Moving to Daly City, CA?

Daly City does NOT set numeric decibel (dB or dB(A)) limits. The Municipal Code uses a qualitative standard: § 9.22.010 prohibits noise that disturbs the public peace, and § 9.22.030 prohibits any noise audible beyond the property line between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Officers determine violations based on audibility and reasonableness, not sound-level meter readings.

Daly City Municipal Code § 9.22.010 and § 9.22.030 regulate industrial noise under a qualitative public-nuisance standard rather than fixed decibel limits. Between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., no industrial operation may emit noise audible beyond the property line. During daytime hours, industrial noise that disturbs the public peace is prohibited under § 9.22.010 regardless of decibel level.

No Daly City-specific ordinance directly addresses vehicle noise; California Vehicle Code defaults apply, requiring adequate mufflers on all registered vehicles and prohibiting car sound systems audible 50 or more feet away on a highway.

Daly City Municipal Code § 9.22.020 requires a written permit from the Chief of Police BEFORE operating any loudspeaker or sound amplifier that projects sound outside a building or outdoors anywhere in the city. The permit must state the permittee, authorized purpose, time/place, and termination date. Operating outdoor amplification without this permit is a prosecutable offense.

No Daly City-specific ordinance directly addresses leaf blowers; the municipal code's only noise controls are the general disturbing-the-peace rules of Chapter 9.22, so blowers cannot be run audibly off-property from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. State law now requires new small engines to be zero-emission.

Municipal Code Section 9.22.020 requires a written permit from the chief of police before operating any loudspeaker or sound amplifier that projects sound outside a building or outdoors anywhere in Daly City, at any hour.

Aircraft departing San Francisco International Airport make the Serramonte neighborhood Daly City's main aircraft-noise area, with flyovers reaching 85-95 dBA. Municipal Code Section 15.00.130 requires homes built after 1993 within the FAA-approved 65 CNEL contour to be insulated to FAA program standards.

Daly City's municipal code sets no construction-hour limits, maximum sound levels, or vibration standards, a gap the City's own environmental review confirms. The general nighttime rule in Section 9.22.030 still effectively bars construction noise audible off-site from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Daly City Municipal Code Section 9.22.030 sets quiet hours from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., during which no noise, music, or sound from a property may be heard beyond its confines or disturb anyone outside it. A general disturbing-the-peace ban (Section 9.22.010) applies around the clock.

No Daly City ordinance specifically addresses barking dogs. Chronic barking is enforced under the general disturbing-the-peace chapter, including the 10:00 p.m.-6:00 a.m. ban on noise audible beyond the property, and complaints go to Daly City police rather than the animal-control contractor.

Daly City's STR ordinance applies only to stays of 30 consecutive days or less. Any longer stay falls outside DCMC Chapter 5.92 and instead becomes a residential tenancy subject to California state law including AB 1482 just-cause and rent caps. Hosted home-shares within 30 days are unlimited; un-hosted shares are capped at 100 days/year.

Daly City STRs must provide off-street parking sufficient to avoid burdening the public right-of-way under Chapter 5.92 and Title 14 zoning; Daly City's narrow Westlake streets and posted permit zones make compliance with the city's residential parking rules under Title 10 critical.

Daly City distinguishes hosted from un-hosted short-term rentals. Hosted stays (host on-site during the rental) have no day cap. Un-hosted stays (host absent) are limited to a maximum of 100 days per calendar year per DCMC Chapter 5.92.

Daly City Chapter 5.92 requires STR hosts to carry liability insurance covering the rental use; the city's published guide directs applicants to attach a certificate of insurance with the permit application.

Daly City caps short-term rental occupancy at two guests per bedroom plus two additional guests at one time, and limits each property to one booking per day. Un-hosted stays are further capped at 100 days per year.

Daly City STR permits expire September 30 each year with the associated business license and must be renewed annually ($142.50). The permit cannot be transferred, does not run with the land, and automatically expires if the property is sold or transferred.

