Costa Mesa, CA

Costa Mesa caps most households at five animals over four months old on one property. Section 3-14 of the Municipal Code makes it unlawful to keep, possess or harbor more without a…

Costa Mesa requires every dog on a street, alley, park or other public place to be on a leash or chain no longer than six feet, held by the person in charge of it. Section 3-112 lets…

Costa Mesa bans keeping any hive or swarm of bees without first getting a residential beekeeping permit from the police department. Hives must sit at least 15 feet from property lines…

Costa Mesa follows California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations prohibiting most exotic animals as pets. Ferrets, hedgehogs, and certain reptiles are restricted or banned…

Costa Mesa doesn't ban any dog breed by name; instead Chapter VII of Title 3 judges animals by behavior, defining "potentially dangerous" and "vicious" animals based on threatening…

Costa Mesa prohibits or discourages feeding wildlife including coyotes, feral cats, and pigeons in public areas. Residents must secure trash to prevent wildlife encounters. The city…

Costa Mesa bans keeping livestock, including poultry, anywhere in the city unless the owner first applies to the police chief for a special animal permit and it is granted. The…

In unincorporated Orange County, cat owners can voluntarily license their cats with proof of rabies vaccination, but licensing isn't mandatory unless the household keeps four or more…

OC Animal Care won't sell or give away an unredeemed female dog unless she's already neutered or the adopter pays a neutering deposit: there's no general spay/neuter mandate for pet…

At John Wayne Airport, Orange County's Rules of Conduct bar anyone from hunting, pursuing, trapping, catching, injuring or killing any bird or animal on Airport property without the…

Anyone running a grooming parlor in unincorporated Orange County must get a permit from the County Health Officer before opening, whether the operation is a fixed shop or a mobile unit.

Animal hospitals and clinics in unincorporated Orange County need a Site Development Permit and must keep treatment and confinement areas in an air-conditioned, sound-attenuated…

In unincorporated Orange County, pet shops must get a license from the County Health Officer before selling live animals commercially: operating without one is a misdemeanor under the…

Costa Mesa bars anyone but the city from painting a street or curb surface under Municipal Code Section 10-90. The transportation services manager alone assigns red, yellow and white…

Costa Mesa restricts commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross weight to designated truck routes and caps street parking at three hours under Municipal Code Section 10-185. Those…

Costa Mesa treats outdoor RV, boat and trailer storage in residential zones as unlawful by default under Municipal Code Section 20-8 and Table 20-8(c), unless the vehicle sits fully…

Costa Mesa bars sleeping in a parked motor vehicle anywhere in the city other than private residential property between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under Municipal Code Section 10-194, and…

Costa Mesa creates residential permit parking zones under Article 3 of Municipal Code Chapter X, where posted streets bar unpermitted vehicles and only residents of that zone, capped…

Costa Mesa marks commercial loading zones yellow and passenger loading zones white under Municipal Code Section 10-226, limiting yellow-curb stops to 20 minutes for materials or 3…

Costa Mesa bars parking or storing any vehicle or recreational vehicle on an unpaved surface anywhere on residential or nonresidential property. Table 20-8(c) only allows outdoor…

Costa Mesa defines abandoned vehicles as those left on public streets for more than 72 hours without being moved or those that are inoperable. The city proactively tags and removes…

Costa Mesa follows California's streamlined permitting for home EV charger installations under AB 1236. Level 1 and Level 2 chargers can be installed at residential properties with a…

Costa Mesa enforces street parking time limits and offers a Residential Permit Parking Program in designated neighborhoods. Oversized vehicles are not eligible for residential permits…

California doesn't ban private-property towing, but Vehicle Code Section 22658 controls how it happens. A posted sign at least 17 by 22 inches must warn drivers before a tow company…

Costa Mesa bans outdoor wood fires whenever sustained winds top 8 mph with humidity under 25%, during any posted red-flag warning, or once winds exceed 20 mph regardless of fuel type…

Wood-burning fire pits, fire rings and outdoor fireplaces at Costa Mesa homes must sit at least 25 feet from combustible structures unless built as an approved permanent fireplace…

Costa Mesa allows 'safe and sane' fireworks sales only by nonprofit youth organizations and schools holding a Section 9-180 permit from the director of finance, and only between June…

