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.
Sunnyvale, CA
Sunnyvale permits construction noise Monday through Friday from 7 AM to 6 PM and Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM. No construction on Sundays or major holidays without ...
Sunnyvale, CA
Sunnyvale was one of the earliest California cities to ban gas-powered leaf blowers, ahead of statewide AB 1346. Only electric or battery blowers are allowed...
Sunnyvale, CA
Aircraft noise from Moffett Federal Airfield, NASA Ames, and San Jose International is preempted by federal FAA rules. Sunnyvale cannot regulate overflight n...
Sunnyvale, CA
Street parking in Sunnyvale is governed by SMC Title 10 and California Vehicle Code. The 72-hour rule (CVC 22651(k)) applies, and posted permit zones restric...
Sunnyvale, CA
Sunnyvale driveway construction and use are governed by SMC Title 19 zoning and Title 16 encroachment rules. Blocking sidewalks or the public right-of-way is...
Sunnyvale, CA
RVs, trailers, and boats over 6 feet tall or 22 feet long are restricted on Sunnyvale streets under SMC Title 10. Short-term loading is allowed with limits; ...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Santa Clara County.
See how Sunnyvale's minimum wage preemption rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.