Gilroy, CA

Gilroy bans chickens and livestock outside agricultural zones under Section 4.20, but its small animals ordinance carves out a residential exception: up to six chickens or similar…

Gilroy does not require microchips for every pet, but the City Code forces one on a dog after a second at-large nuisance finding, and again automatically once a dog is classified as a…

In the City of Gilroy, keeping bees is unlawful on any property that is not zoned for agricultural use. Section 4.20 lists bees alongside swine and livestock as flatly prohibited…

Under Section 4.26 of the Gilroy City Code, dogs must stay confined to the owner's property, and any dog on a public street must be on a leash strong enough to restrain at least four…

Gilroy singles out pit bull breeds for mandatory spaying and neutering under Article VII of the City Code, adopted under state authority (SB 861), unless the owner holds a breeding…

In the City of Gilroy, every pit bull must be spayed or neutered unless the owner qualifies for a narrow exception, such as a breeding permit, a veterinarian-certified health risk, or…

In the City of Gilroy, anyone who operates a pet grooming parlor, defined in Gilroy City Code § 4.1 as any commercial place where animals are trimmed, bathed or groomed, must first…

In the City of Gilroy, no household may keep more than five dogs, five cats, or any combination totaling five of both species over four months old without an animal control permit from…

In the City of Gilroy, every cat over four months old must be vaccinated against rabies, and cats may not run at large on public streets, parks or private property without the owner's…

In the City of Gilroy, keeping an elephant, bear, lion, tiger, wolf, wolf hybrid, monkey, venomous reptile or any other wild, exotic, dangerous or carnivorous animal requires an animal…

In the City of Gilroy, injuring, molesting, chasing, killing, capturing or shooting at any animal, bird, fish or reptile in a city park is a misdemeanor under Gilroy City Code Section…

The City of Gilroy's residential use table at City Code § 30.11.10(c) principally permits a 'Veterinary Hospital' by right only in the A1 Agriculture and RR Rural Residential…

Feeding deer, geese, or other wildlife in a Santa Clara County Park is prohibited unless the Parks Director issues a Valid Permit; unincorporated county parks are declared wildlife…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires any pet shop, kennel, grooming parlor or animal shelter to hold a County permit before operating; the code doesn't ban retail pet sales…

Gilroy declares it a nuisance and unlawful under Section 4.22 of the City Code to keep a dog that excessively or habitually barks, yelps, cries or howls if it annoys two or more…

Gilroy City Code § 16.31 bans loud, boisterous, or unusual noise, including noise from a vehicle, that disturbs anyone in a residence, hotel, or other place used for sleeping, between…

Using a sound-amplifying system on Gilroy streets, parks or other public and private grounds needs a police department permit under City Code § 13A.1, unless the volume stays at normal…

In the City of Gilroy, construction activities are limited to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday under Gilroy City Code Section 16.38. Work is…

In the City of Gilroy, the zoning ordinance sets numeric outdoor noise ceilings under City Code § 30.41.31(b): residential mechanical equipment is capped at 60 dBA (Ldn) or 70 dBA…

In the City of Gilroy, noise from commercial and industrial properties reaching a residential property line is restricted to the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and prohibited…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County has no separate dedicated leaf-blower ordinance; gas leaf blowers fall under the County Noise Ordinance's exterior limits and 'domestic power tools'…

In unincorporated Santa Clara County, helicopters can't exceed 80 dBA daytime noise over residential or commercial areas, or violate nighttime limits, without a variance; military and…

Gilroy's city administrator marks loading zones in the central traffic district and in front of businesses citywide, but no more than half of a block's total curb length may be…

Gilroy bars parking within 5 feet of an intersection in the central traffic district or any business district, and caps parking on any city street or alley at 72 consecutive hours. A…

Gilroy bars parking or standing any commercial vehicle rated 10,000 pounds or more gross vehicle weight on a residential-district street. City Code Section 15.68 makes no exception for…

Gilroy's city administrator paints curbs red, yellow, green and blue to signal parking restrictions, each with its own meaning under City Code Section 15.90. Red bars stopping…

Gilroy declares an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle a public nuisance the moment it sits on private or public property for more than 7 days. The police chief can…

In the City of Gilroy, no motor vehicle, operable or not, may be parked, stored or kept in the front yard of residential property unless the area is paved with concrete, asphalt or…

In the City of Gilroy, City Code section 6.58 implements Government Code section 65850.7 by requiring the Building and Safety Division to run an expedited, nondiscretionary…

In the City of Gilroy, RVs, boats and trailers in residential zones may only be stored on the property of the vehicle's owner, on a paved or all-weather driveway, and only in the front…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County allows a vehicle to sit on a public highway continuously for up to 72 hours; beyond that, the California Highway Patrol or a Sheriff's deputy may tow…

The Board of Supervisors can designate residential permit parking areas in unincorporated Santa Clara County where only permitted residents and exempt vehicles may park.

