Santa Clara County has no county-specific minimum wage above the California state floor for unincorporated areas. Workers in unincorporated SCC follow the state rate set by SB-3, while San Jose and other cities maintain higher local minimums.
Unlike Los Angeles County, Santa Clara County has not enacted a countywide minimum wage ordinance for unincorporated areas. Workers in SCC unincorporated zones (covering Stanford, Alum Rock pockets, Coyote Valley, and South County rural lands) earn at least the California statewide floor of $16.50 per hour as of January 2025, indexed annually under SB-3. Most populated SCC area sits inside cities that adopted higher rates: San Jose ($17.95), Sunnyvale ($19.00), Mountain View ($19.20), Cupertino ($18.20), Palo Alto ($18.20), and Santa Clara ($18.20). The California Labor Commissioner enforces the state floor; cities enforce their own ordinances independently.
California Labor Commissioner imposes wage citations of $100 per first violation and $250 per subsequent violation, plus restitution of unpaid wages and liquidated damages equal to unpaid amounts. Willful violations trigger criminal misdemeanor liability under Labor Code §1199.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara regulates amplified sound and music through City Code Chapter 9.10, requiring permits for amplified events and prohibiting audible music at 50 fe...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara regulates outdoor music at venues including Levis Stadium and Santana Row under City Code Chapter 9.10 and conditional use permits, with amplifie...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara requires encroachment permits for new driveways, limits driveway width by zoning, and prohibits parking across sidewalks regardless of property o...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara tows abandoned vehicles after 72 hours under CVC 22651(k) and participates in the Santa Clara County Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program for priv...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara limits recreational vehicle street parking to 72 hours, requires permits for extended street storage, and restricts driveway RV storage under zon...
Santa Clara, CA
Santa Clara fences must meet height, material, setback, and visibility standards under City Code Title 18 Zoning, with special rules for corner lots, histori...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how Santa Clara's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
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