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San Clemente Municipal Code Chapter 8.48 sets exterior noise limits that drop at night. On residential property the allowable level falls from 55 dB(A) during the day to 50 dB(A) between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., with interior limits of 40 dB(A) at night.

San Clemente allows construction noise only 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, with no construction on Sunday or City-recognized holidays, under SCMC §8.48.090(E).

San Clemente bans gas-powered leaf blowers under SCMC Chapter 8.50 (the Leaf Blower Ordinance, effective Nov. 4, 2022). Only electric leaf blowers rated at or below 65 dB(A) are permitted, and only during defined daytime hours.

San Clemente sets numeric decibel limits by land use and time under SCMC §8.48.050. Residential exterior limits are 55 dB(A) day and 50 dB(A) night; commercial is 65/60 dB(A); industrial is 70 dB(A) at all hours.

San Clemente limits industrial and manufacturing property noise to 70 dB(A) at all hours under SCMC §8.48.050. Fixed equipment such as HVAC, pumps and pool machinery must be muffled to meet these standards.

San Clemente prohibits animal noise, including dog barking, that unreasonably disturbs neighbors under SCMC §6.24.040. Barking heard beyond the property for 30 continuous minutes, or intermittently for 60 minutes, is a prohibited nuisance.

Commercial amplified sound in San Clemente requires a Minor Conditional Use Permit under SCMC §17.24.055. No permit may authorize amplified sound in any residential zone, and permitted sound is measured on the stricter C-weighted (dB(C)) scale.

San Clemente prohibits unnecessary vehicle horns, defective mufflers, and rattling loads under SCMC §8.48.070, while general traffic noise on public streets is regulated by the California Vehicle Code rather than the local ordinance.

Outdoor amplified music in San Clemente is regulated as commercial amplified sound under SCMC §17.24.055 (permit required, banned in residential zones) or allowed at events under a Special Event or Temporary Use Permit exemption in SCMC §8.48.090(B).

San Clemente has no local aircraft-noise ordinance. SCMC §8.48.090(I) exempts activity preempted by state or federal law, so aircraft overflight noise is governed by the FAA, not the City. San Clemente has no commercial airport of its own.

San Clemente levies a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax on all STLU rental charges under Municipal Code Chapter 3.24. STLU operators file TOT returns quarterly. Permit fees are $140 (zoning) and $105 (operating license).

STLU renters and guests may not create unreasonable noise or disturbances, engage in disorderly conduct, or violate the municipal code. The owner must ensure compliance and provide a 24-hour contact who responds on site within 30 minutes.

San Clemente's STLU code and permit conditions set no adopted maximum number of rental nights per year; instead they limit each STLU to a single rental contract and require overnight-lodging-only use. A 90-day annual cap was debated by the Planning Commission but is not established as a permit condition.

San Clemente requires two approvals before any short-term rental (29 or fewer consecutive days): a one-time STLU Zoning Permit and an annually renewed STLU Operating License. Operating without both is prohibited.

The STLU Operating License is valid for 12 months and must be reapplied for and renewed each year. Each renewal re-triggers the 300-foot neighbor notification, insurance proof, and TOT-filing obligations.

Maximum overnight occupancy of a San Clemente STLU is set in the operating license and is tied to the number of legal off-street parking spaces on site, per SCMC 17.28.292.C.11. The owner must limit occupancy by written agreement with each renter.

San Clemente STLUs must provide all parking on site. Off-street spaces used to calculate maximum occupancy must stay unobstructed and accessible during every rental. Spaces must meet the Zoning Ordinance minimum stall size of 9 by 19 feet.

Standard San Clemente STLUs do not require the owner to live on site. A separate STAR permit exists for apartment rentals in residential zones where STLUs are not allowed; the STAR permit is owner-specific and does not run with the land.

Every San Clemente STLU owner must obtain and maintain vacation rental property insurance covering the commercial lodging use of the site, provide proof to the City, and resubmit that proof each year at license renewal.

San Clemente does not require an on-site host for a standard STLU, but the owner must provide a 24-hour emergency contact who responds on site within 30 minutes to complaints about renter conduct or the property's condition.

San Clemente requires owners to clear flammable weeds, grass, and brush. The adopted Fire Code (SCMC Chapter 8.16) mandates vegetation removal, and the City runs an annual weed-abatement program for vacant lots with a May 15 deadline. VHFHSZ properties follow OCFA fuel-modification standards.

