Moving to Santa Cruz, CA?

Sound amplifying equipment may not be used between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., and in designated commercial zones amplified sound on public property that can be heard 125 or more feet away is presumed unreasonably loud.

Construction noise falls under the 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. curfew, so work generally must occur between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.; limited public-works and emergency exceptions allow a 7 a.m. start or night work only with written city authorization.

Santa Cruz Code §6.110.030 prohibits property owners from authorizing the operation of any gas-powered leaf blower at any time for any purpose, citywide.

Vehicle noise in Santa Cruz is regulated by California Vehicle Code §27150–27151 (muffler and modification rules) plus local §10.40.270, which limits engine idling on city streets to 90 consecutive seconds.

No Santa Cruz-specific ordinance directly regulates aircraft noise in flight; such regulation is federally preempted by the FAA, and California PUC 21669 sets airport noise standards administered by Caltrans.

Santa Cruz's noise ordinance expressly names barking or howling dogs as 'offensive noise,' which is prohibited between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. and may be unreasonably disturbing at any hour.

Santa Cruz prohibits any offensive noise between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. that is made within 100 feet of a building used for sleeping or that disturbs anyone within hearing distance.

Beyond the nighttime curfew, Santa Cruz prohibits at any hour any noise that is unreasonably disturbing or physically annoying to people of ordinary sensitiveness and not necessary to a lawful activity.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.1770(3) caps vehicles at one per one-bedroom unit, two per two- or three-bedroom unit, plus one additional vehicle per bedroom over three.

Overnight occupancy at a Santa Cruz short-term rental is capped at two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons. Only one rental agreement may be in effect at a time, vehicles are limited by bedroom count, and special events such as weddings and parties are prohibited.

Every short-term rental in the City of Santa Cruz must hold a short-term rental permit and a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate. New permits are limited to owner-occupied 'hosted' rentals, with a citywide cap of 250 hosted permits; no new non-hosted (non-owner-occupied) permits are issued.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.1770 applies the §9.36 noise standards to short-term rentals and bans weddings, parties, and other large engagements. Quiet hours are 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. including all amplified noise.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Ch. 3.28 imposes the Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax on accommodations rented for 30 consecutive days or less, including STRs, hotels, motels, and B&Bs.

Santa Cruz imposes a Transient Occupancy Tax of 14% of rent on residential short-term rentals that require an STR permit, and 12% on hotels and other lodging. Operators must register for a TOT certificate and remit the tax collected from guests.

All short-term rental advertising in any medium must display the city-issued STR permit number and the transient occupancy registration certificate number. Hosting platforms must notify listers of the city's STR and tax requirements.

The first two short-term rental violations in a one-year period are infractions punishable by fine; a third violation in one year is a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months in county jail. Each day of violation is a separate offense, and permits can be suspended or revoked.

Operators must designate a 24/7 local contact within 20 miles who can respond to complaints within 30 minutes, enforce quiet hours of 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., manage trash, and post a permitted-STR sign near the street.

Santa Cruz adopts the California Fire Code Wildland-Urban Interface chapter under §19.05.270 plus a local Wildfire Risk Areas chapter (Title 19 §19.05.310 / Fire Code Ch. 90).

Portable outdoor fireplaces and fire pits are allowed in Santa Cruz but must follow the manufacturer's instructions and be kept at least 15 feet from any structure or combustible material (with an exception for use at one- and two-family dwellings), and must be constantly attended. Open fires are prohibited on all City beaches.

Santa Cruz adopts the CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone map under §19.20.010, triggering wildland-urban interface (WUI) building and defensible-space requirements citywide for designated zones.

Open burning in Santa Cruz requires a Fire Department burn permit ($50), is limited to parcels of one-half acre or larger, and is generally allowed only during the December 1 - April 30 burn season on declared burn days. Burning is prohibited on parcels under half an acre (except where yard-waste pickup is unavailable) and within 100 feet of a neighbor's structure.

Releasing a sky lantern is prohibited anywhere in the City of Santa Cruz. The City amends the Fire Code to add an outright ban, which is also backed by several California statutes.