Daly City allows short-term rentals only in the host's primary residence, where the host lives at least 265 days per year. Non-owner-occupied vacation rentals are prohibited citywide, and STRs are banned in income-restricted units and on any property with an ADU or junior ADU.

Daly City caps un-hosted short-term rental stays (host off-site) at 100 days per year. Hosted stays, where the host remains on-site during the guest's stay, face no annual limit.

Daly City STRs must comply with the citywide noise ordinance and with Chapter 5.92's good-neighbor requirement, including a designated 24-hour local responsible contact who must respond to noise complaints.

Daly City short-term rental hosts must pay a quarterly Transient Occupancy Tax under Municipal Code Chapter 3.32, hold a city business license (minimum $110/year), and obtain an STR permit ($750 new, $142.50 renewal) under Chapter 5.92.

Daly City requires both a Short-Term Rental Permit from the Planning Department and a business license (with a Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate) from the Finance Department before renting any home for 30 consecutive days or less. The new-permit fee is $750.00 and both credentials expire September 30 each year.

Daly City is a Local Responsibility Area (LRA), not a State Responsibility Area. CAL FIRE's Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps identify Moderate and High hazard pockets along San Bruno Mountain ridgelines and coastal hillsides; the urban core sits in non-VHFHSZ. Properties in mapped zones face PRC §4291 defensible space, AB 38 disclosure, and Chapter 7A building code requirements.

Propane (LP-Gas) storage in Daly City is governed by California Fire Code Chapter 61 (LP-Gas), adopted via Daly City Municipal Code Title 4. Residential storage is limited to small cylinders, with quantity, distance, and permit thresholds keyed to container water capacity.

Daly City requires property owners in the designated Southern Hills fire hazard area, abutting San Bruno Mountain, to clear all flammable vegetation including gorse, grass, weeds, and brush. The fire chief designates the hazard area and clearance duties under Municipal Code section 15.32.260.

Backyard fires in chimineas, fire bowls, and portable fireplaces are allowed in Daly City under the adopted California Fire Code, but only burning clean fuels -- never rubbish or yard waste -- and never during a Bay Area Spare the Air Alert, when all wood burning is illegal indoors and outdoors.

Burning yard waste, trash, or debris outdoors is illegal in Daly City. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Regulation 5 bans nearly all open burning region-wide, and the few allowable burn types are agricultural or land-management fires that require a designated burn day.

Daly City prohibits all fireworks, including state-approved safe-and-sane fireworks. Municipal Code Chapter 8.24 (Fireworks Prohibited) bans their sale and discharge, and the city warns violators face fines up to $1,000 and possible county jail booking.

Wood-burning fire pits are allowed in Daly City only as code-compliant recreational fires: 3 feet across or less, at least 25 feet from structures, and constantly attended. Using any wood-burning device, including outdoor fire pits, is illegal during a Spare the Air Alert.

Daly City permits residential EV charger installation as a standard electrical permit under the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) and California Electrical Code. State law - Civil Code §4745 (HOA common-interest developments) and §1947.6 (rentals) - prohibits HOAs and most landlords from unreasonably restricting EV charger installation. Daly City has no local ordinance banning home or curbside EV charging.

Abandoned vehicles in Daly City are removed under California Vehicle Code §22669 (which gives peace officers and designated city employees authority to remove vehicles reasonably believed abandoned) and CVC §22651(k) for vehicles left 72+ consecutive hours on a public street. Reports go through the Daly City Police Department.

Daly City Municipal Code Section 17.34 requires two to six off-street parking spaces for single-family homes based on habitable square footage, sets minimum garage and driveway dimensions (8.5 ft wide driveway, 19 ft length), and Section 10.32.165 prohibits parking on front yards with a $60 fine.

Daly City has no citywide overnight parking ban for ordinary passenger vehicles, but oversized and commercial vehicles are barred from all streets 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. without a permit, and designated Commercial Vehicle Parking Zones operate as permit-only zones during those same overnight hours every day of the year.

