Local Rules Near Caltech

Pasadena bars powered construction equipment near residential districts outside 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays under Municipal Code Section 9.36.070, with work barred entirely on Sundays and holidays. A separate 85 dBA cap applies to construction equipment noise measured 100 feet away.

Pasadena prohibits keeping any animal or fowl that, by sound, cry or behavior, causes annoyance or discomfort to a reasonable person in a residential neighborhood, under Municipal Code Section 9.36.150. The rule applies to any animal otherwise lawfully kept, and a violation is enforced as a misdemeanor under Chapter 9.36's general penalty section.

Pasadena requires anyone using a loudspeaker or sound amplifying equipment on a street, sidewalk, park or public property to file a registration statement with the director of finance under Municipal Code Section 9.36.160, pay a $25 daily fee for commercial use, and stay within set hours and a 15-decibel-above-ambient cap.

Pasadena caps interior noise in multifamily units at 60 dBA from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. under Municipal Code Section 9.36.060. Citywide, Section 9.36.050 separately bars any noise that exceeds the ambient level at a property line by more than 5 decibels, with violations enforced as misdemeanors.

Pasadena bans gas-powered leaf blowers. Electric blowers limited to 65 dBA at 50 ft. Operating hours: Mon-Fri 8 AM-6 PM, Sat 9 AM-5 PM, no Sundays. Max 15 min/hour on parcels under 1/2 acre, 30 min/hour over 1/2 acre. Fines $116-$1,000.

Pasadena bars operating a radio, TV, phonograph or musical instrument in any residential zone between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. if it disturbs neighbors' peace, under Municipal Code Section 9.36.110. Any noise exceeding the ambient level at a property line by more than 5 decibels during those hours is treated as prima facie proof of a violation.

Pasadena outlaws 'vacation rentals,' meaning any dwelling that isn't the operator's primary residence rented out for pay, under Section 17.50.296(D). Only a host's actual primary residence, documented by at least two official records and lived in at least nine months a year, can be permitted for short-term rental.

Un-hosted short-term rentals in Pasadena, where the host is off-site for the whole stay, are capped at 90 days per calendar year under Section 17.50.296(F)(4). Hosted stays, where the host remains on the property, carry no annual day limit at all.

Pasadena requires every short-term rental to avoid noise, vibration, glare, or odors that interfere with neighbors' enjoyment of their homes, and ties that duty directly to the citywide noise ordinance in Chapter 9.36 and the litter ordinance in Chapter 8.64, alongside a hard occupancy cap and a ban on commercial events.

Any Pasadena host must obtain a short-term rental permit from the planning and community development department before renting a primary residence to a paying guest for 30 days or less. The permit requires a notarized affidavit, fire and life-safety compliance, and neighbor notice, and it runs for one year subject to renewal.

Pasadena's short-term rental ordinance splits stays into two categories based on whether the host is on-site: a 'hosted stay' requires the host to remain on the property throughout the guest's visit, while an 'un-hosted stay' means the host is off-site, a status that triggers a separate annual limit.

Pasadena caps every short-term rental at two guests per bedroom plus two more, regardless of the unit's size. Municipal Code Section 17.50.296.F.5 sets the hard ceiling, and hosts who exceed it repeatedly risk permit suspension.

Pasadena tracks violations against short-term rental properties, not just hosts. Rack up three violations at the same address and the city can automatically suspend the permit, with revocation possible after a hearing before the city manager's office.

STR operators in Pasadena must provide parking information to guests. Guest vehicles must comply with city parking rules including permit zones and overnight restrictions.

Pasadena hosts must collect a 7% transient occupancy tax from every short-term rental guest and remit it to the tax administrator, on top of complying with the permit process in Section 17.50.296. Registration, quarterly reporting, and three years of recordkeeping are mandatory, and late payment triggers escalating penalties.

Pasadena bans burning weeds or rubbish to clear a property, public or private, under Section 8.48.120 of the weed abatement ordinance. The only alternative to hand or machine clearing is a fire-department-approved firebreak kept 25 feet from buildings and 10 feet from trees and shrubs, enforced by the fire chief.

Pasadena requires a construction-documents filing whenever a single LP-gas container exceeds 20 gallons of water capacity or the combined capacity of multiple containers on one property tops 40 gallons. The rule, part of the Fire Prevention Code's 2025 amendments, targets fixed propane tanks rather than small portable cylinders and is enforced by the Fire Department.

Pasadena makes it unlawful to possess, sell, use or discharge any fireworks, including Class C 'safe and sane' fireworks, without both a fire chief permit and a state pyrotechnic operator's license. Property owners and tenants who knowingly let someone else set off fireworks on their property face the same liability, making private backyard fireworks effectively off-limits.

Pasadena has significant wildland-urban interface areas in its northern hillside neighborhoods near the Angeles National Forest. The 2025 Eaton Fire underscored wildfire risk. Properties in fire hazard zones must maintain defensible space and use fire-resistant construction materials.

Pasadena's Fire Prevention Code, amending 2024 International Fire Code Section 307.4.3, bars portable outdoor fireplaces from operating within 15 feet of a structure or combustible material and requires following the manufacturer's instructions. One- and two-family dwellings are specifically exempted from the setback under Section 14.28.050.

Pasadena enforces 100 ft defensible space per CA PRC 4291 in fire hazard zones. Zone 1 (0-30 ft) and Zone 2 (30-100 ft) requirements apply. Annual brush clearance inspections are conducted, especially critical after the 2025 Eaton Fire.