All fireworks - including 'safe and sane' - are prohibited to possess, manufacture, store, sell, handle, or use anywhere in the City of Santa Cruz. The City deletes the state Fire Code's fireworks chapter and replaces it with an outright ban, and fines triple during the July Fourth safety enhancement zone period.

The City of Santa Cruz allows backyard recreational and warming fires daily unless wildfire danger is high. The fire must be no more than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, kept at least 25 feet from any structure or combustible material, constantly attended with extinguishing equipment on hand, and may be ordered out by the Fire Department if deemed unsafe.

Santa Cruz adds a Fire Code chapter addressing wildfire risk areas, treating unrestricted use of grass-, brush-, or forest-covered land as a menace to life and property and authorizing the fire chief to close such areas to entry when fire danger is high.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §10.40.120 prohibits parking any oversized vehicle on a public street, alley, or city parking lot between midnight and 5:00 a.m. unless a city manager permit allows it.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.241 sets EV charging station requirements for new development, supplementing California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) EV-ready and EV-installed mandates.

Santa Cruz §10.40.080 bars commercial vehicle washing on driveways, sidewalks, or streets; §10.40.070 prohibits vehicle repairs on public streets; and Title 6 §6.28 treats inoperable vehicles in yards as a public nuisance.

Santa Cruz §10.40.115 prohibits parking any commercial vehicle with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more in any residential district.

Santa Cruz §10.40.050(a) prohibits parking any vehicle on a city street or alley for more than 72 consecutive hours.

A conditional fence permit is required whenever a fence exceeds the standard height limits - over three feet six inches in the front or exterior side yard, or over six feet behind the setback lines. The zoning administrator may approve modest cases without a hearing; larger ones require a public hearing and specific findings.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.160(1)(f) limits fences and hedges in clear corner triangles and clear vision areas to 3 ft 6 in. State Civil Code §841 also governs shared boundary-fence costs.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.160(1)(b),(d) restricts fence materials that create fire hazards, interfere with fire access, or use barbed wire (electrified or otherwise) without a Conditional Fence Permit.

Santa Cruz treats hedges like fences: hedges or dense plantings over three feet six inches may not be grown within the required front or exterior side yard setbacks, and any hedge in the clear corner triangle is held to the same three-foot-six-inch limit.

Santa Cruz prohibits barbed-wire fences, electrified or not, without a conditional fence permit, and bars any fence that creates a fire or traffic hazard. California Civil Code 841.4 separately declares a malicious fence over ten feet a private nuisance.

In the exterior side yard, a Santa Cruz fence must be set back at least three feet from the property line to reach six feet; fences nearer the line or in the front setback are capped at three feet six inches. Fences and hedges in the clear corner triangle and clear vision area may not exceed three feet six inches.

Santa Cruz limits fences to three feet six inches within the front and exterior side yard setbacks, six feet in the exterior side yard when set back at least three feet, and eight feet elsewhere (the portion above six feet must be at least 50 percent open lattice). Anything taller requires a conditional fence permit.

California's Good Neighbor Fence Act presumes adjoining Santa Cruz landowners share equally in the cost of building, maintaining, or replacing a boundary fence, unless they agree otherwise in writing. A landowner must give 30 days' written notice before incurring shared fence costs.

Santa Cruz §8.14.320 makes it unlawful for any dog owner to permit a dog to be off the owner's premises unless securely restrained by a leash. Dogs at large violate §8.14.310.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.650 regulates beekeeping (apiaries) in residential and other zoning districts, setting standards for hive setbacks, water access, and number of colonies.

California restricts exotic pets through the Fish & Game Code and CDFW regulations — ferrets and hedgehogs are illegal statewide, and many wild/exotic species are prohibited. These restrictions apply in the City of Santa Cruz.

SCMC 8.14.440 makes it unlawful to let any vicious animal go unrestrained; the poundmaster may order it confined to the owner's premises and out only under direct control 'while on a leash and properly muzzled.' A 'vicious animal' is defined by behavior - biting or menacing people or domestic animals - in SCMC 8.04.010(s).

