Daly City, CA

Daly City does not require all pets to be sterilized, but Municipal Code Section 6.04.280 charges a refundable $100 spay/neuter fee to redeem any impounded unaltered animal and makes…

Daly City Municipal Code Section 6.08.090 makes it unlawful to feed any bird you do not own, or to place feed intended to attract birds, on any city property or right-of-way (except…

No Daly City ordinance sets a fixed numeric limit on the number of dogs or cats per household. Under the countywide San Mateo County animal control program that Daly City has adopted…

Daly City bans roosters (Section 6.08.080) and all pigs, hogs, and swine (Section 6.08.040) anywhere in the city. Chickens and other fowl are not prohibited outright but may not run at…

Daly City has no breed-specific restrictions. Its Municipal Code regulates dangerous and vicious animals based solely on behavior, using San Mateo County's own program adopted in place…

Daly City Municipal Code Section 6.04.060(e) bars possessing any animal designated dangerous or vicious by another jurisdiction without prior written permission from the animal control…

In San Mateo County parks and the San Francisco Fish and Game Refuge, feeding, hunting, trapping or disturbing any wild bird or other wildlife is banned under the county's park rules.

Selling or offering cats, dogs or wolf hybrids on a public street, sidewalk or park in unincorporated San Mateo County requires a pet-sales business license under § 6.12.040(c), unless…

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires an annual license for every cat over three months old, with lower fees for altered cats and a lifetime tag.

In unincorporated San Mateo County's C-1 Neighborhood Business Districts, a veterinary hospital for small animals needs a discretionary use permit before it can open, not just a…

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires every dog off its owner's enclosed property to be on a leash. Ordinance Code Section 6.04.060(a) bars any owner or caretaker from letting an…

California law requires every beekeeper, apiary owner, broker, or person possessing an apiary in the state to register each colony's number and location by January 1 each year with the…

Daly City Municipal Code Section 17.34 requires two to six off-street parking spaces for single-family homes based on habitable square footage, sets minimum garage and driveway…

Daly City has no citywide overnight parking ban for ordinary passenger vehicles, but oversized and commercial vehicles are barred from all streets 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. without a permit…

Daly City operates a residential preferential parking permit program under Municipal Code Chapter 10.40 in four zones near transit hubs (Zones A-D, including the original Daly City…

On-street parking in Daly City is governed by Municipal Code Chapter 10.32 (Stopping, Standing and Parking), with metered zones under Chapter 10.36 and residential permit zones under…

Commercial vehicles cannot park on Daly City residential streets overnight (5 p.m.-7 a.m.); qualifying residents and businesses may buy an annual Commercial Vehicle Parking Permit…

Daly City Municipal Code Section 10.32.150, as amended by Ordinance 1467 (2023), bans parking any oversized vehicle - expressly including boats, mobile homes, house trailers and…

Under County Ordinance Code Chapter 7.60, it is unlawful and an infraction to abandon, park, store, or leave any abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle on public or…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, the Director of Public Works assigns red, yellow, white, green and blue curb colors, each with a specific legal meaning drivers must follow.

In unincorporated San Mateo County, parking in a designated loading zone beyond the time needed to load or unload passengers or freight is prohibited.

For new construction in unincorporated San Mateo County, the County's local amendments to the California Building and Energy Codes require EV charging infrastructure. Adopted February…

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…

Daly City caps fences at 6 feet on residential parcels and 3 feet in any required front yard or within 35 feet of the street corner on a corner lot. Non-residential and mixed-use…

Retaining walls in Daly City over 48 inches tall - or shorter walls supporting a surcharge or excavated uphill slope - require a building permit and design by a licensed professional…

Daly City's fence ordinance imposes no general material prohibitions on residential fences. Material rules apply only in special cases: 10-foot fences on non-residential parcels must…

Daly City does not require a building permit to build a fence 6 feet tall or less. Permits come into play only for front-yard approval, encroachment permits in the right-of-way, and…

Daly City treats boundary fences as a 'good neighbor' matter - the City neither requires fences nor referees disputes. Cost sharing between adjoining owners is governed by California's…

Daly City bans all signs and displays advertising a home occupation. Applicants must sign an acknowledgment stating they cannot install any sign on their home or yard, because the…

