Fountain Valley, CA

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, short-term rentals are banned outright, and repeat offenders face escalating administrative fines: up to $1,500 for a first violation…

The City of Fountain Valley, California sets up no permit for short-term rentals because Chapter 4.95 prohibits them outright. Section 4.95.030(b) forbids anyone to operate a…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a hosting platform is covered by the same ban that applies to property owners. Section 4.95.030 forbids any hosting platform to offer…

Orange County does not impose a separate extended home-share category for partial-unit rentals exceeding hosted-only night caps. All short-term rentals in unincorporated areas operate…

Short-term rental guests in unincorporated Orange County must observe the same exterior noise limits as any other resident: 55 decibels from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 50 decibels…

Zoning Code Section 7-9-93 requires unincorporated Orange County short-term rentals to provide at least two off-street parking spaces (garage and/or driveway) at all times. Vehicles…

Under Zoning Code Section 7-9-93, overnight occupancy of an unincorporated Orange County short-term rental is capped at two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons. The…

Short-term rental operators in unincorporated Orange County must collect a 10 percent Transient Occupancy Tax on rent, register with the Tax Administrator within 30 days, and file…

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…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Section 6.08.170 of the Municipal Code flatly bans burning refuse: no person shall burn refuse. Violations are punished under Chapter 1.16…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, the storage, sale, offer for sale, or handling of fireworks is prohibited under the City's amendment to Section 5601.1.3 of the 2022…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, fire rings and similar exterior devices at Group R occupancies must comply with Section 307.6 of the…

In unincorporated Orange County, propane and LP-gas storage follows the 2025 California Fire Code's Chapter 61 exactly: the county adopted it in its entirety with zero local…

In wildfire-prone unincorporated Orange County, owners must maintain defensible space around structures. California Public Resources Code 4291 requires clearance up to 100 feet around…

Much of unincorporated Orange County - especially the Silverado, Modjeska, and Trabuco canyon communities - lies in CAL FIRE-designated Very High, High, or Moderate Fire Hazard…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no person can feed, disturb or have physical contact with wildlife on city property unless the director of community services authorizes it…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Municipal Code § 21.30.040(1) bars keeping or maintaining livestock, fowl or other animals of any kind in any subdivision, with exceptions…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Municipal Code § 21.30.040(2) allows a maximum of three dogs and/or cats over six months of age as an accessory use. Other household pets…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a pet grooming business cannot operate as a home occupation. Section 21.42.040(3) lists animal hospitals and grooming facilities among the…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, veterinarians, animal hospitals, kennels and boarding facilities need a conditional use permit in the C1, C2 and M1 districts and are not…

In unincorporated Orange County, cat owners can voluntarily license their cats with proof of rabies vaccination, but licensing isn't mandatory unless the household keeps four or more…

OC Animal Care won't sell or give away an unredeemed female dog unless she's already neutered or the adopter pays a neutering deposit: there's no general spay/neuter mandate for pet…

At John Wayne Airport, Orange County's Rules of Conduct bar anyone from hunting, pursuing, trapping, catching, injuring or killing any bird or animal on Airport property without the…

In unincorporated Orange County, pet shops must get a license from the County Health Officer before selling live animals commercially: operating without one is a misdemeanor under the…

In unincorporated Orange County, keeping bees is classified as an agricultural use that needs a Site Development Permit. Apiaries are allowed only in the A1 Agriculture and OS Open…

Orange County does not ban any dog breed. California Food & Agricultural Code 31683 prohibits cities and counties from adopting breed-specific dog laws, except for spay/neuter or…

In unincorporated Orange County, dogs on public property must be on a chain or leash no longer than six feet and under a competent handler's control, unless the property owner permits…