Costa Mesa enforces California's smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector requirements under CMMC building codes. Detectors are required in all sleeping areas, outside bedrooms, and on…

Costa Mesa adopts the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code in full, with no local amendments, under Municipal Code § 7-16. The city separately adopted Ordinance No. 2025-03 in…

Costa Mesa requires property owners to remove weeds, grass, and combustible vegetation capable of endangering property. The Costa Mesa Fire Department enforces vegetation management…

In unincorporated Orange County, propane and LP-gas storage follows the 2025 California Fire Code's Chapter 61 exactly: the county adopted it in its entirety with zero local…

Costa Mesa limits amplified sound equipment mounted on advertising sound trucks under Section 9-140: the truck must be moving at least 10 mph while the amplifier runs, sound is banned…

Costa Mesa restricts leaf blowers in residential areas to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays and holidays. Section 20-10 caps blower…

Costa Mesa treats a barking dog as a public nuisance once it barks continuously for 30 minutes or intermittently for 60 minutes in any 24-hour period. Municipal Code Section 3-113 lets…

Costa Mesa limits construction work to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Construction is barred entirely on Sundays and six named…

In unincorporated Orange County, it's a misdemeanor to operate a vehicle in a way reasonably likely to disturb the peace of any neighborhood or person through noise, dust, smoke or…

Orange County bars regularly scheduled commercial flights at John Wayne Airport from departing between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. (8 a.m. Sundays) or arriving between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. (8…

In unincorporated Orange County, noise from any source, including commercial and industrial operations, that hits 55 dB(A) at a neighboring residential property from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m…

Unincorporated Orange County caps residential exterior noise at 50 dB(A) from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., down from the 55 dB(A) daytime limit.

Costa Mesa reviews any accessory building or shed built within 75 feet of the front property line, or on the front half of the lot, for screening and compatibility with the main house…

Costa Mesa bars renting an accessory dwelling unit for less than 31 days under Municipal Code § 13-35(b)(8), and the same 31-day floor applies to Junior ADUs under § 13-35(c)(4). The…

Costa Mesa lets homeowners convert an attached or detached garage into an accessory dwelling unit, but Municipal Code Sec. 13-35(12)-(13) attaches design and driveway conditions. A…

Costa Mesa approves accessory dwelling units ministerially, without a public hearing, on any single-family or multifamily lot that keeps its existing home under Municipal Code § 13-35…

Costa Mesa requires the owner of a lot with a Junior ADU to live in either the primary home or the Junior ADU as a primary residence under Municipal Code § 13-35(c)(3). Standard ADUs…

Costa Mesa bans removing or destroying any tree in a required landscaped area without prior city approval. Property owners must submit site plans showing existing and replacement…

Costa Mesa requires an automatic, time-controlled irrigation system for every commercial, industrial or multi-family residential landscape project, engineered so overspray and runoff…

Costa Mesa encourages native and drought-tolerant landscaping through compliance with California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO). Rebates for turf replacement are…

Costa Mesa allows artificial turf installation on residential properties as a water-saving landscaping alternative. Turf removal rebate programs may apply to transitioning from natural…

California law encourages rainwater harvesting, and Costa Mesa permits residents to collect and store rainwater for irrigation and non-potable uses without a permit for systems under…

Costa Mesa requires property owners to remove weeds, debris, and overgrown vegetation under property maintenance standards. The city may declare severely neglected properties a public…

Costa Mesa maintains city-owned street trees through the Public Works Department. Private trees on residential property are the owner's responsibility. Trees must not obstruct…

Unincorporated Orange County lets residents compost fruit and vegetable garden waste at home, but Section 7-9-102 requires compost piles be screened from neighboring properties…

Costa Mesa treats a home business as a secondary use of a residential property and requires a home occupation permit before any business license issues. Section 13-168 sets eleven…

Home occupations in Costa Mesa may display no signs at all and cannot advertise using the home address, except in the telephone directory, under Municipal Code Section 13-168(h), one…

A Costa Mesa home caring for 7 to 14 children is a large family day care home under Sec. 13-37, permitted only in a single-family dwelling and required to sit at least 700 feet from…

Costa Mesa allows a home occupation to see customers, but caps it at one client at a time and no more than eight per day. Cross that threshold and section 13-164 requires a minor…

Government Code section 51035 forbids any California city, county, or city and county from prohibiting a cottage food operation in a residential dwelling. The local agency must pick…