Daly City's zoning excludes general 'food preparation' as a home occupation, but state law overrides: residents can run a county-permitted Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation…

California Health and Safety Code Sec. 1597.45 (SB 234) makes small (up to 8 children) and large (up to 14 children) family daycare homes a residential use by right, so Daly City…

Daly City prohibits customer or goods pickup and deliveries at a home business, bars employees from reporting to the house, limits traffic to no more than one additional vehicle per…

Under DCMC Chapter 17.36, a home occupation must be clearly secondary to the dwelling, confined to one room no larger than one-fourth of one floor, and conducted so 'the average…

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…

Municipal Code Section 9.22.020 requires a written permit from the chief of police before operating any loudspeaker or sound amplifier that projects sound outside a building or…

No Daly City-specific ordinance directly addresses leaf blowers; the municipal code's only noise controls are the general disturbing-the-peace rules of Chapter 9.22, so blowers cannot…

No Daly City-specific ordinance directly addresses vehicle noise; California Vehicle Code defaults apply, requiring adequate mufflers on all registered vehicles and prohibiting car…

Aircraft departing San Francisco International Airport make the Serramonte neighborhood Daly City's main aircraft-noise area, with flyovers reaching 85-95 dBA. Municipal Code Section…

Daly City's municipal code sets no construction-hour limits, maximum sound levels, or vibration standards, a gap the City's own environmental review confirms. The general nighttime…

Daly City Municipal Code Section 9.22.030 sets quiet hours from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., during which no noise, music, or sound from a property may be heard beyond its confines or…

No Daly City ordinance specifically addresses barking dogs. Chronic barking is enforced under the general disturbing-the-peace chapter, including the 10:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m. ban on noise…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, exterior noise reaching a home, school, hospital, church or library cannot exceed the numeric limits in Table I of Code Section 4.88.330: as low as…

Daly City has no single citywide numeric lawn-height limit, but Municipal Code section 8.16.030(F) declares overgrown vegetation a public nuisance, including grass, weeds, and brush…

No Daly City ordinance prohibits artificial turf on residential property. California Government Code section 53087.7 bars cities from prohibiting drought-tolerant landscaping using…

Daly City enforces California's permanent water-waste prohibitions, including no irrigation runoff onto sidewalks and no outdoor watering within 48 hours of a quarter inch of rain. For…

No one may prune, spray, plant, or otherwise work on any public right-of-way or street tree in Daly City without a permit from the Director of Public Works under Municipal Code section…

It is unlawful to cut down or remove any tree on a Daly City parkway, easement, or right-of-way without a Public Works permit under Municipal Code section 12.40.120. Removal of a live…

Single-family organic waste generators in the county's densely populated unincorporated areas may compost yard and food waste on site instead of subscribing to hauler collection, per…

Unincorporated San Mateo County encourages native and drought-tolerant landscaping rather than mandating it for homeowners. The Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program promotes…

The 2012 Rainwater Capture Act allows California residents to capture rainwater from rooftops for non-potable outdoor use without a state water-right permit, preempting most local…

Constructing, altering, or removing a swimming pool or permanent spa in Daly City requires a building permit from the Building Division under the California Building Code as adopted by…

Daly City enforces the California Swimming Pool Safety Act through its building permit process: any new or remodeled residential pool or spa must include at least two of seven…

Daly City caps un-hosted short-term rental stays (host off-site) at 100 days per year. Hosted stays, where the host remains on-site during the guest's stay, face no annual limit.

Daly City allows short-term rentals only in the host's primary residence, where the host lives at least 265 days per year. Non-owner-occupied vacation rentals are prohibited citywide…

Daly City caps short-term rental occupancy at two guests per bedroom plus two additional guests at one time, and limits each property to one booking per day. Un-hosted stays are…

Daly City STRs must provide off-street parking sufficient to avoid burdening the public right-of-way under Chapter 5.92 and Title 14 zoning; Daly City's narrow Westlake streets and…

Daly City requires both a Short-Term Rental Permit from the Planning Department and a business license (with a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate) from the Finance Department…

San Mateo County treats short-term rental violations as strikes: once a permitted unit racks up more than two documented violations in any 12-month period, the Department of Planning…

