Fresno, CA

Fresno's official fence handout for Section 15-2006 lists allowed materials (wrought iron, tubular steel, wood, masonry, stucco, decorative concrete, hedges, and chain link in limited…

A standard residential fence not over 7 feet does not require a building permit in Fresno, but it must still meet the zoning standards of Section 15-2006; fences in the public…

California Civil Code §841 (the Good Neighbor Fence Act) presumes shared boundary fences are a mutual benefit and requires neighbors to split reasonable costs of construction and…

Fresno measures a retaining wall's height from the ground on its highest side and caps a fence-on-wall combination at 7 feet unless the Director signs off on a taller stack. Retaining…

Fresno limits fences in the required front yard to 3 feet (4 feet if 80% open wrought iron/tubular steel), allows up to 6 feet in interior side, rear, and street-side yards, and caps…

Fresno lets residential parcels larger than 36,000 square feet keep horses, cows, goats, sheep, and other large animals. The Development Code caps large animals at two per acre…

Fresno confines by-right veterinary clinics to just two of its six commercial districts, CC and CR, under Development Code Table 15-1202; the CMS, CG, CH, and CRC columns permit none…

Unlike dogs, cats in Fresno are explicitly carved out of the City's 'at large' enforcement scheme. Municipal Code Section 10-308(a) makes it unlawful for an owner to let 'any animal…

California AB 485 requires Fresno pet stores selling dogs, cats, or rabbits to source only from public shelters or rescue organizations. Retail sale of breeder-supplied puppies…

Fresno's Pet Responsibility Act, Section 10-329, escalates penalties every time the same dog is caught at large: a warning first, a $100 citation second, a $200 citation third, and on…

Under Fresno Municipal Code section 15-2707, residential properties smaller than 36,000 square feet may keep no more than 4 animals (any combination of dogs and cats over 4 months…

California Fish and Game Code §251.3 prohibits feeding big game, furbearing mammals, and non-game mammals statewide. FMC §9-2810 also prohibits feeding of feral cats, pigeons, rodents…

Fresno doesn't require spaying or neutering on day one, but its 'Pet Responsibility Act' (Municipal Code Section 10-329) makes it mandatory for repeat offenders: an owner whose dog is…

Fresno does not impose breed-specific dog bans. California Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 preempts breed-specific dog regulation statewide, providing that 'no program…

Fresno Municipal Code Section 10-308 bars any animal except a cat from being at large anywhere in the city, and Section 10-301(b) defines that as roaming a public street, alley or…

Fresno's Development Code bars bee keeping entirely in residential districts, regardless of lot size: both the Household Pets rules for lots up to 36,000 square feet and the Large…

Fresno's Development Code classifies dog-bathing salons, pet-grooming shops, and pet stores as "Grooming and Pet Stores" and permits the use by right in four of six commercial…

Exotic pets follow California Fish & Game Code §2118 and 14 CCR §671 restricted species lists. Ferrets, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, and most non-native wildlife are illegal statewide…

Fresno County bans killing, wounding, chasing or capturing any wild bird or animal in county parks and recreation areas under Code Section 13.16.030(F). The rule covers all county park…

Fresno's local Fire Code amendments require a construction permit before anyone installs or modifies an LP-gas system or tank once it holds more than 124 gallons, and require full…

Open burning is prohibited within the City of Fresno except with an operational permit issued under the Fresno Municipal Code and San Joaquin Valley Air District rules, or for limited…

Fresno Fire Department policy authorizes officers to halt any otherwise-allowed outdoor fire when atmospheric conditions or local circumstances make it hazardous, providing a local…

California Health and Safety Code §13113.7 and FMC Chapter 15 require smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every story of dwellings. Fresno Fire enforces…

Backyard fire pits, fire rings, burn bowls and chimineas are legal in Fresno for cooking or recreation, but the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) Rule 4901…

Within the City of Fresno, fruit stands, retail sales lots and Christmas tree lots are not allowed to burn for any reason and may not use wood stoves, portable fireplaces, chimineas…

Unlike most California cities, Fresno permits state-approved 'Safe and Sane' fireworks bearing the State Fire Marshal seal. They may be used year-round between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00…