Keeping a wild, exotic, dangerous, or nondomestic animal in unincorporated Orange County requires a license from the Animal Care Director, who sets conditions like caging or tethering…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, playing a radio, television or musical instrument between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. is a prima facie violation when audible 50 feet from the noise…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, leaf blowers in or within one hundred feet of a residential zone run only 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, exterior noise measured on residential property is capped at 55 dB(A) from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 dB(A) from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., reduced by…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, construction, repair, remodeling and grading noise is exempt from the noise chapter only between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a car stereo or other device audible from 100 feet away from a moving vehicle between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. is a prima facie noise violation…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, barking dog and animal nuisance violations carry civil fines that rise from $250 for a first citation to $403 for a sixth and later citation…

Orange County bars regularly scheduled commercial flights at John Wayne Airport from departing between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. (8 a.m. Sundays) or arriving between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. (8…

Unincorporated Orange County caps residential exterior noise at 50 dB(A) from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., down from the 55 dB(A) daytime limit.

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no one can stop, stand or park on Euclid Street, Brookhurst Street, Magnolia Street, Edinger Avenue, Warner Avenue or Talbert Avenue between…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, the City Council can set up residential permit parking districts by separate resolution under its Permit Parking System Policy. Once a…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no one can stop, stand or park a vehicle wider than 84 inches, longer than 22 feet or heavier than 10,000 pounds on any city street…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no recreational vehicle over 22 feet long, 84 inches wide or 10,000 pounds can park on a street 40 feet wide or less, curb to curb, or on a…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a yellow curb allows loading only, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. except Sundays and holidays, with 3 minutes for passengers and 20 minutes for materials…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, leaving an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle on private property, or on public property other than a highway, for more…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, nobody can paint a street or curb surface unless the city authorizes it. The only carve-out is address numbers painted in compliance with a…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no one can park in a parkway, within 20 feet of an approach to a traffic signal or stop sign, or on a street signed for sweeping. Any…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a vehicle parked in the open space of a residential front yard is a public nuisance under Municipal Code § 8.04.020(13) unless it is…

In unincorporated Orange County, electric vehicle charging stations are addressed by Zoning Code Sec. 7-9-107, which requires that they be installed and operated in compliance with the…

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…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, every pool needs a fence or solid structure at least five feet high with self-closing, self-latching gates, latched at 56 inches for pools…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a swimming pool needs a building permit unless it is a prefabricated, entirely above-ground pool accessory to a Group R occupancy that is…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, owners of property abutting a public street must keep hedges, trees, shrubs and plants from encroaching on the sidewalk, curb or street and…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no one can cut, trim, plant, prune, remove, injure or interfere with a tree, shrub or plant on a street, parkway or public place without…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, watering lawn or landscape with potable water is banned between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific Time every day of the year, and banned during and…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, planting areas must be kept weedfree at all times and turf mowed on a regular basis under Municipal Code § 21.20.060. The code sets no inch…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Municipal Code § 21.20.070 permits synthetic turf that is cut pile nylon, polypropylene or polyethylene with an eight-year no-fade warranty…

Unincorporated Orange County lets residents compost fruit and vegetable garden waste at home, but Section 7-9-102 requires compost piles be screened from neighboring properties…

Unincorporated Orange County exempts landscape projects that meet their entire water demand with on-site rainwater capture or graywater from the standard water-budget calculation…

AB-1572 prohibits using potable water to irrigate non-functional turf at commercial, institutional, and HOA-common areas, accelerating native and low-water landscape conversions…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a garage can be converted into an accessory dwelling unit through a ministerial building permit. Fountain Valley Municipal Code § 21.08.055…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, an accessory dwelling unit can be rented separately from the main house, but only for a term longer than 30 days. Fountain Valley Municipal…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, accessory dwelling units created after January 1, 2025 must be owner occupied, backed by a recorded covenant. Junior accessory dwelling…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, an impact fee can be imposed only on an accessory dwelling unit of 750 sq. ft. or larger, and it must be charged in proportion to the square…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, one detached accessory building cannot exceed 40% of the required rear yard area, all together 50%, and a shed over 120 sq. ft. must sit 5…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a new detached ADU can be up to 850 sq. ft. (1,000 sq. ft. with more than one bedroom), needs only a 4 ft side and rear setback, and is…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, fences not over six feet high and block walls not over three feet high are exempt from a building permit under the residential code…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a retaining wall that is not over four feet in height, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, is exempt from a…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, fences, walls, hedges and dense shrubs may not exceed three feet in a required front yard or six feet in side and rear yards, under…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Municipal Code § 21.18.070 prohibits barbed wire, razor wire and similar security wire, including broken glass, in all residential and…