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…

Backyard fires in chimineas, fire bowls, and portable fireplaces are allowed in Daly City under the adopted California Fire Code, but only burning clean fuels -- never rubbish or yard…

Daly City requires property owners in the designated Southern Hills fire hazard area, abutting San Bruno Mountain, to clear all flammable vegetation including gorse, grass, weeds, and…

Burning yard waste, trash, or debris outdoors is illegal in Daly City. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Regulation 5 bans nearly all open burning region-wide, and the few…

Daly City prohibits all fireworks, including state-approved safe-and-sane fireworks. Municipal Code Chapter 8.24 (Fireworks Prohibited) bans their sale and discharge, and the city…

Before San Mateo County issues a short-term rental permit in the unincorporated county, the owner must install smoke alarms complying with UL 217 in every bedroom, just outside each…

Unincorporated San Mateo County contains Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, with the Santa Cruz Mountains and coastal hills (La Honda, Pescadero, and similar) at…

California uniformly applies the State Fire Marshal's propane storage standards through the California Fire Code, which all local jurisdictions must enforce as a minimum.

Daly City requires a building permit for any garage conversion or construction of rooms in a garage, including secondary units; for garage-to-ADU conversions, state law bars the city…

Daly City follows state ADU law, which supersedes conflicting city code provisions. Single-family lots may add one attached or conversion ADU, one JADU, and one detached ADU; detached…

Daly City allows sheds, gazebos, pergolas, and similar accessory structures without setbacks only when combined floor area stays at or under 120 square feet; larger structures must…

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires the parcel owner to live in one unit whenever a junior accessory dwelling unit is built, secured by a recorded deed restriction.

San Mateo County waives development impact fees entirely for accessory dwelling units under 750 square feet, and for larger ADUs charges only a prorated share: Zoning Regulations…

San Mateo County bars accessory dwelling units built under its ADU chapter from short-term rental: Zoning Regulations Section 8.392.050(22) requires any ADU that is rented to be rented…

Daly City's Municipal Code sets no decibel limit for a data center. Chapter 9.22 bars noise heard beyond your property line between ten p.m. and six a.m. The numeric targets sit in the…

Daly City has no data-center ordinance and no "data center" use in its zoning code. A data center lands in the M Industrial District, Chapter 17.22, where light industrial uses require…

San Mateo County administers its own certified Local Coastal Program (LCP) and issues Coastal Development Permits (CDPs) for projects in the Coastal Zone, which covers roughly 240 sq…

Unincorporated San Mateo County bans dumping anything but rainwater into the county storm drain system under its Stormwater Pollution Prevention Ordinance.

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires the lowest floor of any new or substantially improved structure in an Area of Special Flood Hazard to sit at or above the regulatory…

Grading and construction sites in unincorporated San Mateo County must keep BMPs in place to stop erosion and sediment from reaching roads or storm drains.

Unincorporated San Mateo County bars grading, filling, new construction or any other development in a mapped Area of Special Flood Hazard, Floodway or Coastal High Hazard Area until…

Snow sidewalk clearing is not a regular concern in unincorporated San Mateo County's Mediterranean coastal climate, and the County has no dedicated snow-clearance ordinance. On the…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, the Planning and Building Code Compliance Section enforces property-maintenance standards and abates public nuisances such as accumulated refuse…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, the Planning Director can exempt interior remodels, repairs and minor exterior work from the discretionary site development permit, though a…

Unincorporated San Mateo County child care centers eligible for a ministerial permit must pass a fire safety inspection to Building Inspection Section standards before opening.

Unincorporated San Mateo County bars almost every kind of cannabis business outright. County Code Section 5.148.050 lets the Planning and Building Department license only Mixed-Light…

Licensed cannabis cultivation sites in unincorporated San Mateo County must sit at least 600 feet from schools, day cares, youth centers and playgrounds.

