AB-1572 prohibits using potable water to irrigate non-functional turf at commercial, institutional, and HOA-common areas, accelerating native and low-water landscape conversions statewide.
Water Code sections 10608.14 and 10610-10610.4 phase in a ban on potable water irrigation of non-functional turf on commercial, industrial, institutional, and HOA-controlled common areas, taking full effect by 2031. The Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Gov Code 65591) sets statewide minimum efficiency for new landscapes and requires climate-appropriate plant palettes. Civil Code section 4735 prevents HOAs from forbidding low-water or California-native landscaping.
State Water Board may enforce against suppliers; HOA penalties for native plantings are unenforceable under Civil Code 4735.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Santa Cruz, CA
Beyond the nighttime curfew, Santa Cruz prohibits at any hour any noise that is unreasonably disturbing or physically annoying to people of ordinary sensitiv...
Santa Cruz, CA
No Santa Cruz-specific ordinance directly regulates aircraft noise in flight; such regulation is federally preempted by the FAA, and California PUC 21669 set...
Santa Cruz, CA
California's Good Neighbor Fence Act presumes adjoining Santa Cruz landowners share equally in the cost of building, maintaining, or replacing a boundary fen...
Santa Cruz, CA
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 s...
Santa Cruz, CA
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...
Santa Cruz, CA
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. Ca...
See how Santa Cruz's native plants rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.