Long Beach, CA

A fence built of wood, chain-link or similar material up to 7 feet tall needs no building permit in Long Beach; masonry, concrete, brick or heavy-timber fences drop that threshold to 4…

LBMC § 22.30.130(B) prohibits barbed wire 'or similar fencing with sharp, protruding objects capable of cutting or puncturing a person' on any fence or wall in the city's RMU, MU, and…

A retaining wall or planter box in Long Beach needs no building permit if it's 4 feet or less from footing to top, doesn't hold back a surcharge or sloping earth, and doesn't retain…

Boundary fences in Long Beach follow CA Civil Code §841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act) requiring shared cost. Spite fences over 10 ft built to annoy neighbors are a private nuisance under…

Long Beach caps residential front-yard fences at 3 feet and side/rear ("other") yard fences at 6 feet 6 inches, rising to 10 feet outside the required yard, under LBMC § 21.43.020's…

Long Beach lets residents run a home-based business under Long Beach Municipal Code § 21.51.235, but the permit issues only when every standard is met: no more than two residents can…

A Long Beach home occupation cannot draw more traffic than an ordinary house: LBMC § 21.51.235(B)(9) caps business visitors at two per hour and eight per day, and limits deliveries of…

Long Beach bars any exterior signage for a home occupation outright: LBMC § 21.51.235(B)(2) says no sign can be visible from outside the dwelling, and even a vehicle carrying the…

Long Beach zoning treats small family daycare homes as an automatically allowed accessory use and large family daycare homes as allowed too, provided the operator lives on-site under…

Government Code section 51035 forbids any California city, county, or city and county from prohibiting a cottage food operation in a residential dwelling. The local agency must pick…

California lets home cooks sell meals from their own kitchen under a microenterprise home kitchen operation (MEHKO) permit, capped at 30 meals a day, 90 a week, and $100,000 in annual…

Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.77.020(G) and (V) draw the line the whole STR chapter turns on: a 'hosted stay' requires the host to remain on-site throughout the guest's stay except…

Every Long Beach short-term rental guest pays a combined 13% transient occupancy tax, 6% under § 3.64.030 plus a separate 7% general purpose tax under § 3.64.035, and § 5.77.060(E)…

Long Beach makes hosting platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo directly liable for what they publish: they must block bookings for any listing lacking a valid City registration number, report…

Stays of 31 or more consecutive nights fall outside Long Beach STR rules and statewide TOT, operating instead as residential tenancies subject to landlord-tenant law including AB 1482…

Three citations against a Long Beach short-term rental within an 18-month period puts the registration on the line: the Director can revoke, suspend, disallow it, or impose new…

Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.77.020(K) defines a primary residence as the home where a person lives at least 275 days a year, proven with two forms of documentation, and §…

Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.77.040 makes an STR registration valid for one year, non-transferable, and renewable only if the operator pays the fee, submits a year of records, and has…

Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.77.060(D) requires every STR operator to maintain proof of liability insurance covering the short-term rental use in an aggregate amount of not less than…

Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.77.050(Q) makes it unlawful for any STR host, operator, occupant, or guest to make loud, unnecessary or unusual noise that disturbs a neighborhood's peace…

Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.77.050(C) limits un-hosted stays in a primary residence short-term rental to a maximum of ninety days per annual registration term, and subsection (D)…

STR guests in Long Beach must comply with local parking regulations. Street parking is subject to posted restrictions and the 72-hour rule. Operators should provide parking information…

Short-term rentals in Long Beach are subject to occupancy limits based on the number of bedrooms and dwelling size. Operators must comply with building and fire code occupancy…

Long Beach forms preferential parking districts under LBMC Chapter 10.32 when residents petition the City Council to curb nonresident on-street parking. A district requires a…

Long Beach bars parking any 'Oversized Vehicle', over 85 inches high, 80 inches wide or 22 feet long, on a residential street under Municipal Code § 10.24.078, unless the owner…

Long Beach's Traffic Engineer marks curbs yellow, white, green or red to control parking: yellow gives two minutes for passengers or twenty for freight, white gives two minutes for…

Long Beach marks curbs yellow for freight and passenger loading under Municipal Code § 10.26.010: two minutes for passenger loading, 20 minutes for freight, enforced only between 7…

Long Beach zoning caps recreational vehicles stored on residential lots at seven tons, 36 feet long or 11'6" tall under Municipal Code § 21.41.276, and confines them to areas already…

Standard parking rules under LBMC Title 10. No parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. No parking in alleys. Time-limited zones enforced citywide.

Long Beach has overnight parking restrictions in certain areas. Some neighborhoods require overnight parking permits. Street parking is limited to 72 hours per CA Vehicle Code §22651…

Vehicles parked 72+ hours without moving on a public street may be cited as abandoned under CVC §22651 and LBMC Title 10.