California lets home cooks sell meals from their own kitchen under a microenterprise home kitchen operation (MEHKO) permit, capped at 30 meals a day, 90 a week, and $100,000 in annual…

Costa Mesa exempts wood, steel, vinyl and iron fences up to six feet tall, and stucco, concrete or masonry fences up to three feet tall, from needing a building permit. Anything…

Costa Mesa bans barbed wire, razor wire and electrified fencing in setbacks facing a street or near residential property, and bans electrified fencing citywide in every zone. Chain…

Costa Mesa caps fences and walls at three and a half feet within five feet of a corner lot's street side property line, and at two and a half feet inside any visibility triangle…

Costa Mesa defers to California Civil Code Sections 841-841.4 for shared boundary fence responsibilities. Adjoining landowners are presumed to share equally the cost of maintaining…

In unincorporated Orange County, front-setback retaining walls are capped at 3.5 feet in height with the exposed face limited to 6 feet; taller walls need a Site Development or Use…

Costa Mesa enforces California Building Code pool barrier requirements. All residential swimming pools and spas must be enclosed by a fence or barrier at least 5 feet tall with…

Costa Mesa applies California's Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code 115920-115929) and the 2022 California Residential Code through CMMC Title 5. Any above-ground pool…

Two strikes and a short-term rental in unincorporated Orange County goes dark for up to a year. Section 7-9-93(e)(3) ties the county's Short-term Rental Permit to good standing: a…

Orange County does not impose a separate extended home-share category for partial-unit rentals exceeding hosted-only night caps. All short-term rentals in unincorporated areas operate…

Renting out a home for less than 30 days in unincorporated Orange County requires a Short-term Rental Permit from the Director before the first guest checks in. Codified Ordinances…

Short-term rental guests in unincorporated Orange County must observe the same exterior noise limits as any other resident: 55 decibels from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 50 decibels…

Zoning Code Section 7-9-93 requires unincorporated Orange County short-term rentals to provide at least two off-street parking spaces (garage and/or driveway) at all times. Vehicles…

Under Zoning Code Section 7-9-93, overnight occupancy of an unincorporated Orange County short-term rental is capped at two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons. The…

Short-term rental operators in unincorporated Orange County must collect a 10 percent Transient Occupancy Tax on rent, register with the Tax Administrator within 30 days, and file…

California requires hosting platforms to warn hosts to check their lease and insurance before listing (Business and Professions Code 22592), and AB 537 requires short-term lodging…

Costa Mesa bans open fires and barbecues in city parks except at spots designated or permitted by the public services or administrative services director. Grilling at an undesignated…

Costa Mesa's Fire Code exempts barbecues, grills and other portable cooking devices from its outdoor fireplace and fire pit rules entirely. Fixed or built-in gas-fueled fire pits and…

Costa Mesa confines lawful skateboarding and roller skating to designated skate parks under Article 2 of Title 12. Riders must wear posted safety gear, stay off wet surfaces, and…

Costa Mesa pedestrians must use a marked crosswalk between intersections controlled by a traffic signal or a police officer, under Municipal Code Section 10-168. Following a 2024…

Costa Mesa doesn't fine a loud party the first time. Under sections 11-170 through 11-172, once police issue a written warning for a large party, gathering or event that threatens…

Costa Mesa bans asking, begging or soliciting alms in an aggressive manner anywhere open to the public, from sidewalks and parking lots to gas stations and fast-food drive-through…

Costa Mesa Municipal Code section 11-3 bans drinking wine, beer, whiskey, brandy or any alcoholic beverage on public streets, alleys, sidewalks, parkways, in public restrooms, parking…

Costa Mesa Municipal Code section 11-4 makes it unlawful to urinate, defecate or dispose of human waste on private property visible to the public, or on any public street, sidewalk…

Smoking is banned in every Costa Mesa park, within 50 feet of any park perimeter, and in all city-owned public facilities under Municipal Code § 8-133. The ban also covers the parking…

Costa Mesa's Municipal Code adopts the state's three-tier e-bike system: Class 1 pedal-assist bikes cut off at 20 mph, Class 2 throttle bikes also cap at 20 mph, and Class 3 speed…

Costa Mesa bars motor vehicles from driving in marked bicycle lanes except to park, enter or exit the roadway, or turn within 200 feet of an intersection. Cyclists moving slower than…

At John Wayne Airport, no driver may pick up or solicit passengers for hire, including rideshare fares, without a contract authorizing the pickup issued by the Board of Supervisors.