Unincorporated San Mateo County allows adults 21+ to cultivate up to 6 cannabis plants per residence for personal, non-medical use under County Code Chapter 5.148 (Personal…

Unincorporated San Mateo County uses expedited solar permitting under California AB 2188 (Solar Rights Act). Residential rooftop systems under 10 kW qualify for same-day online permits…

California Civil Code §714 (Solar Rights Act) strongly limits HOA authority to restrict solar panels. HOAs in unincorporated San Mateo County (Emerald Hills, West Menlo Park…

Many San Mateo County cities (Redwood City, San Carlos, others) maintain 'Do Not Knock' registries that residents can join free of charge, and the County Sheriff requires all licensed…

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires commercial peddlers and solicitors to obtain a Peddler/Solicitor License from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, including a…

Unincorporated San Mateo County applies California's statewide just-cause eviction protections under AB 1482 (Civil Code §1946.2). After 12 months of tenancy, landlords must state an…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, a mobilehome park owner seeking a space-rent increase above the standard CPI cap must file a petition with the County Hearing Officer 60 days…

Unincorporated San Mateo County landlords must pay relocation benefits to tenants displaced when code enforcement declares their rental unit substandard or unsafe, under Chapter 3.108.

Unincorporated San Mateo County does NOT have a rental registration program. Landlords must comply with state habitability laws (Civil Code §1941.1) and the California Building Code…

Unincorporated San Mateo County has NO local rent control. State law AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act, Civil Code §1946.2 and §1947.12) caps annual rent increases at 5% plus CPI (maximum…

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…

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…

Section 7.80.010 lets San Mateo County's Director of Public Works, once the Board of Supervisors authorizes it, designate bicycle lanes on unincorporated county roads and post signs…

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…

Anyone running a pawnbroker, secondhand dealer, junk dealer, or junk collector business in unincorporated San Mateo County must hold an annual License Board license under County Code…

Unincorporated San Mateo County bans tow operators from soliciting business at crash scenes and keeps tow trucks 500 feet away.

Tattoo and piercing shops in unincorporated San Mateo County need an annual LEA permit, and every practitioner must hold a current registration.

Since July 1, 2012, every massage practitioner working for compensation in unincorporated San Mateo County must hold current CAMTC certification, and every massage business must…

Retailers in unincorporated San Mateo County need an annual county Tobacco Retailer Permit for every location selling tobacco products.

Secondhand dealers and flea market operators in unincorporated San Mateo County must license with the County and hold purchased goods 15 days before resale.

The Director of Public Works may temporarily close County highways in unincorporated areas for block parties, celebrations and parades.

Any group meeting, rally, or similar gathering in a San Mateo County park needs a Parks and Recreation Department permit obtained at least ten days ahead under Section 3.68.140.

Under Ordinance Code Section 4.98.160(c), no tobacco retailer in San Mateo County's permit program may sell or offer for sale any Flavored Tobacco Product or Tobacco Product Flavor…

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…

Unincorporated San Mateo County properties must dispose of solid waste at least once a week and, where a hauler serves the area, must subscribe to that hauler's weekly collection…

Unincorporated San Mateo County treats illegal dumping as a misdemeanor and littering as an infraction, with major violations, mattresses, appliances, commercial quantities, drawing…

New commercial and mixed-use development in San Mateo County's CMU-1 (Commercial Mixed Use-1) zoning district, the unincorporated North Fair Oaks area, must build at least one refuse…

In the unincorporated Service Area, County Code Chapter 4.04 establishes mandatory minimum residential collection: garbage, recycling, and organics carts picked up once a week…

Single-family homes in San Mateo County's densely-populated unincorporated areas must subscribe to their hauler's organic waste collection service under Ordinance Code Sec. 4.04.140…

Recycling is part of the mandatory minimum residential service under County Code Chapter 4.04, with single-stream recyclables collected weekly alongside garbage and organics. The…

Unincorporated San Mateo County residents may set carts out no more than 24 hours before pickup and must store them out of sight within 24 hours after the hauler empties them.

In unincorporated San Mateo County, it is a misdemeanor to loiter in, on, or about any building or place open to the public where alcoholic beverages are sold. The Ordinance Code…

San Mateo County parks generally ban liquor other than beer or wine; hard alcohol is allowed only in designated areas of Coyote Point County Park under Section 3.68.080(t).

