Pop. 86,333 · Merced County
The City of Merced Municipal Code does not set citywide construction-hours limits; a full-text code search returns no construction-hours provision. Construction noise is limited…
The City of Merced has no citywide quiet-hours decibel ordinance. The only codified time-based limit is the industrial zoning standard (MMC 20.12.030), barring noise beyond the…
Merced has a real, codified barking-dog rule. Under MMC 6.04.040(C), no owner may permit an animal to make loud or disturbing noises without provocation, including chronic howling…
The City of Merced has no leaf-blower ordinance. A full-text Municipal Code search returns zero results for 'leaf blower'—no city ban, decibel cap, or hours restriction. Gas blowers…
Merced has no general decibel ordinance for amplified music, but it regulates amplified sound in specific settings. Sound amplification in city parks requires an exclusive-use permit…
The City of Merced Municipal Code has no muffler or vehicle-noise ordinance; a 'muffler' code search returns zero results. On-street vehicle noise is controlled by California Vehicle…
Merced's only codified decibel limits are industrial zoning standards. Under MMC 20.12.030(C)(1), industrial/manufacturing operations may not transmit noise over 70 dBA (7 a.m.-9 p.m.)…
Merced has no stand-alone outdoor-music ordinance, but outdoor amplified events are permit-controlled. City-park events need an exclusive-use permit, and amplified sound is allowed…
Industrial noise is Merced's most strictly codified noise topic. MMC 20.12.030(C)(1) caps industrial noise at 70 dBA (7 a.m.-9 p.m.) and 60 dBA (9 p.m.-7 a.m.) beyond the property…
The City of Merced does not regulate aircraft noise directly; flight operations are federally preempted. The code adopts FAA air-traffic and flight rules by reference for the Merced…
Merced has no STR-specific registration. The closest requirement is the Transient Occupancy Registration Certificate under Section 3.08.050: any operator renting to transients must…
The City of Merced levies a 10% Transient Occupancy Tax on rent for stays of 30 days or less under Section 3.08.030 (rate set by Ord. 1936 in 1996). Operators collect it from guests…
The City of Merced sets no short-term-rental-specific occupancy cap, because it has no STR ordinance. General building, fire and zoning standards govern how many people may occupy a…
Merced imposes no short-term-rental-specific parking requirement, because the city has no STR ordinance. Parking for dwellings follows the general off-street parking standards in…
The City of Merced imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals, because it has no STR ordinance. A primary-residence/owner-occupancy rule appears in code only for…
Merced has no host-presence or on-site-host requirement for short-term rentals, because it has no STR ordinance. The only on-site presence requirement in code is for bed and…
The City of Merced sets no annual night cap or rental-day limit on short-term rentals, because it has no STR ordinance. The only relevant time threshold in code is the 30-day line that…
The City of Merced does not require liability insurance for short-term rentals, because it has no STR ordinance. No minimum coverage amount appears in the city code for STRs. Hosts…
The City of Merced has no dedicated short-term-rental permit or ordinance in its Municipal Code. STRs are not separately licensed. The applicable city requirements are a general…
Merced has no short-term-rental-specific noise rule, but the city's general noise regulations apply to any rental property and its guests. There is no STR ordinance carving out…
Backyard recreational fires in Merced follow the California Fire Code adopted in the City's Fire Prevention Code (Municipal Code Chapter 17.32): use a contained appliance, keep the…
Most of Merced is flat, built-out valley land, so the 100-foot wildland defensible-space rule does not apply citywide - only a small Moderate Fire Hazard Severity Zone in the northeast…
Smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements in Merced come from California state law - Health & Safety Code Sections 13113.7 (smoke alarms) and 17926 (CO alarms) - applied through the…
Propane storage in Merced follows California Fire Code Chapter 61 (LP-Gas), adopted through the City's Fire Prevention Code (Merced Municipal Code Chapter 17.32). A standard 20-lb BBQ…
Merced is flat Central Valley farmland and urban development, NOT a wildfire-prone city. CAL FIRE's updated maps (released February 24, 2025) designate only a small Moderate Fire…
