Modesto, CA

Modesto's noise ordinance expressly exempts aircraft and railroad operations; aircraft noise around Modesto City-County Airport is governed by federal FAA rules and the Stanislaus…

Modesto bans loud and raucous use of any radio, amplifier, phonograph, stereo, loudspeaker, bullhorn, megaphone, or other sound-producing device at any time of day or night.

Modesto Code § 4-2.17(c) requires every motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or off-highway vehicle, including scooters, motorbikes, and mini-bikes, ridden off a public street or highway to…

Modesto bans operation of gas-powered or engine-driven equipment, including backpack leaf blowers, chain saws, and lawn mowers, before 7 AM or after 9 PM on weekdays, and before 9 AM…

Modesto prohibits loud and raucous yelling, shouting, talking, whistling or singing between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on any day, and bans any sound that disturbs a reasonable person.

Owning, keeping, or harboring any dog, cat, or other animal or fowl that howls, yelps, whines, or barks in a loud and raucous manner is a public nuisance in Modesto.

Modesto bans loud construction tools and equipment before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. on weekdays, and before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and state/federal holidays.

Stanislaus County Code § 10.46.050 sets maximum exterior sound levels for the unincorporated county based on the noise zone of the receiving property. Noise-sensitive sites and…

In a marked Modesto loading zone, curb time is limited to 3 minutes for loading or unloading passengers and 20 minutes for loading or unloading materials, unless a posted sign says…

Modesto lets residents petition for a Residential Parking Permit Zone under Municipal Code Article 19. A petition signed by at least 67 percent of residents or property owners triggers…

Modesto Municipal Code section 3-2.1006 prohibits parking commercial vehicles (generally over 10,000 lbs GVWR) in residential districts, with a $127 citation. Truck routes are…

Modesto zoning section 10-3.214 limits a residential lot to two recreational vehicles parked outside a structure, requires they sit at least 3 feet from any habitable building and…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 4-7.1915 makes it an infraction to keep an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle on any private or public property, other than a highway…

Modesto's Building Official must run an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations under Article 19, following a published checklist, and cannot…

Modesto has no blanket overnight parking ban. The default rule is the 72-hour storage limit (sec. 3-2.1002). Residential Parking Permit Zones under Article 19 of Title 3 restrict…

Modesto's Director of Public Works controls every curb color on city streets. Red bans stopping entirely, yellow and white cap loading time at three or twenty minutes, green limits…

Modesto Municipal Code section 3-2.1002 prohibits using public streets to store any vehicle for more than 72 consecutive hours. Vehicles must also be currently registered and operable…

California doesn't ban private-property towing, but Vehicle Code Section 22658 controls how it happens. A posted sign at least 17 by 22 inches must warn drivers before a tow company…

Modesto requires interconnected, hardwired smoke alarms with battery backup in every sleeping area, sleeping room and story of Group R dwellings, under the fire safety article of its…

Only California State Fire Marshal-approved 'Safe and Sane' fireworks may be sold or used in Modesto, and only from noon June 28 through noon July 6 each year. All dangerous…

Modesto sits on the Central Valley floor outside CAL FIRE's State Responsibility Area and is not mapped as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so the wildland-urban-interface…

Modesto bans backyard recreational fires outright (wood fire pits, chimineas, bonfires). Portable outdoor fireplaces (gas/propane appliances) are not categorically banned but remain…

Modesto's Fire Code amendment prohibits liquefied petroleum gas (LP-gas) installations in any residential zone regardless of water capacity. Storage is instead confined to…

Open burning of grass, weeds, agricultural trimmings, or other combustibles is prohibited in Modesto without a permit from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, and…

California uniformly classifies and maps Fire Hazard Severity Zones statewide, with mandatory building, disclosure, and defensible space rules tied to zone designations.