Shared boundary fences in unincorporated Orange County are governed by California Civil Code Section 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Law. Adjoining owners are presumed equally responsible…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a small family day care home (eight or fewer children) or a large family day care home (nine to fourteen children) in a residential zone…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a home business cannot start without a home occupation permit approved by the director under Chapter 21.42. The city will not issue a…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a home business cannot sell products on the premises and cannot generate pedestrian or vehicular traffic beyond what is normal for its…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a home occupation cannot display any sign and cannot advertise using the home address, except in the telephone directory. Section…

Government Code section 51035 forbids any California city, county, or city and county from prohibiting a cottage food operation in a residential dwelling. The local agency must pick…

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…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no one can ride or propel a skateboard, or use rollerskates or rollerblades, in the civic center, the area bounded on the north by Slater…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, using tobacco products in any city park or recreation facility is unlawful once signs warning of the prohibition are posted. The rule names…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no pedestrian can cross an arterial highway within 400 feet of a crosswalk other than by the crosswalk. The city also bars mid-block…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, § 8.36.010 says no person shall drink any alcoholic beverage in any public place. Public place covers streets, parks, school grounds and…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, § 6.06.010 makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate on any private or public property except inside a restroom toilet facility or a…

Unreasonably loud or raucous noise in unincorporated Orange County residential areas between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. is a declared public nuisance, and owners or occupants who let it…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no owner or occupant can let solid waste sit for more than one calendar week, or refuse and cuttings for more than fifteen days. Waste must…

Single-family households in the City of Fountain Valley, California must subscribe to the city's organic waste collection service and sort material into the green, blue and gray…

Multi-family properties and businesses in the City of Fountain Valley, California that use commercial refuse bins need lidded bins, closed lids, no overfilling, pickup at least once…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, recyclables go only in the blue container, organic waste only in the organic container, and remaining solid waste in the gray non-organic…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, carts go to the curb before 6 a.m. on collection day but not before 6 p.m. the day before, and must be back in storage by 9 p.m. Between…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, trash and recycling collections happen only between 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. unless the city manager gives permission. Collection equipment…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, nobody who owns, controls or occupies a property can let refuse or cuttings pile up for more than fifteen days. Yard trimmings belong in the…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, every single-family household must subscribe to the city's organic waste collection service and sort food waste into the green container…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Chapter 6.04 makes it unlawful to dump, place or deposit trash, refuse, vegetable trimmings or rubbish on any private or public property. A…

In unincorporated Orange County, your franchised trash hauler isn't required to take furniture, appliances or anything over 50 pounds or 4 feet long unless your franchise agreement…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, hypodermic needles cannot be set out for trash collection unless they are broken and placed inside a plastic container that a needle cannot…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, vegetation likely to harbor rats or vermin is a public nuisance under Municipal Code § 8.04.020(16), and trash cart and commercial bin lids…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no person can be in a city park after its posted closing time or closing event. The City Council sets park closing times by separate…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, minors under eighteen cannot be in a public place or on the premises of an establishment from ten p.m. to six a.m. any night. Parents who…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, the community services director can issue a permit letting a group or individual use part of a city park to the exclusion of others for…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, any parade, procession, foot or bicycle race or assemblage likely to draw at least 75 people onto public streets needs a street permit…

Any festival, fair or carnival in the City of Fountain Valley, California, expected to draw 75 or more people needs a special events permit. Section 8.50.080 sets the operating rules…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, permanent outdoor dining needs a city-issued outdoor dining permit from the director of planning and building. Sidewalk tables must leave a…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, heating units at permanent outdoor dining areas must be an outdoor approved type and sit at least two feet from public walkways, umbrella…