San Clemente bans all consumer fireworks, including state-classified 'safe and sane' devices. Fire protection is provided by the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA). Only permitted professional public displays are lawful, such as the City's Fourth of July show at the San Clemente Pier.

Open burning of rubbish and yard waste is effectively prohibited in San Clemente. Adopted Fire Code Section 307 (SCMC Chapter 8.16) limits outdoor fires to small controlled fires and requires trash to be burned only in an approved incinerator. OCFA and South Coast AQMD regulate any burning.

Backyard recreational fires in San Clemente are tightly limited by adopted Fire Code Section 307 (SCMC Chapter 8.16). Gas features are preferred; wood burning is banned in fuel modification zones and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, and no fires are allowed in high-wind or Red Flag conditions.

San Clemente regulates outdoor fireplaces, fire pits, and fire rings under adopted Fire Code Section 307 (SCMC Chapter 8.16). Gas units are allowed with approval and clearance; wood and solid-fuel burning is prohibited in fuel modification zones and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

San Clemente regulates propane (LP-gas) storage through the adopted California Fire Code (SCMC Chapter 8.16), enforced by OCFA. Small barbecue and patio cylinders are allowed for residential use, but larger tanks and aggregate quantities must meet Fire Code clearances and may require an OCFA permit.

Parts of San Clemente, especially coastal hillside and canyon neighborhoods, lie in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. SCMC Chapter 8.22 designates these zones, and the City maintains a VHFHSZ map (July 2025). Such properties must meet OCFA fuel-modification, defensible-space, and wildfire-resistant construction standards.

San Clemente follows the California Residential Code (SCMC 15.22) and Fire Code (SCMC 8.16) for smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms. Homes need working smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on each level, plus CO alarms near sleeping areas where fuel-burning appliances or attached garages exist.

San Clemente declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles on public or private property a public nuisance subject to abatement and removal, and separately bans storing any vehicle on a street for more than 72 consecutive hours.

San Clemente has no standalone municipal ordinance dedicated to EV charging-station parking; enforcement of charging spaces relies on California Vehicle Code rules and posted signage, while new developments follow state building-code EV infrastructure standards.

San Clemente has no blanket overnight ban on standard cars, but oversized, wide, commercial, and recreational vehicles face nighttime street restrictions, and beach and downtown lots and preferential zones limit overnight parking by sign.

San Clemente prohibits stopping or standing in parkways and no-parking areas marked by signs or red curb paint, requires vehicles to stay within marked spaces, and enforces the state 72-hour street-storage limit citywide.

San Clemente restricts wide vehicles on narrow streets between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m., limits RVs and trailers to four hours on any street, and requires oversized vehicles on residential property to sit 20 feet back and be screened.

San Clemente broadly bans parking RVs, trailers, campers, and trailer-mounted boats on any city street, publicly used lot, or alley for more than four hours, with a free city permit extending loading and unloading windows for residents.

San Clemente bans commercial vehicles from city streets, public lots, and alleys between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. except for active loading, and limits daytime commercial-vehicle parking to two hours outside of business-adjacent use.

San Clemente lets residents park in driveways but keeps boats, trailers, and oversized vehicles at least 20 feet back from the curb with partial screening, and allows only limited driveway loading round-trips each year.

San Clemente has no standalone loading-zone chapter; loading and passenger zones are set by posted signs and curb markings enforced under the restricted-parking ordinance, with residential loading of oversized vehicles governed separately.

In San Clemente only the City Traffic Engineer may paint curbs to mark parking restrictions; red curbs mean no parking, and unauthorized private curb painting is not recognized as an enforceable restriction.

In San Clemente's residential zones, fences, walls and hedges may be 3 feet 6 inches in the front-yard setback and up to 6 feet in interior side and rear yards. Corner and reverse-corner lots have stricter street-side limits.

San Clemente's code sets fence heights and requires fences be maintained so they are not a hazard, but does not itself divide cost between neighbors. Shared-fence cost sharing is governed by California's Good Neighbor Fence Law.

San Clemente requires fences, walls and hedges to be maintained so they are not a traffic, person or property hazard, measures height from the lower side of finished grade, and keeps front-yard structures low for an open street scene.

San Clemente does not require a building permit for a fence 6 feet or less (masonry under 42 inches), but zoning height limits still apply. Taller front or street-side fences need a Minor Exception Permit.

