Alameda County, CA Ordinances (2026)

Unincorporated Alameda County can bar sidewalk food and merchandise carts from vending near a permitted farmers' market, swap meet, or special-event area under regulations adopted for…

Anyone selling food or merchandise from a pushcart, stand, or similar unit on a sidewalk in unincorporated Alameda County must first get and display a sidewalk vendor permit from the…

Mobile food facilities operating in unincorporated Alameda County need a health permit from the county's Department of Environmental Health before serving the public.

New structures in the county's combining FF (flood fringe) zoning district must set their lowest floor at least one foot above the adopted 100-year flood level under § 17.30.090.

Grading operations in unincorporated Alameda County must follow erosion and sediment control standards under § 15.36.600, including limits on rainy-season work and required long-term…

Unincorporated Alameda County bans discharging anything but stormwater into its storm drains, creeks or the bay, with narrow exemptions for irrigation runoff, pool draining and similar…

Development in FEMA-mapped flood hazard areas of unincorporated Alameda County must meet the county's Floodplain Management Regulations, tied to Flood Insurance Rate Maps adopted since…

Unincorporated Alameda County bars any radio, stereo, TV, or musical instrument that's plainly audible 50 feet away, at any hour: the rule covers Castro Valley and San Lorenzo, not…

Alameda County makes it unlawful for an owner to knowingly let a dog disturb a neighbor's peace and quiet with barking, once the owner has been told about the problem.

Unincorporated Alameda County bars operating off-road recreational vehicles, and repairing, rebuilding, modifying or testing vehicles, in a way that creates a noise disturbance or…

Noise reaching a commercial or industrial property in unincorporated Alameda County may run 65 dB(A) by day and 60 dB(A) at night for sustained sound, climbing to 85/80 dB(A) for brief…

Unincorporated Alameda County exempts construction noise from its rules only between 7 a.m.–7 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Alameda County unincorporated areas allow leaf blowers during general construction/maintenance hours. California AB 1346 has banned the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers statewide…

Unincorporated Alameda County sets stricter nighttime decibel limits, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., than its daytime standard for homes, schools, and commercial property: covering Castro Valley…

Castro Valley limits one-family homes to a sliding floor-area-ratio cap, as low as 0.10 FAR on the largest lots, before extra square footage triggers site development review.

Unincorporated Alameda County adopts the 2025 CALGreen code with county amendments enforced by the Building Inspection Division.

Unincorporated Alameda County requires a building permit for nearly all construction under its 2025 California Building Code; only fourteen narrow categories of minor work are exempt…

Unincorporated Alameda County can bill a reinspection fee whenever an inspector shows up and the job isn't ready or the required corrections weren't made.

Unincorporated Alameda County requires electrical work to conform to the county-adopted 2025 California Electrical Code, incorporating the 2023 NEC.

Unincorporated Alameda County requires plumbing work to conform to the county-adopted 2025 California Plumbing Code.

Alameda County enforces California H&S Code 17920.10 treating deteriorated lead paint in pre-1978 housing as substandard. Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda have old housing stocks with…

Before transferring property within 2,000 feet of agricultural land in unincorporated Alameda County, discretionary-permit approvals require the deed to carry a right-to-farm…

Alameda County Code shields lawful commercial agricultural operations from private and public nuisance lawsuits triggered only by changed conditions on neighboring land, protecting…

Unincorporated Alameda County caps garage sales at two per property every 12 months, with each sale limited to two consecutive days under the county's real property nuisance ordinance.

Only haulers the Board of Supervisors has franchised, permitted, or otherwise authorized may collect trash, recycling, or organic waste within a county collection service zone in…

Unincorporated Alameda County bans leaving trash, recycling, or green-waste carts out for more than 24 hours in any seven-day period, including pickup day, unless the enforcement…

Unincorporated Alameda County requires every single-family, multi-family, and commercial property to subscribe to a county-authorized hauler's solid waste, recycling, and organic waste…

Permanent dumpsters and debris boxes on unincorporated Alameda County property must be screened from view of any public or private street and fitted with covers that close securely.

