use rules guide for Vacaville for details.

Rental Property Rules

Just Cause Eviction: Vacaville has not adopted a local just-cause eviction ordinance. Eviction grounds at Vacaville addresses are governed by the California Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), codified at California Civil Code Section 1946.2.

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

Public Conduct

Public Marijuana Use: Vacaville Municipal Code Section 9.14.030(D) makes it unlawful to use, smoke, or otherwise engage in any cannabis activity on land the city owns or controls, including parks, sidewalks, and public rights-of-way. The rule sits inside the personal home cultivation chapter but reaches beyond growing plants: any cannabis activity on public land is banned outright, with no designated public-use area anywhere in the city..

Also covered: Loud Party Ordinance (restrictive), Public Alcohol Use (moderate), Loitering Rules (moderate). See the full public conduct guide for Vacaville for details.

Special Events & Permits

Parade Permits: Anyone holding a parade, public meeting or organized assembly on a Vacaville street, park or public ground needs a police-issued permit under Municipal Code Chapter 12.24. Applications go to the chief of police at least 24 hours ahead, and the chief must find the event will not disrupt traffic, emergency access or public safety before issuing it..

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

Animal Ordinances

Breed Restrictions: Vacaville has no breed-specific dog ordinance. California Food & Agricultural Code Section 31683 prohibits any local breed-discriminatory ordinance that declares a specific breed inherently dangerous or vicious.

Also covered: Chickens & Livestock (moderate), Dog Leash Laws (moderate), Mandatory Spay/Neuter (moderate). See the full animal ordinances guide for Vacaville for details.

Cannabis Regulations

Dispensary Zoning: Vacaville confines cannabis retail storefronts to the CG General Commercial district and restricts distribution, manufacturing, testing labs, and non-storefront microbusinesses to the BP Business Park and IP Industrial Park districts under Municipal Code Section 9.13.330..

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

Noise Ordinances

Vehicle Noise: Vacaville bars operating any motor vehicle, motorcycle or motor-driven cycle on private or public unimproved land within 2,000 feet of a dwelling, and elsewhere caps its noise at the California Vehicle Code limit for that vehicle type. The rule targets dirt bikes and off-road riding, not ordinary street traffic or car stereos..

Also covered: Barking Dogs (moderate), Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (moderate), Construction Hours (moderate). See the full noise ordinances guide for Vacaville for details.

Soliciting & Door-to-Door

Solicitor Permits: Vacaville Municipal Code Chapter 9.18 (Peddlers and Solicitors) makes it unlawful to act as a peddler within Vacaville without first obtaining a license issued under the chapter. Every peddler and solicitor must provide full name, business address, and telephone number, as well as the same information for any person, firm, or entity on whose behalf the solicitation is being made.

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

Fire Regulations

Fireworks: Vacaville bans possession, storage, sale, and use of all fireworks, including state-approved "safe and sane" fireworks, without an advance Fire Code Official permit, under Section 9.62.040; fines climb from $250 to $1,000 per occurrence and social hosts are strictly liable for guests' fireworks..

Also covered: Smoke Detectors (moderate), Propane Storage (moderate), Outdoor Burning (strict). See the full fire regulations guide for Vacaville for details.

Curfew Laws

Park Curfew: Vacaville parks close overnight: unauthorized entry or remaining in a city park or recreation area is unlawful from thirty minutes after sunset until thirty minutes after sunrise. The only way around the curfew is an extended-use permit issued in advance by the parks and recreation department..

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

Homelessness & Encampment Rules

Encampment Sanitation: Vacaville declares unauthorized camping on any public property, including streets, sidewalks and parks, a public nuisance under Municipal Code Chapter 12.32, and separately bans storing personal property like tents or bedding on public or private property without consent. A city-manager permit is the only lawful path to camp in connection with an approved special event..

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

Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules

Sidewalk Repair: Vacaville places the cost and duty of sidewalk repair squarely on the abutting property owner: Municipal Code Chapter 12.30 requires the owner to keep the sidewalk area safe, pay for repairs, and reimburse the city's inspection costs, with unpaid bills becoming a lien on the property..

Also covered: Encroachment Permits (moderate), Obstruction Rules (moderate). See the full sidewalk & pedestrian rules guide for Vacaville for details.

Parking Rules

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles: Vacaville Municipal Code Section 10.20.020(N) bars parking any commercial vehicle rated 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or more on a street within 600 feet of an occupied dwelling, unless the Police Department has issued a special temporary parking permit. The only built-in exception covers trucks actively making a delivery for permitted construction or remodeling work at a building on that street; violators can be towed at the owner's expense..

Also covered: RV & Boat Parking (moderate), Loading Zones (moderate), Curb Color Rules (moderate). See the full parking rules guide for Vacaville for details.

Short-Term Rentals

Taxes & Fees: Vacaville taxes short-term rentals under the same 8 percent transient occupancy tax that applies to hotels, but the city collects it through facilitators. Under Vacaville Municipal Code Section 3.16.080, the City has invoked the state's Short-Term Rental Facilitator Act of 2025, requiring platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo to register, report listing addresses, and remit tax directly to the Tax Administrator on behalf of hosts..