Long Beach encourages EV charging installation. CA AB 2097 eliminates parking minimums near major transit stops. New construction must include EV-ready infrastructure per CALGreen…

Los Angeles County regulates non-consent towing only in its unincorporated territory, not in the 88 incorporated cities, and its Title 15 traffic ordinance is about when a vehicle may…

In unincorporated LA County residential and agricultural zones, vehicles may only be parked in the front yard area on a driveway; motor homes and travel trailers may not be parked in…

Long Beach bars off-road recreational vehicles from exceeding the city's district noise limits and separately prohibits repairing, rebuilding, modifying or testing a motor vehicle or…

Long Beach imposes a 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. residential noise curfew on radios, TVs, musical instruments and similar devices under LBMC § 8.80.200(A), backed by a general…

LBMC § 8.80.200(D) makes it a violation to own, possess or harbor an animal or bird that "frequently or for continued duration howls, barks, meows, squawks, or makes other sounds"…

LBMC § 8.80.200(M)(3) bans leaf blower use in or near residential areas after 8 p.m. and before 8 a.m. on weekdays, after 5 p.m. and before 9 a.m. Saturdays, and after 5 p.m. and…

Long Beach doesn't grandfather existing industrial noise sources forever. Municipal Code § 8.80.300 gives nonconforming industrial noise sources only ten years from the noise chapter's…

LBMC § 8.80.200(B) bans operating any loudspeaker or amplified sound system between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if it creates a noise disturbance across a residential property line, or at any…

Long Beach limits noisy construction work to 7 a.m.–7 p.m. on weekdays and federal holidays, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturdays, and bars it entirely on Sundays unless the Noise Control…

Chapter 16.43 of the Long Beach Municipal Code sets a CNEL noise ceiling and per-runway SENEL limits for every non-governmental flight at Long Beach Airport, restricts touch-and-go…

Long Beach bans every kind of fireworks, not just the "dangerous" kind, inside city limits. Municipal Code § 8.81.020 makes it unlawful to possess, sell, use, display or explode any…

Under CA H&S Code §13113.7 and LBMC fire code adoption, all Long Beach residential units require working smoke alarms in each bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on every floor…

Long Beach Fire Code Section 18.48.240 bans open burning citywide except under three narrow circumstances: official fire-suppression training by a Public Safety Officer, industrial or…

Long Beach requires a free permit from the Fire Code Official before any recreational fire -- fire pits, chimineas and similar backyard fires -- under Section 18.48.250's amendment to…

Long Beach has limited wildfire risk as a coastal/urban city. Some hillside areas near Signal Hill may fall in fire hazard severity zones. Properties in SRA or VHFHSZ must comply with…

In areas served by LA County Fire, unincorporated county territory and dozens of contract cities, a Fire Department operational permit is required for LP-gas storage unless a single…

Property owners in unincorporated LA County must maintain 100 feet of defensible space around any structure located on or adjacent to brush- or forest-covered land. The fire department…

Long Beach requires the property owner to live in either the primary dwelling or the accessory dwelling unit under Municipal Code § 21.51.276.E.1.a, unless both units are leased to the…

Long Beach bars short-term rental of accessory dwelling units: Municipal Code § 21.51.276.E.1.d requires that any rental of the ADU or the primary dwelling run longer than thirty (30)…

Converting a Long Beach garage into an ADU means losing the garage door for good: LBMC § 21.51.276(D)(3)(b) requires the opening to be removed and finished to match the house, while §…

Accessory dwelling units in Long Beach must meet the same zoning standards as the underlying district, parking, height, setbacks, lot coverage and floor area ratio, under LBMC §…

Long Beach bars carports outright from the required front yard and street-side yard setbacks citywide. Where the zoning code allows a carport in an interior side or rear yard, LBMC…

LBMC § 6.16.062 bars animal shops from selling, bartering, or transferring dogs, cats, or rabbits unless the animal was bred locally under a City breeding permit, or came from a public…

Long Beach caps household pets at four weaned animals per site under Municipal Code § 21.51.210, though the limit doesn't count fish, rodents other than rabbits, or caged birds kept…

LBMC § 6.08.010(B) requires every cat over four months old to wear a City-issued license tag or carry an identifiable microchip at all times. Section 6.08.090 blocks licensing an…

LBMC § 6.16.085 bars anyone from keeping a cat past four months or a dog past six months unaltered, unless the animal qualifies for a listed exception. Exceptions require veterinary…

Long Beach lets small-scale veterinary care operate by right in most commercial zones, but boarding and adoption space triggers Municipal Code § 21.45.133: the site cannot adjoin a…

LBMC § 6.16.100 requires a dog on any public street, sidewalk, park, or private property open to the public to be on a secure leash no more than six feet long, held continuously by a…

Exotic pets regulated by state and city. Ferrets and hedgehogs are ILLEGAL in California. CDFW permits required for regulated species. City prohibits dangerous animals.

Long Beach zones animal grooming shops under LBMC Table 32-1 as an "indoor animal related use," permitted by right in most commercial districts. Any such business must meet the §…

Long Beach caps residential goat-keeping at exactly two goats per property under LBMC § 6.20.170, and every goat requires an Animal Care Services Bureau permit with a microchip…

Long Beach caps residential beekeeping at four hives per property under LBMC § 6.24.010 and requires County registration filed with the Director of the City's Animal Care Services…

Long Beach regulates dangerous animals by behavior, not breed: LBMC § 6.16.250 defines a "vicious animal" as one that bites or attempts to bite without provocation. A Hearing Officer…

Long Beach prohibits feeding wildlife in public parks and beaches under LBMC Title 16. Feeding pigeons and other pest wildlife may constitute a nuisance violation under the city's…

Feeding coyotes, raccoons, foxes, opossums, or ground squirrels is a misdemeanor in unincorporated Los Angeles County, with only narrow exceptions for trapped or injured animals.