San Clemente limits residential retaining walls to 3 feet 6 inches in front-yard setbacks and 6 feet elsewhere, rising to 8 feet 6 inches when the wall faces toward the subject property. Stepped walls and guardrails have added rules.

San Clemente prohibits barbed wire and razor-wire fences in all zones, except where such materials are needed to restrict access to public utility equipment such as high-voltage transformers.

San Clemente does not restrict residential fence materials to a set list, but requires safe construction and measures pilasters and trellises as part of fence height. Nonresidential fence materials are set through architectural review.

San Clemente Municipal Code 6.28.010 bars keeping any wild, exotic, or non-domesticated animal in the city without a permit from the CASA general manager. Applicants must prove the animal poses no public menace and that the site and zoning are adequate.

San Clemente permits up to three dogs and/or cats without a permit. SCMC 6.44.010 and 6.24.010 require a private kennel permit for four or more dogs or cats over four months old, and cap non-dog/cat animals at six per residential property.

San Clemente Municipal Code 6.12.010 requires dogs on any street, alley, or public property to be restrained by a chain or leash no longer than six feet, held by a competent person. Dogs are barred from beaches, the pier, and the golf course.

San Clemente imposes no breed-specific dog ban. California Food and Agricultural Code 31683 bars cities from regulating dogs by breed. The city instead uses a conduct-based potentially-dangerous and vicious dog process in SCMC Chapter 6.20.

San Clemente allows livestock only where the Zoning Code permits. SCMC 6.24.010 bars keeping any animal within 100 feet of another occupied residence, and specialty-animal rules require zoning compliance and a 100-foot setback from adjacent structures.

Chickens and other backyard fowl are 'specialty animals' in San Clemente. SCMC 6.44 requires a permit-linked keeping standard: zoning compliance, humane sanitary conditions, and coops located at least 100 feet from the nearest adjacent structure.

San Clemente Municipal Code 6.28.060 makes it unlawful to keep any hive or swarm of bees within the city without a permit. Only educational, physician, or laboratory research uses are exempt, and only if the bees are not allowed to fly at large.

San Clemente does not require cats to be licensed. SCMC 6.10.130 makes cat licensing optional, though a licensed cat must have current rabies vaccination. Up to three cats may be kept per home before a private kennel permit is required.

San Clemente has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but pet-limit permits, sanitation rules, and refuge permits constrain accumulation. Severe cases are prosecuted under California Penal Code 597 cruelty law through the Coastal Animal Services Authority.

San Clemente Municipal Code 6.28.070 prohibits feeding non-domesticated predators including coyotes, raccoons, foxes, skunks, and opossums. SCMC 6.28.090 separately bans feeding wild pigeons on the municipal pier, with fines from $50 to $200.

Under California SB 1383, San Clemente requires single-family and multifamily residents to subscribe to organics collection and recycle green waste and food waste, effective January 1, 2022. CR&R is the franchise hauler for the organics cart. Backyard composting is allowed and encouraged as an alternative.

San Clemente's Landscape Standards require drought-tolerant, water-efficient landscaping for new and rehabilitated projects. Under Municipal Code Section 17.68.040.C, California native plant species must make up at least 60 percent of required landscaped areas, and landscaping must consist primarily of drought-tolerant living plant material. Invasive and noxious species are excluded.

San Clemente has no general private-property tree-trimming permit, so trimming your own trees is usually allowed. Street trees and trees in the public right-of-way are City-managed under Title 12 and may not be pruned without City authorization. Scenic-corridor trees are protected under the Master Landscape Plan.

San Clemente's annual Weed Abatement Program treats overgrown weeds and dry vegetation as a fire hazard and nuisance. Owners must clear weeds and debris by May 15 each year, cutting vegetation to one inch or lower, and keep lots clear year-round. The City abates non-compliant parcels and bills the owner.

San Clemente has no fixed height limit for a maintained residential lawn, but its Weed Abatement Program requires weeds on undeveloped and vacant parcels to be cut to one inch or lower and kept clear year-round. Overgrown vegetation and weeds are enforceable code violations.

San Clemente has no general heritage-tree or protected-tree ordinance for private property, so removing a healthy tree on your own lot usually needs no City permit. Trees required by an approved landscape or development plan, scenic-corridor trees, and street/right-of-way trees are protected and need City approval to remove.

