Irvine, CA

Irvine Municipal Code requires all dogs to be on a leash no longer than 6 feet when in any public place, including streets, sidewalks, parks, and trails. Dogs must be under the physical control of a person capable of restraining the animal. Irvine operates several designated off-leash dog parks where dogs may run unleashed within the enclosed park area. All dogs over the age of four months must be licensed through Orange County Animal Care and currently vaccinated against rabies. Many Irvine HOA communities impose additional pet rules regarding leashing in common areas, breed or size restrictions, and pet registration with the HOA.

Irvine is a master-planned city with predominantly residential zoning districts that strictly limit or prohibit the keeping of chickens and livestock on most residential parcels. The Irvine Zoning Ordinance Chapter 3-37 governs animal keeping and ties permitted animal types directly to the zoning designation and lot size of the property. In standard residential zones (including the predominant medium- and high-density zones that characterize most Irvine neighborhoods), chickens, roosters, goats, sheep, horses, and other livestock or poultry are not permitted. Keeping of such animals is limited to Agricultural (AG) zoned parcels and certain Exclusive Estate (EA) or low-density residential lots of one acre or more, subject to setback and enclosure requirements. Roosters are effectively prohibited in all residential areas due to noise ordinance restrictions.

Irvine has no breed-specific legislation (BSL) banning or restricting any particular dog breed. California state law expressly preempts local breed-specific bans: Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 prohibits any city or county from declaring a specific dog breed to be inherently dangerous or vicious. Irvine's animal regulations under Municipal Code Title 4 are entirely behavior-based and apply equally to all breeds. Dogs of any breed that have exhibited dangerous behavior may be declared potentially dangerous or vicious under state law, and their owners subjected to additional confinement, insurance, and control requirements administered by Orange County Animal Care.

Irvine Municipal Code Section 4-9-202 prohibits loud and unreasonable noise that disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood between the hours of 10 PM and 7 AM. During these nighttime quiet hours, any noise audible beyond the property line that could reasonably disturb a person of normal sensitivity is considered a violation. Daytime noise is also regulated but evaluated against the city's established ambient noise standards rather than the stricter nighttime standard. Irvine's master-planned community layout, with residential villages separated by arterial roads, reflects the city's emphasis on maintaining tranquil neighborhoods.

Irvine Municipal Code Section 4-9-206 limits construction activity to weekdays from 7 AM to 7 PM and Saturdays from 9 AM to 6 PM. Construction is prohibited on Sundays and federal holidays. These restrictions apply to all construction, demolition, grading, and renovation work that produces noise audible at the property line. Given the continuous development activity across Irvine — including large-scale projects in the Great Park and Irvine Spectrum areas — the city actively enforces construction-hours limits to protect established residential neighborhoods.

Irvine Municipal Code Section 4-9-204 establishes ambient noise base levels by land use category that may not be exceeded at the receiving property line. Residential zones carry a baseline of 55 dBA during daytime hours (7 AM to 10 PM) and 50 dBA at night (10 PM to 7 AM). Commercial zones are held to 65 dBA at all hours, and industrial zones to 70 dBA at all hours. These limits govern fixed mechanical equipment such as HVAC units, pool pumps, and generators, and serve as the measurement framework for evaluating noise complaints throughout the city.

Irvine Municipal Code Section 4-9-210 regulates radios, televisions, musical instruments, and other sound-reproducing devices used outdoors. Operating any sound-amplifying equipment in a manner that causes noise levels to exceed the applicable ambient noise baseline at a neighboring property line constitutes a violation. During nighttime quiet hours (10 PM to 7 AM), amplified outdoor music that is audible beyond the property line is prohibited under the general quiet-hours provisions. Organized outdoor events on city property such as concerts at the Great Park amphitheater operate under special event permits that specify allowable sound levels.

Irvine does not issue permits for short-term rentals in residential zones because the activity is effectively prohibited. The city's zoning ordinance does not list short-term rentals (stays of fewer than 30 consecutive days) as a permitted or conditionally permitted use in any residential zoning district. There is no permit application process, no licensing framework, and no pathway for residents to legally operate an Airbnb, VRBO, or similar short-term rental from a residential property. Only commercially zoned and licensed hotels and motels may offer lodging for fewer than 30 days.

Irvine has no short-term rental registration, licensing, or certification program for residential properties. Because the city's zoning ordinance does not permit short-term rentals in residential zones, there is no registration framework for property owners to participate in. Unlike neighboring Anaheim or the City of Los Angeles, which have established licensing platforms, Irvine treats residential short-term rentals as a prohibited land use with no pathway to compliance through registration. Code enforcement actively identifies and removes illegal listings.