Fresno's solid waste code normally requires every collection container to stay closed with no odor or vermin, but home composting gets a carve-out. Under FMC § 6-205(c)(6), a…

Fresno bans outdoor watering outside the city's official schedule. FMC § 6-520(a)(6) prohibits sprinkling or irrigating 'any yard, ground, premise, or vegetation except as set forth in…

Fresno Municipal Code Section 10-605(d) declares six categories of weeds a public nuisance on any property, from downy seed-bearing weeds and tumbleweed to dry grass that has become a…

Fresno encourages native and drought-tolerant plantings under its Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (WELO) adopted from state Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. New…

Rainwater harvesting from rooftops is legal in Fresno under California Water Code §10574 and AB 1750 (Rainwater Capture Act of 2012). No permit is required for simple rain barrels or…

Street trees in the Fresno public right-of-way are jointly the responsibility of the property owner and the city Urban Forestry division. Property owners must maintain 14-foot…

Artificial turf is legal in Fresno front and back yards. California Civil Code §4735 prohibits HOAs from banning artificial turf, and AB 349 (2015) further protects the right to…

Removing or trimming a city street tree in Fresno requires a Director-issued permit under FMC § 13-305(d), with work performed under a certified arborist and completed by a…

Fresno lets residential blocks petition for a permit parking district when commuter vehicles from a nearby hospital or university crowd out on-street spaces; the Council designates the…

Recreational vehicles, boats and trailers may only be stored on private residential property if fully enclosed in a legal structure or kept in a side or rear yard behind a solid wall…

Fresno follows California CALGreen Tier 1 EV charging requirements for new residential and non-residential construction and allows single-family EV charger installations under a…

Fresno bars anyone but the city from painting a street or curb surface under FMC § 14-409, protecting the curb-color system the City Traffic Engineer uses to mark parking and loading…

Fresno has no blanket citywide overnight on-street parking ban; instead vehicles are limited by the 72-hour storage rule (FMC 14-1006), so a passenger vehicle may legally remain…

Fresno Municipal Code section 14-1006 prohibits storing any vehicle on a city street for longer than 72 consecutive hours, regardless of whether a sign is posted. The Parking Division…

Fresno Municipal Code Section 10-605(h) makes it a public nuisance to park or store a vehicle on an unpaved surface anywhere on a property, and the ordinance presumes the property…

Fresno manages curb space through a five-color paint system, red, yellow, white, green, and blue, each with its own time limit and purpose, set under city code and enforceable the…

Broken-down, inoperable or non-functional vehicles may not remain on city streets or private property in Fresno unless fully enclosed in a garage; a car cover does not satisfy the…

Fresno's Parking Division specifically lists commercial vehicles parked in residential areas as a regulated neighborhood-preservation issue, alongside vehicles blocking sidewalks and…

Fresno County's own towing rules sit in Chapter 11.46, adopted by Ord. No. 24-009 on June 4, 2024. The Sheriff-Coroner may seize a vehicle for up to 30 days when a driver is arrested…

Fresno does not require the owner to live on-site for a standard Accessory Dwelling Unit, but a Junior ADU is different: FMC § 15-2754(F)(1) requires the owner to reside in either the…

Fresno bars short-term rental of Accessory Dwelling Units: FMC § 15-2754(F)(3) requires any Second Dwelling Unit that is rented to be leased for 30 consecutive days or longer, closing…

Fresno processes Accessory Dwelling Units ministerially under FMC § 15-2754, allowing up to two ADUs plus one JADU on a single-unit lot. ADUs can reach 50% of the primary home's floor…

Fresno permits a Tiny House on Wheels as an Accessory Dwelling Unit under FMC § 15-2754(C)(1)(a), but only if it meets every ADU standard in the section plus three extra conditions…

Converting a garage to living space in Fresno generally means creating an Accessory Dwelling Unit under Fresno Municipal Code Section 15-2754, and California Government Code Section…

In Fresno a one-story detached tool/storage shed of 120 square feet or less, no more than 12 feet high, and at least 3 feet from property lines needs no building permit; accessory…