Removing a street tree in Modesto's right-of-way or planting easement requires a permit from the Public Works Director under § 7-5.05(d). Owners apply through the Solid Waste Division…

Any landscape plan required under Modesto's Code must draw at least 90 percent of its nonturf plant list from species suited to the Central Valley climate and needing minimal water…

Modesto prohibits allowing weeds, overgrown grass, or neglected vegetation visible from public rights-of-way. Lawns exceeding 12 inches in height and weed-infested or decayed plants…

Modesto caps how long garbage or organic waste can sit on a property at two weeks and rubbish at one month, but § 5-5.108 specifically exempts composting grass or trimmings from that…

Modesto requires property owners to maintain trees so they do not obstruct sidewalks (8 ft clearance), streets (14 ft clearance), or block sight lines at intersections. City-maintained…

Modesto enforces water conservation measures year-round, with additional restrictions during drought conditions. Outdoor watering is limited to specific days and times. The city is…

Since SB 676 took effect in 2024, Government Code 53087.7 protects only drought-tolerant living landscaping from local bans, so cities may again prohibit artificial turf. Civil Code…

The 2012 Rainwater Capture Act allows California residents to capture rainwater from rooftops for non-potable outdoor use without a state water-right permit, preempting most local…

Modesto does not require every dog or cat to be microchipped. But under Municipal Code § 5-4.503, anyone holding a litter permit to breed a dog or cat must have that animal…

Modesto Code Section 5-4.203(a) bars dogs from any public street, alley, park, parkway or City property unless leashed and under complete control, with the leash no longer than 8 feet…

Modesto does not force every dog or cat to be fixed, but Code Section 5-4.503(a) bars anyone from breeding a dog or cat within the City without an annual litter permit from Stanislaus…

Modesto does not require cat owners to license their cats, unlike dogs; licensing is voluntary and unlocks a spay/neuter voucher. Caretakers of barn cats or feral colonies, however…

Modesto splits veterinary zoning by animal type. Large-animal veterinary hospitals are confined to the C-M, M-1 and M-2 industrial-commercial zones, while small-animal veterinary…

Modesto has no municipal ordinance specifically prohibiting the feeding of wild animals. California state law, chiefly Fish and Game Code §251.1, governs wildlife harassment, and…

Standalone pet grooming businesses fall under Modesto's Personal Services zoning category and are barred from the R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential zones, permitted only in mixed-use…

Modesto Municipal Code § 10-3.202 allows up to 12 domestic fowl (hens only - no roosters), plus 2 pygmy goats and 2 miniature potbellied pigs (no boars), per dwelling unit in…

Modesto's zoning ordinance limits a residential dwelling unit to two dogs (5+ months old) and three cats (3+ months old). Larger numbers, exotic animals, or kennels require a…

Modesto has no breed-specific dog ban. California Food & Agricultural Code § 31683 prohibits any city or county dangerous-dog program from being breed-specific, although local agencies…

Exotic pet ownership in Modesto is primarily governed by California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) regulations, which are among the most restrictive in the nation. Most wild…

Stanislaus County requires anyone keeping bees to register their apiary with the agricultural commissioner under state Food and Agricultural Code Section 29044, but the Board of…

Stanislaus County doesn't ban retail pet sales: Section 7.54.050 only bars selling, bartering, or giving away an unaltered dog or cat under six months old in a public place, streets…

Modesto flatly bans signs identifying a home business, its products, or its services, and separately bars advertising any on-premises sales or services in the phone book, newspapers…

Modesto treats home-based child care by size. A small family day care home (six or fewer children) and a large family day care home (seven to fourteen) are both permitted outright in…

Modesto treats a home business as an accessory use permitted in residential zones only if the operator lives on site full-time, the home keeps its residential look, and the operation…

A Modesto home business cannot generate traffic or parking demand beyond what a normal residence would produce, cannot displace required residential parking, and cannot have employees…

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…

Every operator of a vacation rental or short-term rental in Modesto must register with the Tax Administrator and obtain a Transient Occupancy Registration Permit before renting to…

Modesto's code defines a 'transient' as anyone occupying a unit for 27 consecutive days or less, which triggers permit and TOT obligations, but the Modesto Municipal Code does not…

STR properties in Modesto must provide adequate off-street parking for guests. Guests must follow all city parking regulations including street sweeping schedules and time limits. No…