SCMC 8.14.445 prohibits keeping any animal of a 'wild species' (as defined in California Fish and Game Code 2118) anywhere in the city, unless the keeper holds a valid state Department of Fish and Wildlife permit. SCMC 8.14.455 also bans steel-jawed, leg-hold traps.

Under Santa Cruz zoning code 24.12.630, family farm animals (including poultry) may be kept only on a residential lot of at least 20,000 square feet - up to two large and ten small farm animals - and never run at large. Enclosures must sit at least 40 feet from a neighbor's dwelling and 20 feet from the owner's property line, and 7+ small animals require an administrative use permit.

Santa Cruz zoning code (SCMC 24.12.620) allows a maximum of six domestic animals on any residential lot, of which no more than three may be dogs and no more than one may be an unspayed female dog. SCMC 8.14.130 separately bars keeping more than one unspayed female dog per residence.

City of Santa Cruz Municipal Code (SCMC) 8.14.320 makes it unlawful to allow a dog off its owner's premises unless 'securely restrained by a leash,' and 8.14.310 bans dogs at large anywhere in the city. Dogs are barred entirely - even leashed - from city beaches, the San Lorenzo River watercourse, the Pacific Avenue Mall, and the Municipal Wharf under SCMC 8.14.200.

No Santa Cruz-specific ordinance restricts dogs by breed; California Food and Agricultural Code 31683 preempts breed-specific bans and provides that 'no program regulating any dog shall be specific as to breed.' Santa Cruz instead regulates dangerous behavior - any 'vicious animal' (defined by conduct, not breed, in SCMC 8.04.010(s)) must be confined and may be ordered muzzled and leashed.

Santa Cruz Fire Code §304.1.3 (per §19.05.100) requires removal of weeds, grass, vines, brush, or other vegetation that constitutes a fire or safety hazard, especially in wildfire risk areas.

Santa Cruz §9.56.060 requires permits for any significant work that affects designated Heritage Trees or Heritage Shrubs. §9.56.090 requires a state tree-care license for work on protected trees.

Santa Cruz Fire Code §304.1.3 (per §19.05.100) requires removal of weeds, grass, vines, or other growth capable of being ignited and endangering property, especially in Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §16.02.040 bans irrigating turf, gardens, and ornamental landscape between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. except by drip or hand-held shutoff nozzle, and prohibits runoff and other wasteful uses.

The City of Santa Cruz has a Heritage Tree ordinance requiring a permit to remove heritage or significant trees, even on private property, with replacement required. Street-tree removal requires city approval.

Santa Cruz IZO home-occupation standards limit customer foot/vehicle traffic so the business remains incidental to residential use and does not generate parking demand exceeding the residence.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Section 24.10.160(4) requires both a zoning clearance and a city business license before operating a home occupation. The zoning clearance is a one-time approval (about $164; $142 for a cottage food operation) confirming the business meets the zoning standards for that location.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Section 24.10.160(3)(f) flatly prohibits the placement of any sign advertising a home occupation. A home business may not display an exterior business sign, keeping the residential appearance of the property intact.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Section 24.10.160 allows a home occupation only as a use clearly incidental and secondary to the dwelling, operated by a resident, employing no more than one nonresident, occupying no more than 400 square feet, and generating no more than eight vehicle round trips per day.

California Health and Safety Code Section 1597.45 makes a small or large family daycare home a residential use by right for all local ordinances, and Santa Cruz Municipal Code Section 24.10.160(4) confirms such homes are exempt from local home-occupation regulation. The city cannot impose a business license, fee, or tax on operating a family daycare home.

California Government Code Section 51035 prohibits Santa Cruz from banning a cottage food operation in a residential dwelling. The city must treat it as a permitted residential use or grant a nondiscretionary permit; Santa Cruz processes these through a home occupation zoning clearance (about $142).

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §18.32.030 requires every outdoor swimming pool to be enclosed by a fence or wall at least 5 feet high with openings no greater than a 4-inch sphere can pass and a maximum 2-inch gap below.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §18.32.040 requires enclosure of swimming pool equipment (pumps, filters, heaters) to protect public safety and meet plan-review standards.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §18.32.020 requires permit application to the chief building official with detailed plans (in duplicate, including plot plan) showing construction method, location, and wastewater disposal.