Fresno County charges no impact fees, including school fees, on an accessory dwelling unit under 750 square feet; larger ADUs pay a fee prorated to their square footage against the…

Fresno's short-term rental ordinance runs on a strike system: FMC § 7-1249(g) requires a written warning for a permit holder's first nuisance violation, while "all subsequent…

The City of Fresno's published STR requirements do not set a specific overnight-guest or per-bedroom cap. Allowable occupancy is governed by the zone clearance and the underlying…

Fresno STR operators must register twice with the City: by obtaining a Short Term Rental Permit (after zone clearance) and by applying for a Transient Occupancy Tax Certificate so they…

Fresno STR permits require one off-street parking space per bedroom, with a minimum of two spaces for whole-house rentals. Guest vehicles may not block driveways, sidewalks, or fire…

Fresno's short-term rental chapter makes TOT collection a condition of the permit itself: owners must collect and remit Transient Occupancy Tax under Article 6, with that revenue…

Fresno generally treats stays of 30 days or more as long-term tenancies rather than short-term rentals. Hosts shifting to extended home-share arrangements escape STR permit…

Fresno conditions every short-term rental permit on compliance with the city's noise rules. FMC § 7-1249(d)(6) requires an STR owner to comply "with all applicable laws, including the…

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…

Fresno Municipal Code section 10-105(a) treats radios, instruments, phonographs, and amplification devices as regulated noise sources, and section 10-108 requires anyone using a…

Fresno does not impose a citywide ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, but operation is restricted under the general noise nuisance provisions of FMC Chapter 10. Landscape maintenance is…

Fresno Municipal Code section 10-109(a) exempts permitted construction, remodeling, site preparation, and grading from the Noise Ordinance only when the work takes place between 7:00…

Fresno's Noise Ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 10, Article 1) sets zone- and time-based exterior sound limits. In residential districts the limit is 50 dBA from 10 PM to 7 AM, 55 dBA…

Fresno Municipal Code section 9-2701(a) makes it unlawful to keep any dog which by habitual and continual barking, howling, or whining disturbs the peace and comfort of any…

Fresno cannot regulate in-flight aircraft noise (federally preempted), so the controlling standards are California's. Public Utilities Code section 21669 directs the state to adopt…

Fresno County caps exterior noise measured at any affected home, school, hospital, church, or library on a sliding five-category scale, from 50 dBA daytime and 45 dBA nighttime for…

Fresno Citywide Development Code Section 15-2735(E) requires that the residential appearance of the unit be maintained and that no exterior indication of a home occupation is…

Fresno Citywide Development Code Section 15-2735(E) generally bars customer visits except for personal instruction (musical, art, tutoring), which is capped at eight clients/students…

Fresno Citywide Development Code Section 15-2735(E)(14) permits Cottage Food Preparation as a home occupation, subject to California Government Code 51035 and Health and Safety Code…

Fresno Citywide Development Code Section 15-2735 allows home occupations in all residential units citywide regardless of zoning, but limits the business to 25 percent of the dwelling's…

A small family child care home (up to 8 kids) is a by-right residential use in Fresno with no permit or business tax certificate required, while a large home (7 to 14 kids) needs a…

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…

Every residential swimming pool, spa, or hot tub in Fresno that holds more than 18 inches of water must be surrounded by an enclosure at least 60 inches high, with self-closing…

Building a swimming pool or spa in Fresno requires a construction permit, and whenever that permit is issued for a new or remodeled pool the pool must be equipped with at least two of…

Fresno limits Smoke Shops to seven per City Council District and requires every new one to win a Conditional Use Permit under Fresno Municipal Code Section 15-2761. New shops also…

Fresno requires a Conditional Use Permit for any Adult-Oriented Business and keeps them at least 1,000 feet from residential districts, schools, parks, religious institutions, and…

Fresno bars anyone from operating as a pawnbroker or secondhand dealer without a Police Chief-issued permit under FMC § 9-607, and Article 6 layers on strict operating rules: a…

Fresno regulates tattoo and body modification businesses under FMC § 15-2758, requiring registration with the Fresno County Department of Health and a posted notice barring anyone…