In the Santa Monica Mountains North Area of unincorporated LA County, any vegetation removal or construction near nesting habitat requires a biologist nest survey within 30 days of…

All dogs and cats four months of age or older in unincorporated LA County must be implanted with a microchip, and owners must register the chip number with the Department.

Long Beach bars removal of a required street tree in the parkway unless the Director of Public Works finds it dead, dying, or a hazard to curb, gutter, sidewalk or roadway, or clears…

Long Beach's Public Works Department prunes City street trees to a minimum twelve-foot clearance over sidewalks and sixteen feet over streets, and no one else may trim, cut or remove a…

Long Beach follows the MWELO (Smartscape) ordinance for new landscaping. Projects 500-2,500 sq ft have streamlined permits; over 2,500 sq ft require a landscape professional…

Rainwater harvesting is encouraged in Long Beach as part of stormwater management. The city's LID standards promote capturing rainfall on-site. No permit is required for residential…

Artificial turf in Long Beach may cover up to 50% of a yard under LBMC rules. It is prohibited in parkways and public rights-of-way. The city is strengthening restrictions due to…

Long Beach requires property owners to control weeds and overgrown vegetation under LBMC Ch. 9.37. Properties with weeds visible from public view may receive a nuisance citation. The…

In the unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains Coastal Zone, Los Angeles County requires new landscaping and revegetation to use locally-indigenous, drought-tolerant plants outside…

SB 1383 requires every California resident and business to separate food scraps and yard waste from trash, with universal collection or on-site composting.

A backyard pool counts as a structure under Long Beach's building permit law, so any in-ground or substantial above-ground pool needs a Building Official permit. Only two narrow…

Long Beach pools must comply with the CA Swimming Pool Safety Act (HSC §115920-115929). At least two safety features required: barrier/fence, pool cover, alarms, or self-closing doors…

Long Beach requires an electrical permit for new wiring, alterations and most equipment operating above 25 volts or 50 watts, under LBMC § 18.04.010(C), enforced through the City's own…

Long Beach requires a plumbing permit before any plumbing, water piping, gas piping or water heater work under LBMC § 18.04.010(D), enforced under the City's own adopted 2025…

Long Beach adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code by reference as its own Green Building Standards Code under Chapter 18.47, then layers local amendments -- rerouting…

Long Beach requires a permit before any building, grading, electrical, plumbing, mechanical or sign work begins. LBMC § 18.04.010 bars erecting, altering, remodeling, moving…

Long Beach can force a motel to install deadbolt locks, peepholes, window locks, and door chains or swing bars on every guest room door. Municipal Code Section 5.57.030(A)(4) makes…

Long Beach Municipal Code § 18.48.440 amends California Fire Code § 903.2.8 to require automatic fire sprinklers in every new multi-family building of three or more units, hotels…

Long Beach's own Community Lead Hazard Control chapter, LBMC § 8.27, requires removal of lead hazards once the City Health Officer confirms a child under six has an elevated blood lead…

Every permitted building project in Long Beach runs through a fixed inspection sequence under LBMC § 18.07.050, footing and foundation, framing, energy efficiency and a final…

Hosts operating a Short-Term Rental in unincorporated Los Angeles County must provide and maintain working smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors on the premises under County…

In unincorporated LA County, child care centers must supply 1 parking space per staff member, 1 per business vehicle, and 1 per 20 licensed children, plus a dedicated on-site drop-off…

In Chapman Woods, unincorporated LA County caps new houses at 40% of lot area (max 3,500 sq ft) on lots under 13,000 sq ft, dropping to 20% (max 8,000 sq ft) on lots over 40,000 sq ft…

Long Beach caps sound in bars, nightclubs and other places of public entertainment on a sliding duration/decibel scale and requires a posted hearing-impairment warning sign wherever…

Long Beach requires any motor, machinery or pump, including portable generators, to be sufficiently enclosed or muffled so it does not create a noise disturbance, on top of the…

Long Beach sets fixed decibel ceilings for air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment measured at the neighboring property line, patio and window, with older units (pre-1980) allowed…

Long Beach caps any motor vehicle alarm at 15 minutes of continuous or intermittent sound under Municipal Code § 10.25.010, timed from the first audible emission. A first violation is…

Long Beach bans loud loading and unloading of boxes, crates, containers and similar cargo between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. across a residential property line, and prohibits it at any hour if…

Filming that would impair traffic flow in Long Beach must use City law enforcement personnel and comply with Caltrans traffic control standards under § 5.61.070(E). Traffic and street…

A filming activity permit application in Long Beach must be filed with the City Manager at least three working days before the first day of shooting, per Long Beach Municipal Code §…

In unincorporated LA County, verified student film productions skip the Fire Code permit fee for filming and still-photography permits on the initial issuance.