California requires hosting platforms to warn hosts to check their lease and insurance before listing (Business and Professions Code 22592), and AB 537 requires short-term lodging…

Modesto requires a building permit from the city's Building Safety Division before constructing, installing, or substantially remodeling any swimming pool, spa, or hot tub. Permits…

Modesto does not impose a city-specific pool barrier ordinance; California Health & Safety Code (Swimming Pool Safety Act) and the California Building Code preempt and set the minimum…

Modesto's zoning code generally allows any fencing material in residential side and rear yards, but front-yard fences on commercial or industrial property must be decorative wrought…

Modesto follows the California Building Code permit exemption: fences 7 feet or less in height do not require a building permit. Anything taller needs a permit from the Building Safety…

Modesto exempts retaining walls up to four feet tall, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, from a building permit. Anything taller, or any wall holding back…

Modesto follows California Civil Code regarding shared boundary fences. Adjoining property owners share equal responsibility for maintaining boundary fences under CA Civil Code §841…

Modesto Municipal Code section 10-4.406 caps walls and fences at 8 feet in height citywide. Within the front yard and street-side yard, the maximum drops to 42 inches.

Modesto Municipal Code Article 5 (sections 10-4.501 to 10-4.512) permits ADUs ministerially on lots with a single-family or duplex dwelling, capping detached units at 1,200 sq ft and…

Modesto MC section 10-4.114 governs detached accessory buildings (sheds, workshops, gazebos, detached garages) on single-family residential lots, limiting them to one story / 16 ft and…

Modesto MC section 10-4.504(c)(3) allows a detached garage (or interior living space) to be converted to an ADU ministerially. Section 10-4.506(c)(1) permits up to a 150 sq ft…

Stanislaus County bars short-term rentals of accessory dwelling units: under Code § 21.74.050(C), the recorded covenant every ADU owner must sign requires any rental of the ADU or…

Stanislaus County's building code, Section 16.70.010, adopts the 2025 California Residential Code together with Appendix BB, 'Tiny Houses,' making tiny-house construction standards…

Modesto requires all residential rental property owners to register with the city and self-certify unit habitability. An annual audit inspects up to 10% of units, with a $100 per-unit…

Modesto's Property Maintenance Code sets numeric light and ventilation floors for every habitable room in rental housing: at least 8 percent glazed window area, 45 percent of that…

Modesto's Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Program caps annual space-rent increases in the City's roughly nine mobile home parks at the Consumer Price Index, with a hard ceiling of 6…

Before Modesto mobile home park space rent can rise, Modesto Code of Ordinances Section 4-19.07(e) requires the Mobile Home Rent Stabilization Administrator to calculate and publicly…

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…

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…

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…

Modesto requires a permit from the Chief of Police to hold any parade, march, procession, or similar event on a public street, alley, park, or other public grounds. Funerals…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 4-8.01 requires a Police Chief-issued permit for any parade, march or procession on a public street, alley or park. Organizers must apply 15 to 60 days…

An organization that wants to hold a special event or meeting at Mancini Bowl in Graceada Park must submit a written request to the Community Services and Neighborhood Connections…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 4-15.103 bars any restaurant from putting tables and chairs on a public sidewalk, court, plaza, alley or street without a revocable outdoor dining…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 4-15.108(d)(1) lists heaters among the fixtures a permitted sidewalk cafe may place in its outdoor dining area, alongside tables, chairs, landscape…

Any construction, grading, filling, or other development inside a special flood hazard area in Modesto requires a building permit before work begins. The Floodplain Administrator, who…

Modesto requires a Grading and Erosion Control Permit before moving 350 cubic yards or more of soil or clearing more than half an acre of land. The Public Works Department reviews…

New and substantially improved homes in a Modesto special flood hazard area must have the lowest floor elevated to or above the base flood elevation shown on the FEMA rate maps. The…

Modesto's Storm Water Management and Discharge Controls Ordinance bans any non-storm-water discharge into the City's municipal storm drain system unless an NPDES permit or listed…