The City of San Clemente is the water utility for most of the city; the Talega area is served by Santa Margarita Water District. Permanent water-waste restrictions apply under the Water Conservation Ordinance, Municipal Code Chapter 13.12, even outside drought. Irrigation runoff onto pavement, gutters or storm drains is prohibited.

San Clemente has no ordinance prohibiting residential rainwater harvesting, and California's Rainwater Capture Act (2012) allows homeowners to collect rooftop rainwater without a water-rights permit. Rain barrels and cisterns are encouraged for landscape irrigation, and regional rebates are available through SoCal Water$mart and the Municipal Water District of Orange County.

San Clemente's Landscape Standards require living, drought-tolerant plant material and permeable surfaces, with required landscaping at least 60 percent California natives. Artificial turf is not living landscaping and does not satisfy landscape or front-yard permeability requirements. California's SB 676 (2023) preserves cities' authority to regulate synthetic turf.

San Clemente's home occupation rules keep businesses invisible from the street, so on-site advertising signs for home occupations are not permitted. Sign standards in Chapter 17.84 govern residential signage, and even temporary business banners citywide expressly exclude home occupations.

Cottage food operations in San Clemente are authorized under the California Homemade Food Act. The state and Orange County Environmental Health register and inspect cottage food producers, while the city handles the home occupation permit and business license as it does any home business.

San Clemente allows home occupations as an accessory use in any residential dwelling in any zone, provided the business stays incidental to the home. The activity may not change the residential character of the dwelling or occupy more than 20 percent of the habitable floor area.

San Clemente requires a Home Occupation Permit under Section 17.16.140 plus a city business license before running a business from a residence. The use must stay accessory, keep the home's residential character, and not exceed 20 percent of the habitable floor area.

San Clemente permits small and large family day care homes in residential dwellings. Under California law these homes are treated as a residential use, so the city cannot require a conditional use permit or treat them as a business; state licensing through Community Care Licensing applies.

San Clemente amends the state Pool Safety Act to require two independent safety measures: the enclosing barrier plus a second device. When a house wall forms part of the barrier, two additional protections (door alarms, self-latching doors, mesh fence, safety cover or pool alarm) are required.

San Clemente treats spas and hot tubs 18 inches or more deep as pools. An in-ground spa under 8 feet in any dimension, or a portable spa, may be exempt from the full barrier if fitted with an approved locking cover kept in place when not in use.

The San Clemente Building Division requires a building permit (with plumbing, electrical and mechanical trades) to construct a swimming pool, spa or hot tub. Plans on minimum 11x17 sheets, stamped by a licensed engineer or architect, must be plan-checked before any excavation begins.

Every San Clemente pool must be fully enclosed by a barrier. The city's BI-17 standard requires a fence at least 60 inches tall with no gaps passing a 4-inch sphere, a bottom no more than 2 inches above grade, and self-closing, self-latching gates that swing away from the pool.

Above-ground pools deeper than 18 inches are treated like any pool and need a permit and a compliant barrier. Where the pool wall itself is the barrier and access is by ladder or steps, the ladder must be removable, lockable or raised, or be surrounded by its own compliant barrier.

In San Clemente a permanent tiny home on a foundation is treated as an accessory dwelling unit under SCMC 17.28.270, while a tiny home on wheels, trailer, or RV cannot be used as a dwelling except in a licensed mobilehome park or campground per SCMC 9.04.100.

In San Clemente a carport is a detached accessory structure regulated by the accessory-building standards in SCMC 17.24.070 and 17.24.080, and any required covered parking must comply with the off-street parking standards in SCMC Chapter 17.64.

San Clemente permits accessory dwelling units ministerially under SCMC 17.28.270, implementing California Government Code Sections 65852.2 and 65852.22. Qualifying ADUs and junior ADUs are approved with a building permit only, with no discretionary hearing.

San Clemente allows garage conversions primarily as ADUs under SCMC 17.28.270. Converting an existing garage to an accessory dwelling unit is a ministerial, building-permit-only action, and no setback is required for a legally established existing garage.

In San Clemente, a shed is a detached accessory building regulated by SCMC 17.24.070 and 17.24.080. Small sheds in the rear half of the lot may sit right up to a side or rear property line, while larger accessory buildings must meet zone setbacks.