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…

Gilroy requires private pools, hot tubs, spas and ponds deeper than 18 inches to be fully enclosed by a barrier at least 60 inches tall, under City Code § 6.7(i)(27)'s amendment to…

In unincorporated Santa Clara County, a building permit from the Department of Planning and Development is required to construct a residential pool or spa. The County Code includes a…

Gilroy City Code Section 27.98 sets year-round mandatory water conservation rules for landscape irrigation in the City of Gilroy, barring watering during or within 48 hours of…

In the City of Gilroy, cutting, trimming, pruning or removing any tree in a public street is unlawful without a written permit from the director of parks and recreation under City Code…

In the City of Gilroy, Property Maintenance Code Section 302.4 bars weeds or vegetation over twelve inches on any lot, sidewalk, street or alley up to the centerline of the roadway…

In the City of Gilroy, any landscape project adding 500 square feet of new planting or rehabilitating 2,500 square feet must submit a landscape design plan under Gilroy City Code §…

In the City of Gilroy, qualifying landscape and grading design plans must implement storm water best management practices that increase on-site rainwater retention and infiltration…

In the City of Gilroy, it is unlawful to cut down, remove, poison or otherwise destroy a protected tree, more than 25% of a community of protected trees, or a heritage tree on private…

Artificial turf is allowed in unincorporated Santa Clara County, and California Civil Code 4735 bars HOAs from prohibiting synthetic grass. Large new landscapes may need a Sustainable…

For urban agriculture uses in unincorporated Santa Clara County, compost bins and refuse containers must sit at least five feet from any property line and be managed to keep out…

In the City of Gilroy, ADUs are allowed by right on any residential or mixed-use parcel with an existing single-family home, capped at 1,000 square feet detached, 16 feet tall (up to…

In the City of Gilroy, accessory dwelling units cannot be rented for less than 30 days and short-term rentals are flatly prohibited; owners must record a deed restriction confirming…

In the City of Gilroy, a shed or other accessory structure in a residential zone under Gilroy City Code § 30.39.30 must sit at least 3 feet from side and rear property lines, 7 feet if…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County lets homeowners rebuild or convert an existing, setback-nonconforming detached garage into an accessory dwelling unit without adding any new setback…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County allows one movable tiny home per lot in place of a standard ADU, but only if it's ANSI 119.5-certified, DMV-registered, incapable of self-propulsion…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires an owner to live in either the main house or the junior ADU whenever a junior accessory dwelling unit is added: standard ADUs carry no such…

In the City of Gilroy, residential fences and hedges are capped at seven feet, measured from the higher finished grade, but front-yard fences over three feet must sit back 26 feet from…

In the City of Gilroy, a retaining wall built with or next to a fence within five feet of a property line is capped at three feet, and any second retaining wall within five feet of the…

In the City of Gilroy, barbed wire, razor wire and electrified fences are banned citywide outside commercial and industrial security uses, and wire mesh fencing is barred from…

Cost-sharing for a boundary fence between neighbors in unincorporated Santa Clara County is governed by California Civil Code Section 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act. Adjoining owners…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County exempts fences 3 feet or less, and certain open fences, from design review; taller fences or those in combining districts need Zoning Administrator…

The City of Gilroy's residential use table at City Code § 30.11.10(c) principally permits a 'Family Day Care Home' by right in the RR, R1, R2, R3, R4 and RH zoning districts, subject…

The City of Gilroy allows home occupations in any residential, commercial or agricultural district under City Code § 30.40.10 through § 30.40.50, but caps them at the resident…

In the City of Gilroy, a home occupation is limited to two (2) clients, patients, or pupils on the premises at any time, and it cannot generate pedestrian or vehicular traffic beyond…