Unincorporated Alameda County residents must place yard waste, trash, and recycling containers curbside for pickup under county-franchised hauler rules, and only the occupant or…

Dumping refuse, garbage, or rubbish anywhere in unincorporated Alameda County outside an approved container is unlawful under Section 13.08.100, with fines climbing from $100 to $500…

State law (SB 1383) drives Alameda County's organics mandate: unincorporated single-family and commercial generators, including multi-family buildings, must comply with the county's…

Unincorporated Alameda County property owners must use curbside collection service from an authorized hauler; self-hauling trash or recyclables is unlawful unless the county…

Alameda County's business license tax sorts businesses operating in the unincorporated area into distinct classes, retail, grocer, contractor, and more, each taxed at its own…

In unincorporated Alameda County, it is unlawful to stop, park, or leave a vehicle standing in front of a public or private driveway, with narrow exceptions for buses, school buses…

Alameda County enforces CVC 22651(k) allowing removal of vehicles parked 72+ hours. Abandoned vehicles on private property and public streets can be reported to the Sheriff for…

Unincorporated Alameda County bars loading, unloading, or handling boxes, crates, containers, or garbage cans between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. if it disturbs neighbors: covering Castro Valley…

In unincorporated Alameda County, residents can petition the Public Works director for a residential permit parking area once a block meets zoning, occupancy and 67% signature…

In unincorporated Alameda County, a commercial vehicle over 10,000 pounds GVWR can't park in a residential district (or on an adjacent street) for more than two hours in 24, and two or…

Alameda County unincorporated areas generally allow overnight street parking but prohibit storing vehicles in one spot over 72 hours per CVC 22651(k). Oversized vehicles and RVs face…

Alameda County supports residential EV charging installations through streamlined permits per AB 1236. HOAs cannot prohibit EV chargers on owner-controlled parking per Civil Code 4745.

Unincorporated Alameda County regulates RV parking through zoning ordinance. 72-hour street limit applies. Specific requirements vary by PD and zoning district.

Alameda County health inspectors can order food facility workers to attend a food safety class after repeated violations or if staff lack basic food-safety knowledge.

Alameda County's Department of Environmental Health scores unincorporated-area food facilities and posts a green, yellow, or red placard after each inspection.

Chapter 6.54 makes pharmaceutical manufacturers fund a take-back program for used needles, syringes, and lancets across all of Alameda County, incorporated cities included, so…

Pest control in Alameda County is regulated by CA DPR and county Environmental Health. Landlords must provide pest-free housing under Civil Code 1941.1 and SB 655.

Unincorporated Alameda County exempts retaining walls under 4 feet from permitting, but taller walls need a permit, and the county bans tire retaining walls outright.

Unincorporated Alameda County caps fence, wall and hedge height by location, two feet near a corner-lot intersection, four feet in most front yards, and six feet elsewhere in A and R…

Under California Civil Code 841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act), adjoining landowners in Alameda County share equal responsibility for reasonable costs of shared boundary fences unless one…

Unincorporated Alameda County lets masonry fences up to 5'9" and other fences up to 7 feet go up without a permit; taller fences need one.

Unincorporated Alameda County bans skateboarding on roadways at unsafe speeds, on divided highways, near intersections, after dark, and anywhere in a business district's streets…

Alameda County's Social Host Ordinance fines anyone who knowingly hosts a loud or unruly gathering on unincorporated-area property where alcohol reaches a person under 21, $750 for a…

Unincorporated Alameda County bans drinking alcohol on any public street, sidewalk or alley, and on business parking lots within 500 feet of a public way without the owner's…

Unincorporated Alameda County bans smoking within 20 feet of building entrances, exits, and outdoor dining areas, extending its enclosed-space smoking ban into nearby outdoor space.