Pasadena's director of transportation may designate loading zones and passenger loading zones outside businesses, schools and assembly halls, but no more than half of a block's total curb length may be reserved for loading. Yellow curb paint marks freight zones; white marks passenger loading.

Pasadena paints curbs red, yellow, white, green and blue to signal parking rules, each with its own meaning under Section 10.40.120, from an absolute red no-stopping zone to a blue zone reserved for disabled placard holders.

Pasadena bars parking any vehicle on a residential front yard or setback, paved or not, including lawns, unless the vehicle sits on an improved driveway that leads to covered parking. Code enforcement cites violators under Section 10.40.186.

Pasadena Municipal Code Section 10.40.190 bars parking or leaving standing any commercial vehicle or trailer of 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or more on a residential street, with narrow exceptions for deliveries, filming and active construction work.

Pasadena's Preferential Parking Ordinance lets residents of a city council-designated district obtain a permit exempting their vehicle from posted district parking hours or time limits under Section 10.41.025, but the permit never authorizes overnight parking.

Pasadena bars parking or storing oversized vehicles, RVs, trailers and boats anywhere except covered parking or a paved rear-yard area. If the rear yard is inaccessible, driveway parking is allowed under strict conditions: a 5-foot front setback, mandatory 30-day relocation for cleaning, and a 72-hour limit on living, sleeping or utility hookups.

Pasadena requires EV-ready infrastructure in new construction per California Green Building Standards (CALGreen). Pasadena Water & Power offers EV charging programs and incentives. The city has public charging stations throughout downtown and near transit.

Pasadena has extensive metered and permit parking. Vehicles may not remain parked in one spot on a public street for more than 72 hours. Residential permit parking zones restrict non-resident vehicles.

Pasadena bars any vehicle from sitting on a city street or alley between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., and commercial vehicles face a longer 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. window, under Section 10.44.010. Residents without off-street parking can apply for an all-night permit, but permits exclude oversized vehicles and never authorize parking beyond 72 consecutive hours.

Pasadena prohibits overnight parking on city streets between 2 AM and 6 AM under PMC Chapter 10.44. Abandoned vehicles are removed pursuant to California Vehicle Code Sections 22660-22668 and 22710 through the city's Abandoned Vehicle Abatement Program. Vehicles must not remain in one location for more than 72 hours on public streets.

Pasadena requires a building permit from the Permit Center for any block wall over 48 inches of exposed height, per Municipal Code Section 14.03.060.B.1.b; shorter walls may instead need a zoning permit. Citywide standards in Section 17.40.180 then cap fence and wall heights at six feet along side and rear yards and four feet in the front setback, with tighter limits near street corners.

Retaining walls built to support cuts or fills on Pasadena hillside lots cannot exceed a cumulative height of 8 feet, and freeboard is capped at 6 inches and counted toward that limit. Taller walls need a licensed engineer, earth-tone materials and city approval under Municipal Code Section 14.05.250.

Pasadena caps fence and wall height by location on the lot: six feet in interior side and rear setbacks, four feet in the front setback, and just 30 inches within the driveway visibility triangle, under Zoning Code Section 17.40.180.B.2 for the RS and RM-12 districts.

Pasadena bans barbed wire, concertina wire and razor wire on residential fences and walls outright, under Zoning Code Section 17.40.180.B.2.i, and separately restricts spiked fence toppers to walls at least six feet tall.

Pasadena does not require neighbor consent for fence installation. Under California Civil Code, boundary fences are a shared responsibility. The good neighbor rule suggests the finished side face outward.

Pasadena bans homeowners and tenants from keeping a beehive, nest or swarm that could endanger public health or safety, under the insect control measures in Section 8.28.110. The ban lifts only for a professional beekeeper currently registered with the Los Angeles County agricultural commissioner, and even then the city's zoning code can still restrict the activity.

Pasadena requires every dog off its owner's property to be confined by a leash no longer than six feet under Municipal Code Section 6.12.010, unless it's inside a car or within the city's single designated off-leash area, Viña Vieja Park. Owners who let dogs run loose face poundmaster enforcement and Title 6 penalties reaching a $500 fine or six months in jail.

Pasadena requires every dog and cat over six months old to be spayed or neutered under Municipal Code Section 6.09.010, unless the owner holds a veterinarian's infirmity waiver, an unaltered dog license, or the animal is a law-enforcement, service, or registered show/breeding dog or cat. A first violation is an infraction; repeat violations are misdemeanors.

Pasadena caps backyard flocks at 10 birds or rabbits total, bans roosters outright, and requires registering chickens with the poundmaster under Municipal Code Section 6.20.032. Chickens must sit at least 35 feet from any dwelling, church, school, or hospital, live in predator-proof shelter, and get at least 10 square feet of enclosed yard each; larger livestock like cattle and hogs are barred entirely.

Pasadena doesn't license or leash cats the way it does dogs, but Municipal Code Section 6.24.020 keeps cat breeding and cat kennels away from neighbors: no breeding cat within 300 feet of another home, and no cat kennel, five or more cats under Section 6.04.020(C), within 1,000 feet of a neighboring dwelling outside the manufacturing district.

Pasadena's 1964 pigeon feeding ordinance, Municipal Code Chapter 6.28, declares it a nuisance to feed pigeons on any public street or in the civic center, or to feed a pigeon that isn't yours on someone else's private property without consent. Scattering seed, grain, nuts, or crumbs in those same public areas is banned too, backed by a misdemeanor penalty.

Pasadena bans displaying animals for sale, adoption, barter, or exchange on any public sidewalk under Municipal Code Section 6.40.035, but exempts government agencies, nonprofit rescues, humane societies, permitted dog or cat shows, and permitted pet stores that sell or transfer animals inside the store. In practice, that means pet stores may sell animals in-store, just not on the sidewalk out front.