Above-ground pools holding more than 18 inches of water in the City of Santa Cruz require a building permit and the same 60-inch barrier protection as in-ground pools; ladders must be removable or secured when unattended.

The City of Santa Cruz allows accessory dwelling units on lots of any size in any zone that permits residential use, processed ministerially under Santa Cruz Municipal Code (SCMC) Chapter 24.16 Part 2, with statewide-exemption detached ADUs capped at 800 sq ft of livable space, 4-foot side and rear setbacks, and 16-18 ft height.

A one-story detached shed under 120 sq ft needs no building permit under California Residential Code R105.2, and under Santa Cruz Municipal Code 24.12.140 a shed under 120 sq ft and 15 ft tall is also exempt from design-permit review; however, no accessory building may sit in a front or exterior side yard, and zoning rules still apply even when a building permit is not required.

The City of Santa Cruz allows converting a garage into an accessory dwelling unit under Santa Cruz Municipal Code 24.16.125 and 24.16.130; a conversion ADU may use the existing structure (plus up to 150 sq ft of expansion), and the city cannot require notice or a placard to demolish a detached garage being replaced by an ADU.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code 24.12.140 sets the placement rules for accessory buildings: none may sit in a front or exterior side yard, the vehicle-entry side of a garage must be at least 20 ft from front/exterior side lot lines, and habitable accessory buildings must be at least 6 ft from the principal building and meet the district's rear and side yard setbacks.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code 24.12.140 lets an accessory building (such as a shed, studio, or workshop) have one sink with a building permit, but a full bathroom or additional plumbing fixtures requires an administrative use permit, deed restriction, and findings that the structure will not be used as a dwelling unit.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.14 Part 4 (Floodplain Management) and §24.10 Part 21 (F-P Floodplain District) regulate construction in FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA) along the San Lorenzo River and coastal flood zones.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §16.19.030 prohibits illicit discharges to the storm drain system and §16.19.130 mandates best management practices (BMPs) for runoff pollution control.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.08 Part 3 requires Coastal Development Permits for development in the Coastal Zone consistent with the City's certified Local Coastal Program and California Coastal Act (Pub. Res. Code §30000 et seq.).

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §16.19.140 mandates best management practices for construction activity to prevent erosion and sediment runoff into the storm drain system.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Ch. 6.110 (Prohibition of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers) bans gas-powered leaf blowers citywide as a climate-action measure. Adopted by Ord. 2024-10.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Ch. 6.100 prohibits natural gas infrastructure in newly constructed buildings as a climate measure tied to local sea-level-rise and wildfire vulnerability.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.1320(5) allows cannabis retail sales in Community Commercial (C-C), Thoroughfare Commercial (C-T), General Industrial (I-G), and IG/PER-2 Districts with an administrative use permit and city license under Ch. 6.91.

California Health & Safety Code §11362.2 allows adults 21+ to cultivate up to 6 living cannabis plants per private residence. Santa Cruz allows personal cultivation consistent with state law, indoors or in a fully enclosed and secure structure.

Santa Cruz processes residential rooftop solar permits under the AB 2188 streamlined SolarAPP+ process required of California cities, with electrical and structural review under §18.04 and §18.08.

California Civil Code §714 (Solar Rights Act) preempts HOA rules that unreasonably restrict solar energy systems. HOAs cannot impose restrictions that significantly raise cost (>$1,000 for solar water heating, >$1,000 for PV) or reduce efficiency by more than 10%.

Santa Cruz §9.49 (Noncommercial Signs on Public Property) and §9.54 (Unlawful Restrictions on Political Signs) regulate noncommercial and political signage. State Elections Code §13.5 sets statewide political-sign protections.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §6.12 governs solid waste collection. STR-related §24.12.1770(8) bars storing trash and recycling within public view except in proper containers between 5 p.m. the day before and 8 p.m. on collection day.

Santa Cruz Code §6.28 declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles on private property a public nuisance. Ch. 4.04 (General Municipal Code Enforcement) provides citywide abatement and citation authority.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.360 (Performance regulations — Lighting, movement, sound) regulates sign lighting and limits illumination that creates glare or distracts traffic.