Also covered: Host Platform Liability (moderate), Occupancy Limits (moderate), Short-Term Rental Parking Rules (moderate). See the full short-term rentals guide for Vacaville for details.

Business Licensing & Operations

Auto Repair on Residential Property: Vacaville does not let residents run an auto repair shop out of their home. Automobile and vehicle sales and services are one of nine business types flatly prohibited as home occupations, and even where tools related to a permitted home occupation are kept on site, they cannot be used to perform services on the premises..

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

Hotels & Lodging

Transient Occupancy Tax: Vacaville charges an 8 percent transient occupancy tax on every hotel, motel, or other lodging stay of 30 days or less, collected by the operator and remitted to the city's Tax Administrator. Vacaville Municipal Code Section 3.16.020 sets the rate, and every operator must obtain a transient occupancy registration certificate within 30 days of opening..

Local Taxes & Fees

Business Tax Classification: Vacaville sorts business license taxes into classes under Vacaville Municipal Code Section 5.12.010: businesses in NAICS Sectors 52, 53, 54, 55, and 62 (finance, real estate, professional and technical services, and management) pay a $75 base plus per-employee tiers, while every other business pays a $50 base on a lower per-employee schedule..

Building Setbacks & Zoning

Structure Height Limits: Vacaville caps residential building height by zoning district, from 30 feet in the manufactured-housing-park district up to 45 feet in the higher-density RM through RHL districts, with height measured to the average roof elevation between eaves and ridge..

Also covered: Setback Rules (moderate), Lot Coverage Limits (moderate). See the full building setbacks & zoning guide for Vacaville for details.

Mobility & Curb Rules

Bike Lane Rules: Slower cyclists on a roadway with a marked bicycle lane must ride inside it, and may only leave when passing, turning left, or dodging debris or a hazard, then must signal before re-entering traffic. The rule implements California Vehicle Code § 21207 through Vacaville's own bicycle chapter..

Accessory Structures

ADU Rental Restrictions: Vacaville bars short-term rentals of accessory dwelling units outright: Section 14.09.270.040(F)(4) sets a 30-day minimum rental term for every ADU and JADU in the city, no matter when the unit was built. The same section blocks selling or conveying an ADU separately from the primary lot, except in narrow cases allowed by state law..

Also covered: ADU Impact Fees (moderate), Garage Conversions (moderate), ADU Rules (moderate). See the full accessory structures guide for Vacaville for details.

Sign Regulations

Digital Billboards: Digital billboards are allowed in Vacaville only along Interstate 80 and Interstate 505, in commercial and employment zones, and only under a City Council-approved development agreement plus a conditional use permit. VMC 14.09.260.100(B) caps each sign at 1,200 square feet and 25 feet tall, requires removing at least three existing static billboards for every new digital one, and limits brightness to 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light..

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

Right to Farm

Agricultural Zoning Protection: Vacaville protects farmland through two agricultural zoning districts, AG and AH, under Municipal Code Section 14.09.050. The purpose is to preserve agricultural land and shield prime farmland from encroaching urban development.

Home Business

Signage Rules: Home occupations in Vacaville cannot display any exterior sign or indication of the business. City code requires the residential appearance of the dwelling to be maintained, and no window sign, yard sign, or other exterior marker identifying a home-based business is permitted..

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

Building Safety

Fire Sprinkler Requirements: Vacaville amends the California Fire Code so any building taller than three stories or 35 feet, or with more than 5,000 square feet of total floor area, must be fully sprinklered throughout with an automatic fire sprinkler system, regardless of exceptions elsewhere in the code..

Also covered: Childcare Center Rules (moderate), Building Permits (moderate), Building Inspections (moderate). See the full building safety guide for Vacaville for details.

Trash & Recycling

Illegal Dumping: Vacaville Municipal Code § 8.08.030 bans throwing, depositing, or accumulating solid waste, construction debris, recyclables, organic waste, or hazardous waste on any public or private lot, street, alley, creek, or yard unless it is stored the way the solid-waste chapter allows. Any violation is automatically a declared public nuisance under Chapter 8.10..

Also covered: Yard Waste Collection (moderate), Bulk Item Disposal (limited), Dumpster Rules (moderate). See the full trash & recycling guide for Vacaville for details.

Noise from Specific Sources

Bar & Nightclub Noise: Vacaville has no nightlife-specific noise code; bars, nightclubs and lounges are folded into the citywide performance standard in VMC 14.09.240.140. A bar's noise is measured at the property line of the nearest affected use, and exceeding the nontransportation noise limits set for daytime and nighttime hours triggers abatement under Chapter 8.10, the same nuisance process used for any noise complaint..

Also covered: Generator Noise (moderate), HVAC & Mechanical Noise (moderate). See the full noise from specific sources guide for Vacaville for details.