Daly City operates a residential preferential parking permit program under Municipal Code Chapter 10.40 in four zones near transit hubs (Zones A-D, including the original Daly City BART area). Parking without a displayed permit in a posted zone is a $45 citation.

On-street parking in Daly City is governed by Municipal Code Chapter 10.32 (Stopping, Standing and Parking), with metered zones under Chapter 10.36 and residential permit zones under Chapter 10.40. Vehicles left in one spot more than 72 hours can be cited $50 and treated as abandoned.

Commercial vehicles cannot park on Daly City residential streets overnight (5 p.m.-7 a.m.); qualifying residents and businesses may buy an annual Commercial Vehicle Parking Permit ($210 as of July 1, 2024, maximum two per applicant) to park overnight in one of four designated Commercial Vehicle Parking Zones.

Daly City Municipal Code Section 10.32.150, as amended by Ordinance 1467 (2023), bans parking any oversized vehicle - expressly including boats, mobile homes, house trailers and recreational vehicles - on any city street between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. The fine is $260, and RVs and boats are not eligible for the commercial parking permit that exempts work vehicles.

Daly City Title 17 zoning generally allows wood, vinyl, masonry, wrought iron, and chain-link fencing in residential zones, while barbed wire, razor wire, and electrified fencing are typically restricted to non-residential uses or prohibited outright in residential neighborhoods. California has no statewide cap on residential fence materials, so the local code controls.

All new and remodeled residential pools and spas in Daly City must comply with the California Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health and Safety Code Section 115922, as amended by SB 442 / SB 552). The owner must install at least two of seven listed drowning-prevention safety features, one of which is an enclosure meeting HSC 115923 standards.

Daly City caps fences at 6 feet on residential parcels and 3 feet in any required front yard or within 35 feet of the street corner on a corner lot. Non-residential and mixed-use parcels may have 8-foot fences, or up to 10 feet with administrative design review.

Daly City does not require a building permit to build a fence 6 feet tall or less. Permits come into play only for front-yard approval, encroachment permits in the right-of-way, and retaining walls over 48 inches or supporting a surcharge.

Daly City's fence ordinance imposes no general material prohibitions on residential fences. Material rules apply only in special cases: 10-foot fences on non-residential parcels must use decorative materials, and wood retaining walls under 48 inches must be pressure-treated or decay-resistant lumber.

Retaining walls in Daly City over 48 inches tall - or shorter walls supporting a surcharge or excavated uphill slope - require a building permit and design by a licensed professional engineer. Walls under 48 inches holding only landscaping backfill may be wood.

Daly City treats boundary fences as a 'good neighbor' matter - the City neither requires fences nor referees disputes. Cost sharing between adjoining owners is governed by California's Good Neighbor Fence Act (Civil Code Section 841), which presumes equal responsibility.

Daly City does not have a stand-alone 'animal-hoarding' ordinance, but the conduct is reachable through Daly City Municipal Code Title 6 (Animals), Title 7 (Health and Sanitation), and Title 8 (Public Peace, Morals and Welfare), and is heavily backstopped by California state law. Cal. Penal Code §597 makes it a misdemeanor or felony to fail to provide food, water, shelter, and veterinary care to any animal - the core fact pattern of hoarding. Cal. Penal Code §597.9 separately bars any person previously convicted of animal cruelty from owning or possessing animals for 5 years (misdemeanor) or 10 years (felony). The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA (Coyote Point Shelter) handles animal-control intake and cruelty investigations for San Mateo County.

Daly City bans roosters (Section 6.08.080) and all pigs, hogs, and swine (Section 6.08.040) anywhere in the city. Chickens and other fowl are not prohibited outright but may not run at large or enter neighboring property, and horses require an annual permit with half-acre minimum lot size.