Unincorporated Orange County bars installation of any automated traffic enforcement system, including red-light cameras, on county streets or for traffic enforcement in unincorporated…

A low-speed vehicle in California may not be driven on any roadway with a speed limit above 35 miles per hour. Vehicle Code section 21260 permits it to cross a faster road only where…

Costa Mesa waives the filming permit application fee entirely for documentary, charitable and student productions. Section 9-475 exempts films made by a nonprofit 501(c)(3)…

Filming that blocks or slows Costa Mesa traffic triggers mandatory traffic-control conditions under Section 9-478(d): the permittee must hire city-designated law enforcement, from the…

Before shooting a commercial film anywhere in Costa Mesa, on a city street, park or sidewalk, or on private property that needs a parking variance or affects neighbors, producers must…

Costa Mesa bans cannabis manufacturing, distribution, testing and research citywide except in a narrow 'Green Zone' of Manufacturing Park and Planned Development Industrial land north…

A Costa Mesa cannabis retail storefront cannot sit within 1,000 feet of a K-12 school, playground, child daycare, homeless shelter or youth center, or within 250 feet of any…

Orange County Ordinance No. 17-011 (codified at OCCO §7-9-146.8 through §7-9-146.14) strictly regulates personal cannabis cultivation in unincorporated areas. Indoor cultivation of up…

Costa Mesa Municipal Code section 11-18 bans selling tobacco products by self-service display or vending machine, requiring every tobacco sale in the city to be vendor-assisted…

Costa Mesa regulates tattoo parlors under Municipal Code Chapter VI, requiring hot and cold running water, sterile metal operating tables, and adequate lighting before the Orange…

Costa Mesa bars auto repair as a home occupation outright: no garage may be used for the business and no mechanized equipment beyond normal household tools is allowed, so a residential…

Every tow truck operating on Costa Mesa streets, including private-property tows, needs a chief-of-police-issued towing operator permit under Municipal Code § 9-273. The chief must…

Costa Mesa requires every massage business to hold a police-issued massage establishment permit, and every practitioner to carry a valid California Massage Therapy Council certificate…

Costa Mesa requires a sexually-oriented business license from the city before any adult bookstore, cabaret, modeling studio or similar use can open, and confines those uses to the CL…

Costa Mesa requires anyone doing business as a secondhand dealer to hold a police-chief-issued license before opening, layering a local license on top of California's statewide…

In unincorporated Orange County, anyone taking property in pawn qualifies as a licensed secondhand dealer under County Code and must obtain a Sheriff-issued license before operating.

Costa Mesa bans camping on any street, alley, public parking lot, public area or park under section 11-304, and separately bans storing personal property in any public area under…

Costa Mesa Municipal Code § 8-81(a) requires curbside and commercial recurring collection at least once a week citywide. Pickups run only between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Monday…

Dumping solid, hazardous or infectious waste on private or public property in Costa Mesa without the owner's consent, or on any street, alley or sidewalk, is unlawful under Municipal…

Costa Mesa Municipal Code § 8-84 requires every solid waste permittee and franchisee to divert collected waste from landfills and file quarterly diversion reports with the public…

Costa Mesa residents must separate recyclable materials into the blue recycling cart and organic waste into the green organics cart per California SB 1383 requirements. Accepted…

Placing solid waste collection containers on public property in Costa Mesa without a city permit or agreement is unlawful under Municipal Code § 8-83(i). The city can impound an…

Costa Mesa requires anyone who rents out dumpsters or other storage containers to hold a permit from the director of public services before offering them for rent. Applicants post a…

Costa Mesa residents in single-family homes and buildings of four units or fewer must subscribe to organic waste collection through the Costa Mesa Sanitary District under Municipal…

When a recognized holiday falls on a normal route day, Costa Mesa Municipal Code § 8-81(a) pushes that collection one day later rather than skipping it. The ordinance names six…

In unincorporated Orange County, OC Waste & Recycling franchises specific haulers by community: Waste Management, CR&R, Republic Services, and Midway City Sanitary District serve…

In unincorporated Orange County, your franchised trash hauler isn't required to take furniture, appliances or anything over 50 pounds or 4 feet long unless your franchise agreement…