Environmental Rules

Vehicle Idling Restrictions: Vacaville Municipal Code Section 10.20.020(Y) bars stopping, standing, or parking a commercial vehicle of 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or more within 500 feet of an occupied dwelling between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

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

Garage & Yard Sales

Frequency, Duration & Permits: Vacaville residents can hold a yard or garage sale without a use permit, but only up to two times a year and no more than three consecutive calendar days each time. The sale must be personal property conducted by a resident of the premises..

Invasive Plant Rules

Prohibited Species: Vacaville's water-efficient landscape ordinance discourages, but does not ban, invasive plant species in new or rehabilitated landscapes. City Code Section 14.27.030.060 flags species listed by the California Invasive Plant Council as unwanted in required landscape design plans..

HOA Rules

Architectural Review: Vacaville's water-efficient landscape code overrides HOA architectural review power on one specific point: a common interest development's design guidelines cannot prohibit, or effectively prohibit, homeowners from using low water use plants as a landscaping group..

Landscaping Rules

Tree Removal & Heritage Trees: Cutting down, removing, or destroying any tree six inches or more in diameter at breast height, on private or public property in Vacaville, requires a tree removal permit under VMC Section 14.09.250.060(B)-(C). The Director of Community Development issues the permit after a site visit weighing the tree's health, species, size, and visibility, and unauthorized removal is a misdemeanor..

Also covered: Rainwater Harvesting (limited), Artificial Turf (permissive), Water Restrictions (moderate). See the full landscaping rules guide for Vacaville for details.

Solar Energy

Expedited Solar Permitting: Vacaville must issue a nondiscretionary building permit for eligible small residential rooftop solar systems within one to three business days of a complete application, under City Code Section 15.20.250.102, and can require only one inspection..

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

Fence Regulations

Material Restrictions: Vacaville limits residential and commercial fence materials to masonry, brick, wrought iron, and wooden slats by right; anything else needs design review approval. Barbed wire, razor wire, ultra-barrier, and electrified fencing are flatly prohibited under Section 14.09.200.050(D) unless another law requires them or the City grants a narrow adjustment finding them necessary for security or animal control..

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

Outdoor Lighting

Billboard Lighting: Digital freeway billboards in Vacaville cannot shine brighter than 0.3 foot-candles above ambient light, measured with a foot-candle meter, under Municipal Code Section 14.09.260.100(B)(4)(c). Every application needs a photometric plan showing light spill 250 feet from the sign face, and automatic dimming circuitry must adjust brightness as daylight changes..

Also covered: Dark Sky Rules (moderate), Light Trespass & Shielding (moderate). See the full outdoor lighting guide for Vacaville for details.

Tree Protection

Parkway Planting: Every single-family lot in Vacaville with 40 feet or more of street frontage must plant a shade street tree under VMC Section 14.09.200.070(C)(2), sized at least a 15-gallon, 1.5-inch-caliper specimen. Placement is flexible: the tree can go in the parkway strip between curb and sidewalk, between sidewalk and property line, or in the front yard, but every location needs Director and City Engineer sign-off plus root barriers near hardscape..

Also covered: Protected Tree Species (moderate). See the full tree protection guide for Vacaville for details.

Historic Preservation

Historic-Cultural Monuments: Vacaville's Historic Preservation (HP) Overlay District, Chapter 14.09.130, lets the City designate individual buildings or entire areas as historic based on architectural, cultural, or historical significance. Once designated, exterior alterations trigger design review, and demolishing a contributing or designated building requires a Planning Commission conditional use permit with specific findings..

Zoning Overlays & Bonuses

Density Bonus Law: Vacaville implements California's Density Bonus Law through Chapter 14.09.210: a housing development of five or more units earns a density bonus by setting aside as little as 5 percent of units for very-low-income households, 10 percent for low-income, or 10 percent for moderate-income (for-sale only), with the bonus scaling up under Section 14.09.210.030(B) as the affordable percentage rises..

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

Property Maintenance

Vacant Lot Maintenance: Vacaville treats an unmaintained vacant lot as a public nuisance under Municipal Code Section 8.10.060(E): weeds, accumulated debris, or unauthorized parking on an empty lot all qualify. A vacant building fares no better if it's unsecured, dilapidated, or an attractive nuisance, unless it's under an active repair or demolition permit with work actually continuing..

Also covered: Property Blight (moderate), Snow & Sidewalk Clearing (permissive). See the full property maintenance guide for Vacaville for details.

Swimming Pools & Spas

Pool Permits: Vacaville requires a building permit for any in-ground pool or spa, and for above-ground pools deeper than 18 inches or holding more than 5,000 gallons. Permits are issued by the Vacaville Building Division (650 Merchant Street) through the eTRAKiT online portal and include structural, electrical, plumbing, and gas plan review and final inspection..

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

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors

Vending Zones: Vacaville introduced Chapter 5.40 (Sidewalk Vending) of the Vacaville Municipal Code on February 10, 2026, regulating stationary and roaming pedestrian-path vending consistent with California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946, codified at Cal. Gov't Code Section 51036 et seq.) and SB 972 (which amended Cal.

Also covered: Food Truck Permits (moderate). See the full food trucks & mobile vendors guide for Vacaville for details.

What to Do With This Information

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