Minors under 18 may not loiter in unincorporated Alameda County's public streets or places between 10 p.m. and sunrise without an adult.

Using a concrete sidewalk along an unincorporated Alameda County roadway with mules, horses, or vehicles, other than to enter or leave the adjacent property, is a misdemeanor.

Building, planting, or placing anything within a public road right-of-way in unincorporated Alameda County requires an encroachment permit from the county public works agency before…

Under CA Streets and Highways Code 5610, adjacent property owners are responsible for maintaining sidewalks fronting their property in Alameda County unincorporated areas.

Planting, maintaining, or removing a tree in the county right-of-way strip between the property line and the paved street is the adjacent owner's job in unincorporated Alameda County.

Alameda County's water-efficient landscape ordinance gives areas irrigated with recycled water a looser water budget, an ET adjustment factor up to 1.0, versus the standard 0.7, to…

Alameda County bans motor-vehicle repair, servicing, painting or dismantling as a home occupation in unincorporated R and A district homes: the county's rule for its own unincorporated…

Junk dealers and secondhand dealers, including cash-for-gold shops, operating in unincorporated Alameda County must hold a sheriff-issued license before doing business; operating…

Anyone acting as a tobacco retailer in unincorporated Alameda County must first obtain a county tobacco retailer license for each sales location; retailing without one is a nuisance…

Unincorporated Alameda County requires a sheriff-issued permit and CMTC certification before anyone may run a massage establishment, off-premises massage service, or work as a…

Body art and tattoo shops in Alameda County need an annual environmental health permit, and every practitioner must register separately.

Unincorporated Alameda County caps R-1 single-family homes at two stories and 25 feet, though wide, deep lots can earn extra height up to a 30-foot ceiling.

R-4 four-family lots in unincorporated Alameda County cannot be more than 40 percent covered by structures, and must set aside 600 square feet of usable open space per unit.

Unincorporated Alameda County requires 20-foot front and rear yards in R-1 single-family districts, with side yards scaling from five feet up to a 10-foot maximum based on lot width.

Alameda County requires trimming of trees that obstruct public rights-of-way, block street-sign visibility, or interfere with utility lines. Protected heritage and native oak trees may…

Artificial turf is permitted in Alameda County as a water-saving lawn alternative. State AB 1572 restricts potable irrigation of non-functional natural turf starting 2027, boosting…

Unincorporated Alameda County requires replacement of any right-of-way tree that's improperly removed or damaged, and can order payment into a tree mitigation fund when replacement…

Native and drought-tolerant plants are encouraged throughout Alameda County. State MWELO requires climate-appropriate plants for new landscapes, and EBMUD/ACWD offer rebates for…

Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged in Alameda County under CA Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (AB 1750). Rain barrels under 5,000 gallons for landscape irrigation generally…

Existing unincorporated Alameda County landscapes over one acre that use more water than their allowance face mandatory irrigation audits under the county's water-efficient landscape…

The Alameda County Weed Abatement Program run by the Fire Department requires property owners to remove weeds and combustible debris annually, with violations resulting in abatement…

In unincorporated Alameda County, only small prefabricated above-ground pools under 5,000 gallons and less than 24 inches deep skip the building permit: anything bigger, or in-ground…

Unincorporated Alameda County enforces the California Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code §§115920-115929). Pools deeper than 18 inches require an enclosure at least 60…

Unincorporated Alameda County allows a home occupation only as an accessory use to a dwelling in an R (residential) or A (agricultural) district, and only if it avoids the…

In unincorporated Alameda County, a home occupation can't be a permitted accessory use if it displays any sign beyond the small name plate already allowed in the residential or…

Unincorporated Alameda County disqualifies a home occupation that generates on-street parking or vehicle and pedestrian traffic beyond what is normal for the district: a…

Family daycare homes are protected by California Health & Safety Code 1597.40, which treats small and large family daycare as residential uses and preempts restrictive local zoning.