Costa Mesa bans every clean needle and syringe exchange program citywide. Municipal Code Article 23 (§§ 13-200.200 to 13-200.202) prohibits operating any such program on public or…

Costa Mesa's Municipal Code requires every parcel, including landscaped areas, buildings and structures, to stay free of rodents and vermin such as bed bugs, roaches, lice, fleas and…

Costa Mesa requires anyone selling food or merchandise from a pushcart or other non-motorized sidewalk vending receptacle to get a permit from the director of finance under Section…

Food trucks operating in Costa Mesa must obtain a city business license and comply with Orange County Health Care Agency permitting for mobile food facilities. Trucks must have a valid…

Costa Mesa regulates where food trucks and mobile vendors may operate through zoning and right-of-way regulations. Food trucks are generally permitted on private commercial property…

Anyone going house-to-house in Costa Mesa to sell goods or take orders for future delivery must first get an identification card from the police chief under Section 9-132. The chief…

Solicitors in unincorporated Orange County must respect posted no-soliciting signs on residential properties. The county's business licensing ordinance and California Penal Code…

Every Costa Mesa business license must state the business's tax classification and the code section that sets its tax, per Section 9-35. Most businesses pay on a sliding gross-receipts…

Any parade, procession or public assembly of 50 or more people on a Costa Mesa street needs a special event permit from the director under Section 9-206, filed at least 15 working days…

Costa Mesa's tax code doesn't use the words 'street fair,' but Section 9-28 taxes every promoter running a show, exhibition or swap meet on the event's gross receipts, plus a flat $5…

Restaurants adding sidewalk or courtyard dining in Costa Mesa must close outdoor seating between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless a use permit says otherwise, under Municipal Code Sec. 13-48…

Parklets and other outdoor dining set up in Costa Mesa's public right-of-way trace back to Urgency Ordinance 2020-15's Temporary Use Permits, which Table 13-47(b) Note 1 allows to keep…

A Costa Mesa business that already holds zoning approval, such as a minor conditional use permit, for regular outdoor filming does not need to pull a separate commercial filming permit…

Any club, league, lodge or organization of 10 or more members or attendees that wants exclusive use of a Costa Mesa park, square, avenue or recreation facility for a parade, picnic…

Costa Mesa requires a city manager-issued permit before any block party closes a residential street to traffic. Applications must be filed at least 12 business days ahead, evidence…

Costa Mesa's residential development table caps rear yard building coverage and sets a citywide open space floor under Municipal Code § 13-32. Every residential lot must keep 40% of…

Homes in every Costa Mesa residential zone are capped at two stories and 27 feet under Table 13-32 of Municipal Code § 13-32. Nonresidential uses on residential-zoned property have no…

Table 13-32 sets a uniform 20-foot front setback across every residential zone in Costa Mesa, plus a 5-foot interior side setback and a rear setback of 20 feet for two-story homes or…

A Costa Mesa restaurant or bar within 200 feet of a residential zone must shield or aim all exterior lighting away from homes under Municipal Code Sec. 13-49(a), one of several buffer…

Unincorporated Orange County limits how bright and where billboard lighting can shine: direct light rays must stay on-site, and signs facing homes within 100 feet can't be lit at all.

Costa Mesa bans obstructing any street or sidewalk without a street superintendent's permit. Merchants may block up to half a sidewalk's width for merchandise loading, but only for two…

Any private improvement placed in, over or under a Costa Mesa public right-of-way without a current encroachment permit is a declared public nuisance subject to summary abatement. The…

Costa Mesa treats late-night alcohol sales and live entertainment within 200 feet of a residential zone as a conditional use, and any bar or nightclub in that buffer zone must screen…

In unincorporated Orange County, portable and standby generators are classified as fixed noise sources under Division 6 and must meet the 55/50 dB(A) exterior noise limits set for…

In unincorporated Orange County, air conditioners and other equipment noise sources must stay within the county's Noise Zone 1 limits: 55 dB(A) daytime and 50 dB(A) nighttime on…

No one may plant, replace or remove a tree in a Costa Mesa median, parkway or tree easement without a public services department permit. New street trees must follow the city's street…

Costa Mesa lets any property owner voluntarily nominate a tree for the city's landmark tree list based on historical, rare-species, or unique-form value; placement requires a majority…