Fresno requires a Police Chief-issued permit before anyone buys, sells, or trades secondhand goods, or operates as a pawnbroker, under FMC § 9-607. Dealers must file daily transaction…

Fresno bars anyone from practicing massage for compensation, or operating a massage business, without CAMTC certification and a City Registration Certificate, under FMC Sec. 9-1603…

Fresno dispatches tow trucks for police-ordered tows strictly from a rotation list capped at 20 companies under FMC Sec. 9-1707, with companies vetted by background investigation…

Fresno limits ground-floor window signs to one per window and requires storefronts to keep at least 75 percent of the glass transparent and free of signage. A narrower category of…

Fresno bans new billboards outright, but a replacement billboard swapped in for an existing legal one under Business and Professions Code § 5412 may feature electronic copy at the City…

Fresno's sign code draws a hard line along its freeways: no pole sign may stand within 660 feet of the nearest travel lane of Freeway 41, 180, or 168 if visible from the road, and…

Fresno's Temporary Uses standards limit garage sale signs to the actual hours of the sale: FMC § 15-2760(A)(1)(e) requires signs to come down when the sale ends and bars placing them…

Fresno County exempts holiday displays and decorations from zoning sign permits, but only for 60 days and only if they do not create a traffic hazard or sit in a visual setback area…

Political signs are constitutionally protected content-neutral speech under Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015). Fresno County cannot regulate political signs differently from other…

A true sidewalk cafe in Fresno's public right-of-way needs its own Zone Clearance plus a City Engineer-approved encroachment permit under FMC 15-2744(C), and the operator must keep six…

Fresno requires a special event permit from the Controller for any parade, marked out in advance with a route, and must finish moving from start to end point in three hours or less…

Fresno Municipal Code § 5-509 requires prior permission from the PARCS Director before any group of more than 25 people uses a park area, and requires a written application at least 15…

Fresno doesn't set a blanket rule for patio heaters. FMC 15-2744(A)(3) leaves misters and heaters at outdoor dining areas up to the Review Authority's discretion, approved case by case…

Fresno classifies a street fair as an 'Other Special Event' under its parade and special events ordinance, requiring a Controller-issued permit whenever the fair occupies a city…

Fresno lets a project satisfy its 12-foot sidewalk-width requirement by expanding the sidewalk into the roadway on a metal or wood deck instead of setting back the building or…

Fresno defines a block party as a festive residential-street gathering that requires closing the street to traffic, and treats it as a special event needing a Controller-issued permit…

Fresno Municipal Code § 14-1805 bans roller skating, skateboarding, and any metal-tread-wheel device on streets the city has designated as "mall streets": the pedestrian business…

Fresno Municipal Code Sections 9-2501 and 9-2502 make it a misdemeanor to loiter in any public place, or any place visible from the public, in a manner and under circumstances…

Fresno's Social Host Ordinance, Municipal Code Article 30, makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly host or allow a party on private property under your control where anyone under 21 is…

Fresno's smoking ban is written for enclosed spaces, so parks and open patios aren't covered -- except at the city's two airports, where Section 10-1105(m) expressly extends the…

Fresno makes it 'unlawful and a public nuisance to urinate or defecate in public' under FMC Sec. 10-1702(c), which incorporates the citywide 'committing a nuisance' offense defined in…

Fresno Municipal Code Section 9-2503 bars drinking beer, wine or any intoxicating beverage on any street, sidewalk, alley, playground, or parking lot open to the general public…

Fresno's Smoking Pollution Control Ordinance defines "smoking" to include any lighted or heated plant product intended for inhalation, natural or synthetic, and Section 10-1105 bans…

Fresno requires every sidewalk food vendor to hold a Business License and County health permit under FMC Sec. 10-2604(a), then layers on numeric buffer rules, no stationary food vendor…

Fresno bans sidewalk vending within set distances of freeway ramps, other vendors, homes, and business kitchens, and shuts down vending entirely in the Tower District overnight…