In the City of Gilroy, a home occupation permitted under Gilroy City Code § 30.40.20 may not display show windows, window displays or advertising signs, structures, or vehicles on or…

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…

City Code § 10.17 adopts the State Fire Marshal's recommended Fire Hazard Severity Zones map for the City of Gilroy's Local Responsibility Area, triggering wildfire-resistant building…

Gilroy allows only permitted 'safe and sane' fireworks sales, and only from 9:00 a.m. July 1 through 10:00 p.m. July 4 each year. Selling without a fire-chief-issued permit or…

Gilroy declares it a nuisance, and unlawful, to burn bone, feathers, offal, flesh, hair, or similar substances on any property in the city if the burning taints the air or offends…

Properties in unincorporated Santa Clara County must maintain 100 feet of defensible space under California Public Resources Code 4291. The county fire marshal inspects, and annual…

Smoke alarm requirements in unincorporated Santa Clara County follow California state law: alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level, with carbon monoxide…

In unincorporated Santa Clara County parks, open fires are barred except in a provided camp stove or fireplace, and every campfire needs five feet of cleared ground around it.

California uniformly applies the State Fire Marshal's propane storage standards through the California Fire Code, which all local jurisdictions must enforce as a minimum.

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires every short-term rental operator to register with the County Director of Finance and post a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate…

There is no short-term-rental-specific parking requirement in unincorporated Santa Clara County. Parking is governed by the general off-street parking standards in the Zoning Ordinance…

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 Gilroy, adult businesses cannot open by right. Chapter 2A of the Gilroy City Code requires a permit from the chief of police and bars any adult business within 1,000…

Every tobacco and vape retailer in Gilroy needs a city permit under City Code § 13.68, on top of the state Board of Equalization permit, and new permits can't authorize sales within…

Anyone who buys, sells or trades used goods, scrap metal or junk in Gilroy needs a permit from the police chief before opening, per City Code § 12B.2. The chief runs every applicant…

Massage businesses, managing employees and individual practitioners in Gilroy each need a separate police-chief-issued permit under City Code § 13.50, on top of any CAMTC state…

In the City of Gilroy, only towing services approved for the Gilroy Police Department's towing list may respond to police-requested tows under City Code Chapter 24A. Operators must…

In the City of Gilroy, tattoo and piercing parlors fall under the zoning code's personal-services use category, but footnote 8 of the commercial use table bars any business whose…

In the City of Gilroy, home-based businesses cannot include motor vehicle repair or reconditioning. City Code § 30.40.40(b) flatly excludes "the repair or reconditioning on the…

The City of Gilroy protects working farmland under Chapter 3A of its City Code, which cites the state nuisance exemptions for commercial agriculture and requires sellers near ag land…

In the City of Gilroy, land designated A1 Agriculture District under City Code § 30.4.10 is reserved for farming while awaiting eventual urbanization under the general plan. The Gilroy…

Gilroy City Code § 16.28 makes it a misdemeanor to drink or carry an open container of intoxicating liquor on any public street, sidewalk, alley, mall, school ground, or parking lot…

In Gilroy's central traffic district, its business districts and any posted school zone, pedestrians must cross only at a marked crosswalk. City Code Section 15.108 bars mid-block…

Gilroy City Code § 16.37 makes it a misdemeanor for anyone to urinate or defecate on any street or in any public place within the city, except at a lavatory facility. Adopted by…

Gilroy City Code § 16.32-1 makes it an infraction to skateboard, rollerskate, or use in-line skates on city-owned parking lots or public property once the city administrator has posted…

Gilroy bans smoking in every city park and its parking lots, in half of every restaurant's outdoor eating area, and inside the boundary of any permitted public event, under City Code…

Gilroy's Social Host Accountability ordinance makes it unlawful to knowingly host or allow a loud or unruly gathering of four or more people where alcohol reaches anyone under 21…

In the City of Gilroy, soliciting, asking or begging "in an aggressive manner" in any public place is prohibited under Gilroy City Code Section 16A.19.2. The ordinance also bars…

Loitering, standing, or sitting on a public highway, alley, sidewalk, or crosswalk that blocks or annoys passersby is unlawful in unincorporated Santa Clara County.

