Public Conduct in Santa Cruz County, CA (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Santa Cruz County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Skateboarding Rules
Santa Cruz County bans skateboards, roller skates, and similar wheeled devices from specific public and posted private areas under SCCC § 8.23.020, including tennis courts, active construction sites, Soquel Village Zone A, and any signed parking lot, driveway, wall, or sidewalk at a shopping center or business. Violations are infractions under § 8.23.060.
Santa Cruz County Skateboarding Restrictions
Some RestrictionsSanta Cruz County Code § 8.23.020
It is unlawful for any person(s) riding in or on, or by means of any skateboard, roller skates, roller blades, coaster, or similar device to go in or on the following prohibited areas: (A) Tennis courts on public property; (B) Any portion of construction projects, whether or not completed, located on public or private property; (C) Soquel Village, Zone A, as defined by SCCC § 9.42.030, includin...
Loud Party Ordinance
Hosting a loud or unruly gathering on property you own or rent in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is an infraction under SCCC § 8.32.020, and a second Sheriff's response within 12 months makes every responsible person, including a minor's parents, personally liable for the deputies' special enforcement costs plus a 33 percent administrative fee.
Santa Cruz County Social Host Liability
Significant RestrictionsSanta Cruz County Code § 8.32.020(A)
(A) It is unlawful and constitutes an infraction for a responsible person to conduct or allow a loud or unruly gathering on premises owned by the responsible person or on premises rented by or to the responsible person. (1) When a Sheriff's deputy responds to a loud or unruly gathering, the deputy shall inform any responsible person at the scene that: (a) The deputy has determined that a loud o...
Loitering Rules
Santa Cruz County has no general public loitering law; its only codified loitering rule sits inside the cardroom chapter. SCCC Section 5.16.120 bars a cardroom owner, operator, or employee from letting anyone loiter inside the room while card games are in progress, backed by the chapter's misdemeanor penalty.
Santa Cruz County Cardroom Loitering Ban
Some RestrictionsSanta Cruz County Code Section 5.16.120 (Loitering prohibited)
No cardroom owner, operator or employee shall permit any person to loiter within the cardroom while card games are in progress.
Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
Santa Cruz County bans smoking outdoors at every unincorporated county park, beach, recreation area and trail, plus outdoor dining patios, under Chapter 7.88 of the county code. The ban also creates a 25-foot no-smoking buffer around doorways, windows and vents of any indoor space where smoking is already banned, so lighting up near a store or restaurant entrance violates the ordinance too.
Santa Cruz County Outdoor Public Smoking Ban
Significant RestrictionsSanta Cruz County Code § 7.88.070
§ 7.88.070. Prohibition of smoking in outdoor public places. Smoking is prohibited in the following specifically delineated unenclosed areas: (A) All parks, beaches, outdoor recreation areas, and recreational trails. (B) Outdoor dining areas. (C) Within a reasonable distance from any doorway, window, opening, crack, or vent into an enclosed area in which smoking is prohibited. (D) Within a reas...
Public Marijuana Use
Santa Cruz County's Smoking Pollution Control ordinance, SCCC Chapter 7.88, defines "smoking" to include burning or carrying any plant product intended for human inhalation, so cannabis flower falls under the same public-place ban as tobacco. Section 7.88.070 bars smoking outdoors in every County park, beach, recreational trail and outdoor dining area, and the County Health Officer enforces it as an infraction.
Santa Cruz County Public Marijuana Smoking Ban
Significant RestrictionsSCCC § 7.88.040(N); § 7.88.070; § 7.88.130(C)
"Smoking" means inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying any lighted, heated or ignited cigar, cigarette, cigarillo, pipe, hookah, electronic smoking device, or any plant product intended for human inhalation. ... Smoking is prohibited in the following specifically delineated unenclosed areas: (A) All parks, beaches, outdoor recreation areas, and recreational trails. (B) Outdoor dining areas. .....
Public Alcohol Use
Drinking alcohol on any public street, sidewalk, park, beach or parking lot in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is a misdemeanor. Carrying an open, unsealed alcoholic beverage container in those same places is a separate infraction, even if you never take a sip.
Santa Cruz County Public Alcohol Consumption Ban
Significant RestrictionsSanta Cruz County Code §§ 8.02.020, 8.02.030
It is unlawful for any person to drink or consume any alcoholic beverage in or upon any of the following places in the unincorporated area of the County of Santa Cruz: (A) Any public park, except as provided in SCCC § 10.04.160; (B) Any public street; (C) Any public way or sidewalk... It is unlawful for any person to have in their possession any can, bottle or other receptacle containing any al...
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