Pasadena's Zoning Code does not list stand-alone pet grooming as its own permitted use. Section 17.50.050(B) allows grooming only as an incidental use to a licensed animal hospital, alongside temporary boarding capped at 30 days, meaning a groomer must operate inside a permitted veterinary facility.

Pasadena regulates veterinary clinics as "Animal Hospitals" under Zoning Code Section 17.50.050, which requires every facility to be fully enclosed, soundproofed, and air conditioned, and adds stricter enclosure, noise, and staffing rules for any animal hospital established after April 19, 2021.

Pasadena does not have breed-specific legislation. California state law (Food and Agricultural Code § 31683) preempts local breed-specific bans. Dogs are regulated based on individual behavior.

California has some of the strictest exotic animal laws in the nation. Ferrets, hedgehogs, sugar gliders, and most wild animals are prohibited as pets. Pasadena follows state law through the CDFW.

Pasadena lets residents compost organic waste on site instead of using the city's organics cart, but caps informal or community composting at 100 cubic yards and 750 square feet under the definition adopted in Municipal Code Section 8.66.030(F). Franchise haulers that do collect organics must haul it only to a state-certified facility.

Pasadena treats grass over 10 inches tall as 'overgrown vegetation' and a public nuisance under its property maintenance code, while a separate 1934 weed abatement ordinance lets the city post notices, remove weeds and rubbish itself, and bill the property owner. Owners get 10 days to comply or appeal before the city acts and assesses the cost as a lien.

Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged in California. No permit required for rain barrels. Pasadena's LID requirements encourage on-site water retention. Pasadena Water & Power may offer conservation rebates.

Removing a protected tree on private property in Pasadena requires a city permit under Municipal Code Section 8.52.070(B). The city manager must deny the permit unless one of six specific findings applies, and decisions are due within 15 business days of a complete application.

Pasadena Water and Power enforces water conservation measures year-round. Outdoor watering is limited to specific days and times. The city offers rebates for turf removal and drought-tolerant landscaping.

Pasadena has a strong urban forestry program. Property owners must maintain trees to provide clearance over sidewalks (8 feet) and streets (14 feet). City-owned street trees are maintained by the Public Works Department.

Artificial turf is permitted in Pasadena as a drought-tolerant landscaping option. CA Gov Code 65595 prohibits cities from banning drought-tolerant landscaping. Pasadena Water & Power supports water conservation alternatives.

Pasadena's Landscape Standards direct commercial, industrial, hillside and multi-family projects to favor drought-tolerant and native plant species, cap ornamental turf at 20% of landscaped area under City of Gardens standards, and exempt single-family RS and RM-12 lots from the chapter entirely.

Pasadena limits when a home-based business can receive customers. Zoning Code Section 17.50.110(J) bars any home occupation from accepting walk-in clients, restricting visits to prior appointments only, scheduled between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., Monday through Friday, with no weekend client visits allowed.

Pasadena requires Zoning Administrator approval before anyone opens a large family day-care home for 9 to 14 children in a residential zone. Municipal Code Section 17.50.080.A sets a 300-foot separation from the next large family day-care home or child day-care center, mandates a loading plan for drop-off and pickup, and bars play equipment from the front yard.

Running a business from a Pasadena home requires a nontransferable Home Occupation Permit under Zoning Code Section 17.50.110, which caps the use at 500 square feet, limits staff to household residents, and requires a City Business License once the permit is approved.

Pasadena bans any on-site sign advertising a home occupation business, even though the underlying activity itself is permitted with a Home Occupation Permit. Municipal Code Section 17.50.110.M allows only off-site paper or electronic advertising, including business cards, provided the ad omits the home's address.

Swimming pool construction in Pasadena requires a building permit and may require a zoning permit for compliance with setback and coverage standards. Applications must demonstrate barrier compliance. Private recreational facilities may need a Minor CUP for lighting per PMC 17.50.210.

Hot tubs and spas in Pasadena require a building permit and must meet electrical and plumbing codes. Hard covers may satisfy barrier requirements. The CA Pool Safety Act applies to spas with water depth over 18 inches.

Pasadena requires the property owner to live on-site when a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit shares a bathroom or kitchen sanitation facility with the main house. Section 17.50.275.E.3 waives that rule only if the owner is a government agency, land trust, or housing organization.

Accessory dwelling units and Junior ADUs built or legalized in Pasadena on or after January 1, 2017 cannot be rented short-term. Section 17.50.275.C.1 requires every rental term to run longer than 30 days, closing off Airbnb-style bookings in these units citywide.

Pasadena lets homeowners convert an attached garage into a Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit or full ADU without meeting standard setbacks, as long as the converted space keeps its existing footprint. Section 17.50.275 treats a garage conversion as a 'conversion ADU' or Junior ADU location.

Pasadena allows one detached ADU, one attached or detached conversion ADU, and one Junior ADU per single-family lot in every zoning district that permits residential use. Section 17.50.275 caps new construction at 1,200 square feet detached and sets height limits between 16 and 25 feet depending on the type.

Pasadena exempts accessory dwelling units of 900 square feet or less from both its traffic reduction and transportation improvement fee and its residential impact (park) fee. Larger ADUs pay a fee proportional to their size relative to the main dwelling under Municipal Code Section 4.19.040, while standard single-family projects otherwise owe $5,202 to $5,722 per new unit.