Under the Mobile Vendor Ordinance, no one may sell food, drinks, or merchandise from a truck, trailer, or cart in Fresno without a Mobile Vendor Permit from the City Manager, plus a…

Fresno's blue-cart recycling program isn't a suggestion: it's written into the Municipal Code as a sorting mandate. FMC § 6-205(c)(3)(ii) requires customers to place organics in the…

Every Fresno resident and business must subscribe to organics collection alongside trash and recycling: it isn't optional. FMC § 6-206(a) requires every person owning or occupying a…

Fresno Municipal Code § 10-611 makes unauthorized dumping and illegal storage of junk, rubbish, or vehicles on land a public nuisance, punishable by escalating administrative citations…

Fresno Municipal Code § 6-202(ll) defines "green waste material" as decomposable landscape debris, clippings, leaves, brush, and prunings under 4 inches in diameter, that must go in…

You can't just call any hauler for a construction dumpster in Fresno. FMC § 6-222(a) requires roll-off collection service to come from a company holding a non-exclusive franchise from…

Fresno requires every residence and business to put waste out at least once a week, and it sets a strict clock for the cart itself: FMC § 6-205(c)(11) bars setting an automated…

Fresno Municipal Code § 6-205(c)(10) bars storing a trash, recycling, or organics container in a front or side yard facing the street unless it's screened from view, though the…

Fresno Municipal Code § 6-206(a) makes trash, recycling, and organics collection service mandatory for every residence and business, and § 6-205(b) requires accumulated material to be…

Fresno Municipal Code § 6-205(c)(5) requires customers with more waste than their carts can hold to order and pay for a "special haul" at the Master Fee Schedule rate, or transport the…

Fresno mandates recycling participation under state laws including AB 341, AB 1826, and SB 1383. All residents must use the blue recycling cart for paper, cardboard, plastics (#1-7)…

Fresno does not have a local rent control ordinance. However, the statewide California Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) applies to most residential rental properties in Fresno. AB 1482…

California caps Fresno security deposits at one month's rent for most residential tenancies under AB 12, effective July 2024. Landlords must itemize deductions and return the balance…

Fresno landlords invoking AB 1482 no-fault eviction must pay the tenant one month's rent in relocation assistance or waive the final month's rent. Payment is due at notice service for…

California law protects Fresno tenants from landlord harassment intended to force them out, including utility shut-offs, lockouts, and threats based on immigration status. Violations…

California Government Code prohibits Fresno landlords from refusing tenants because they pay rent with Section 8 vouchers or other lawful subsidies. Source of income is a protected…

California AB 1482 requires Fresno landlords to give tenants a written notice explaining statewide rent-cap and just-cause protections. The disclosure must appear in the lease or as a…

Fresno's Rental Housing Improvement Act (FMC Sec. 10-1601 et seq.) makes maintaining a habitable rental unit a citywide code requirement, not just a private landlord-tenant dispute…

AB 1482 limits Fresno no-fault evictions to specific reasons including owner move-in, substantial remodel, withdrawal from rental market, or government order. Landlords must give…

Fresno Housing Authority administers federal Section 8 housing-choice vouchers in Fresno. Landlords accepting vouchers enter a Housing Assistance Payments contract and submit to…

Fresno requires all residential rental properties to be registered with the City under the Rental Housing Improvement Act (FMC Chapter 10, Article 11). Registration must be completed…

Fresno does not have a local just-cause eviction ordinance, but the statewide AB 1482 provides just-cause eviction protections for tenants who have occupied a unit for 12 or more…

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%…

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…

Fresno's Noise Ordinance names generators, motors and compressors as regulated machinery under Municipal Code Section 10-105(c). Running one loud enough to disturb neighbors is…

Fresno bars and nightclubs must keep doors and windows closed after 10 p.m. to contain noise and self-monitor decibel levels under FMC 15-2751(L), though the closed-door rule drops…

Fresno's Public Safety Alarm System Ordinance regulates burglary, robbery, fire, and medical alarm systems in buildings, but Section 10-814(a) expressly states the article does not…

Fresno County caps noise from air conditioning and refrigeration equipment at 55 dBA for units installed before July 1, 1980, and 50 dBA for units installed or in use after that date…