Mobile home park space rent in Gilroy can be raised only once every 12 months, and every tenant must be notified on the same calendar date each year. Under City Code Section 14A.5, a…

Gilroy has no rent control for houses or apartments, but Chapter 14A caps space-rent increases in mobile home parks with ten or more spaces. An increase above 5 percent of base rent or…

In the City of Gilroy, amended IPMC section 602.2 requires every dwelling's heating system to hold habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms at 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and bars…

California Civil Code §1950.5, amended by AB-12 effective July 2024, caps residential security deposits at one month's rent statewide. Santa Clara County adds no local cap, so the…

Santa Clara County landlords must follow California AB 1482 just cause eviction rules, requiring specified reasons and relocation assistance for no-fault terminations.

Unincorporated Santa Clara County applies California's AB-1482 no-fault grounds: owner move-in, substantial remodel, demolition, government order, and Ellis Act withdrawal. Each path…

Santa Clara County has not adopted a countywide tenant anti-harassment ordinance for unincorporated areas. Tenants rely on California Civil Code §1940.2 against forcible exclusion plus…

Santa Clara County has no countywide rent stabilization, so pass-through charges in unincorporated areas follow state law. AB-1482 caps annual rent increases at 5% plus CPI, capped at…

California Government Code §12955, expanded by SB-329 in 2020, prohibits housing discrimination based on lawful source of income, including Section 8 vouchers. Santa Clara County…

Santa Clara County has no countywide relocation ordinance for unincorporated areas. State law controls: AB-1482 requires one month of rent for no-fault terminations and the Ellis Act…

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 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…

Under Gilroy City Code § 16.6-1, no one may open a cardroom without a city permit, a business license, and state registration under the Gambling Control Act. The city council will…

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…

Gilroy City Code § 16.29 makes it a misdemeanor to willfully and maliciously sit, lie, kneel, crouch, sleep, or otherwise occupy a street, sidewalk, or public way in a way that…

In the City of Gilroy, Chapter 5 bars sitting, lying, sleeping or storing personal property on streets, sidewalks or other public rights-of-way when the activity amounts to using the…

Gilroy sorts businesses into two license-tax tracks under City Code §§ 13.39-13.40: most pay a tax the city council sets by resolution based on gross annual receipts, while the council…

Gilroy City Code § 5.2(b)(7) makes it unlawful to obstruct any street or public right-of-way open to motor vehicle use, including any portion marked as a bike lane, by sitting, lying…

In unincorporated Santa Clara County parks, Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles may only ride trails and roads specifically signed for e-bike use: plain bike-trail signage isn't…

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…

Gilroy residents can hold a garage sale for up to seven days once each year under City Code § 13.44(d), even in a zoning district that would not otherwise allow it. The license must…

Parades, assemblies, concerts and any use of a sound-amplifying system on Gilroy streets, parks or public grounds need a police department permit under City Code § 13A.1. Applications…

Reserving a Gilroy park for exclusive or extended-use gatherings runs through the recreation director under City Code Section 18.9. The city council sets permit fees and…

Street fairs on unincorporated Santa Clara County roads run under the county's special event permit process, and the Director can require food and beverage vendors to hold Public…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires a special event permit from the Director of Roads and Airports before any block party closes or restricts use of a county road, filed at…

Minors under 18 cannot loiter or wander Gilroy's streets, parks or other public places between 11 p.m. and daylight under City Code § 14.1. The curfew doesn't apply if a parent or…

Gilroy closes its parks overnight under City Code Section 18.7: night-lit court facilities shut at 11:00 p.m. year-round, while all other parks close at 8:00 p.m. from November through…

In the City of Gilroy, work covered by the adopted 2025 California Building Code and Residential Code requires a building permit from the Community Development Department before…

The City of Gilroy has adopted the 2025 California Electrical Code as its electrical code under City Code § 6.6(b)(3), and Section 109.2 requires a permit fee for electrical systems or…

Gilroy has adopted the 2025 California Plumbing Code as its plumbing code under City Code § 6.6(b)(5), and Section 6.7(e) layers on local amendments covering copper pipe grade and…

Gilroy adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) as its green building standards code under City Code § 6.6(b)(11), and § 6.7(k) adds a local EV-ready parking…

Before any permitted work begins in Gilroy, the permit holder must post or otherwise make available the building official's inspection record card, per City Code § 6.7(b)(6)'s addition…