Unlike almost every other noise source in unincorporated Los Angeles County, motion picture production and related activities are entirely exempt from Chapter 12.08's noise chapter: no…

It is unlawful in Long Beach to loiter on or near any street, alley or public or private place for the purpose of drug activity or graffiti. Municipal Code § 9.36.010 defines "loiter"…

Long Beach makes it a misdemeanor to urinate or defecate in any public place other than a regularly provided toilet facility. Municipal Code § 9.25.010, the City's stand-alone "Public…

Long Beach bans skateboarding on any street, alley or sidewalk the City Council has designated and signed as a prohibited area under LBMC § 10.54.040, a list that covers dozens of…

Long Beach doesn't ban panhandling outright: it bans coercive panhandling. Municipal Code § 9.35.010 makes it unlawful to solicit by threatening, harassing, intimidating, or…

Public cannabis consumption is illegal across Long Beach under both state law and the city smoke-free ordinance, regardless of medical or adult-use status. Consumption is restricted to…

Long Beach bans drinking in public almost everywhere in the city. Municipal Code § 9.22.010 prohibits transporting in, or drinking, any alcoholic beverage in any public place unless…

Long Beach bans smoking in improved City parks, beaches, the beach bike path, bus stops and most outdoor dining areas under LBMC §§ 8.68.065, 8.68.066 and 8.68.090. The Department of…

In Long Beach's Central Traffic District and in any business district, pedestrians must use a marked crosswalk unless crossing at a scramble-signal intersection: crossing mid-block or…

Long Beach uses a bright-line distance test for loud parties: under Municipal Code § 9.31.010, any party noise audible fifty feet or more from the property is automatically deemed to…

Long Beach designates cultural resources as Landmarks or Landmark Districts through its Cultural Heritage Commission under LBMC Chapter 2.63. Once designated, no owner, renter or…

Properties within LA County's Historic District overlays must comply with special development standards, and in the Historic Highlands Historic District (Altadena, established July…

Long Beach requires a City Manager permit before any organized gathering of 75 or more people assembles at a public park, place, or facility. Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.60.020(A)…

Commercial filming is carved out of Long Beach's special event permit scheme entirely. Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.60.030(A)(4) exempts "filming activities governed by Chapter 5.61"…

Long Beach requires a written permit from the City Manager before anyone holds a parade, demonstration, or other special event on city streets, sidewalks, parks, or piers. Municipal…

Block parties in Long Beach need a special event permit like any other street event, but Municipal Code Section 5.60.040 gives them their own shorter 10-working-day filing deadline and…

Restaurants that want to seat diners on a Long Beach public sidewalk need a Public Walkway Occupancy Permit from the Department of Public Works. Municipal Code § 14.14.045 bars…

Street fairs and festivals are expressly listed as "Special Events" under Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.60.010(H)(3), so organizers need a City Manager permit under Chapter 5.60, and…

Long Beach requires a written Public Works permit for any parklet occupying the public walkway or right-of-way, escalating to a City Council permit if the parklet exceeds ten percent…

Long Beach's business license tax (LBMC Chapter 3.80) sorts every business into one of twelve statutory classifications, from contract construction to oil production to rental of…

Secondhand dealers in Long Beach must hold a police-issued permit and cannot resell purchased or pawned goods for 30 days. Municipal Code § 5.64.010(C) defines the covered business as…

Long Beach requires new tattoo parlors to sit at least 700 feet from another tattoo parlor and 700 feet from any K-12 school under Municipal Code § 21.45.166, unless a business wins an…

Long Beach requires anyone operating a pawnshop to obtain a police-vetted permit before opening. Municipal Code § 5.64.020 bars conducting a pawnbroker business without a permit, and §…

Long Beach permits tow companies that contract with the city for police-initiated tows, with rotation rules, fee schedules, and storage standards. Private property tows must follow…

Adult entertainment businesses in Long Beach must sit at least 300 feet from any residential zone, 1,000 feet from a school or another adult business, 600 feet from a City park, and…

Long Beach allows residents to repair their own cars and motorcycles at home as an accessory use under Municipal Code § 21.51.227, but only on vehicles they own, only on paved…

Long Beach requires a Massage Establishment Permit, a Health Permit, and, when massage is the primary use, an Administrative Use Permit before any massage business can operate…

No one may sell tobacco in Long Beach without a City tobacco retailer's permit for each fixed location: mobile and foot-based sales are banned outright, permits run one year, and…

Chapter 8.17 caps the default beverage restaurants may bundle with a children's meal in Long Beach: water, nonfat or 1% milk or a non-dairy alternative under 130 calories per serving…

Long Beach requires every food facility to post its Health Department inspection summary report where patrons can see it, on the front door or window within five feet of the entrance…

Under California AB 551, Long Beach landlords must disclose bed bug information to tenants, refrain from renting infested units, and cannot retaliate against tenants who report…

LBMC § 8.08.220 bars any owner, occupant or person in control of property from letting dead animals, manure, garbage, refuse or decaying material accumulate on the premises or a vacant…

Every food employee in Long Beach must obtain a state-approved food handler card within thirty days of hire and a certified food protection manager must be on staff at each food…

Building or maintaining a private wharf, pier, float, bulkhead, seawall or similar structure anywhere in the Long Beach Marina area requires a permit from the Marine Bureau Director…