Costa Mesa implements California's density bonus law through sections 13-152 through 13-154, letting developers of affordable, senior, or child-care housing projects request extra…

When Costa Mesa's development services department declares a rented dwelling a public nuisance and abates it for unsafe, hazardous, or illegal habitable-use conditions, Municipal Code…

California AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019) requires landlords countywide in Orange County to provide written notice of statewide rent caps and just-cause eviction protections…

The Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) administers Section 8 housing-choice vouchers for most unincorporated areas and many cities. Landlords are required to accept voucher…

Unincorporated Orange County has no local rent control ordinance. Tenants are protected by California's statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), which caps annual rent increases at…

Unincorporated Orange County has no local just cause eviction ordinance. California's Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482, Civil Code §1946.2) provides statewide just cause eviction…

Unincorporated Orange County does not require rental property registration. There is no countywide rental registry, landlord licensing, or rental inspection program for unincorporated…

California evictions run through the unlawful detainer process. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 1161, nonpayment requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit (excluding weekends and…

California Civil Code § 1954 limits when a landlord may enter a rented home. Except in emergencies, abandonment, or with tenant consent, the landlord must give reasonable written…

California sets no fixed dollar or percentage cap on rent late fees, but a late fee in a residential lease is treated as liquidated damages. Under Civil Code § 1671, such a fee is…

To end a California month-to-month tenancy, a tenant gives 30 days' written notice. A landlord gives 30 days if the tenant has lived there under a year, or 60 days if a year or more…

California requires written notice before raising a month-to-month tenant's rent. Under Civ. Code § 827, increases of 10% or less in 12 months need 30 days' notice; increases above 10%…

As of July 1, 2024, California landlords may collect no more than one month's rent as a security deposit, regardless of whether the unit is furnished. The deposit, minus any lawful…

California adverse possession requires five years of continuous, open, hostile possession AND payment of all property taxes during that period under Code of Civil Procedure § 325. A…

Costa Mesa requires plumbing work to comply with the California Plumbing Code, 2025 Edition, based on the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted city-wide under Municipal Code Section…

Costa Mesa enforces the California Electrical Code, 2025 Edition, based on the 2023 National Electrical Code, for all electrical work in the city under Municipal Code Section 5-1. The…

Costa Mesa requires a building permit for most construction under Municipal Code Section 5-10, issued by the development services director once an applicant meets all requirements…

Costa Mesa developers building small lot subdivisions must disclose lead-based paint and other construction hazards to future homebuyers before a sales agreement is signed, under…

When an apartment building converts to a residential common interest development in Costa Mesa, Sec. 13-42(h)(3) forces the property to meet security minimum construction standards…

Before selling a residential building with four or more units, Costa Mesa owners must obtain a Report of Residential Building Records under Municipal Code Section 5-118, and if the…

Costa Mesa mandates compliance with the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code, adopted city-wide under Municipal Code Section 5-1 alongside the rest of the construction codes…

In unincorporated Orange County, child care centers or early education facilities serving more than 14 children need a Use Permit from the Planning Commission before opening, per the…

In unincorporated Orange County, every new Group R (residential) building must have an automatic fire sprinkler system installed under the county-amended CBC Section 903.2.8; existing…

Costa Mesa requires every vacant parcel to be secured and kept clear of litter, rubbish and weeds for as long as it sits empty. Section 20-7 sets mandatory upkeep standards, and the…

Costa Mesa declares a broad list of property conditions a public nuisance under Municipal Code Section 20-12, from unsafe or fire-hazard structures and structural defects to abandoned…

Orange County, California does not experience snowfall in its unincorporated communities and has no snow removal or sidewalk snow-clearing ordinance. Coastal and inland Southern…

Costa Mesa establishes a reported nuisance under Section 20-11(b): a condition must be visible without entry, confirmed with the owner's consent, or confirmed under a judicial warrant…

Costa Mesa's Section 20-12 lists dozens of conditions the city treats as a public nuisance, from litter and weeds visible from the street to inoperative vehicles, RVs used as housing…

Costa Mesa must issue a small residential rooftop solar permit within three business days once an application matches the city's approved checklist and standard plan, under Municipal…

Costa Mesa requires a building permit for every small residential rooftop solar energy system up to 10 kilowatts AC or 30 kilowatts thermal. Under Municipal Code § 5-142 the building…