In the City of Gilroy, Building Security Article IV requires interchange-free keying between units in the same development under section 6.20, and sets hardware specs for exterior…

Gilroy's amended Fire Code requires an NFPA 13D automatic sprinkler system throughout new one- and two-family homes, R-3/R-4 congregate care buildings, and townhouses, plus the…

Santa Clara County elevators are regulated by Cal/OSHA under Labor Code 7300 to 7324. Every conveyance needs annual inspection and a current permit. HOA and condo elevators follow…

Santa Clara County pre-1978 home renovation follows EPA RRP rules and CA Health and Safety Code 17920.10. Contractors disturbing more than 6 sq ft interior or 20 sq ft exterior painted…

On unincorporated county lots bordering Los Altos that carry the -n1 combining designator, homes are capped at a 0.35 floor-area ratio on smaller lots and a 27-foot maximum height, to…

In the City of Gilroy, industrial and commercial property that is abandoned and unsecured, an attractive nuisance, in disrepair, or piled with exposed solid waste for more than 72…

In the City of Gilroy, a Property Maintenance Code amendment to Section 301.3 bars storing vehicles, boats, trailers, RVs, appliances, furniture, garbage, refuse, boxes, household…

Snow is extremely rare in Santa Clara County's valley floor and Santa Clara County has no snow clearing ordinance; mountain properties should clear for safety.

Gilroy's building code amendments require an Interim Erosion and Sediment Control Plan for grading work under City Code § 6.7(a)(17), adding Appendix J Section J110.3. Work during the…

Gilroy City Code Section 27C.7 bars discharging any pollutant-carrying material other than storm water into the city's storm drain system or into waters of the United States or the…

In Gilroy's mapped special flood hazard areas, Gilroy City Code Section 27E.17(c)(1) requires the lowest floor of any new or substantially improved residential structure to sit at…

Gilroy City Code Section 27E.15 requires a development permit, obtained on city forms, before any construction or other development, including manufactured homes, in an area of special…

The California Coastal Act, Public Resources Code sections 30000 through 30900, requires Coastal Development Permits for nearly all work in the coastal zone and gives the Coastal…

In Gilroy, the owner of a lot fronting a street where more than half the block already has sidewalks or curbs must build or repair the sidewalk and curb fronting their property once…

Gilroy bars property owners and occupants from installing or keeping hedges, shrubbery, trash, or rubble that blocks pedestrian or vehicle passage over any public sidewalk, street, or…

Anyone who wants to encroach on a Gilroy public right-of-way, from a street cut to a physical improvement in the sidewalk area, needs an encroachment permit from the city engineer…

In the City of Gilroy, Municipal Code section 6.7(i) amends the International Property Maintenance Code so every structure must stay free of insects, rodents and vermin. Once code…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires every inspected food facility to post the Director's inspection placard within five feet of the front door, clearly visible to the public and…

Under California Health and Safety Code §113948, every food handler in Santa Clara County must obtain an ANSI-accredited food handler card within 30 days of hire. Cards are valid for…

Sharps manufacturers selling products in Santa Clara County must fund and run a County-approved take-back program, so residents get free mail-back kits and drop-off sites for used…

In the City of Gilroy, City Code section 6.57(f) requires the Building and Safety Division to run a nondiscretionary permit review for small residential rooftop solar systems, issuing…

In the City of Gilroy, City Code section 6.57 defines a small residential rooftop solar energy system as capped at 10 kilowatts AC or 30 kilowatts thermal on a single-family or duplex…

Santa Clara County HOAs cannot ban solar under Civil Code 714 and 4753. Aesthetic rules adding over 1000 dollars or losing 10 percent efficiency are void. Complete applications deem…

In the City of Gilroy, anyone selling goods or services door to door, from a vehicle, or in streets, parks and other public places without a fixed local business must first obtain an…

In the City of Gilroy, door-to-door solicitors may only knock or ring a doorbell between 9:00 a.m. and sunset under Gilroy City Code Section 16A.11(4). Residents can opt out entirely…

In the City of Gilroy, mobile vending facilities selling food, goods or services, pushcarts, stands, vehicles and wagons alike, are barred outright from C1 Neighborhood Commercial, C2…