Daly City Municipal Code Section 6.08.090 makes it unlawful to feed any bird you do not own, or to place feed intended to attract birds, on any city property or right-of-way (except city-authorized feeding stations) and on any other person's private property without express permission.

No Daly City ordinance sets a fixed numeric limit on the number of dogs or cats per household. Under the countywide San Mateo County animal control program that Daly City has adopted, keeping more than four dogs and cats requires an annual Fancier Permit, and unaltered dogs or cats over six months require a breeding permit.

Daly City does not require all pets to be sterilized, but Municipal Code Section 6.04.280 charges a refundable $100 spay/neuter fee to redeem any impounded unaltered animal and makes sterilization mandatory after a second impound within three years. Unaltered dogs and cats over six months also need a county breeding permit.

Daly City regulates dogs through Title 6 (Animals) of its Municipal Code, which incorporates California Food & Agricultural Code Section 30951 (dogs at large must wear an ID/license tag) and Section 30954 (female dogs in heat may not run at large). The Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA, headquartered in San Mateo at Coyote Point Shelter, provides animal control field services to San Mateo County jurisdictions. Dogs over four months must be licensed and currently vaccinated against rabies under Cal. Health & Safety Code Section 121690. Dogs may not be loose off the owner's property unless under direct physical control (leash). Off-leash use is restricted to designated areas only. Violations generally start as infractions and dogs found at large are subject to impoundment by the contracted shelter.

Daly City has no comprehensive backyard-beekeeping ordinance in its code; bee-keeping is governed primarily by California state law. Under Cal. Food & Agricultural Code §29040, every apiary owner, broker, or possessor in California must annually register the number of colonies and the location of each apiary with the county agricultural commissioner by January 1 (or within 30 days thereafter). Apiary registration data is confidential under FAC §29041 and may only be shared with the state, county ag departments, and licensed pesticide applicators. Hives kept in Daly City must not create a nuisance under Daly City Municipal Code Title 6 / Title 8 (Public Peace, Morals and Welfare).

Daly City has no breed-specific restrictions. Its Municipal Code regulates dangerous and vicious animals based solely on behavior, using San Mateo County's own program adopted in place of the state Food and Agricultural Code procedures, and California law (Food & Agricultural Code Section 31683) forbids declaring any breed dangerous or vicious.

Daly City Municipal Code Section 6.04.060(e) bars possessing any animal designated dangerous or vicious by another jurisdiction without prior written permission from the animal control manager, and the adopted fee schedule includes a $100 annual Fancier Permit and/or Exotic Pet fee. State law (14 CCR 671) separately bans many exotic species outright.

No Daly City ordinance prohibits artificial turf on residential property. California Government Code section 53087.7 bars cities from prohibiting drought-tolerant landscaping using living plants, but since a 2024 amendment that protection no longer extends to synthetic grass or artificial turf.

Rainwater harvesting on residential property is broadly permitted under California's Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (Cal. Water Code Sec. 10574), which allows property owners to install and operate rainwater catchment systems from their own rooftops without an appropriative water-rights permit from the State Water Board. Daly City has no separate prohibition. Rain barrels (under 360 gallons / 50 inches high) typically do not require a building permit; larger cisterns must meet California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5, Chapter 17) for non-potable on-site water reuse.

Native and drought-tolerant landscaping is encouraged in Daly City and protected by state preemption. Cal. Gov. Code Sec. 53087.7 prohibits any city, county, or city-county from enforcing an ordinance that bans the installation of drought-tolerant landscaping using living plant material on residential property. Cal. Civil Code Sec. 4735 voids HOA rules prohibiting low-water-using plants. Any new or rehabilitated landscape over 500 sq. ft. (residential developer projects) or 2,500 sq. ft. (homeowner DIY) must comply with the California Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO), 23 CCR Sec. 490 et seq.

Daly City requires property owners to abate any overgrowth of foliage on or around their property. Overgrown, dead, or hazardous weeds and vegetation are declared public nuisances under Municipal Code section 8.16.030 and are enforced by the Code Enforcement Division with abatement, fines, and cost recovery.