The City of Merced ALLOWS State Fire Marshal-approved 'safe and sane' fireworks, sold by nonprofit groups as fundraisers from noon June 28 through noon July 6. All other fireworks…
Merced regulates backyard fire pits through its Fire Prevention Code (Municipal Code Chapter 17.32), which adopts the California Fire Code. Recreational fires must stay at least 25…
Residential open burning of trash, leaves, brush, or yard waste is effectively prohibited in Merced. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District regulates burning under Rules…
On City of Merced streets, day-to-day parking follows the California Vehicle Code plus local rules in the Municipal Code, enforced by the Police Department's two-officer Parking…
The City of Merced does not impose a blanket citywide overnight parking ban on standard passenger cars. The strictest overnight rule targets recreational vehicles: under Chapter 9.84…
The City of Merced relies primarily on the California Vehicle Code to control where commercial and oversize vehicles may stand on city streets, with local enforcement through the…
Abandoned and inoperable vehicles on City of Merced streets are handled by the Police Department's Parking Enforcement Unit using the California Vehicle Code's 72-hour rule. A vehicle…
Oversized vehicles parked in Merced neighborhoods are a stated enforcement priority for the Police Department's Parking Enforcement Unit. Recreational vehicles, trailers, and campers…
The City of Merced provides electric-vehicle charging information through its Development Services department and follows California's statewide EV-charging and parking framework…
Loading zones in the City of Merced are marked by curb color under the California Vehicle Code: a yellow curb allows stopping only to load or unload freight, and a white curb is for…
Painted curbs in the City of Merced follow the statewide colors in California Vehicle Code 21458: red (no stopping), yellow (freight/passenger loading), white (passenger loading or…
The City of Merced regulates recreational-vehicle parking under Chapter 9.84 of its Municipal Code to preserve residential parking and aesthetics. An RV, trailer, or camper may be…
Blocking a driveway in the City of Merced is prohibited under the California Vehicle Code, which applies on all city streets. CVC 22500(e) bars stopping, standing, or parking in front…
The City of Merced regulates fence and wall height under Merced Municipal Code (MMC) Chapter 20.30 (Walls and Fences). Per the City Planning Division, rear yard fences may reach 7…
The City of Merced regulates fences through zoning (MMC Chapter 20.30) for height and placement. Under the 2022 California Building Code Section 105.2, which Merced adopts, fences not…
Retaining walls in the City of Merced follow the California Building Code, which the City adopts. Per 2022 CBC Section 105.2, walls not over 4 feet (measured from the bottom of the…
City of Merced fences must comply with MMC Chapter 20.30 (Walls and Fences): a 7-foot maximum in rear yards, 4 feet in front yards, and 2 1/2 feet at corners and the visual corner of a…
The City of Merced regulates walls and fences under MMC Chapter 20.30, which addresses height and placement. Common residential materials — wood, vinyl, masonry block, ornamental…
Fence materials in the City of Merced fall under MMC Chapter 20.30 (Walls and Fences). Standard residential materials — wood, vinyl, masonry block, ornamental metal, and chain link…
The City of Merced sets the physical fence standards (height, placement) under MMC Chapter 20.30, but cost-sharing for shared boundary fences is governed by California Civil Code…
California's Swimming Pool Safety Act in Health and Safety Code Section 115920 mandates statewide drowning prevention barriers around residential pools, with cities prohibited from…
Merced Municipal Code Section 6.04.080 limits any residential lot to no more than two livestock or poultry total, bans keeping fowl or livestock for slaughter or product, and prohibits…
Merced Municipal Code Section 6.04.270 requires an annual wild-animal permit and proper zoning to keep a 'wild animal,' which Section 6.04.010AC defines to include large snakes over 8…
Merced Municipal Code Section 6.04.065 sets the maximum number of dogs and cats by lot size: up to five each on lots 6,000 sq ft or larger, scaling down to one dog and one cat on lots…
Merced Municipal Code Section 6.04.080 caps any residential lot at no more than two livestock or poultry, bans hog pens, prohibits horses and cows within a defined downtown district…
Merced Municipal Code Section 6.04.065 limits cats by lot size (up to five on large single-family lots, one on multifamily units). Like dogs, a cat 'at large' is one off the owner's…