In the City of Gilroy, sidewalk vendors must keep vending devices at least 18 inches off the ground, leave 48 inches of clear sidewalk width, and display both a Santa Clara County…

In the City of Gilroy, operating a mobile vending facility, food truck, pushcart, stand or wagon, outside a prohibited commercial zone requires a written mobile vending permit from the…

Gilroy City Code Section 27.98 requires anyone the city notifies of a leak, break or malfunction in their plumbing or distribution system to repair it within a set window: 72 hours…

In the City of Gilroy, any qualifying landscape project's irrigation system must be designed and installed to allow for both current and future use of recycled water under Gilroy City…

Within a streamside review area, Gilroy City Code Section 27A.5(a)(1) bars new invasive species plantings within 150 feet of the top of bank and bans planting any non-native species…

In the City of Gilroy, the Downtown Historic District (DHD) and Downtown Expansion District (DED) carry their own zoning intent statements under City Code Article XIV. New and…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County processes density bonus requests under state law, reducing minimum lot size or lot-area-per-unit standards for affordable multi-family housing…

In the City of Gilroy, freeway-oriented signs facing U.S. 101 are governed by City Code § 30.37.51: one on-site freeway sign plus one monument sign, capped at sixty feet tall and one…

In the City of Gilroy, temporary signs on the windows of a commercial building need no sign permit as long as they cover no more than 25 percent of the window surface, under City Code…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires a discretionary Use Permit for any billboard and limits sign illumination to continuous, non-blinking light, effectively barring changeable…

Political signs are permitted in any zoning district of unincorporated Santa Clara County without architecture and site approval, under Zoning Ordinance Section 4.40.100. Size limits…

In the City of Gilroy, every transient occupying a hotel, motel, or similar lodging covered by City Code Section 25A.1's broad 'Hotel' definition owes a 9 percent transient occupancy…

Santa Clara County's Living Wage Policy requires county service contractors to pay minimum living wages and provide health benefits. The policy covers contractors providing services to…

In the City of Gilroy, no one may plant a tree in or overhanging a public street unless it appears on the parks and recreation director's master tree list, or the director issues a…

In the City of Gilroy, a heritage tree, defined by Gilroy City Code § 30.38.270(b)(2) as any tree with a single 90-inch circumference trunk or multiple trunks totaling 72 inches…

In the City of Gilroy, only indigenous trees, species native to the Gilroy region such as oaks, California bay, big leaf maple, madrone, California sycamore, California buckeye and…

In the City of Gilroy, commercial and multifamily trash enclosures must be built as standard conditions of architectural and site approval: solid fencing and gates six feet high…

Dumping garbage, refuse, or junk on someone else's property, or on any street, alley, or public ground in Gilroy, is unlawful under City Code §§ 12.4 and 12.5. Violations are punished…

In the City of Gilroy, garden refuse, meaning leaves, grass cuttings, weeds, vines, shrubbery, brush and tree trimmings under four inches in diameter, goes out at the same curb or…

In the City of Gilroy, only the city's official authorized recycling agent may collect recyclable materials curbside; Municipal Code Sections 12.57 through 12.60 make it unlawful for…

In the City of Gilroy, commercial businesses and multifamily buildings must subscribe to the city's three-container collection service under Municipal Code Section 12.76, sorting food…

Gilroy requires weekly garbage pickup at every private home and monthly rubbish pickup, more often if needed, under City Code § 12.11. The director of public works sets collection days…

Every Gilroy property that generates garbage must subscribe to the city's garbage collection service under City Code § 12.16; skipping service is itself unlawful. The same section bars…

Gilroy requires standard 30- or 32-gallon garbage receptacles, or approved bins, capped at 50 pounds loaded, kept sanitary, and set out in the alley behind the property or on the front…

In the City of Gilroy, reviewed development cannot aim exterior lighting off-site: architectural and site approval conditions bar any unobstructed beam directed toward a residential…

In the City of Gilroy, accessory structures in residential zones cannot occupy more than 30% of the lot area, and an accessory building combined with the main house cannot exceed the…

Gilroy's residential site and building requirement table, City Code § 30.11.20(c), sets minimum yard setbacks by zoning district. Every A1, RR, R1, R2, R3 and R4 lot needs a 21-foot…

Gilroy's residential site and building requirement table, City Code § 30.11.20(c), caps single-family homes at 35 feet and two stories in the A1, R1 and R2 districts and 30 feet and…