Barbecues and grills used solely for cooking are exempt from San Clemente's fire-pit rules but must be operated safely under the adopted California Fire Code (SCMC Chapter 8.16). Grilling is allowed at homes; multi-family balconies face open-flame limits, and beach cooking is limited to contained barbecues or fire rings.

Charcoal, pellet, and wood smokers used solely for cooking are treated as cooking devices in San Clemente and are exempt from the outdoor fire-pit restrictions under the adopted California Fire Code (SCMC Chapter 8.16).

San Clemente's sign matrix in SCMC 17.84.030 allows one on-site garage sale sign per site, up to 4 square feet, with no permit required. Off-site signs are prohibited and the sign must be removed no later than the day after the sale.

San Clemente's sign regulations in SCMC Chapter 17.84 are expressly content-neutral. Any non-commercial message, including a political or campaign message, may be substituted for the copy on any sign otherwise allowed by the code, so political speech is not singled out by size or duration.

San Clemente Municipal Code Section 8.52.030 declares a long list of blight conditions to be public nuisances, including deteriorated paint, broken windows, abandoned buildings, visible accumulated debris, and broken furniture visible from the public right-of-way.

San Clemente adopts the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code by SCMC 8.78.010, amended so all developed properties must stay free of dead or dry weeds and live weeds exceeding one inch, with noxious weeds prohibited.

In San Clemente, garbage cans stored in front or side yards and visible from the public right-of-way are a nuisance under SCMC 8.52.030(N), and refuse carts must be substantially hidden from street view except on collection day under SCMC 8.28.040.

San Clemente's Municipal Code contains no dedicated garage-sale or yard-sale ordinance and no permit or per-year limit. Residential garage sales are governed only by general nuisance, signage, and property-maintenance rules that prohibit blight and unpermitted signs.

San Clemente requires owners of any lot, improved or unimproved, to keep it free of grass, weeds, dead trees, rubbish, and refuse under SCMC 8.76.040, and the City may abate and place a weed-and-cleaning tax lien on the parcel if the owner fails to comply.

San Clemente requires exterior lighting to be shielded or recessed and directed downward under SCMC 17.24.130. Lighting must be energy-efficient, may not blink or flash, and may not be of unusually high intensity or brightness.

San Clemente controls light trespass through SCMC 17.24.130, which requires exterior lighting to be shielded so direct glare and reflections are contained within the parcel and directed away from adjoining properties and public rights-of-way.

San Clemente contracts CR&R Environmental Services as its exclusive franchise waste hauler. Every property must subscribe to City or CR&R collection under SCMC 8.28.050, and collection is prohibited between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in residential areas.

San Clemente carts must be placed at the curb or alley no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the day before collection and removed within 24 hours after pickup, then stored substantially hidden from public street or alley view under SCMC 8.28.040.

Under SCMC 8.28.130, implementing California SB 1383, San Clemente single-family generators must subscribe to the City's three-container service and sort organics (including food waste), recyclables, and refuse into the correct carts. Commercial and edible-food rules also apply.

Each San Clemente resident may schedule a free bulky-item pickup from CR&R up to four times per calendar year, of up to four large items or bags each time. Free door-to-door household hazardous waste pickup is also available.

San Clemente prohibits depositing solid waste, litter, or refuse on any street, alley, beach, park, or public or private property except in proper containers, under SCMC 8.28.020 and Chapter 8.40. State law (Penal Code 374.3) adds criminal fines.

Under SCMC 9.12.060, San Clemente municipal parks are closed from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and municipal trails are closed from sunset to sunrise. Certain parks and trail segments have their own stated hours, and posted notices govern.

San Clemente limits building height by residential zone: RVL to 30 feet and two stories, the RL, RML and RM zones to 25 feet, and the high-density RH zone to 45 feet, under Table 17.32.040.

In San Clemente's RL single-family zone, the minimum front-yard setback is 20 feet, interior side yards are 10% of average lot width or 6 feet (whichever is smaller), street-side yards are 10 feet, and rear yards are 10 feet.

San Clemente limits maximum lot coverage to 50 percent in the RL and RML residential zones and 55 percent in the higher-density RM and RH zones, under Table 17.32.040 of the zoning code.

San Clemente has no protected-tree or heritage-tree permit for ordinary private-property trees, so a City tree-removal permit is generally not required for a healthy tree on your own lot. City approval is required for street and right-of-way trees, and for trees required by an approved plan or in scenic corridors.