Fresno County bars residential waste and garbage collection with truck-mounted loading or compacting equipment before 6 a.m. or after 7 p.m., and phases in stricter noise ceilings for…

Under the Rental Housing Improvement Act, Fresno's City Attorney inspects a randomly selected percentage of units at every registered rental property for state Civil Code health and…

Fresno County's Code Enforcement Division investigates substandard housing and dangerous building complaints under Chapter 15.32 and can order repairs within 45 days. State law…

Fresno Municipal Code § 10-1510 requires owners of parcels along the San Joaquin River bluffs to maintain a 30-foot firebreak around inhabited dwellings from April 15 through September…

New or substantially improved homes in a Fresno flood hazard area must have their lowest floor built to the elevation set by the California Residential Building Code's flood provision…

Fresno requires loading docks next to commercial, office, or residential-adjacent sites to post signage capping truck idling at five minutes, and separately requires drive-through…

Fresno folds erosion and sediment control into its storm water ordinance rather than a separate grading code: new development and redevelopment projects must use Best Management…

Fresno's Urban Storm Water Quality Management and Discharge Control Ordinance bans non-storm-water discharges into the city's storm drain system and requires everyone who might pollute…

Fresno requires a building permit before any construction, fill, or alteration begins within a mapped area of special flood hazard. The rule covers all FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard…

The California Coastal Act does not apply in Fresno County. Fresno County is inland in the San Joaquin Valley with no Pacific coastline, and no portion of the county falls within the…

Fresno bans camping on any public property and on private property, with narrow exceptions, under FMC Sec. 10-1702, treating it, and washing in public fountains, as a public nuisance…

Fresno's Recycled Water Ordinance requires a signed user agreement before anyone can receive or use recycled water, conditions certain new developments in the Recycled Water Project…

Fresno doesn't run a leak hotline mandate, but the code makes leaks a legal problem for the owner regardless: FMC § 6-520(a)(2) bars keeping any 'water connection...which is not tight…

Fresno adopts the 2025 California Plumbing Code by reference as the "Fresno Plumbing Code" under Municipal Code § 11-107, effective October 31, 2025. Chapter 1 of the Fresno Building…

Fresno enforces electrical work under the 2025 California Electrical Code, which itself incorporates the 2023 National Electrical Code with state amendments. Municipal Code § 11-104…

Fresno's only local elevator provision applies when an existing commercial or industrial building in central Fresno is converted to Joint Living and Work Quarters: existing elevators…

Fresno's local fire code amendment requires an automatic sprinkler system in every new building or structure once its fire area reaches 4,999 square feet, in any occupancy group…

Every Fresno building permit fee is set by the City's Master Fee Resolution, with an added charge when plans are unusually complex or get changed enough to need extra review time…

Fresno's Building Official can combine multiple trades' inspections into one visit, in the same chronological order they'd normally happen, under a local amendment to the California…

Fresno adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) by reference under Municipal Code § 11-109 as the "Fresno CALGreen Code." A separate local amendment, Section…

State law sets the rule for Fresno: California Health and Safety Code Section 17926 requires every owner of a Fresno dwelling with a gas heater, fireplace, or attached garage to…

Fresno County Zoning Ordinance Section 834.4.100 sets locational rules for child day care centers and large family day care homes on top of state licensing law. Centers must access a…

Fresno requires an encroachment permit from the Public Works Director before anyone occupies or uses the public right-of-way for a private purpose. FMC § 13-219 conditions approval on…

Fresno property owners whose lots front a public street must maintain and repair the abutting sidewalk under FMC § 13-217, following the standards in Streets and Highways Code Chapter…

Fresno bans standing or sitting in any street in a way that blocks or annoys people passing by, and bans blocking the entrance to a church, hall, theatre, or other place of public…

Fresno's Development Code regulates outdoor artificial light under Municipal Code Section 15-2015 to protect the night sky and keep glare off neighboring parcels. New lighting…

Fresno County requires exterior lighting on private property to be directed downward and shielded so light and glare stay within the parcel, under Zoning Ordinance Section 820.3.080…