Irvine does not operate a night-cap or partial-allowance short-term rental program. Because short-term rentals are prohibited in all residential zones by omission from the zoning ordinance's permitted uses, there is no framework for annual night limits, hosted-only exceptions, or seasonal carve-outs. Unlike Los Angeles (120 nights per year) or Santa Monica (hosted-only with per-night limits), Irvine's position is a complete prohibition with zero nights allowed for residential short-term rental activity.

Open burning of trash, yard waste, leaves, and other debris in backyards is prohibited in Irvine under both Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) regulations and South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 444. Irvine is served by OCFA rather than a municipal fire department, and OCFA enforces a year-round prohibition on outdoor open burning in urbanized areas. SCAQMD Rule 444 independently prohibits open burning of combustible materials in the South Coast Air Basin except under very limited agricultural and fire-training exemptions that do not apply to residential properties.

Irvine permits recreational fires in approved manufactured fire pits and permanent outdoor fireplaces subject to conditions set by the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) and the California Fire Code. Portable fire pits must be commercially manufactured with a spark screen, use only clean dry wood or propane/natural gas, and maintain minimum clearance distances from structures and combustible materials. SCAQMD burn-day restrictions apply to wood-burning fire pits, and all outdoor fire activity is prohibited during Red Flag Warning conditions. Gas-fueled fire pits are generally preferred as they are exempt from SCAQMD wood-burning curtailments.

Irvine falls within the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) jurisdiction and is subject to mandatory No-Burn Day curtailments under Rule 445. On declared No-Burn days, residents may not operate wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves, or any solid-fuel-burning device. Open burning of vegetation, trash, and debris is prohibited year-round within Irvine city limits. As a master-planned community with extensive wildland-urban interface areas along the eastern hills adjacent to Limestone Canyon and Bommer Canyon, Irvine faces significant wildfire risk during Santa Ana wind events, and the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) enforces additional restrictions during Red Flag conditions.

Irvine strictly limits customer and client traffic to home-based businesses (home occupations). Under Zoning Ordinance Chapter 3-19, a home occupation must not generate vehicle or pedestrian traffic exceeding what is customary for the residential neighborhood. The ordinance prohibits retail sales to walk-in customers entirely and restricts client visits to a minimal level that does not produce noticeable traffic, parking, or activity impacts on the surrounding area. In practice, Irvine's enforcement interprets this to mean no more than a small number of individual client or customer visits per day — typically understood as no more than approximately 2 to 4 client visits daily — and those visits must not overlap in a way that creates visible commercial activity or parking congestion.

Irvine permits home-based businesses (home occupations) in residential zones subject to the conditions established in Zoning Ordinance Chapter 3-19. Home occupations are allowed as an accessory use in any residential dwelling, but must remain clearly secondary and incidental to the residential use of the property. The business must be conducted entirely within the dwelling or an attached garage, must not alter the residential character or external appearance of the home, and must not generate noise, odor, traffic, or other impacts perceptible to neighbors. A City of Irvine business license is required before commencing operations. Certain business types — including retail sales to walk-in customers, vehicle repair, and any activity involving hazardous materials — are expressly prohibited as home occupations.

Irvine strictly prohibits all exterior signage for home-based businesses (home occupations). Under Zoning Ordinance Chapter 3-19, a home occupation must not be visible or detectable from outside the dwelling — the residential appearance of the property must be completely maintained. No business signs, nameplates, logos, banners, window graphics, vehicle wraps parked as advertising, or any other form of exterior commercial identification may be displayed at or on the residence in connection with a home occupation. This no-signage rule is absolute and applies to all types of home occupations. The city's sign standards in Zoning Ordinance Division 6 further reinforce that commercial signs are not permitted in residential zones except for limited real estate and construction signs.

Irvine enforces parking restrictions on public streets through the Irvine Police Department and community-specific HOA rules. Most Irvine residential streets do not have metered parking, but many neighborhoods enforce posted time limits — commonly 2-hour or 72-hour restrictions. Street sweeping schedules vary by neighborhood and require vehicles to be moved on posted days. As a master-planned city, many Irvine communities have HOA-imposed parking restrictions that are stricter than city code, including overnight street parking bans in some villages.

Irvine imposes significant restrictions on the parking and storage of recreational vehicles (RVs), boats, trailers, and oversized vehicles both on public streets and in residential neighborhoods. The city prohibits parking oversized vehicles (over 7 feet high or 22 feet long) on residential streets for extended periods. Most Irvine HOA communities go further and prohibit any visible storage of RVs, boats, and trailers on driveways, side yards, and in some cases even behind fences. Irvine's master-planned design assumed these vehicles would be stored off-site at commercial storage facilities.