In the City of Gilroy, a property becomes a protected cultural monument only through a historic site combining district zone change under City Code Article XXVII. The historic heritage…

In the City of Gilroy, a wireless telecommunication facility's backup generator within 100 feet of a home must be attenuated to 60 Ldn exterior and 45 Ldn interior noise, and may only…

In the City of Gilroy, fixed outdoor mechanical equipment installed after July 1, 2007, such as pool pumps, spas, or air conditioning units, cannot exceed 60 dBA (Ldn) or 70 dBA (L10)…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bans loud loading, unloading, and container handling near homes between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and at any time if it breaches the Table B11-152 decibel…

In unincorporated Santa Clara County, a motor vehicle burglar alarm that doesn't shut off within 15 minutes of activation is a noise-code violation.

In the City of Gilroy, commercial marijuana activity of every type is prohibited in every zone and specific plan area under City Code § 30.45.40(b); no dispensary, delivery…

Health and Safety Code section 11362.2 grants every adult 21 or older the statewide right to cultivate up to six cannabis plants indoors, and bars local governments from completely…

Launching or landing a drone in any Santa Clara County Park requires a Valid Permit from the Parks Director; unauthorized flights from park land are prohibited countywide.

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bans operating any drone, commercial UAS included, in a way that interferes with firefighting, law enforcement, or emergency response; only…

California Penal Code sections 25400 and 25610 require firearms transported by vehicle in Santa Clara County to be unloaded, with handguns inside a locked container or trunk. Long guns…

California Penal Code section 25400 prohibits carrying a concealed firearm without a CCW. The Santa Clara County Sheriff issues permits to county residents under shall-issue rules…

California Penal Code section 26350 bans open carry of unloaded handguns in incorporated areas, and section 26400 bans openly carried unloaded long guns. All fifteen Santa Clara County…

California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However…

Santa Clara County HOAs must offer free Internal Dispute Resolution under Civil Code 5900 and Alternative Dispute Resolution under 5925 before filing enforcement lawsuits. ADR…

Santa Clara County HOA architectural review runs under Civil Code 4765. Owners submit written applications and receive written decisions, and associations must apply fair and…

Santa Clara County HOA dues follow Civil Code 5600 to 5740. Regular dues cannot rise over 20 percent yearly, special assessments over 5 percent need a member vote, and delinquencies…

Santa Clara County HOAs enforce CC and Rs under Civil Code 5850 to 5895. Fines require 10 day written notice and a board hearing, and cannot become a lien unless tied to assessments…

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…

Santa Clara County has no predictive-scheduling ordinance. California AB-1228 governs fast-food workers via the statewide Fast Food Council. Outside fast food, no local or state…

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 AB-1884 (Public Resources Code section 42270) and AB-1276 make Santa Clara County a straws-on-request jurisdiction. Restaurants countywide cannot auto-distribute single-use…

California AB-1276 (Health and Safety Code §42270 et seq.) prohibits full-service and takeout food facilities from providing single-use utensils, straws, or condiment packets unless…

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…

California AB-1236 (Labor Code §2814) prohibits Santa Clara County and any city from requiring private employers to use E-Verify. Federal mandates apply only to federal contractors…

Federal Tobacco 21 (Public Law 116-94) and California Business and Professions Code section 22963 bar Santa Clara County retailers from selling cigarettes, cigars, vapes, or any…

Retailers in unincorporated Santa Clara County can't sell any tobacco product with a characterizing flavor other than tobacco: menthol, fruit, candy, or dessert flavors are all…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires Board of Supervisors approval before any county department acquires or uses automated license plate readers, with a public Surveillance Use…

California is an all-party consent state. All parties to a confidential conversation must consent to audio recording under Penal Code §632. Video recording in public is legal…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County has no data-center zoning classification. A data center is treated as an industrial use, allowed only in the ML (Light Industrial) or MH (Heavy…

Commercial filmmaking or photography in any Santa Clara County Park needs a Valid Permit from the Parks Director, and TV, radio, or movie rights need a separate reviewed contract.

Unincorporated Santa Clara County's Community Preservation ordinance defines "property blight", abandoned buildings, dead vegetation, illegal outdoor storage, junk vehicles, graffiti…

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…