Backyard sheds, garages and other accessory structures in Pasadena residential zones answer to Section 17.50.250, which caps height at nine feet within two feet of a property line, allows up to 15 feet with a sloped setback, and limits total accessory floor area to 600 square feet or 6 percent of the lot, whichever is greater.

Pasadena's Fire Code bans operating a portable outdoor fireplace or similar open-flame appliance within 15 feet of any structure or combustible material, unless the exception for one- and two-family homes applies. Added to the Fire Prevention Code on November 10, 2025, it governs backyard fire pits, chimineas and similar devices citywide, enforced by the Fire Department.

Pasadena's Stormwater Management and Discharge Control Ordinance bars any discharge into the municipal storm drain system other than rainwater. The Department of Public Works and Transportation enforces the ban on illicit discharges and connections under NPDES Permit No. CA0061654, and violators face misdemeanor charges carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in county jail.

Pasadena's Floodplain Management Regulations apply to every area the floodplain administrator identifies as flood-prone within city limits, and Section 14.27.060 bars any construction, location, extension, conversion or alteration of a structure or land in those areas without full compliance with the chapter. Violations are misdemeanors.

Pasadena requires new construction and substantial improvements on flood-prone sites to be anchored against flotation, collapse and lateral movement from hydrodynamic and hydrostatic loads. Section 14.27.140 also requires flood-damage-resistant materials and utility equipment positioned to keep water from entering or accumulating in electrical, heating, plumbing and HVAC components during flooding.

Pasadena's local Flammable Vegetation ordinance bans combustible weeds, trees and brush within 100 feet of any building, caps grass and light weeds at 18 inches within 30 feet of a structure, and requires a 5-foot roof clearance from overhanging branches. The Fire Department inspects properties and charges a $61 fee, waived if the property is compliant or fixed within 30 days.

Pasadena requires an erosion and off-site sedimentation control design plan before the building official will issue a grading permit. The plan must show how drainage is directed off cut and fill slopes, when temporary stabilization measures go in, and how the site holds up through the rainy season under Municipal Code Section 14.05.084.

Pasadena is an inland city approximately 15 miles from the coast. California Coastal Commission regulations do not apply. No coastal development permits are required.

Pasadena allows commercial cannabis retail but tightly rations it: Municipal Code Section 17.50.066(D) caps the city at six licensed retailers total, no more than three per council district, requires a use permit plus a Chapter 5.78 commercial cannabis permit, and confines retailers to five specific zoning districts.

Pasadena's cannabis ordinance keeps retailers and cultivation sites hundreds of feet from homes, schools, and each other. Municipal Code Section 17.50.066(D)(5) sets a 600-foot buffer from residential zones, parks, libraries, and K-12 schools, plus separate spacing rules between cannabis businesses themselves.

Under CA Prop 64, adults 21+ may grow up to 6 plants indoors for personal use. Pasadena's commercial cannabis ordinance (PMC 5.78) regulates commercial activity but cannot override the state indoor personal-use allowance.

Pasadena's Expedited Permitting Procedures for Small Residential Rooftop Solar Systems ordinance requires the building official to run a ministerial, checklist-based review for qualifying small rooftop solar installations under Government Code Section 65850.5. Applicants can submit electronically, an HOA cannot block permit approval, and the city allows only one inspection unless the system fails it.

California's Solar Rights Act (Civil Code 714) prohibits HOAs from banning solar energy systems. HOAs may impose reasonable restrictions that do not significantly increase cost or decrease efficiency by more than 10%.

Pasadena's Zoning Code bans electronic message signs and off-site outdoor advertising billboards in every zoning district. Municipal Code Section 17.48.130 lists them among prohibited sign types citywide, with a narrow exception for signs that display only the time and/or temperature, and no permit path exists to authorize either use.

Pasadena limits how much of a storefront window can be covered by signage. Municipal Code Section 17.48.120(B) caps combined permanent and temporary window signs at 25 percent of any window, and promotional window signs displayed under a Temporary Sign Permit carry the identical 25 percent cap under Table 4-22.

Pasadena allows one yard or garage sale sign per street frontage, capped at 3 square feet and 4 feet tall, displayed for only two days within any 30-day period, and placed solely on the property where the sale is held, under Zoning Code Section 17.48.120's temporary sign table.

Political signs on private property in Pasadena are protected under CA Elections Code 18310. The city regulates temporary noncommercial signs under PMC Chapter 17.48 but cannot prohibit political signs on private property.

Pasadena requires owners of vacant or unimproved lots to clear weeds and rubbish once the city posts and mails a 'Notice to Clean Premises.' Miss the 10-day deadline or lose an appeal, and the city does the cleanup itself, then bills the owner with a 10 percent penalty for late payment under the weed abatement ordinance, Chapter 8.48.

Pasadena's Slumlord Ordinance lets the city declare a building with life-threatening code violations, unsanitary conditions or fire hazards a public nuisance and order it repaired, rehabilitated, demolished or removed. A joint team of the health officer, building official, neighborhood services administrator and fire chief investigates, and violating a final abatement order is a misdemeanor.

Pasadena bans electrical billboard, sign, and decorative lighting outright under Section 13.08.010, then carves out a narrow exception: Section 13.08.020 lets a billboard be lit only between sunset and 10:30 p.m. Break the curfew and Pasadena Water and Power can cut your electric service until you comply.

Pasadena requires all exterior lighting on private property to be shielded, energy-efficient and directed downward and away from adjoining properties, per Municipal Code Section 17.40.080. Fixtures cannot blink, flash or run unusually bright, and sports court or field lighting within 300 feet of a residential zone needs a Minor Conditional Use Permit.