The City of Merced's animal code (Chapter 6.04) contains no specific ordinance prohibiting the feeding of wild animals. The closest local controls are the general animal-nuisance and…
Merced has no ordinance using the word 'hoarding,' but it controls excessive animals through lot-size pet limits (Sec. 6.04.065), kennel/cattery permits (Sec. 6.04.270), the…
The City of Merced has no breed-specific ban. Its dangerous/vicious dog rules (Sec. 6.04.290) regulate dogs by behavior, not breed, consistent with California Food & Agricultural Code…
Under Merced Municipal Code Section 6.04.070, no one may let a dog stray from their property unless it is restrained by a leash no longer than eight feet. Narrow exceptions cover…
The City of Merced effectively prohibits hobby beekeeping. Merced Municipal Code Section 6.04.080F bars keeping or maintaining bees within the city except for governmental educational…
The City of Merced does not set a numeric grass-height limit. Instead, Municipal Code Section 8.40.070 declares overgrown vegetation and accumulated weeds, grass, and dry debris a…
Street trees in Merced are City property, so residents cannot remove them on their own. Removal requests go to the Public Works Department, and not all are honored. The City removes…
Merced does not require or ban native plants, and the City encourages water-wise, drought-tolerant landscaping to protect its groundwater supply. New and rehabilitated landscapes…
Merced Municipal Code Section 8.40.070 declares overgrown vegetation, accumulated weeds, grass, hay, straw, and combustible trash a public nuisance. Code Enforcement issues notices to…
The City of Merced has no ordinance prohibiting residential rainwater capture. California's Rainwater Capture Act (AB 1750) lets property owners collect rooftop rainwater without a…
Merced has no city ordinance banning artificial turf, and replacing thirsty lawn with synthetic turf or low-water plants supports the City's groundwater conservation goals…
Backyard composting is allowed and encouraged in Merced. Curbside organics are mandatory: the City's green cart takes yard trimmings and, since January 1, 2024, separated food waste…
The City of Merced maintains street trees in the public right-of-way and tree easements. Residents may trim only small branches within reach from the ground for sidewalk clearance. All…
The City of Merced runs its own groundwater utility and limits outdoor watering by address. Even-numbered addresses water Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday; odd-numbered addresses water…
The City of Merced requires a building permit for residential swimming pools through the Development Services Department. The Zoning Code sets a 5-foot setback from all property lines…
Merced adopts California's pool safety standards by reference. MMC 17.05.010 incorporates the 2025 California Residential Code's Swimming Pool Safety Act appendix, requiring at least…
Above-ground pools in Merced are treated as accessory structures subject to the 5-foot property-line setback (MMC 20.28.020.D.1) and to the adopted California Residential Code. A…
Merced treats spas and hot tubs under the same accessory-structure and Pool Safety Act provisions as pools. The 5-foot setback of MMC 20.28.020.D applies, and the adopted California…
Merced does not set its own pool-barrier dimensions. Its Zoning Code (MMC 20.28.020.D.2) defers pool fences and barriers to the building code and state law, and MMC 17.05.010 adopts…
Merced requires a home occupation certificate and city business license for a 'minor' home occupation (permitted by-right). 'Major' home occupations require a Site Plan Review Permit…
Merced classifies a cottage food operation (California Homemade Food Act, AB 1616) as a 'major' home occupation requiring a Minor Use Permit (MMC 20.48.030.B.1). It also requires a…
Merced permits small (1-8 children) and large (9-14 children) family day care homes by-right in residential zones (MMC 20.08.020), consistent with California law (HSC 1597.40-1597.46)…
Merced allows home occupations in residential zones under Chapter 20.48. 'Minor' home occupations (office, phone, computer, mail only) are permitted by-right; 'major' home occupations…
Merced strictly limits home-business signs. MMC 20.48.040.A.4 permits one single, non-illuminated, wall-mounted sign of no more than one square foot. Advertising the business location…
Home occupations in the City of Merced must not generate traffic, parking demand or deliveries beyond what is normal for a residence; significant customer visits can disqualify the use.