Long Beach Municipal Code § 18.40.280 amends California Building Code § 1612.3 to adopt the City's own flood hazard map, based on FEMA's 1998 Flood Insurance Study and current Flood…

No grading, excavation or fill work in Long Beach may start without a Building Official-issued permit under LBMC Chapter 18.75. The chapter also sets hard drainage numbers: graded pads…

Long Beach's amended Residential and Building Codes push construction above FEMA's base flood elevation, not merely to it. Section 18.41.280 adds 12 inches of flood freeboard plus 6…

Long Beach bans on-site idling for vehicles queuing at diesel fuel pumps under Municipal Code § 21.52.222.F, one of several conditions imposed on diesel fuel sales sites alongside a…

Long Beach has extensive coastal zone regulated by the California Coastal Commission. Development in the coastal zone requires a Coastal Development Permit. Tree removal requires 2:1…

Long Beach's Stormwater and Runoff Pollution Control Ordinance bans dumping anything into the municipal storm drain system beyond rainwater. Municipal Code § 8.96.050(A) prohibits any…

Los Angeles County's defensible space rules require specific vegetation management within 100 feet of structures on or adjacent to brushland. Dead vegetation must be removed…

Long Beach caps residential building height by zoning district under Table 31-2A, from 24-28 feet in the small-lot R-1-S zone to 65 feet and five stories in the R-4-U high-density…

Long Beach caps building footprint in its industrial zones through Table 33-3: 55% in IL, 60% in IM, 80% in IG (60% in the Westside Redevelopment Project Area), and no restriction in…

Table 31-2A sets a front, side and rear yard setback for every residential zoning district in Long Beach, from an 8-foot front yard in the compact R-1-S zone up to a 25-foot front yard…

Under Long Beach Municipal Code § 18.30.120, City inspectors periodically check PRHIP-registered rental properties, sampling at least ten percent of units and all common areas and…

Tenants in unincorporated Los Angeles County rental properties with two or more units can file a habitability complaint with the County Housing Program Chief, who must schedule the…

Long Beach Municipal Code § 18.02.020 defines a 'substandard building', the city's own habitability yardstick for rental units, covering sanitation, structural, wiring, plumbing and…

California Civil Code section 1950.5 caps residential security deposits at one month's rent for most landlords statewide, and Long Beach landlords must return the deposit, with…

California Civil Code section 1946.2 requires Long Beach landlords of covered units to give written notice of just-cause eviction protections and the statewide rent cap, using the…

California Government Code section 12955 prohibits Long Beach landlords from refusing to rent based on lawful source of income including Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers, treating…

Long Beach Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance LBMC 8.97 lists permitted no-fault eviction grounds including owner move-in, withdrawal from rental market, government order, and…

California Civil Code section 1946.2 and Long Beach LBMC 8.97 allow voluntary buyouts where landlords pay tenants to surrender possession, but require written disclosure of tenant…

Long Beach landlords are barred from harassing tenants to force them out, including utility shut-offs, lockouts, threats, and bad-faith entry, under California Civil Code section…

Long Beach Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance LBMC 8.97 requires landlords pulling no-fault evictions or imposing rent hikes above ten percent in twelve months to pay displaced…

Long Beach requires rental property owners to comply with the city's tenant protection ordinances. Landlords must provide required notices under LBMC Ch. 8.99 and Ch. 8.101…

Long Beach enforces a Just Cause for Termination of Tenancies ordinance under LBMC Ch. 8.99 (adopted 2020). Landlords must have an enumerated at-fault or no-fault reason. No-fault…

Unincorporated LA County caps annual rent hikes on pre-1995 rental units at 3% (up to 4% for small landlords, 5% for luxury units) under the Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections…

Landlords of rent-stabilized units in unincorporated LA County must give tenants at least 30 days' written notice before any annual rent increase, and register the unit with the…

California evictions run through the unlawful detainer process. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 1161, nonpayment requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit (excluding weekends and…

California Civil Code § 1954 limits when a landlord may enter a rented home. Except in emergencies, abandonment, or with tenant consent, the landlord must give reasonable written…

California sets no fixed dollar or percentage cap on rent late fees, but a late fee in a residential lease is treated as liquidated damages. Under Civil Code § 1671, such a fee is…

To end a California month-to-month tenancy, a tenant gives 30 days' written notice. A landlord gives 30 days if the tenant has lived there under a year, or 60 days if a year or more…

California adverse possession requires five years of continuous, open, hostile possession AND payment of all property taxes during that period under Code of Civil Procedure § 325. A…

Add a dwelling unit, pursue discretionary development or Site Plan Review, or build a fence under the special height provisions, and Long Beach requires one 24-inch box canopy street…

In unincorporated Los Angeles County land inside a mapped Significant Ecological Area, removing, pruning past 25% of foliage, or encroaching on a tree from the County's SEA Protected…

The Santa Monica Mountains North Area CSD designates any tree with a single trunk 36 or more inches in diameter (or two trunks totaling 54 or more inches) as a heritage tree; removal…