Orange County requires a film permit before any commercial motion picture, television production, or still photography shoot on county-owned property or facilities in unincorporated…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, § 8.28.010 makes it unlawful to loiter, stand or sit on a public highway, alley, sidewalk or crosswalk so as to hinder or obstruct the free…

It is unlawful in the City of Fountain Valley, California, to camp in any public area or to store personal property there, including tents, tarps, cots and sleeping bags. The city can…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a vehicle, wagon or pushcart selling food cannot stand or park on any street except at a buyer's request and for no more than ten minutes at…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a sidewalk vendor needs a permit from the city manager before selling food or merchandise from a cart on a public sidewalk. Carts cannot…

Any mobile food preparation unit operating in Orange County needs a food vending permit from the County Health Care Agency, and operators must list three service stops with exact…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, habitability rules for rentals sit in the nuisance chapter, not a landlord-tenant chapter. Section 8.04.020(15) declares a dwelling that is…

California AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019) requires landlords countywide in Orange County to provide written notice of statewide rent caps and just-cause eviction protections…

The Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) administers Section 8 housing-choice vouchers for most unincorporated areas and many cities. Landlords are required to accept voucher…

Unincorporated Orange County has no local rent control ordinance. Tenants are protected by California's statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), which caps annual rent increases at…

Unincorporated Orange County has no local just cause eviction ordinance. California's Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482, Civil Code §1946.2) provides statewide just cause eviction…

Unincorporated Orange County does not require rental property registration. There is no countywide rental registry, landlord licensing, or rental inspection program for unincorporated…

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…

California requires written notice before raising a month-to-month tenant's rent. Under Civ. Code § 827, increases of 10% or less in 12 months need 30 days' notice; increases above 10%…

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…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no one can ride a bicycle, e-bike, moped or other electric conveyance in an unsafe manner on public property. The code names riding in a…

At John Wayne Airport, no driver may pick up or solicit passengers for hire, including rideshare fares, without a contract authorizing the pickup issued by the Board of Supervisors.

Unincorporated Orange County bars installation of any automated traffic enforcement system, including red-light cameras, on county streets or for traffic enforcement in unincorporated…

Unincorporated Orange County defines electric bicycles by Class 1, 2 and 3 under County Code § 6-4-102, then layers its own rules: no rider under 16 may operate a Class 3 e-bike…

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…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, § 8.40.010 makes it a misdemeanor to keep or run any place for profit where gambling games are played with cards, dice or any other device…

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…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no one can place a structure, fixture or object in the street right-of-way, including sidewalks and parkways, without an encroachment permit…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, basketball poles, tetherball poles and similar structures are banned from the parkway and the rest of the public right-of-way. Planter…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, the director of public works keeps a council-approved master list of street and parkway trees and designates the kind, variety, location and…

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

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, door-to-door solicitation is limited to the hours from nine a.m. to one hour before sunset under Municipal Code § 4.20.025. Chapter 4.20…

Anyone who peddles, sells or solicits orders door to door in the City of Fountain Valley, California, must apply for a permit under Municipal Code § 4.20.050. The application requires…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, flying a drone in a city park requires a permit obtained beforehand from the community services director. Section 12.08.060 lists drones…

Orange County prohibits operation of drones and radio-controlled devices in all county parks, beaches, and recreational areas under Section 2-5-42 of the Codified Ordinances except in…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a pawnbroker needs a city permit under Municipal Code Chapter 4.50, which requires fingerprints, a photograph and Orange County references…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, operating a sexually oriented/adult business requires both a sexually oriented/adult business permit and a city business license under…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no one can own or operate a massage establishment or outcall massage service without a city-issued permit under Municipal Code § 4.40.030…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a secondhand dealer is anyone buying, selling or dealing in secondhand goods, and Municipal Code Chapter 4.50 requires a permit…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, only tow companies designated by the Chief of Police as an "official police impound and garage and towing service" receive police-ordered…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, vehicle repair cannot be run as a home occupation. Section 21.42.040 bars automotive reconditioning, servicing, body work and painting…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a tattoo establishment needs a conditional use permit in the C1 and C2 commercial districts and is not allowed in the CP, CM or M1…