Pasadena caps how much artificial light can spill onto neighboring residential land: Municipal Code Section 17.40.080.A bars any private lighting from producing more than one footcandle of illumination on adjacent residential-zoned property, measured off the light source's own site.

Pasadena's Housing Code defines a 'substandard building' as any dwelling, guest room or premises with conditions that endanger the life, health, safety or welfare of occupants. Section 14.12.600 lists inadequate sanitation triggers, including missing plumbing fixtures, no hot water, inadequate heat or ventilation, rodent infestation and general dilapidation, under Section 14.12.590.

Pasadena's Fair and Equitable Housing Charter Amendment (Article XVIII, Measure H 2022) requires just cause for eviction. 11 enumerated reasons: 7 at-fault and 4 no-fault. Termination notice must be filed with Rent Stabilization Dept within 3 days. Relocation assistance required for no-fault evictions.

Pasadena voters approved Measure H in 2022 establishing rent stabilization. The max allowable increase is 3.0% (Oct 2024-Sept 2025) and 2.25% (Oct 2025-Sept 2026). No banking of unused increases. Landlords must register units and pay Rental Housing Fee before any increase.

Pasadena's Rent Stabilization Department requires all rental property owners to register units and pay the Rental Housing Fee. Multi-family buildings built before 1995 are covered. Single-family homes generally excluded. Contact RSD at (626) 744-7999.

Pasadena requires every household and business to keep food scraps and other organic waste out of the trash can. Municipal Code Section 8.66.040(b) makes single-family generators place source-separated organic waste, including food waste, in the organics container, and Section 8.66.050 sets parallel sorting duties for commercial and multi-family generators.

Every solid waste franchise operating in Pasadena must offer recycling to all its customers and collect recyclables at least weekly under Municipal Code Section 8.61.170. Franchisees also owe customers recycling education literature twice a year and must hit a diversion rate or pay per-ton liquidated damages.

Pasadena defines yard waste narrowly and requires it to go in its own city-issued cart. Municipal Code Section 8.60.020(FF) covers grass clippings, leaves and branches no wider than 3 inches, but excludes palm fronds, bamboo, tree stumps, logs and ashes, and Section 8.60.120(B) limits the yard waste container to that material only.

Pasadena bans leaving any bulky item, solid waste, abandoned vehicle or discarded material of any kind in a public right-of-way, including the planting strip between curb and sidewalk. Municipal Code Section 8.60.250 carves out only one exception: bulky items set out during a director-announced pickup window under Section 8.60.100.

Every roll-off box, debris box or dumpster placed in Pasadena must belong to a franchised hauler and meet the city's bin standards. Municipal Code Section 8.61.098 lets the public works director order a noncompliant bin corrected, and lets the director remove any dangerous or unfranchised bin from a sidewalk or parkway on the spot.

The City of Pasadena is the exclusive trash hauler for single-family homes and buildings with four or fewer units under Municipal Code Section 8.60.025(A). The director of public works sets collection routes and days and must notify the public before changing them.

Pasadena residents may not put regulation trash carts at the curb before 7 a.m. the day before pickup and must pull them back out of street view by 7 a.m. the next morning, under Municipal Code Section 8.60.070(B)-(C).

Pasadena automatically enrolls every single-family household in a mandatory three-cart system under Municipal Code Chapter 8.66, adopted to meet the state's SB 1383 organic-waste targets. Each home gets at least 60 gallons a week of recycling capacity and 60 gallons of organics capacity, and the city can raise those minimums and inspect containers for compliance.

Pasadena provides curbside trash, recycling, and green waste collection through the Public Works Department. SB 1383 requires organic waste diversion. Collection schedules vary by neighborhood.

Pasadena residents get bulky item pickups through a director-run notice program, not on-demand curbside placement. Under Municipal Code Section 8.60.100, the public works director sets the number of yearly pickups and announces special collection dates; residents may leave bundled bulky items curbside only on the days specified, and never in an alley.

Pasadena's drone ordinance bars flying, launching, or landing a drone over any special event or active filming permit location while the event or permit is underway, unless the property owner, the event or permit applicant, and the police department's air operations section have all given written approval to the city's special events office.

Pasadena's drone ordinance, Chapter 9.45 of the Municipal Code, bars flying a drone recklessly over public streets and sidewalks and bans drone takeoff, operation, or landing over Glenarm Power Plant, police and fire stations, city hall, the city yards, water and electric facilities, transit operations sites, and light rail lines. Violators face a misdemeanor charge.

Pasadena requires every sidewalk food or merchandise vendor to hold a permit from the director of public works before setting up. Applications need proof of a health permit, business license, insurance and an operating plan; the director can grant, condition, or deny the permit based on 11 specific public-safety findings.

Small mobile food carts and trucks operating in Pasadena fall under California's Compact Mobile Food Operation law, which Pasadena's code incorporates by reference into its health permitting system. Units of 25 square feet or less selling only prepackaged food and whole produce are exempt from full permitting; everyone else needs a permit, sinks and handwashing water, and faces administrative fines, not criminal charges, for violations.

Pasadena bars sidewalk vending near concession-holding parks, certified farmers' markets, licensed swap meets and any permitted special event. The Rose Parade route gets its own carve-out: vending is banned from noon the day before through 11:59 p.m. on parade day, and within 500 feet of the Post Parade showcase area.

Anyone soliciting contributions for a charitable purpose in Pasadena, including door-to-door canvassing, needs a permit from the city manager under Municipal Code Chapter 5.34. Solicitors under 18 are barred from working the streets between sunset and sunrise, and the permit process includes fingerprinting, financial review and a cost cap.