Fresno County caps how billboard and sign lighting may be aimed: illumination must concentrate on the sign face itself and minimize glare onto streets or neighboring parcels, under…

Fresno's Citywide Development Code protects specific trees from removal: Heritage Trees, multi-trunk trees with a 12-inch-plus trunk, any tree 12 inches or more in diameter, and all…

New development in Fresno must plant at least one parkway tree per lot, spaced no more than forty feet apart, from a minimum five-gallon container, under FMC § 13-304(c). Only species…

Fresno designates exceptional trees as Heritage Trees under Municipal Code Section 15-2308(B), and once listed a tree cannot be removed, pruned, or materially altered without a Tree…

Fresno Municipal Code Section 15-4003 lists the minimum provisions every homeowners association's CC&Rs must contain -- from maintaining shared utilities to letting the City into…

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 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…

Fresno bars motor vehicles from driving or parking in a marked bike lane except for a short list of reasons: entering or leaving the roadway, a right turn within 200 feet of the…

Fresno Municipal Code Article 34 requires any operator renting out shared e-scooters, e-bikes or similar devices in the public right-of-way to first obtain a City permit and franchise…

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…

Fresno's Transient Room Tax Ordinance taxes anyone occupying a hotel room, motel, or similar lodging for 30 consecutive days or less; the rate itself is fixed by the Council's Master…

California Civil Code §1954.603 requires Fresno landlords to give written bed bug disclosures to tenants, prohibits renting infested units, and obligates pest control. Local…

California Senate Bill 602 requires all Fresno restaurant food handlers to obtain an ANSI-accredited food handler card within 30 days of hire and keep it current every three years.

California Health and Safety Code §118286 prohibits placing home-generated sharps in trash or recycling bins. Fresno residents must use approved sharps containers and drop them at…

Fresno Municipal Code § 11-305 makes property owners responsible for furnishing and maintaining devices, equipment, or facilities that prevent insect and rodent infestation, and for…

California AB 1276 (Public Resources Code §42271) requires Fresno restaurants and food delivery platforms to provide single-use utensils, condiments, and napkins only upon customer…

California Assembly Bill 1884 (Public Resources Code §42270) prohibits Fresno full-service restaurants from automatically providing single-use plastic straws; customers must…

Fresno does not ban expanded polystyrene foam foodware, unlike many California coastal cities. State law SB 54 phases down all single-use plastic foodware by 2032, indirectly limiting…

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 SB 793, upheld by 2022 voter referendum Proposition 31, bans the sale of most flavored tobacco products statewide, including in Fresno, with limited exceptions for premium…

California Senate Bill 7 (Business and Professions Code §22963) bans tobacco and vape sales to anyone under 21 in Fresno, requiring photo ID checks for purchasers who appear under 30.

Below the San Joaquin River bluff edge, Fresno's Bluff Protection Initiative bans lighting any fire or open flame -- including cooking fires and barbecues -- except in designated…

Fresno lets homeowners in Single-Unit Districts add an outdoor, enclosed, or second kitchen under FMC § 15-2753, but an enclosed cooking area over 110 square feet must instead meet the…

Licensed cannabis retailers may deliver to Fresno addresses under California Business and Professions Code §26090 and 16 CCR §5416, with required vehicle GPS tracking, $5,000 cash…

Fresno requires commercial cannabis retailers to maintain at least 800-foot buffers from schools, daycare centers, youth centers, and other cannabis retailers under FMC §9-3309 and…

California Proposition 64 and Health & Safety Code §11362.2 allow Fresno residents 21+ to cultivate up to six cannabis plants indoors per private residence, but outdoor home…

Under California Proposition 64 and Health & Safety Code Section 11362.2, adults 21 and older may cultivate up to six cannabis plants per household for personal use. Fresno follows…

Fresno confines cannabis retail to ten commercial and mixed-use zones under FMC 15-2739(B): DTN, DTG, CMS, CC, CR, CG, CH, NMX, CMX, and RMX. Every retail building must sit at least…

Fresno permits card rooms only under the City of Fresno Card Room Ordinance, capping the city at no more than 51 card tables total and requiring 10 to 51 tables per room, with a card…