California requires statewide licensing of tobacco and vape retailers under the STAKE Act and the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act. Business and Professions Code 22970…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, every transient who occupies a room in a hotel pays a transient occupancy tax at a rate the City Council sets by resolution rather than in…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Section 14.18.040(w) prohibits using potable water for specified uses once the city gives the customer an analysis showing recycled water is…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Municipal Code § 21.20.050(c) applies water-efficient landscape rules to rehabilitated landscape projects of 2,500 square feet or more that…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Section 14.18.070(c) establishes a water waste hotline, by telephone and/or website at www.fountainvalley.org/199/Water-Division, for…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, common code violations under Municipal Code § 8.04.020 include junk visible from the street, appliances stored in view, front yard…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Chapter 14.40 bars illicit connections and prohibited discharges of pollutants to the stormwater drainage system, and a violation occurs…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no one can leave a motor vehicle or refrigeration trailer idling for more than ten minutes between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. when the engine noise…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, every graded construction site must be prepared and maintained to control erosion under Municipal Code § 18.06.100, which adopts the erosion…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, every special flood hazard area on the March 21, 2019 FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map is regulated, and a development permit is required…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, new residential construction and substantial improvements in a special flood hazard area must have the lowest floor, including basement…

A written County permit is required to build, extend, or alter any pier, dock, piling, bulkhead, or seawall in a County harbor, issued by the Harbors, Beaches and Parks Director.

Development within the coastal zone of unincorporated Orange County requires a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) under OCCO §7-9-127 and the California Coastal Act. The County has…

The City of Fountain Valley, California prohibits billboards and electronic message centers in every zoning district. Section 21.24.110 also bans electronic reader boards and…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a commercial or industrial business can cover no more than 30% of each window with signs, and only in the upper two thirds of the glass…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a residential parcel can display four temporary political or other non-commercial signs at any time. Nonresidential property gets one per…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, holiday decorations, cultural observance imagery and strings of lights fall outside the sign regulations under Municipal Code § 21.24.060…

In unincorporated Orange County, billboards facing highway traffic are allowed only in C1 and C2 commercial districts and need a Use Permit from the Zoning Administrator; permanent…

The City of Fountain Valley, California, bans commercial cannabis activity of every kind, including dispensaries, delivery services and any business licensed under Division 10 of the…

Orange County Ordinance No. 17-011 (codified at OCCO §7-9-146.8 through §7-9-146.14) strictly regulates personal cannabis cultivation in unincorporated areas. Indoor cultivation of up…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, no one can make, cause, accept or permit a delivery within 100 feet of residentially zoned property between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., or at any…

In unincorporated Orange County, portable and standby generators are classified as fixed noise sources under Division 6 and must meet the 55/50 dB(A) exterior noise limits set for…

In unincorporated Orange County, air conditioners and other equipment noise sources must stay within the county's Noise Zone 1 limits: 55 dB(A) daytime and 50 dB(A) nighttime on…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, the building official inspects parking area construction in three stages: subgrade, base and final. Under § 18.34.070, work cannot go past a…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, the City Council deleted the exceptions to Sections R313.1 and R313.2 of the residential code and added a retrofit rule: an addition or…

The City of Fountain Valley, California adopted the 2022 California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5, built on the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code with Appendices A, B, D and I) in Municipal…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, building work needs a permit unless § 18.04.020 exempts it. Exempt items include a one-story detached shed of 120 square feet or less with a…

The City of Fountain Valley, California adopted the 2022 California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3, built on the 2020 National Electrical Code) in Municipal Code § 18.20.010…

The City of Fountain Valley, California adopted the 2022 California Green Building Standards Code, known as CALGreen (Title 24, Part 11), in Municipal Code § 18.28.010. Chapter 18.28…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a child day care center serving fifteen or more children needs conditional use permit approval under Chapter 21.36 of the Municipal Code…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, the floor area ratio for R1 homes is capped at 0.55 with a design bonus of up to 0.08, and the total can never exceed 0.63. Bonuses reward…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, every business license falls into a lettered category under § 5.08.030, from Category A retail and Category B wholesale to Category F real…

