California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946) preempts most local bans on sidewalk vending, allowing only objective health, safety, and welfare regulations.
California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act, codified at Government Code sections 51036-51039, sharply limits how cities and counties can restrict sidewalk vendors. Local jurisdictions may not prohibit sidewalk vending in residential or commercial areas as a categorical matter. They may impose objective health, safety, and welfare regulations such as time, place, and manner restrictions, but must allow vending in most locations. Outright bans, perceived economic competition concerns, and most permit caps are preempted. SB 972 (2022) further amended the Retail Food Code to ease vendor compliance with safety standards. Violations of the act can be enforced only as administrative citations, not criminal penalties.
Cities enforcing prohibited bans face injunctive relief and attorney fees. Vendor citations exceeding allowed amounts must be reduced. Criminal enforcement against vendors is preempted.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Santa Cruz, CA
No Santa Cruz-specific ordinance directly regulates aircraft noise in flight; such regulation is federally preempted by the FAA, and California PUC 21669 set...
Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz prohibits barbed-wire fences, electrified or not, without a conditional fence permit, and bars any fence that creates a fire or traffic hazard. Ca...
Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz zoning code (SCMC 24.12.620) allows a maximum of six domestic animals on any residential lot, of which no more than three may be dogs and no more ...
Santa Cruz, CA
California restricts exotic pets through the Fish & Game Code and CDFW regulations — ferrets and hedgehogs are illegal statewide, and many wild/exotic specie...
Santa Cruz, CA
The City of Santa Cruz allows backyard recreational and warming fires daily unless wildfire danger is high. The fire must be no more than 3 feet in diameter ...
Santa Cruz, CA
The City of Santa Cruz has a Heritage Tree ordinance requiring a permit to remove heritage or significant trees, even on private property, with replacement r...
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