In unincorporated Alameda County, signs viewed through a window count toward the property's total sign area only if they cover more than 25% of that window's area.

Alameda County allows political signs on private property with First Amendment protections. Signs in public right-of-way are prohibited. No permit required for residential political…

Unincorporated Alameda County requires an animal fanciers permit to keep poultry, rabbits, or other livestock in residential zones; agricultural-zoned parcels get an exemption up to 75…

Dogs and cats over six months old adopted from Alameda County's own animal shelter must be spayed or neutered before the new owner takes possession, at the owner's cost.

Alameda County does not impose breed-specific bans. California Food and Agricultural Code 31683 preempts local breed discrimination in licensing and ownership, though mandatory…

Alameda County bars dogs from running at large in unincorporated areas, including Castro Valley and San Lorenzo, and caps leash length at six feet under an owner's control.

Unincorporated Alameda County requires a director-issued permit before anyone owns or keeps an exotic animal, a defined list running from big cats and wolves to venomous snakes…

Alameda County prohibits the intentional feeding of deer, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, bears, and other wildlife. Violations are a public nuisance and can trigger fines. Songbird feeders…

Beekeeping is permitted in most Alameda County zones with setback and hive-count limits. Keepers must register with the County Agricultural Commissioner under CA Food and Agricultural…

Unincorporated Alameda County waives park dedication impact fees for accessory dwelling units under 750 sq ft, and never charges them for junior accessory dwelling units, under Chapter…

Unincorporated Alameda County bans converting a garage into living space in residential zones unless seven conditions are met, including one-to-one replacement parking.

ADUs and junior ADUs in unincorporated Alameda County can be built simultaneously with or after the main house, but every application needs county building inspection sign-off, plus…

In unincorporated Alameda County's R districts, a detached shed or accessory building must sit at least six feet from any other building, stay one story, and stay under fifteen feet…

Unincorporated Alameda County has formally adopted the state residential code's tiny house appendix, so a compliant tiny house is a recognized dwelling type here.

Alameda County enforces habitability violations through a complaint-driven inspection and abatement process, with a right of entry into any building believed substandard and a hearing…

Unincorporated Alameda County mobilehome park owners cannot charge a rent increase until they give the notices state law requires and disclose where residents can review the Mobilehome…

Alameda County unincorporated areas fall under California AB 1482 statewide rent cap limiting annual increases to 5 percent plus CPI, maximum 10 percent.

Alameda County unincorporated areas are covered by AB 1482 just cause eviction rules requiring landlords to cite a specific lawful reason for terminating tenancies over 12 months.

Alameda County HOAs enforce CC&Rs under Civil Code 5850-5865. Before imposing fines, associations must provide written notice, an opportunity to be heard, and a published schedule of…

Alameda County HOAs must offer Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) under Civil Code 5900-5920 and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) before filing most lawsuits. Both processes are…

Alameda County HOAs follow Civil Code 5600-5740 for assessments. Regular assessments cannot increase more than 20 percent annually, and special assessments over 5 percent of budget…

Alameda County HOAs conduct architectural review under Civil Code 4765. Associations must provide fair, reasonable procedures with written decisions within a defined timeframe and a…

HOAs in Alameda County operate under California Davis-Stirling (Civil Code 4000+). Board meetings require 4-day notice, open session participation, and minutes available within 30 days.

Unincorporated Alameda County bars loading and unloading of crates, containers, or trash cans between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. if it disturbs a neighbor's residential property.

Unincorporated Alameda County caps residential air conditioning and refrigeration equipment noise at 55 dB(A) for units installed before July 1980, and 50 dB(A) for newer units.

Unincorporated Alameda County bans stereo, TV and instrument sound plainly audible at 50 feet at any hour, and defines audible bass alone as enough to prove a violation.

Unincorporated Alameda County requires any motor-vehicle burglar alarm to shut off within 15 minutes of activation: covering Castro Valley and other unincorporated communities, not…

Bars and nightclubs in unincorporated Alameda County must keep exterior noise at or under the county's decibel table, day and night.