The City of Fountain Valley, California runs an expedited, streamlined permitting process for small residential rooftop solar under Municipal Code Chapter 18.27, adopted to comply with…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a complete small residential rooftop solar application gets a permit the same day over the counter or within one to three business days when…

California's Solar Rights Act (Civil Code §714) provides strong protections for homeowners installing solar panels in unincorporated Orange County. HOAs cannot prohibit solar…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, every new subdivision must record conditions, covenants and restrictions (CC&Rs) with the Orange County recorder, effective at least thirty…

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…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, an R1 lot needs a 20 ft front setback, 5 ft side yards (10 ft on the street side) and a rear setback of 10 ft for one story or the lesser of…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, R1 and GH homes are capped at 30 ft and 2 stories, and the second story cannot exceed 70% of the first story's building area. No windows or…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, R1 lots can be covered up to 60% (50% on parcels of 10,000 sq. ft. or more), GH projects are held to 30% building coverage with a maximum of…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, a developer of a housing project of at least five units can seek a density bonus and concessions under Government Code Section 65915…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, estate, garage and yard sales are exempt from a temporary use permit only if a household holds no more than four events in any twelve-month…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Municipal Code § 21.18.060 sets exterior lighting standards: fixtures must be energy efficient and scaled to the use, parking lot light is…

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Municipal Code § 21.18.060(e) requires light, heat or glare from mechanical or chemical processes, or from reflective materials used or…

Unincorporated Orange County limits how bright and where billboard lighting can shine: direct light rays must stay on-site, and signs facing homes within 100 feet can't be lit at all.

In the City of Fountain Valley, California, Municipal Code § 21.20.040(b) requires single-family front yards to be landscaped within six months of the certificate of occupancy or three…

California's noxious weed list applies in Orange County. The OC Agricultural Commissioner enforces plant quarantines and pest regulations. The county's Water Efficient Landscape…

Unincorporated Orange County's Fire Code adds permit and clearance rules for outdoor fireplaces and fire pits at apartments and other Group R buildings, but portable barbecues and…

Orange County's Fire Code exempts backyard grills, smokers and other cooking-only devices from the setback rules that govern fire pits and fireplaces, but it still bans any outdoor…

Enrolled students filming non-commercial work on Orange County property still need a film permit, but the County waives the permit fee if they submit a class schedule and a school…

Still photography on County of Orange property or facilities requires a film permit; annual permits expire in one year or when the photographer's liability insurance lapses, whichever…

Unincorporated Orange County's A1 General Agricultural District permits farming, ranching and crop sales as by-right uses on a 4-acre minimum site.

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…

California AB 1884 prohibits OC full-service restaurants from automatically providing single-use plastic straws; customers must explicitly request one. Many OC coastal cities go…

California AB 1276 requires OC food facilities to provide single-use utensils, napkins, stirrers, and condiment packets only when customers request them or affirmatively select them at…

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…

Orange County does not require employers or contractors to use the federal E-Verify system, and California Assembly Bill 1065 prohibits cities and counties from forcing private…

In unincorporated Orange County, data centers are not a listed use in the M1 "Light Industrial" district, so they can proceed only with a discretionary Use Permit approved by the…

Unincorporated Orange County has no data-center-specific noise rule, but its Noise Control Ordinance caps exterior noise reaching any residential property at 55 dB(A) daytime (7…

Unincorporated Orange County requires every vacant lot to stay clear of rubbish, litter, and weeds, and empowers code enforcement to fence and secure the property if it becomes a…

Orange County, California does not experience snowfall in its unincorporated communities and has no snow removal or sidewalk snow-clearing ordinance. Coastal and inland Southern…

In unincorporated Orange County, property that is not maintained to the standards in County Codified Ordinance Title 3, Division 13 (Property Maintenance) and is detrimental to public…

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…

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 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…

California bans retail sale of most flavored tobacco products statewide under Health and Safety Code 104559.5, enacted by SB 793 (2020) and upheld by voters via Proposition 31 in…

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…