Long Beach zones cannabis businesses in rather than opting out: LBMC Table 32-1 under Chapter 21.32 lists Adult-Use Cannabis Dispensary as a by-right (Y) use in eight commercial…

California Proposition 64 lets adults 21 and older grow up to six cannabis plants per residence for personal use. Long Beach requires indoor cultivation only, with security and odor…

Long Beach prohibits cannabis retail, manufacturing, and cultivation businesses from operating within 600 feet of K-12 schools, daycares, parks, libraries, and other licensed cannabis…

Adults 21+ may cultivate up to 6 cannabis plants per household for personal use under LBMC §5.92.520 and CA Prop 64. Plants must be in a locked, enclosed space not visible from public…

Long Beach does not mandate E-Verify for private employers. California restricts mandatory E-Verify outside federal contractors, leaving the program voluntary for most Long Beach…

Long Beach adopted sanctuary-city resolutions limiting cooperation between local police and federal immigration enforcement. The city follows California SB 54, the statewide TRUST Act…

Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.73.120 bans stationary sidewalk vending outright in residential zones and layers numeric buffers on every other block, 500 feet from freeway ramps, 100…

Food trucks in Long Beach need a city business license and LA County Health Permit per LBMC Ch. 5.37. The city's sidewalk vending ordinance (LBMC Ch. 5.73, effective Feb 2024)…

A vendor selling food from a pushcart, stand or other nonmotorized conveyance on a Long Beach sidewalk needs a health permit from the City's own Department of Health and Human Services…

Long Beach implements California's Density Bonus Law, allowing housing developers extra units, height, parking concessions, and waivers in exchange for restricted affordable units. The…

Long Beach maintains an extensive bike network, including protected lanes, buffered lanes, and sharrows on streets like Broadway, Third, Pine, and the beach path. California Vehicle…

Long Beach permits shared electric scooters and Long Beach Bike Share through a city-managed program. Operators pay fees, deploy in defined zones, and follow rules on speed, parking…

A low-speed vehicle in California may not be driven on any roadway with a speed limit above 35 miles per hour. Vehicle Code section 21260 permits it to cross a faster road only where…

Long Beach permits public cardrooms only as amusement uses. Municipal Code § 5.69.010(D) defines a "public cardroom" as a place where the public plays cards "for enjoyment or amusement…

California Penal Code § 326.5 lets only tax-exempt nonprofits, mobilehome park associations, senior groups, and school-affiliated charities run bingo, and only under a local city or…

California law exempts private home card games from gambling regulation entirely. Penal Code § 337j(e)(2)(D) excludes any card game played in a private home or residence from the…

California has no legal sports betting, in stores or online. Penal Code section 337a criminalizes bookmaking, pool-selling, and placing or accepting any bet on the result of a sporting…

California Senate Bill 793, upheld by voters as Proposition 31 in 2022, bans the retail sale of most flavored tobacco products including menthol cigarettes and flavored vape liquids…

Federal Tobacco 21 (Public Law 116-94) and California Business and Professions Code section 22963 bar LA County retailers from selling cigarettes, cigars, vapes, or any tobacco product…

Long Beach Living Wage Ordinance requires city service contractors and certain airport and convention center employers to pay an hourly living wage above California minimum wage, with…

Long Beach charges a combined 13% transient occupancy tax on hotel and short-term stays: 6% funds the special advertising and promotion fund, plus a separate 7% general purpose tax…

Hotel and janitorial employers in unincorporated LA County must offer available positions in writing to laid-off workers who qualify, prioritized by seniority, giving them at least 10…

Long Beach requires green waste, tree limbs, shrubs, trimmings and grass clippings, to go inside city-issued carts without protruding, per LBMC § 8.60.040. Residents on manual…

New development and remodeled commercial, multifamily and mixed-use sites in Long Beach must enclose trash receptacles on three sides by a solid masonry wall at least five feet six…

Long Beach mandates recycling under LBMC §8.60.370 (effective Jan 2022) and SB 1383. All accounts are auto-enrolled in organics and recycling. Tenants and employees must be educated on…

Long Beach requires every single-family, multifamily and commercial account to separate food scraps and other organic waste into a designated container under LBMC § 8.60.370, part of…

Long Beach Municipal Code § 8.60.120 bans depositing waste on any public street, public place or private parcel to avoid disposal liability, and bans dumping in someone else's…

Commercial and multifamily accounts in Long Beach must use bins meeting City specifications under LBMC § 8.60.025(B), loaded weight capped at 1,250 pounds, four working wheels, a tight…

Long Beach residents can't just leave a mattress or old appliance at the curb. LBMC § 8.60.050(B) requires contacting the Department of Public Works refuse collection service to…

Long Beach provides refuse collection to approximately 118,000 accounts under LBMC Ch. 8.60. Refuse collection vehicles are prohibited in residential areas between 7 PM and 7 AM. All…

In unincorporated LA County, only the county's authorized recycling agent may take recyclables you've set out for pickup: anyone else who knowingly removes them is committing a…

In the unincorporated High Desert Area, county code requires occupied properties without county-provided trash pickup to use a permitted hauler or a self-hauler permit for at least…

California Assembly Bill 1276 prohibits food facilities from automatically including single-use foodware accessories like utensils, straws, condiment packets, and napkins. Customers…