Unincorporated Alameda County imposes a 10% Hotel and Lodging Tax on hotel, motel, and short-term rental stays under 30 consecutive days, collected by the operator and remitted to the…

Tenants in unincorporated Alameda County can request county-arranged mediation within 45 days of giving a landlord written notice of untenantable conditions, before other remedies.

Unincorporated Alameda County runs a checklist-based, administrative-only review for small residential rooftop solar systems, with just one consolidated inspection.

Alameda County offers 3-business-day solar permitting under AB 2188 and SB 379. Systems must comply with Title 24 and the 2022 Solar Mandate for new homes.

Alameda County HOAs cannot prohibit solar under CA Civil Code 714 (Solar Rights Act). Only reasonable restrictions are allowed that do not significantly reduce efficiency or raise cost.

Unincorporated Alameda County grants a density bonus up to 35% above base zoning density to housing developments that set aside units for very low, low, or moderate income households…

Any conditional use in unincorporated Sunol's downtown SD district must be found consistent with the area's historic, architectural, and visual character before Alameda County's…

Alameda County lists historically significant properties as landmarks, structures of merit, or historic-district contributors on its own Alameda County Register, covering…

Cannabis retailers, cultivators and combined operations may locate only in the county's A (Agricultural) zoning district, and only with a conditional use permit.

All fireworks - including 'safe and sane' types - are prohibited in unincorporated Alameda County. Only three cities (Dublin, Newark, Union City) permit safe and sane fireworks during…

Public Resources Code 4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around all structures in VHFHSZ and SRA areas of Alameda County, enforced by CAL FIRE and the Alameda County Fire…

California Health and Safety Code 13113.7 requires smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of all dwellings in Alameda County. Alarms over 10…

Much of east Alameda County including the Oakland Hills, Castro Valley, and Sunol foothills is designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by CAL FIRE, triggering strict defensible…

Anyone peddling goods on foot, by stand, or by vehicle in unincorporated Alameda County must hold a business license, with a fee schedule set by what's being sold and how it's peddled.

Any parade or procession of more than ten vehicles or twenty people on an unincorporated Alameda County roadway needs a sheriff-issued permit filed 20 to 30 days in advance.

Unincorporated Alameda County bars driving or parking a vehicle in a marked bicycle lane except to turn, enter a driveway, load passengers, or park where parking adjacent to the lane…

Alameda County bans the sale or possession-for-sale of any flavored tobacco product by tobacco retailers in the unincorporated county, covering menthol, fruit, candy, and other…

Unincorporated Alameda County imposes a Transient Occupancy Tax on short-term lodging of 30 days or fewer; combined TOT rates in Alameda County cities typically range from about 10 to…

STRs in unincorporated Alameda County must provide on-site parking consistent with the residential zoning standard and should limit guest vehicles to the number of on-site spaces to…

Unincorporated Alameda County does not set an STR-specific occupancy cap but enforces building code, fire code, and nuisance rules that effectively limit total guests based on bedrooms…

Alameda County treats light trespass onto neighbors as nuisance under Title 17 and Civil Code 3479. Residential fixtures cannot exceed 0.5 foot-candles at adjacent property lines.

Alameda County Nuisance Abatement Ordinance targets property blight including junk accumulation, overgrown weeds, graffiti, and derelict structures in unincorporated areas.

Alameda County, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, has no snow sidewalk clearing ordinance because measurable snowfall is extremely rare in unincorporated lowlands.

Alameda County has no dedicated data-center ordinance. A data center is regulated only through general industrial zoning, the M-1, M-2, and M-P districts, plus Site Development Review…

Alameda County does not have a specific bamboo ban, but running bamboo that spreads onto neighboring properties can be addressed as a nuisance under county ordinances and California…

California is a two-party (all-party) consent state. Recording any confidential communication without all parties' consent is a crime under Penal Code 632. This applies to phone calls…