California's Solar Rights Act and AB 2188 protect Costa Mesa homeowners from unreasonable HOA restrictions on solar panel installations. HOAs may impose only reasonable restrictions…

Costa Mesa Municipal Code section 11-31 bans operating any gaming table, gaming establishment or room for playing cards, dice or other games of chance for money, with the only…

California Penal Code § 326.5 lets only tax-exempt nonprofits, mobilehome park associations, senior groups, and school-affiliated charities run bingo, and only under a local city or…

California law exempts private home card games from gambling regulation entirely. Penal Code § 337j(e)(2)(D) excludes any card game played in a private home or residence from the…

California has no legal sports betting, in stores or online. Penal Code section 337a criminalizes bookmaking, pool-selling, and placing or accepting any bet on the result of a sporting…

Costa Mesa bans any illicit connection to the storm drain system and any prohibited discharge of pollutants into it, gutters, or the Pacific Ocean under Municipal Code § 8-31. New…

Costa Mesa applies extra floodway and floodplain rules to any property within a FEMA-mapped flood hazard area on the Orange County Flood Insurance Rate Map. Inside the regulatory…

Every new home or substantially improved structure in a Costa Mesa flood hazard area must have its lowest floor, including any basement, elevated to or above the base flood elevation…

Costa Mesa requires grading and excavation work to comply with the Orange County Grading and Excavation Code, adopted under Municipal Code Section 5-1.4, in addition to Appendix J of…

A written County permit is required to build, extend, or alter any pier, dock, piling, bulkhead, or seawall in a County harbor, issued by the Harbors, Beaches and Parks Director.

Development within the coastal zone of unincorporated Orange County requires a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) under OCCO §7-9-127 and the California Coastal Act. The County has…

Costa Mesa caps permanent window signs at 20 percent of a storefront's contiguous window area and requires a permit under Table 13-115, while non-illuminated temporary window signs…

Costa Mesa lets residents place non-commercial signs, including political and religious ones, in the public right-of-way without a permit under section 13-123, capped at five square…

Costa Mesa prohibits electronic changeable copy signs, the digital-display technology used for LED billboards and reader boards, in every zone in the city. Section 13-112(l) carves out…

In unincorporated Orange County, billboards facing highway traffic are allowed only in C1 and C2 commercial districts and need a Use Permit from the Zoning Administrator; permanent…

Costa Mesa charges an 8% transient occupancy tax on every hotel, motel and rental-unit stay of 30 consecutive days or less, collected by the operator and remitted to the finance…

Costa Mesa's juvenile curfew runs from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. every night. Under sections 11-51 and 11-51.5, it's unlawful for anyone under 18 to remain in a public place or on…

Costa Mesa closes its parks after dark. Sec. 12-23 bars anyone from entering or using any park, building or structure once it gets dark, unless the area is posted open by signage or…

Costa Mesa caps exterior noise at 55 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and 50 dB(A) overnight, measured on the affected residential property. Municipal Code Section 13-280 sets the…

Costa Mesa has no data-center use in its Land Use Matrix. Server facilities locate in the MG and MP industrial zones, permitted by right when the development services director finds…

Costa Mesa designates local landmarks and historic districts on its Register of Historic Places, and once listed, a cultural resource cannot be altered, restored, relocated, or…

Orange County prohibits operation of drones and radio-controlled devices in all county parks, beaches, and recreational areas under Section 2-5-42 of the Codified Ordinances except in…

Unincorporated Orange County's A1 General Agricultural District permits farming, ranching and crop sales as by-right uses on a 4-acre minimum site.

The California Right to Farm Act under Civil Code 3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits brought by neighbors who moved in after farming began. The…

California AB 1884 prohibits OC full-service restaurants from automatically providing single-use plastic straws; customers must explicitly request one. Many OC coastal cities go…

California AB 1276 requires OC food facilities to provide single-use utensils, napkins, stirrers, and condiment packets only when customers request them or affirmatively select them at…

California prohibits grocery stores and large retailers from providing single-use plastic carryout bags under Public Resources Code 42280-42288, enacted by SB 270 (2014) and ratified…

California restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that…

Orange County does not require employers or contractors to use the federal E-Verify system, and California Assembly Bill 1065 prohibits cities and counties from forcing private…