Merced regulates carports as residential accessory structures under Zoning Ordinance Chapter 20.28, subject to a 35-foot height limit and three-foot interior setback (five feet if over…
Zoning Ordinance Section 20.42.060 gives Merced explicit tiny-home-on-wheels (THOW) standards, allowing one THOW per single-family lot as an ADU. It must be under 400 square feet…
Chapter 20.42 of the City of Merced Zoning Ordinance permits one attached ADU, one detached ADU, and one JADU per single-family lot. Detached ADUs are capped at 1,200 square feet, 16…
Merced allows an attached garage or detached accessory structure to be converted into an ADU or JADU under Zoning Ordinance Chapter 20.42. When a garage is converted to an ADU…
Merced's Zoning Ordinance Chapter 20.28 treats sheds as residential accessory structures. Per Table 20.28-1, they may be up to 35 feet tall with a three-foot interior side and rear…
Barbecuing is allowed at Merced homes. Standard 20-lb propane BBQ tanks are permitted without a fire-code permit under California Fire Code Chapter 61, adopted through the City's Fire…
Backyard smokers are allowed in Merced when used as a contained cooking appliance under the California Fire Code adopted in the City's Fire Prevention Code (Merced Municipal Code…
The City of Merced sets minimum yard setbacks by zoning district in its Zoning Ordinance (Title 20, Tables 20.08-2 and 20.08-3). In single-family zones, front setbacks range from 15 to…
The City of Merced limits building height by zoning district in its Zoning Ordinance (Title 20). Most residential zones — including the single-family R-R and R-1 districts and the R-2…
The City of Merced caps maximum lot coverage by zoning district in its Zoning Ordinance (Title 20). Single-family limits range from about 25% (R-R) up to 50% (R-1-5), and…
Merced does not issue over-the-counter tree-removal permits to residents for street trees, because street trees in the right-of-way and tree easements are City property. Removal must…
California provides statewide protections for native oak woodlands and heritage trees through CEQA review, Public Resources Code, and Forest Practice Rules that apply uniformly.
The City of Merced's own Refuse Division provides residential carts in three colors: a grey container for general garbage, a blue container for recyclables, and a green container for…
The City of Merced enforces its own property-maintenance and nuisance standards under Municipal Code Title 8 (Health and Safety), Chapter 8.40 (Nuisance), Section 8.40.070. Conditions…
The City of Merced does not have a fetched stand-alone vacant-lot ordinance, but vacant and undeveloped lots are covered by the general nuisance provisions of Municipal Code Chapter…
The City of Merced regulates weeds through Municipal Code Section 8.40.070, which declares dead, decayed, diseased or hazardous weeds and vegetation, and accumulations of grass and…
A specific City of Merced garage/yard-sale permit or frequency ordinance was not confirmed in a fetched city source. Residential garage sales in the city are generally treated as a…
The City of Merced's own Refuse Division collects all solid waste within city limits, serving residential, commercial and industrial customers, plus special programs like Street…
The City of Merced sets specific cart timing: refuse containers may be placed at the curb no earlier than 4:00 p.m. the day before service and must be removed no later than 9:00 p.m…
The City of Merced operates a Bulky Item Drop-Off Site at the corner of N. Hwy 59 and Yosemite Ave for City residents to dispose of extra/bulky trash. It is open Tuesday-Friday 12-3…
The City of Merced provides every residence a blue commingled recycling container, serviced by the City Refuse Division. The blue cart accepts CA CRV bottles and cans plus plastic…
The City of Merced provides a green organics container and directs residents to separate household organic waste to comply with California SB 1383. Food waste goes in a separate…
Merced's sign code (Zoning Ordinance Chapter 20.62, rewritten 2023) is content-neutral with no separate 'political sign' category. Under Section 20.62.030, any noncommercial message…
Merced regulates garage sales and their signs in Municipal Code Chapter 9.54. Garage sale signs may be posted on other property with the owner's permission, but never in the public…
Merced has no dedicated dark-sky or outdoor-lighting chapter. Its most specific standards are in the sign code, Section 20.62.160, which requires shielded light sources, prefers…
Merced has no numeric light-trespass ordinance, but Section 20.62.160 requires sign light sources to be shielded from adjacent buildings and streets and bars brightness that creates a…
The City of Merced participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and enforces floodplain-development standards in FEMA-mapped special flood hazard areas near Bear Creek and…
The California Coastal Act, Public Resources Code sections 30000 through 30900, requires Coastal Development Permits for nearly all work in the coastal zone and gives the Coastal…
California Water Code sections 13260 and 13383 implement the federal Clean Water Act through statewide MS4 NPDES permits issued by the State and Regional Water Boards, binding all…
The City of Merced has no cryptocurrency-mining ordinance. A commercial mining facility is treated as an industrial use in the I-L or I-H district, needs a site plan review permit, and…