Daly City has no single citywide numeric lawn-height limit, but Municipal Code section 8.16.030(F) declares overgrown vegetation a public nuisance, including grass, weeds, and brush over 12 inches in height on steep or hillside terrain and gorse plants of any size.

Daly City enforces California's permanent water-waste prohibitions, including no irrigation runoff onto sidewalks and no outdoor watering within 48 hours of a quarter inch of rain. For landscape projects regulated under Daly City Municipal Code Chapter 17.41, overhead irrigation must be scheduled between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.

No one may prune, spray, plant, or otherwise work on any public right-of-way or street tree in Daly City without a permit from the Director of Public Works under Municipal Code section 12.40.110. Unauthorized pruning of city trees is billed to the responsible property owner, and topping street trees is unlawful.

It is unlawful to cut down or remove any tree on a Daly City parkway, easement, or right-of-way without a Public Works permit under Municipal Code section 12.40.120. Removal of a live, healthy tree is at the requester's cost; trees that die of natural causes are removed and replaced by the city at no cost to the owner.

California Health and Safety Code Sec. 1597.45 (SB 234) makes small (up to 8 children) and large (up to 14 children) family daycare homes a residential use by right, so Daly City cannot require a home occupation or use permit, or impose a business license, fee, or tax, for operating a licensed family daycare home.

Daly City bans all signs and displays advertising a home occupation. Applicants must sign an acknowledgment stating they cannot install any sign on their home or yard, because the business may not be evident from outside the dwelling.

Daly City's zoning excludes general 'food preparation' as a home occupation, but state law overrides: residents can run a county-permitted Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) or a state cottage food operation. DCMC Sec. 17.36.020 expressly removes MEHKOs from the home occupation rules, deferring to state and San Mateo County permitting.

Every Daly City resident who runs a business from home must obtain both a Home Occupation Permit (reviewed by the Planning Division) and a city business license (issued by the Finance Department). The HOP fee is $104.00 and the minimum new business license tax is $114.00; both the permit and the license must be renewed annually.

Daly City prohibits customer or goods pickup and deliveries at a home business, bars employees from reporting to the house, limits traffic to no more than one additional vehicle per hour, and allows service occupations such as tutoring or tax preparation only one customer or student at a time.

Under DCMC Chapter 17.36, a home occupation must be clearly secondary to the dwelling, confined to one room no larger than one-fourth of one floor, and conducted so 'the average neighbor, under normal circumstances, would not be aware of its existence.' Garages, accessory buildings, and open space are off limits, and a long list of occupations is excluded outright.

Constructing, altering, or removing a swimming pool or permanent spa in Daly City requires a building permit from the Building Division under the California Building Code as adopted by Municipal Code Title 15; small prefabricated above-ground pools are the main exemption.

Permanently installed hot tubs and spas in Daly City need permits like pools, but California law exempts hot tubs and spas with locking ASTM F1346 safety covers from the drowning-prevention barrier requirements that otherwise apply to residential pools.

Daly City enforces the California Swimming Pool Safety Act through its building permit process: any new or remodeled residential pool or spa must include at least two of seven drowning-prevention safety features, most commonly a 60-inch isolation enclosure with a self-closing, self-latching gate.

Under California Health & Safety Code §115922 (Swimming Pool Safety Act / SB 442), every new or remodeled swimming pool or spa at a private single-family home in Daly City must be equipped with AT LEAST TWO of seven approved drowning prevention safety features. Daly City Building Division verifies compliance at final inspection. The required features include: a HSC §115923-compliant enclosure, ASTM F2286 removable mesh fencing, an ASTM F1346-23 safety pool cover, exit alarms on doors/windows providing pool access, self-closing/self-latching devices on access doors (release at 54+ inches), an ASTM F2208 water-entry alarm, or other approved equivalent protection.