California's noxious weed list applies in Orange County. The OC Agricultural Commissioner enforces plant quarantines and pest regulations. The county's Water Efficient Landscape…

In unincorporated Orange County, flower, fruit and vegetable gardening is allowed in every residential district, but all growing, harvesting and selling must stay entirely on your own…

California sets a statewide minimum wage floor under Labor Code 1182.12, $16.90 per hour for all employers as of January 2026. Local governments are not preempted and may set higher…

California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act under Labor Code 245-249 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees statewide. SB 616 (2023) raised the minimum to 40 hours…

California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant…

California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However…

California broadly prohibits open carry of firearms statewide under Penal Code 25850 (loaded firearms in public) and Penal Code 26350 (open carry of unloaded handguns). The prohibition…

California prohibits carrying loaded firearms in vehicles statewide under Penal Code 25400 and 25850. Unloaded handguns transported in private vehicles must be in a locked container or…

California HOAs may levy regular and special assessments, charge late fees and interest, record liens, and ultimately foreclose on delinquent owners under the Davis-Stirling Act. State…

California's Davis-Stirling Act gives every HOA member the right to inspect and copy association records under Civil Code § 5205. Boards must produce current-year records within 10…

California overrides HOA governing documents on several owner protections. The Davis-Stirling Act and related Civil Code sections bar HOAs from prohibiting solar systems, U.S. flag…

California voids any HOA governing-document clause that effectively bans or unreasonably restricts a clothesline or drying rack in an owner's exclusive-use backyard. Civil Code Section…

Civil Code section 4735 voids any HOA rule that bans low-water plants, turf replacement, or artificial turf, and bars fines for cutting back watering during a declared drought…

Civil Code § 4745 voids any HOA covenant or governing-document rule that prohibits or unreasonably restricts installing an EV charging station in an owner's unit or designated parking…

Civil Code § 4705 bars every California homeowners association from limiting a member's display of the United States flag on their own lot or within their exclusive-use common area…

California law caps homeowners association fines at $100 per violation or the amount listed in the association's published penalty schedule, whichever is less. Civil Code section 5850…

A California homeowners association cannot foreclose on a member’s home over unpaid dues until the delinquent assessments alone reach $1,800, or until the assessments secured by the…

Civil Code § 4741 bars every California homeowners association from adopting or enforcing a rule that prohibits, or unreasonably restricts, renting out a separate interest, and sets a…

Sobriety checkpoints are lawful in California and stopping at one is a statutory obligation, not a courtesy. Vehicle Code § 2814.2(a) requires a driver to stop and submit to a sobriety…

California is one of the few states that answers this by statute rather than by case law alone. Penal Code § 148(g) says that photographing or making an audio or video recording of a…

California has no general stop-and-identify statute. The old Penal Code § 647(e), which required a person lawfully detained to give "credible and reliable" identification, was held…

California has no statute that requires you to consent to a search of your car, and none that requires an officer to warn you that you may refuse. What the Legislature and the voters…

California prohibits sale of tobacco and vapor products to anyone under 21 statewide under Business and Professions Code 22958, enacted by SBX2-7 in 2016. The Tobacco 21 standard…

California bans retail sale of most flavored tobacco products statewide under Health and Safety Code 104559.5, enacted by SB 793 (2020) and upheld by voters via Proposition 31 in…

California works from a closed list: Vehicle Code section 24003 says no vehicle may carry any lamp or illuminating device not required or permitted by the code, so an accessory light…

California measures dash cam placement in square inches. Vehicle Code section 26708(b)(13) lets a video event recorder occupy a seven-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield…

Lane splitting is lawful in California. Vehicle Code section 21658.1, added by AB 51 in 2016, defines it as driving a motorcycle with two wheels in contact with the ground between rows…

California does not let you put a cover over your license plate. Vehicle Code section 5201(c) allows exactly two things: a full car cover on a lawfully parked vehicle, and a license…

No section of the California Vehicle Code makes it an offense for a private motorist to own, carry or use a radar detector. The prohibition in Vehicle Code section 28150 reaches only…

California permits metal studded tires only between November 1 and April 30, and only where the studs are tungsten carbide or another suitable material and the metal touching the road…

California never publishes a "legal VLT" for front side windows because it does not permit aftermarket darkening there at all. Vehicle Code section 26708(d) allows only clear…