Pasadena residents may post 'No Soliciting' signs to deter unwanted door-to-door solicitation. Solicitors who ignore posted signs may be subject to citation. Business license regulations under PMC Title 5 govern solicitor conduct.

Pasadena parks close to loitering between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. citywide, and three Arroyo Seco parks close from dusk to dawn instead. Municipal Code Section 3.24.110.A.23 bars remaining in the Lower Arroyo, Hahamongna Watershed Park or Viña Vieja Park after dark, and bars loitering in any other city park overnight.

Pasadena bars minors from public streets, parks, and other public places between 10:00 p.m. and sunrise under a nighttime curfew, and during school hours, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on school days, under a daytime curfew, both set by Municipal Code Section 9.68.010. Ten exceptions cover work, errands, emergencies, and constitutional activity.

Pasadena caps roofed building coverage on RS and RM-12 lots at 35 percent, or up to 40 percent if everything above 35 percent is single-story. Lots of 7,200 square feet or less carry no maximum. Municipal Code Section 17.22.040, Table 2-3, sets the formula by lot size across the RS-1 through RM-12 districts.

Pasadena caps main structures in its RS districts at 28 feet on lots under 75 feet wide and 32 feet on wider lots, plus separate top-plate limits for each story. Municipal Code Section 17.22.040, Table 2-3, ties every height figure to the encroachment plane rules in Section 17.40.160.

Pasadena's RS and RM-12 development standards set side setbacks at 10 percent of lot width (5 to 10 feet), corner-side setbacks at 10 percent of lot width (10 to 25 feet), and rear setbacks from 25 feet in RS-1 down to 10 feet in RM-12. Front setbacks default to the blockface average but never less than 25 feet.

Pasadena requires parkway, median and traffic-island trees to match the city's master street tree plan. Municipal Code Section 8.52.085(G) makes it unlawful to plant any species other than the officially designated street tree in these public rights-of-way, and violators face a civil penalty for the wrong-species planting.

Pasadena's tree ordinance lists thirteen native species, including coast live oak and California sycamore, that are automatically protected once their trunk exceeds 8 inches in diameter. Removing or injuring a listed native tree without a city permit is unlawful under Municipal Code Section 8.52.085(B).

Pasadena protects landmark trees citywide under Municipal Code Chapter 8.52. Any person or city agency may nominate a tree to the historic preservation commission for landmark designation under Chapter 17.62, and once designated it is unlawful to prune, injure, or remove the tree anywhere in the city without a permit issued by the city manager.

Pasadena caps garage, yard, and charity sales in residential zones at two per property every 12 months, with each sale running no more than three consecutive days. Every sale needs a Personal Property Sales Permit from Code Enforcement, filed at least 24 hours in advance under Section 17.50.190.

Filming anywhere in Pasadena requires a Filming Permit issued through the Film Liaison. Short-term shoots get an administrative permit capped by days per quarter; anything longer needs a Filming Conditional Use Permit from the Hearing Officer.

Bull horns, gunfire, PA systems and sirens on a Pasadena film set can't violate the city's Noise Ordinance, and any request to use them goes through the Police and Fire Departments before the Film Liaison signs off.

Pasadena requires a separate permit from the building official before any electrical work regulated by the adopted California Electrical Code proceeds, under Section 14.03.060 of the Building Code and Related Codes chapter. The city adopts the 2025 California Electrical Code by reference at Section 14.04.010, and only activities exempted under California Electrical Code Article 89 skip the local permit.

Pasadena's Childhood Lead Hazard Reduction Ordinance lets the city health officer order lead abatement whenever a child under 6 tests at or above 15 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood twice in a row. Refusing an abatement order is a misdemeanor, and property owners must submit a health officer-approved workplan before starting any lead hazard reduction work.

Pasadena requires a separate plumbing permit for plumbing work regulated by the city's Building Code, issued by the Building Official in the Planning and Community Development Department under Municipal Code Section 14.03.060. Minor repairs, like clearing a stoppage or fixing a leaking valve without rearranging pipes, are exempt, but replacing a defective trap, drain, or vent pipe is treated as new work requiring both a permit and inspection.

Pasadena requires a separate building permit from the Building Official before erecting, altering, repairing, moving, or demolishing any structure or building service equipment regulated by the city's code, per Municipal Code Section 14.03.060.A. A handful of small projects are exempt, including detached sheds under 120 square feet, low platforms and walks, and movable counters under 5 feet 9 inches, but grading over 50 cubic yards always needs a permit.

Every permitted job in Pasadena must stay accessible for inspection by the Building Official until approved, and work cannot proceed past an inspected stage without sign-off, under Municipal Code Section 14.03.110. Permit holders must request each inspection at least one business day ahead, and reinspection fees apply when work isn't ready or ordered corrections aren't made.

Pasadena enforces the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code citywide as part of the full 2025 California Building Standards Code package adopted under Municipal Code Section 14.04.010. The Building Official in the Planning and Community Development Department administers and enforces it the same way as the rest of Title 14, with the misdemeanor penalties in Section 14.03.050 applying to violations of any code referenced in Section 14.04.010.

Pasadena requires an approved automatic fire sprinkler system in all new construction of buildings and structures under Municipal Code Section 14.04.025, amending California Building Code Section 903.2, with only narrow exceptions for small detached garages, sheds, and open carports under 500 square feet. Once any part of a building is sprinklered, Section 14.04.030 bars a partial system: the entire building or structure must be protected.