Prefabricated above-ground pools at single-family homes that are less than 24 inches deep and hold no more than 5,000 gallons do not need a Daly City building permit, but any pool containing water over 18 inches deep is still covered by California pool-safety law.

Daly City cannot require ADU owner occupancy. California Gov. Code 65852.2(a)(8) prohibits local agencies from imposing owner-occupancy requirements on any ADU permitted between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2024, and AB 976 (2023) made this permanent for all ADUs going forward. Junior ADUs (JADUs) under Gov. Code 65852.22 still require owner occupancy of one of the units, but SB 543 (eff. Jan. 1, 2026) narrowed this to JADUs that share sanitation facilities with the main house. Daly City's older DCMC 17.40.100 owner-occupancy language is superseded by state law.

ADUs under 750 sq ft in Daly City are fully exempt from impact fees by state mandate (Cal. Gov. Code 65852.2(f)(3)(A)). ADUs of 750 sq ft or larger may be charged impact fees, but only in proportion to the size of the ADU relative to the primary dwelling. School fees under Ed. Code 17620 also do not apply to ADUs under 750 sq ft. Daly City's Master Fee Schedule (per dalycity.org/249/Fee-Schedule) implements these caps. Standard building-permit fees and plan-review fees still apply.

ADU permits in Daly City are processed ministerially (over-the-counter, no public hearing) through the Planning Division and Building Division. Under Cal. Gov. Code 65852.2(b)(1), the city must approve or deny a complete ADU permit application within 60 days. Applications are submitted digitally via the Daly City Permit Portal. The Planning Division (650-991-8033) reviews zoning compliance under DCMC 17.40.100; Building reviews compliance with the 2022 California Building Standards Code (Title 24).

Daly City ADUs and JADUs may not be rented for terms of 30 days or less. This is a statewide rule under Cal. Gov. Code 65852.2(a)(6) (ADUs) and Gov. Code 65852.22 / AB 1154 (JADUs, effective Oct. 10, 2025) - short-term rentals via Airbnb, VRBO, or similar are prohibited. Long-term rental (31+ days) is allowed and is not subject to owner-occupancy restrictions for ADUs permitted after Jan. 1, 2020. Daly City does not have a separate STR licensing scheme that overrides this rule.

Daly City has no separate tiny-home ordinance. A tiny home built on a permanent foundation is treated as an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) and is governed by California Government Code §66323, which Daly City must apply ministerially. A tiny home on wheels (THOW / movable tiny house) does not qualify as an ADU under state law and is regulated as a recreational vehicle - it cannot be occupied as a permanent residence on a single-family lot.

Carports in Daly City are treated as accessory structures under Title 14 (Planning, Zoning) and require a building permit under the California Building Code adopted in Title 12. They must observe zoning setbacks for the underlying residential district and may not encroach into required front yards. Carports replacing required off-street parking must keep the parking space conforming. Cal. Gov. Code §66323 protects carport conversions to ADU.

Daly City requires a building permit for any garage conversion or construction of rooms in a garage, including secondary units; for garage-to-ADU conversions, state law bars the city from requiring replacement off-street parking.

Daly City follows state ADU law, which supersedes conflicting city code provisions. Single-family lots may add one attached or conversion ADU, one JADU, and one detached ADU; detached ADUs may reach 1,200 square feet with 4-foot rear and side setbacks.

Daly City allows sheds, gazebos, pergolas, and similar accessory structures without setbacks only when combined floor area stays at or under 120 square feet; larger structures must meet zone setbacks, lot coverage limits, a 15-foot height cap, and administrative design review.

Daly City is a co-permittee under the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit (Order R2-2015-0049, as amended by R2-2019-0049) and a member of the San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program (SMCWPPP / Flows To Bay). Discharges of anything other than rainwater into the storm drain system are prohibited.