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…

The City of Fresno's own Noise Ordinance (Municipal Code Chapter 10, Article 1) sets sound levels by district: 60 dBA daytime, 55 evening, and 50 dBA overnight in residential areas…

The City of Fresno has no data-center ordinance and no "data center" use category. Data centers site in the IL Light Industrial and IH Heavy Industrial districts, permitted by right as…

Article 15's Downtown Districts (DTN, DTG, DTC) carry their own façade and streetscape rulebook implementing the Downtown Neighborhoods Community Plan. Section 15-1505 dictates…

Fresno applies California's State Density Bonus Law, granting up to 50 percent extra units, height waivers, and parking concessions for projects that include affordable, senior, or…

Fresno's business license is legally a revenue tax, not a permit to operate: most businesses pay a quarterly fee on gross receipts under a retail-or-wholesale schedule, while a defined…

Fresno designates buildings, structures, objects, sites, and districts as Historic Resources or Local Historic Districts under FMC § 12-1607 when they carry distinctive historic…

Fresno honors no-solicitation signs posted by residents. Under FMC Chapter 9 and California Penal Code Section 602.8, solicitors must respect posted 'No Soliciting' signs and…

Anyone who solicits orders or peddles goods door-to-door in Fresno must first obtain a business license under FMC § 7-1002 before commencing the activity, and Section 7-1004(c) treats…

Fresno requires building permits for solar panel installations per FMC Chapter 11 and the California Building Code. Under AB 2188 (California Solar Permitting Act), the City must offer…

California's Solar Rights Act (Civil Code §714) strongly protects homeowners' right to install solar energy systems. HOAs in Fresno cannot prohibit solar panel installations and may…

Fresno County runs an expedited, streamlined permitting track for small residential rooftop solar systems under Code Section 15.18.030, adopted under state Government Code Section…

Fresno's Blighted Vacant Building Ordinance, Section 10-617, forces owners to actively maintain, monitor and secure any vacant building, trimmed yards, secured openings, graffiti…

Fresno Municipal Code § 10-605 declares overgrown weeds, dry grass, sagebrush, tumbleweed, and neglected yard landscaping a public nuisance on any lot, vacant or occupied. Code…

Not applicable. Fresno County's Central Valley climate does not accumulate snow. Mountain unincorporated areas (Shaver Lake, Huntington Lake) have no local snow ordinance.

Fresno Municipal Code Section 9-2508 bars anyone under 18 from loitering, wandering or playing on public streets, parks, playgrounds and other public places between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00…

Fresno Municipal Code § 5-502(p) bars anyone from entering, remaining, loitering in, or leaving a parked vehicle inside any city park between midnight and 5 a.m. the following day. The…

Fresno's Development Code sets minimum front, side, and rear setbacks by residential zone district, from a 35-foot front setback in the RE estate district down to 13 feet in RS-4/RS-5…

Fresno caps residential buildings at 35 feet across every Residential Single-Unit district, from the half-acre RE district down to the compact RS-5 lots. The Citywide Development Code…

Fresno's lot coverage cap runs from 30 percent on the largest residential lots (RE through RS-2) up to 60 percent on the smallest RS-5 lots, scaling coverage to lot size. Coverage…

Fresno homeowners can hold up to four garage sales a year at one address under Fresno Municipal Code Section 15-2760(A)(1). Each sale event runs no more than two consecutive days…

Any subdivision within 300 feet of an AE, AL, TPZ or RC agricultural zone in Fresno County must record a right-to-farm notice before the county will approve the tentative or final map…

Fresno County Code Section 17.72.075 requires a Right-to-Farm Notice to be recorded with the county recorder before the county approves a subdivision within 300 feet of an AE, AL, TPZ…

Fresno County exempts on-location filming of commercials, movies and videos from the Temporary Use Permit otherwise required for short-term land uses, but the Director of Public Works…

Fresno County pays cash rewards to residents who report illegal dumping. Section 8.22.170 of the county code lets anyone whose tip leads to a fully collected citation, order or…

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 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…