California Civil Code §1946.2 (AB 1482) provides just-cause eviction protection for covered tenants after 12 months of occupancy. Santa Cruz Code §21.07.010 extends those protections to Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher holders.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Ch. 21.02 (Security Deposits for Residential Rental Property) sets local rules supplementing California Civil Code §1950.5 governing residential security deposits.

Santa Cruz has no local rent control. Measure M, a 2018 ballot initiative to enact local rent control and just-cause eviction, was defeated by 65.5% of voters. California state law (AB 1482) provides the only applicable rent caps.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Ch. 21.06 (Residential Rental Dwelling Unit Inspection and Maintenance Program) requires landlords to register rental units with the City and submit to periodic habitability inspections.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §6.12 implements California SB 1383 organic waste recycling, requiring single-family, multifamily, and commercial generators to separate organics from trash.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §6.49 bans single-use plastic carry-out bags and imposes a paper bag charge. §6.48 prohibits polystyrene/plastic-foam food service ware and requires biodegradable, compostable, or recyclable alternatives.

Drone operation in Santa Cruz must comply with FAA Part 107 (commercial) or Recreational Pilot rules. Local parks and beaches operate under §13 (Parks and Recreation) rules that can restrict overflight and takeoff/landing.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Ch. 5.22 (Mobile Vendors) regulates food trucks and other mobile vending businesses. Mobile vending permits are required under §5.82.100 for motorized vendors.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §5.40.030 requires a business license for peddling or soliciting; §5.40.050 limits door-to-door solicitation to 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. §5.40.040 bars entry on premises posted with a no-solicitation sign.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §9.10.020 makes solicitation between sunset and sunrise an infraction. §9.10.030 lists prohibited solicitation locations including ATMs (50 ft), banks (50 ft), and bus stops.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §9.04.030 makes it unlawful for a child under 16 to tarry or remain in any public place between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.110 sets generic front, side, and rear yard setback rules with adjustments for established neighborhoods and adjoining-lot patterns. Special street setbacks under §24.12.115 add additional baselines on designated streets.

Santa Cruz IZO sets height limits by zone district in §24.10 (Land Use Districts). Most single-family districts cap at 28–35 ft; multifamily and commercial districts vary. ADU heights are set by §24.16.141.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.100 sets minimum building-site standards; lot coverage limits are established in each zone district under §24.10. Lots within Floodplain (F-P) Districts or riparian corridors don't count toward net lot area for coverage purposes.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §9.56.060 requires a permit before removing or significantly working on any Heritage Tree or Heritage Shrub. Permits are issued by the Parks & Recreation Director.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §9.56.040 establishes the Heritage Tree and Heritage Shrub designation process. Designation criteria include species, size, age, historic association, cultural value, and visual significance.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §9.56.100 requires mitigation for approved and unapproved removals of heritage trees or heritage shrubs. Replacement is typically based on appraised value or species-and-size formulas.

Santa Cruz residential garage sales are generally permissible as occasional, non-commercial activity. §24.12.344(1)(a) restricts commercial signs in residential districts; garage-sale signs must comply with §24.12.350 special-purpose sign limits and be removed promptly after the event.

California Civil Code §4000 et seq. (Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act) governs HOA operations statewide. Civil Code §714 (solar), §1947.12 (AB 1482), and §4710 (political signs) override conflicting CC&Rs.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §18.44.020 adopts the 1970 Uniform Building Code §2314 by reference for seismic standards. Modern construction follows the California Building Code (adopted under §18.04).

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Ch. 18.44 (Earthquake Hazard Reduction) adopts the 1987 Uniform Code for Building Conservation Appendix Chapter A1 for seismic retrofit of unreinforced masonry (URM) bearing wall buildings.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Ch. 5.82 requires a sidewalk vending permit before any person may engage in sidewalk vending. The chapter implements SB 946 with locally tailored objective health, safety, and welfare rules.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §5.82.090 sets specific restrictions on vending in city beaches and parks. §5.82.080 lists no-vending and limited-vending zones.