Santa Rosa, CA Gambling & Gaming: Card Room Licensing (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 10-10.010
- General rule
- Card games for money in businesses are prohibited
- Licensing authority
- Chief of Police, one-year license term
- Play hours if licensed
- Barred 2:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
- Minimum age
- 21 to gamble, deal or shill
Summary
Santa Rosa Municipal Code Chapter 10-10 outlaws playing poker, low ball or similar card games for money in any commercial establishment citywide, and declares it a public nuisance. Only a narrow annexation grace period, private home games and fraternal-club rooms escape the ban.
The playing of draw poker, low ball, or any other type of card game, not made unlawful by the provisions of the Penal Code of the state, for money or other things of value, in a commercial establishment, is hereby prohibited and declared to be a public nuisance. This section shall not apply to the games identified in Section 10-10.170 or Section 10-10.150.
Full Breakdown
010 flatly prohibits "the playing of draw poker, low ball, or any other type of card game, not made unlawful by the provisions of the Penal Code of the state, for money or other things of value, in a commercial establishment," and separately declares that activity a public nuisance. 110. , no one under 21 may gamble or deal, and the Chief of Police can deny, suspend or revoke a license for a background-check failure, a felony or gambling conviction within the prior 10 years, or a finding that the operation endangers public health or safety.
License denials and revocations are appealable in writing to the City Council within 10 days. 170 exempts duplicate bridge and the card rooms of recognized fraternal organizations closed to the general public. Santa Rosa has adopted no ordinance authorizing a standing commercial card room.
Violations & Fines
Violating Sections 10-10.020 through 10-10.160, including running an unlicensed game or letting an underage or intoxicated person gamble, is a misdemeanor under Section 10-10.140. Operating a card game for money outside the grace-period licensing scheme is a public nuisance under Section 10-10.010, subject to nuisance abatement in addition to criminal prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business open a poker room in Santa Rosa today?
Are private poker games at someone's house illegal?
What happens if the Chief of Police revokes a gambling license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Rosa
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Rosa to another location·View the California gambling & gaming overview
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Card Room Licensing in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle card room licensing.