A narrow strip of western Daly City along the Pacific coast (Mussel Rock area, west of Skyline Boulevard) falls within the California Coastal Zone established by the California Coastal Act of 1976 (Cal. Public Resources Code §30000 et seq.). Development in the Coastal Zone requires either a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) issued under a certified Local Coastal Program (LCP) or, in the absence of a certified LCP, a CDP issued directly by the California Coastal Commission.

Erosion and sediment control on Daly City construction sites is required by the Bay Area Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (Order R2-2015-0049 Provision C.6), the statewide Construction General Permit (Order 2009-0009-DWQ) for projects disturbing 1 acre or more, and the California Building Code Appendix J grading provisions adopted in Title 12.

Grading and drainage in Daly City are governed by California Building Code Appendix J (grading) as adopted in Title 12 of the Municipal Code. A grading permit from the Daly City Building/Engineering Division is required for cuts or fills exceeding the Appendix J thresholds, and all sites must direct drainage to an approved point of discharge without creating runoff onto neighboring properties.

Daly City participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and adopts FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) for San Mateo County. The city sits on coastal hills with no major riverine Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHAs); the primary water-related hazards are coastal cliff erosion at Mussel Rock / Northridge and tsunami inundation along the Pacific shoreline rather than 100-year floodplains.

Daly City regulates signs through Municipal Code Chapter 17.32 (Title 17, Zoning). Temporary noncommercial and political signs on private residential property are broadly protected under California Civil Code 1940.4 (tenant right to display) and Civil Code 4710 (HOA owners), and posting on public property or in the public right-of-way is restricted under DCMC 17.32.160 (general regulations) and Caltrans rules near state highways (Bus. & Prof. Code 5405.3). Signs near polling places are restricted by California Elections Code 18370.

Daly City regulates garage sales under Municipal Code Chapter 8.44 (Title 8, Health and Sanitation), which includes a dedicated signs section at DCMC 8.44.060. A garage sale permit is required (the application is available from the City Clerk), and signs are restricted as to size, placement, and removal. Sign placement on utility poles, street trees, and public right-of-way is also prohibited by the general sign code at DCMC 17.32.160.

Daly City does not have a dedicated holiday-lights or holiday-display ordinance. Temporary seasonal lights and decorations on private residential property are generally exempt from sign-permit requirements under Municipal Code Chapter 17.32 (Signs), but they must still comply with the nuisance rules in DCMC Title 8 (Health and Sanitation), the noise ordinance for any sound effects, the electrical code adopted in DCMC Title 15 (Buildings and Construction), and right-of-way restrictions in DCMC 17.32.160. There is no state preemption of local holiday-display regulation.

Carts must be placed curbside on the collection day with wheels facing the curb and lids closed. Republic Services collects on a route-specific weekday; carts should be returned from the curb within 24 hours of pickup per Chapter 8.12. Overloaded or improperly stored carts can trigger a notice of violation.

Republic Services offers each Daly City single-family customer one free on-call bulky goods collection per calendar year. Residents may set out either multiple bagged/boxed/bundled items OR up to two large items (each up to 200 lbs and 3' x 6'), including appliances, mattresses, and electronics. Schedule by calling (650) 756-1130.

Daly City Municipal Code Chapter 8.32 (Illegal Dumping and Littering), repealed and replaced December 14, 2020, sets escalating administrative fines: littering $250 / $500 / $1,000 and illegal dumping $1,000 / $2,500 / $5,000 within 12 months. Major violations reach $10,000. Report dumping in progress to Police at (650) 992-1225.

Republic Services is Daly City's exclusive franchise hauler under Municipal Code Title 8 (Health and Safety), Chapter 8.12 (Garbage). All residential and commercial accounts must subscribe to garbage, recycling, and organics service; rates vary by cart number and size. Customer service: (650) 756-1130.

Recycling participation is mandatory in Daly City under Municipal Code Chapter 8.14 (Recyclable Materials) and the California Mandatory Commercial Recycling Act (AB 341). All residents and businesses receive a blue single-stream cart from Republic Services; covered materials must not be placed in trash. Multi-family and commercial generators must also subscribe to recycling.