California prohibits grocery stores and large retailers from providing single-use plastic carryout bags under Public Resources Code 42280-42288, enacted by SB 270 (2014) and ratified…

California restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that…

California Public Resources Code 42270-42273, enacted by AB 1884 (2018), prohibits full-service restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by the customer…

Long Beach treats every electronic billboard as a discretionary land use. A Conditional Use Permit is required before any new digital billboard is built or an existing static billboard…

Long Beach doesn't carve out a special political-sign category. LBMC § 21.44.420 says campaign signs "are not regulated as a separate class of signs." They fall under the general…

Long Beach limits window signs to 10 percent of a window's total area under Municipal Code § 21.44.500's Table 44-4, sign class 5. The exemption lets businesses skip a sign permit and…

Long Beach allows one garage-sale sign per sale on the property holding the sale under Municipal Code § 21.44.500's Table 44-4, Class 9. The exempt sign can't top 4 feet in height or 6…

In unincorporated LA County, outdoor advertising signs can't have a message face within 660 feet of a freeway or scenic highway's right-of-way if aimed at passing drivers, per County…

In unincorporated Los Angeles County, holiday decorations are exempt from the sign ordinance's ban on attention-getting devices like banners and balloons, but only if displayed in…

Long Beach bans leaving goods, boxes, barrels or other articles on a public sidewalk or the parkway strip between sidewalk and curb for longer than sixty minutes. The rule targets…

Long Beach bars building encroachments into the public right-of-way below eight feet, but allows awnings, canopies, signs and balconies above eight feet if clearance and setback…

In unincorporated LA County, the owner of property abutting a sidewalk or curb must repair or reconstruct it once it is out of repair, needs reconstruction, or endangers pedestrians.

Long Beach's citywide landscaping code requires decorative water features like fountains and ponds to run on recirculating systems, and mandates recycled water as the source whenever a…

In unincorporated Los Angeles County, County Code § 11.38.640 makes leak repair a legal duty, not a suggestion: anyone who owns or rents premises with accessible indoor plumbing or…

Long Beach bans camping on any public property, including sidewalks and other rights-of-way, between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., under Municipal Code § 9.42.110. The ban covers tents, other…

Unincorporated Los Angeles County bans camping on any accepted county road or highway under Los Angeles County Code § 16.86.020, with fines escalating from $100 to $500 for repeat…

Long Beach HOAs typically require an Architectural Review Committee (ARC) application before exterior modifications. Davis-Stirling requires reasonable, written standards and timely…

HOAs in LA County are governed by the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act (Civil Code §4000–6150). Board meetings require advance notice, open sessions, and recorded…

The Davis-Stirling Act regulates HOA assessments in LA County. Regular assessments may increase up to 20% annually without member vote. Special assessments exceeding 5% of budget…

The Davis-Stirling Act requires HOAs to offer internal dispute resolution (IDR) and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) before litigation. Members may request IDR meetings with the…

HOAs in LA County enforce CC&Rs through the Davis-Stirling Act. Fines require notice and hearing. CC&R amendments typically need 67% member approval. Enforcement must be uniform and…

California voids any HOA governing-document clause that effectively bans or unreasonably restricts a clothesline or drying rack in an owner's exclusive-use backyard. Civil Code Section…

Civil Code section 4735 voids any HOA rule that bans low-water plants, turf replacement, or artificial turf, and bars fines for cutting back watering during a declared drought…

Civil Code § 4745 voids any HOA covenant or governing-document rule that prohibits or unreasonably restricts installing an EV charging station in an owner's unit or designated parking…

Civil Code § 4705 bars every California homeowners association from limiting a member's display of the United States flag on their own lot or within their exclusive-use common area…

California law caps homeowners association fines at $100 per violation or the amount listed in the association's published penalty schedule, whichever is less. Civil Code section 5850…

A California homeowners association cannot foreclose on a member’s home over unpaid dues until the delinquent assessments alone reach $1,800, or until the assessments secured by the…

Civil Code § 4741 bars every California homeowners association from adopting or enforcing a rule that prohibits, or unreasonably restricts, renting out a separate interest, and sets a…

Long Beach Municipal Code Section 5.40.030 caps how often a single address can run a garage sale: single-family addresses get two permits per calendar year, multifamily addresses get…

Long Beach's Table 15-5 permitted-use table lists 'Data center' as a 'Y' use, 'Yes, the use is permitted', in both Neo-Industrial zones, NI-1 and NI-2, under LBMC § 22.15.030. No…

Long Beach caps exterior noise at the receiving property line under Municipal Code Chapter 8.80. Table A in Section 8.80.160 sets 50 dBA day and 45 dBA night at homes, 60/55 in…

California Healthy Workplaces Healthy Families Act mandates at least 40 hours, or five days, of paid sick leave per year for nearly all employees. Long Beach has no expanded citywide…

Long Beach follows the California statewide minimum wage of $16.50 per hour for most employers, indexed annually to inflation. The city has no general citywide wage above the state…

LA County has no general predictive-scheduling ordinance for unincorporated areas. California AB-1228 governs fast-food workers via the statewide Fast Food Council, and statewide…