San Mateo County bans smoking, including e-cigarettes and vaping, throughout its unincorporated area and on every county-owned or leased building wherever located. Section 4.96.040(c)…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, hosting a loud or unruly gathering of four or more people where a minor drinks, uses cannabis, or is served alcohol triggers social-host liability…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, blocking a sidewalk or public right-of-way with an obstruction or excavation is declared a nuisance under Ordinance Code Chapter 1.12. The County…

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires a Public Works permit for fences, sidewalks, driveways or landscaping placed in the county right-of-way, and fines unpermitted encroachments…

In the unincorporated Midcoast (El Granada, Miramar, Moss Beach, Montara), county design review rules require new home exterior lighting to be directed away from neighbors and confined…

Development in unincorporated North Fair Oaks' CMU-1 commercial district must use dark-sky-compliant lighting confined to the property, and flood lights are banned absent a safety…

Unincorporated San Mateo County taxes one specific business category rather than classifying businesses generally: vehicle rental operators. Ordinance Code Section 5.150.040 charges…

In the NMU-ECR District along El Camino Real in unincorporated North Fair Oaks, San Mateo County caps window signs at 25 percent of the window's glass area under Zoning Regulations…

California Civil Code Section 4710 universally prohibits homeowner associations from banning noncommercial political signs on owner-occupied separate interest property, overriding any…

County departments and staff are barred from using county resources to assist federal immigration enforcement absent a judicial warrant, under a countywide non-cooperation ordinance.

In the S-50 Combining District, layered onto R-2 (two-family) and R-3 (multi-family) parcels in unincorporated North Fair Oaks, San Mateo County requires a 20-foot front setback and a…

In the county's RH (Residential Hillside) zoning district, homes are capped at 28 feet measured from natural grade, with a lower 10-foot plate height for any part of a building that…

In the unincorporated North Fair Oaks S-50 combining district, buildings, accessory structures and raised patios or decks together cannot cover more than 50% of the lot.

San Mateo County Environmental Health posts a compliance placard at every inspected food facility under Ordinance Code § 4.56.070, and it is unlawful to operate without the placard…

Unincorporated San Mateo County property owners may not maintain a building, lot, vehicle or premises in a condition that lets rodents or other vermin breed or harbor there, under…

After a hearing finds repeated critical food-safety violations or unsafe staff practices, County Environmental Health can order a food facility to send all food-prep staff to an…

Unincorporated San Mateo County does not designate specific food truck vending zones but restricts operations through general zoning and parking rules. Food trucks may not vend from…

Unincorporated San Mateo County bans anyone from erecting, placing or maintaining a stand, vehicle, or any object on the public right-of-way of a county highway for peddling, under…

Mobile food facilities operating in unincorporated San Mateo County must obtain a Mobile Food Facility (MFF) permit from San Mateo County Health Environmental Health Services (EHS)…

Unincorporated San Mateo County bars youths under 18 from public places between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. weeknights, midnight to 5 a.m. weekends, plus school hours, subject to listed…

San Mateo County Ordinance Code Section 4.72.140 requires every recycled water or graywater system to be designed and installed in accordance with California law and the local Plumbing…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, a Historic Preservation Permit is required before altering, demolishing or relocating any structure designated a County Historic Landmark or located…

Unincorporated San Mateo County grants residential developers a density bonus of up to 35 percent above the zoned maximum, plus incentives, parking reductions, or waivers, when a…

Commercial cameras in unincorporated county parks need a written permit from the Parks Director before shooting, with a news-gathering exemption.

Camping on public property in unincorporated San Mateo County is banned once an available shelter bed exists, backed by written-warning enforcement, a 72-hour removal notice, and…

Unincorporated San Mateo County's Agricultural Awareness ordinance declares normal farm impacts on neighboring property acceptable and routes disputes to a grievance committee instead…

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…

New commercial development in North Fair Oaks' CMU-1 (Commercial Mixed Use-1) zoning district must plant street trees along any public sidewalk the project abuts, under Zoning…

California provides statewide protections for native oak woodlands and heritage trees through CEQA review, Public Resources Code, and Forest Practice Rules that apply uniformly.

Unincorporated San Mateo County charges a 10% transient occupancy tax on hotel stays of 30 days or less, collected by the operator.

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's Gambling Control Act bars any city or county from issuing a gambling license to a cardroom unless a local ordinance authorizes it first: one adopted by voters after…

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…

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 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…

California Public Resources Code 42270-42273, enacted by AB 1884 (2018), prohibits full-service restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by the customer…

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…