Irvine regulates vehicle parking on residential property through both its municipal code and the extensive HOA governance system that covers most of the city. Vehicles parked on driveways must be on approved paved surfaces and may not extend over the public sidewalk or into the right-of-way. Inoperable, unregistered, or dismantled vehicles may not be stored in open view on residential properties. Garages designated as required parking in the original development plans must maintain their vehicle-parking function. Many Irvine HOAs impose additional driveway rules including limits on the number of vehicles, prohibitions on parking commercial vehicles, and requirements to keep garage doors closed.

Irvine restricts the parking and storage of commercial vehicles in residential zones to maintain the aesthetic standards of its master-planned neighborhoods. Oversized commercial vehicles — including box trucks, tractor-trailers, heavy construction equipment, and large marked commercial vans — may not park on residential streets overnight or be stored on residential properties where visible from the street. Most Irvine HOA communities impose additional restrictions that prohibit parking any commercially marked or work-equipped vehicle on driveways visible from the street, even standard-size service vans and pickup trucks with mounted equipment.

Irvine's Zoning Ordinance limits residential fence and wall heights to 42 inches (3.5 feet) in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards, consistent with standard Orange County practice. Corner lot fences near intersections must maintain sight-line visibility triangles for traffic safety. Decorative elements such as post caps and finials may extend slightly above the maximum height. Retaining walls that also serve as fences have their height measured from the higher adjacent grade. Most Irvine HOA communities impose additional requirements regarding fence materials, colors, and styles that must be followed in addition to the city zoning code.

Irvine generally exempts standard residential fences and walls up to 6 feet in height from building permit requirements, consistent with California Building Code Section R105.2. However, fences over 6 feet, retaining walls over 4 feet, fences with electrical components, and fences in easements or near public rights-of-way may require permits. In Irvine, the practical permitting hurdle for most residents is not the city building permit but the mandatory HOA architectural review that applies to virtually all residential fence projects. Fence projects that proceed without HOA approval may be required to be removed regardless of city code compliance.

Shared boundary fences between Irvine properties are governed by California Civil Code Section 841 — the Good Neighbor Fence Law — which creates a presumption of equal cost-sharing responsibility between adjoining landowners. Before incurring shared fence costs, the initiating owner must provide at least 30 days' prior written notice to the adjoining neighbor. In Irvine, the additional layer of HOA governance means that any replacement or modification of a shared boundary fence must also comply with the HOA's architectural standards, and both neighbors may need to coordinate their HOA submissions.

Irvine enforces strict tree protection and landscaping regulations through its Zoning Ordinance Division 9 (Landscape Standards) and Municipal Code Title 5, Division 7 (Trees). The city has a comprehensive urban forest management program and requires permits for the removal of protected trees on both public and private property. Protected trees include any tree with a trunk diameter of 10 inches or more measured at 4.5 feet above grade (DBH), designated heritage trees, and street trees maintained by the City. Property owners must obtain a tree removal permit from the Community Development Department before removing any protected tree. Unauthorized removal carries significant fines. Routine pruning that does not remove more than 25 percent of the tree canopy in a single season generally does not require a permit, but must follow ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) standards.

Irvine requires property owners to maintain all landscaped areas, including lawns, in a neat, well-maintained, and healthy condition. The city's property maintenance standards under Municipal Code Title 4, Division 8, combined with the Zoning Ordinance Division 9 landscape standards, establish that grass and ground cover must not be allowed to grow to an excessive height or become unsightly. While the municipal code does not specify a single numeric maximum grass height citywide, Irvine's property maintenance enforcement treats grass exceeding approximately 8 to 12 inches as a nuisance condition warranting a code enforcement notice. Dead, brown, or significantly overgrown lawns visible from public view are subject to enforcement. Most Irvine neighborhoods are also subject to HOA CC&Rs that impose stricter lawn appearance standards.

Irvine requires property owners to keep their properties free of excessive weeds, overgrown vegetation, and accumulated combustible materials. The city's property maintenance standards under Municipal Code Title 4, Division 8, together with fire hazard abatement requirements enforced by the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), mandate that weeds and dry brush be cleared to prevent nuisance conditions and reduce wildfire risk. Property owners must maintain all portions of their lots — including undeveloped areas, side yards, and easements — in a condition free of weeds exceeding 12 inches in height and free of dead or dry vegetation that could constitute a fire hazard. The OCFA conducts annual weed abatement inspections, typically in the spring, and issues abatement notices to non-compliant property owners.