Long Beach Municipal Code Chapter 18.77 creates a mandatory expedited permitting track for residential solar energy and energy storage systems, applying to solar applications filed on…

Residential rooftop solar installations in unincorporated LA County require a building, electrical, or plumbing permit; a combined solar energy permit covering all three disciplines…

California Solar Rights Act (Civil Code 714) prohibits HOAs from effectively banning solar installations in unincorporated LA County. Any restriction increasing cost by more than…

Long Beach closes every public park, beach, public building, amphitheater and plaza between 10:00 p.m. and one hour before sunrise under LBMC § 16.16.010(K). The Director of Parks…

Long Beach bans minors under 18 from public places between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. under Municipal Code § 9.58.010, with a separate daytime curfew of 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on school days…

Long Beach requires billboard illumination to be designed, aimed, and shielded so light falls only on the display surface under Municipal Code § 21.54.250, preventing light trespass…

In zones established under the City's Title 22 Transitional Zoning Code, corridor and activity-node areas outside the Coastal Zone, Long Beach Municipal Code § 22.30.110.A requires all…

Long Beach requires every parking lot and garage citywide to be lit with fixtures directed and shielded to keep light and glare off adjacent properties under Municipal Code §…

Chapter 18.29 of the Long Beach Municipal Code requires whoever controls a vacant lot to keep it free of weeds, dry brush, trash, junk, dumped vehicles and graffiti, secure it behind…

Long Beach actively enforces property blight under LBMC Ch. 9.37 (Nuisance Code). Outside storage, junk, debris, discarded furniture, and appliances visible from public view are…

Most unincorporated LA County areas do not receive snow. Mountain communities (e.g., Wrightwood, Mt. Baldy area) may experience snowfall but there is no county snow removal ordinance…

Long Beach requires anyone who peddles, going door-to-door selling goods or food, taking orders and delivering on the spot, to hold a City business license under Municipal Code §…

Long Beach regulates solicitors and peddlers under LBMC Ch. 5.66. Solicitors must respect 'No Solicitors' and 'No Peddlers' signs posted at residences. Violations are subject to…

Unincorporated LA County zones farmland A-1 Light Agricultural or A-2 Heavy Agricultural under Title 22 Chapter 22.16, permitting crops, livestock, and low-density homes through…

California Civil Code §3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits after three years of consistent activity. LA County applies the state rule, particularly…

On County-run Los Angeles County beaches like Dockweiler and Marina del Rey, open fires and barbecues are banned except in specific County-installed fire pits, RV Park barbecues, and…

California Penal Code section 25400 prohibits carrying a concealed firearm without a CCW. The LA County Sheriff issues permits to county residents under shall-issue rules following…

California Penal Code section 26350 bans open carry of unloaded handguns in incorporated areas, and section 26400 bans openly carried unloaded long guns. Most LA County cities are…

California Penal Code sections 25400 and 25610 require firearms transported by vehicle in LA County to be unloaded, with handguns inside a locked container or trunk. Long guns must be…

California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However…

The LA County Agricultural Commissioner maintains a list of noxious weeds and invasive plant species. California's noxious weed list (Food & Agriculture Code §5004) applies countywide…

In unincorporated Los Angeles County, violating any Title 22 zoning provision, permit, or approval is a misdemeanor by default under County Code § 22.242.030, with each day of the…

Security cameras on private residential property are legal in unincorporated LA County. California is a two-party consent state for audio recording (Penal Code §632), so cameras…

California is a two-party (all-party) consent state for recording confidential communications. Under Penal Code §632, recording private conversations without consent from all parties…

Sobriety checkpoints are lawful in California and stopping at one is a statutory obligation, not a courtesy. Vehicle Code § 2814.2(a) requires a driver to stop and submit to a sobriety…

California is one of the few states that answers this by statute rather than by case law alone. Penal Code § 148(g) says that photographing or making an audio or video recording of a…

California has no general stop-and-identify statute. The old Penal Code § 647(e), which required a person lawfully detained to give "credible and reliable" identification, was held…

California has no statute that requires you to consent to a search of your car, and none that requires an officer to warn you that you may refuse. What the Legislature and the voters…

California works from a closed list: Vehicle Code section 24003 says no vehicle may carry any lamp or illuminating device not required or permitted by the code, so an accessory light…

California measures dash cam placement in square inches. Vehicle Code section 26708(b)(13) lets a video event recorder occupy a seven-inch square in the lower corner of the windshield…

Lane splitting is lawful in California. Vehicle Code section 21658.1, added by AB 51 in 2016, defines it as driving a motorcycle with two wheels in contact with the ground between rows…

California does not let you put a cover over your license plate. Vehicle Code section 5201(c) allows exactly two things: a full car cover on a lawfully parked vehicle, and a license…

No section of the California Vehicle Code makes it an offense for a private motorist to own, carry or use a radar detector. The prohibition in Vehicle Code section 28150 reaches only…

California permits metal studded tires only between November 1 and April 30, and only where the studs are tungsten carbide or another suitable material and the metal touching the road…

California never publishes a "legal VLT" for front side windows because it does not permit aftermarket darkening there at all. Vehicle Code section 26708(d) allows only clear…