Daly City Municipal Code Chapter 8.80 (Mandatory Organic Waste Disposal Reduction), added by Ordinance No. 1452 (adopted Nov 22, 2021, effective Jan 1, 2022), implements California SB 1383. All residents and businesses must subscribe to green-cart organics service combining yard trimmings, food scraps, and food-soiled paper. Putting yard waste in trash or recycling is a violation.

Daly City Municipal Code Title 8 (Public Peace, Morals and Welfare) does not enumerate a drone-specific park-takeoff ordinance, but Daly City Parks and Recreation rules prohibit activities that interfere with park use or pose a hazard. Adjacent National Park Service lands (Golden Gate National Recreation Area - Fort Funston, Mussel Rock-adjacent GGNRA parcels, Sweeney Ridge) prohibit launching, landing, or operating drones under 36 CFR Section 1.5 / NPS Director's Policy Memorandum 14-05. California State Parks (Thornton State Beach) similarly prohibit UAS without a permit under 14 CCR Section 4322.

Daly City has no standalone municipal drone ordinance. Recreational drone (UAS) operation is governed by FAA 14 CFR Part 107 / Section 44809 (Recreational Flyer rule), with California Penal Code Section 402(b) (interference with emergency personnel) and Civil Code Section 1708.8 (physical and constructive invasion of privacy by aerial means) applying statewide. The Daly City Municipal Code (Title 4 Public Safety, Title 8 Public Peace, Morals and Welfare) does not enumerate a drone-specific section in the Municode TOC for code_of_ordinances; operators are bound by federal airspace rules and state privacy/safety statutes.

All commercial drone operation in Daly City is governed by FAA 14 CFR Part 107, which requires the remote pilot to hold a current Remote Pilot Certificate. The City of Daly City does not issue a separate commercial-drone permit and the Municipal Code (Title 5 Business Licenses and Regulations) does not enumerate a UAS-specific license category. Operators conducting business in Daly City must hold a Daly City business license under Municipal Code Title 5, Chapter 5.04, even though the drone operation itself is federally regulated.

Daly City requires replacement of street trees removed from the public right-of-way as a condition of any removal authorization issued by Public Works under Title 11. Trees removed as part of a planning project (subdivision, design review, multi-family or commercial development) must be replaced per landscape plan and conditions of approval under Title 14, with the city's adopted street tree list and the State Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) controlling species selection.

Daly City does not designate specific tree species (e.g., coast live oak, California buckeye, redwood) as locally protected on private property. State law provides species-level protection only for trees on Timberland Production Zone lands, in State Responsibility Areas, and for federally listed plant species. Within Daly City, the only species-level protection mechanism is the city's approved street tree list, which governs what may be planted in the right-of-way.

Daly City does not have a standalone heritage-tree or landmark-tree ordinance protecting specimen trees on private property. Tree protections in Daly City are limited to trees in the public right-of-way (Title 11) and to trees identified as protected through specific planning approvals under Title 14. San Mateo County's Significant Tree Ordinance applies only in unincorporated county areas, not within Daly City limits.

The parkway (the strip of land between sidewalk and curb) is part of the public right-of-way in Daly City. Planting any tree there requires authorization from the Department of Public Works under Title 11 (Streets and Sidewalks), and species must come from the city's approved street tree list. Adjacent property owners are typically responsible for watering and basic maintenance of parkway trees, while the city retains responsibility for major pruning, structural work, and authorization to remove.

Daly City regulates removal of trees in the public right-of-way (parkway/street trees) under Title 11 (Streets and Sidewalks) of the Municipal Code; a permit from the Department of Public Works is required before any street tree is pruned heavily, topped, or removed. Trees on private residential property are not subject to a citywide heritage-tree permit ordinance, but tree work tied to a planning entitlement (subdivision, design review, or new construction) is governed through Title 14 conditions of approval.