Merced's industrial performance standards cap noise beyond the property line at 70 dBA from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and 60 dBA overnight. A use abutting residential zoning may transmit no…
The City of Merced has no data-center ordinance and no "data center" use category. A data center lands in the I-L or I-H industrial districts, where every use and structure requires a…
Commercial drone operations in California follow uniform federal rules under 14 CFR Part 107 plus statewide California provisions in Civil Code 1708.8 and Public Utilities Code 21401…
Recreational drone flight in California is governed primarily by FAA regulations under 14 CFR Part 107 and 49 USC 44809, with state-level rules added by Civil Code 1708.8 and…
California sets a statewide minimum wage floor under Labor Code 1182.12, $16.90 per hour for all employers as of January 2026. Local governments are not preempted and may set higher…
California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act under Labor Code 245-249 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees statewide. SB 616 (2023) raised the minimum to 40 hours…
California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant…
California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However…
California broadly prohibits open carry of firearms statewide under Penal Code 25850 (loaded firearms in public) and Penal Code 26350 (open carry of unloaded handguns). The prohibition…
California prohibits carrying loaded firearms in vehicles statewide under Penal Code 25400 and 25850. Unloaded handguns transported in private vehicles must be in a locked container or…
California Retail Food Code (Health and Safety Code 113700-114437) sets uniform mobile food facility permit, equipment, and food safety standards enforced by counties statewide.
California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946) preempts most local bans on sidewalk vending, allowing only objective health, safety, and welfare regulations.
California HOAs may levy regular and special assessments, charge late fees and interest, record liens, and ultimately foreclose on delinquent owners under the Davis-Stirling Act. State…
California tightly regulates HOA governance. The Common Interest Development Open Meeting Act (Civil Code 4900-4955) governs board meetings and member access, sections 5100-5145…
California HOAs enforce recorded CC&Rs and architectural rules, but Civil Code section 4765 requires architectural decisions to be fair, reasonable, and in good faith, and sections…
California HOAs may fine members for rule violations, but only under a published schedule of fines and after strict due-process steps. Civil Code section 5855 requires written notice…
California overrides HOA governing documents on several owner protections. The Davis-Stirling Act and related Civil Code sections bar HOAs from prohibiting solar systems, U.S. flag…
California prohibits state and local governments from requiring private employers to use the federal E-Verify system except where federal law mandates it, under Labor Code 2812. The…
The California Values Act (SB 54, 2017) codified at Government Code 7284-7284.12 limits state and local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It applies…
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 landlords must keep rentals fit to live in. Civil Code §§ 1941 and 1941.1, reinforced by Green v. Superior Court, imply a warranty of habitability covering plumbing, heat…
Civil Code 1946.2 requires landlords statewide to have just cause to terminate tenancies of qualifying tenants who have lived in a covered unit at least 12 months.
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 limits annual rent increases statewide to 5% plus the local change in the cost of living, capped at 10%, under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB-1482). It also lets…
California requires written notice before raising a month-to-month tenant's rent. Under Civ. Code § 827, increases of 10% or less in 12 months need 30 days' notice; increases above 10%…
As of July 1, 2024, California landlords may collect no more than one month's rent as a security deposit, regardless of whether the unit is furnished. The deposit, minus any lawful…
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…
The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (Williamson Act), Government Code 51200-51297.4, allows landowners to enter contracts with counties restricting land to agricultural use…
The California Right to Farm Act under Civil Code 3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits brought by neighbors who moved in after farming began. The…
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…
Civil Code section 714 voids HOA covenants and rules that prohibit or unreasonably restrict residential solar energy systems, preempting private and local restrictions.
California's Solar Rights Act and the SolarAPP+ mandate (SB 379) require expedited permit review of small residential solar systems, preempting restrictive local processes.
California prohibits sale of tobacco and vapor products to anyone under 21 statewide under Business and Professions Code 22958, enacted by SBX2-7 in 2016. The Tobacco 21 standard…
California bans retail sale of most flavored tobacco products statewide under Health and Safety Code 104559.5, enacted by SB 793 (2020) and upheld by voters via Proposition 31 in…
California requires statewide licensing of tobacco and vape retailers under the STAKE Act and the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act. Business and Professions Code 22970…