Child day-care centers in Pasadena must provide at least 75 square feet of outdoor play space per child, keep that play area 25 feet from neighboring homes, and enclose it behind a wall or fence up to six feet tall. Municipal Code Section 17.50.080.B also caps outdoor activity hours and requires a Conditional Use Permit in residential zones.

Pasadena limits new house size to 35 percent above the median home size within a 500-foot radius under its Single-Family Compatibility Permit program. Municipal Code Section 17.22.040 sets that base cap, and homeowners who want to exceed it must obtain the permit described in Section 17.22.050.E and 17.22.090.

Any host operating a short-term rental in Pasadena must install carbon monoxide detectors before the city will approve a permit, and keep them maintained for as long as the rental operates, alongside smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.

Pasadena requires a director-issued permit before any restaurant sets up outdoor dining in the public right-of-way, and the director must make eight separate findings before granting it. Design rules cap obstruction height at four feet and require a 10-foot walkway with 5 feet clear passage.

Pasadena's parklet rules cap extension into the street at 7 feet from parallel-parking curbs or 15 feet for diagonal parking, and restrict parklets to streets with a 25 mph or lower speed limit unless extra safety barriers are added. Obstructions inside a parklet are capped at 3 feet and must stay fully portable.

Commercial filming, professional photography, and videotaping anywhere in Pasadena require a Filming Permit under Zoning Code Section 17.61.090. Short-term shoots are cleared administratively by the Film Liaison, longer engagements need a Filming Conditional Use Permit, and on-set work is confined to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. absent a hardship extension.

Pasadena treats a block party as a permitted use of the street under its excavation and street-use ordinance. Organizers file a written application with the city engineer and pay a permit fee set by city council resolution, listed as fee item 14 under Municipal Code Section 12.24.120; nonprofit groups can qualify for a reduced rate.

Holding a parade, march or procession on a Pasadena street requires a permit from the city manager before the event. Municipal Code Section 3.20.010 also reaches street musicians, banning drums, tambourines, or wind and string instruments in a procession without the same advance permit.

Reserving a Pasadena park facility for a private event requires a permit and prepaid fees before use begins. Anyone wanting a football field, baseball diamond, tennis court, swimming pool, picnic facility, clubhouse or the Fannie E. Morrison Horticultural Center must file a written application naming the facility, the proposed use and the date, then pay every fee the code prescribes.

Pasadena property owners must repair sidewalk sections that abut or front their land once the city engineer posts and mails a repair notice. Owners get 10 days to start the work; if they don't, the engineer repairs it and bills the cost as a lien against the property under the sidewalk ordinance, Chapter 12.04.

Pasadena bars anyone from using a public sidewalk, street or alley to display goods, leave boxes or equipment, or set up a sales stand without a city permit or license agreement. Section 12.12.090 also separately bans installing gas or oil pumps in the public right-of-way.

Before digging, building, or placing anything in a Pasadena street or sidewalk right-of-way, you need a written application and a permit from the city engineer under Municipal Code Section 12.24.060. The permit covers excavations, utility lines, driveway work, and obstructions, and the applicant must post a cash deposit or bond covering the full estimated cost of the work.

When Pasadena's enforcement officer receives a report that a building is substandard, Section 14.12.100 requires an examination and, if the conditions are confirmed, a written notice of defects to the owner, lienholders and any lessee of record. Repairs must generally start within 48 hours unless the notice cites an emergency.

Pasadena requires every multifamily residential property of three or more units, plus boarding and rooming houses, to hold a quadrennial certificate of inspection before any unit can be occupied. Section 14.16.030 mandates an inspection at least once every four years, and Section 14.16.140 makes noncompliance a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

Pasadena bans sitting or standing on a street, alley, sidewalk or crosswalk in a way that hinders passage, and separately bans blocking someone's path to beg for money or approaching them in a threatening manner while begging. Exceptions cover permitted activity, parades, labor actions and constitutionally protected conduct.

Overnight camping or parking anywhere on public Arroyo Seco land is banned without a city permit. Municipal Code Section 3.32.060.E covers the Lower Arroyo, Brookside Park area, the Rose Bowl area and Brookside Golf Course, the four sub-areas that make up the city's Arroyo Seco public lands.

Pasadena marks curb space citywide as passenger loading zones with a white-painted "PASSENGER LOADING ONLY" line under Municipal Code Section 10.40.110, and Section 10.40.120.A.3 caps any stop there, including rideshare pickups and drop-offs, at 3 minutes between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily except Sundays.

Pasadena authorizes official bike lanes on its roadways under Municipal Code Section 10.16.120 and separately caps sidewalk bicycle speed at 10 mph, or 5 mph near pedestrians, under Section 10.60.140, which also requires riders to yield to pedestrians and lets the City Council ban sidewalk riding in congested retail districts.

Pasadena sets no fixed decibel ceiling. Its noise ordinance, Municipal Code Chapter 9.36, makes it unlawful for any machinery, fan, or air-conditioning device to raise noise at a property line more than 5 decibels above the ambient level - and adds 5 decibels for a steady audible tone.

Pasadena's zoning code has no data-center use category. A proposal is classified case-by-case into the closest existing use - Research and Development, Industry, or Communications facilities - and directed to the IG General Industrial zone. On March 11, 2026, a City committee ordered staff to draft dedicated rules.

Pasadena treats an unfixed leak as illegal water waste. Under Municipal Code Section 13.10.032.G, once you knew or should have known about a break, leak, or malfunction in your plumbing or distribution system, you have to fix it, and in no case more than 7 days after the Water and Power Department gives you notice.

New multifamily landscaping in Pasadena can't be mostly lawn. Municipal Code Section 17.44.070.C.3, the 'City of Gardens' standard for RM-district projects, caps turf at 20 percent of the total landscaped area and bans it entirely from narrow strips, slopes, and other hard-to-irrigate spots.

Pasadena runs a separate purple-pipe system for recycled and other non-potable water, and Chapter 13.11 makes using it mandatory for landscape and agricultural irrigation on qualifying properties. New construction near the non-potable system gets evaluated automatically, and using non-potable water for anything but its approved purpose is a punishable offense.

Pasadena's Central District Specific Plan, Municipal Code Chapter 17.30, sets mandatory downtown design standards for new construction across Old Pasadena, the Playhouse District, Civic Center, and South Lake. It fixes ground floor height, window transparency, shade structures, and wall and fence dimensions, and controls over the general Zoning Code wherever the two conflict.

Pasadena implements the state Density Bonus Law locally: developers who dedicate 5% of units to very-low-income households, 10% to low-income, 10% to moderate-income for-sale, or build 35+ senior units qualify for a density bonus, with no discretionary approval required for the base request under Section 17.43.040.A.

Every retail food establishment in Pasadena, from restaurants to bakeries and markets, must post the health department's inspection summary report where patrons can see it. Chapter 8.13 requires posting within 5 feet of the front door, bars removal of the report, and lets inspectors close a business immediately if public health is at risk.

Pasadena property owners must keep buildings and lots ratproofed and free of rodent harborage under the rat and insect control ordinance, Chapter 8.28. Dumping rubbish that could feed or shelter rats is banned, foundation vents need quarter-inch screening, and the health officer can order extermination or demolition when a building is infested.

Pasadena charges every hotel guest a 7% transient occupancy tax on rent, collected by the operator and remitted to the city's tax administrator. The tax applies to any stay of 30 consecutive days or less in a hotel, motel, inn, rooming house or similar lodging structure.

Pasadena's top historic-preservation tier is the historic monument. Properties already on the National Register at the state or federal level qualify automatically; everything else needs a regional-to-national significance finding under the criteria in Section 17.62.040.

Operating a massage establishment in Pasadena requires a permit from the license collector under Municipal Code Chapter 5.48, on top of a regular business license. Applicants must be 21 or older, pass police, fire and health investigations, and the business must close between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

A sexually oriented business in Pasadena, an adult bookstore, cabaret, motion picture theater, semi-nude model studio or sexual device shop, needs a city permit for the business and one for every employee under Municipal Code Chapter 5.45. Zoning confines these uses to the CG district with strict spacing from schools, parks and residential zones.

Every tobacco retailer in Pasadena, including vape and e-cigarette sellers, needs a separate tobacco retailer's license for each location under Municipal Code Chapter 5.74. The license is annual, revocable on an escalating schedule for tobacco-law violations, and enforced by the environmental health division or the city prosecutor.

Pasadena pawnbrokers need a $50 annual license certificate under Municipal Code Chapter 5.56, and must report every pledged or purchased item to the police twice a week and hold each item unaltered for 15 days before resale.

Secondhand goods and jewelry dealers in Pasadena pay $10 a year for a license certificate under Municipal Code Chapter 5.56, separate from the higher pawnbroker fee, and must report every item bought or received to police twice weekly and hold it 15 days before resale.

Pasadena requires any company that performs police-ordered towing or impound work for the Pasadena Police Department or Department of Transportation to hold a city council-granted nonexclusive towing franchise; operating without one is a misdemeanor under Section 10.46.030.

Pasadena treats tattoo parlors and piercing studios as a 'Personal Services, Restricted' land use, which means a Conditional Use Permit and a 500-foot buffer from any other restricted personal service, pawnshop, or massage establishment before the city will let one open, per Sections 17.50.200 and 17.80.020.

Pasadena bills the person responsible for a party, gathering or event when police respond a second time within 12 hours under Municipal Code Section 9.43.020. After more than two second-response incidents at one address in a year, the property owner becomes liable for police costs on any future response for a full year.

Pasadena bans smoking in a list of specific outdoor public places, including shopping mall common areas, the unenclosed patios of bars and restaurants, service waiting lines, outdoor special events, and the grounds of every Pasadena Public Library branch, under the Tobacco Use Prevention Ordinance's Section 8.78.071.

Pasadena bans drinking any alcoholic beverage on a public street, alley, sidewalk or right-of-way, and on private property open to public view without the owner's consent, under Section 9.24.010. The only carve-out is for licensed sidewalk dining tables in the Old Pasadena or South Lake subdistricts holding both a sidewalk dining permit and an on-sale liquor license.

Pasadena makes it a misdemeanor to urinate or defecate on any street, sidewalk, alley, plaza, park, public building or publicly maintained facility, or anywhere else open to the public or exposed to public view, under Chapter 9.26. A conviction carries up to a $1,000 fine and six months in county jail.

Pasadena's municipal code bars pedestrians from crossing anywhere except a marked crosswalk inside the city's business districts, and everywhere else requires crossing at right angles to the curb unless inside a marked crosswalk. Pasadena Police Department enforces both rules as Title 10 traffic offenses.

Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 10.61 lets the police chief regulate or ban skateboards, roller skates, scooters and electric personal assistive mobility devices on any roadway, sidewalk, business district, pedestrian mall or public building by posting signs. Riders must yield to pedestrians and obey traffic signals; violations are infractions, not misdemeanors.

Pasadena sorts every business into a tax class under Municipal Code Chapter 5.16, and the rate depends on which one applies. General retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and utilities pay $75 a year plus $15 per employee beyond one, while professionals, service firms, take-out eateries and coin machine operators follow separate schedules in the same chapter.