Any cabin, house, hotel, apiary, incinerator or other structure on or next to mountainous, forest or brush-covered land in unincorporated Stanislaus County must be surrounded by a…

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…

Modesto treats non-consensual vehicle towing as a public utility. Nobody may run a non-consensual tow business in the city without a franchise agreement approved by the City Council…

Every adult-oriented business in Modesto needs a Police Chief-issued regulatory permit before opening, and new locations must sit at least 500 feet from another adult business and 300…

Modesto requires anyone buying, selling, or trading secondhand jewelry and precious metals to get a Police Chief license, report every transaction daily, and hold each item untouched…

Modesto requires every person performing massage for compensation to hold a current California Massage Therapy Council (CAMTC) certificate under Code Section 5-2.201, and every massage…

Modesto's home occupation rules flatly exclude on-site vehicle repair from the businesses a resident may run out of a dwelling. Separately, the City requires every auto repair shop to…

Modesto taxes every pawnshop or pawnbroker operator $16 a quarter under a specific line item in the business license chapter, on top of the general license-application, posting, and…

Modesto requires every Smoke Shop, including vape and e-cigarette retailers meeting the definition, to hold a Smoke Shop Permit from the Chief of Police under Code Section 4-24.103, on…

Modesto classifies tattoo and piercing shops as "body art studios" within the Personal Services land use category. They are permitted by right in the MU-P, MU-H, P-O, C-1, C-2, C-3…

Modesto's Building Official runs a fixed sequence of inspections, footing and foundation, concrete slab, frame and masonry, energy efficiency, and final, before work can be covered or…

Modesto requires every elevator, escalator and dumbwaiter to be maintained under national ASME A17.1 standards, with a current inspection certificate posted for public view and at…

Modesto adopts the 2022 California Electrical Code by reference under Code of Ordinances § 9-3.101, and § 9-3.501 requires a permit before any electrical installation, alteration, or…

Modesto adopts the 2022 California Plumbing Code by reference under Code of Ordinances § 9-2.101, and § 9-2.501 requires a permit before any plumbing or drainage installation…

A child day care center run out of a commercial building, not a home, is a conditional use in Modesto's residential and professional-office zones but a permitted use outright in the…

Modesto's Fire Code amendment requires an automatic fire sprinkler system in any new building or structure where the fire area exceeds 5,000 square feet, regardless of use or…

Modesto enforces the 2022 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen), Title 24 Part 11, for both residential and nonresidential construction. The Building Safety Division…

Stanislaus County requires a permit from the building official before any construction, alteration, demolition, or change of occupancy, and before installing or altering electrical…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 4-18.06 makes it a misdemeanor for anyone in control of a premises to knowingly host, permit or allow a gathering where a minor drinks alcohol without…

In any Modesto business district, as defined by California Vehicle Code Section 235, pedestrians must cross a roadway at a marked crosswalk rather than mid-block. Outside a marked…

Modesto bans skateboarding, roller skating and similar coasting devices on any roadway, City-owned parking lot or structure, the Transportation Center, the Amtrak station…

Modesto Code § 4-2.09 makes it unlawful to drink or carry an open container of beer, wine, or any other intoxicating beverage on a public street, sidewalk, alley, playground, or…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 4-7.1504 makes it unlawful to loiter, between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., on any property within 300 feet of a street posted as a no-cruising zone. Fines escalate…

Modesto's Smoking Pollution Control Ordinance bars smoking in every enclosed public place citywide and, outdoors, within 100 feet of any hospital entrance or exit and on all publicly…

Modesto Code § 4-2.33 makes it unlawful to aggressively beg, intimidate, harass, or hound anyone on a street, sidewalk, or public place, whether publicly or privately owned, for money…

Stanislaus County Code § 18.06.350 bans smoking or vaporizing anything, expressly including marijuana, cigars, cigarettes, and other tobacco or nicotine products, within twenty feet of…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 7-3.106(b) requires anyone who wants to film, tape, photograph or record staged activity at the Modesto City-County Airport to get an Airport Manager…

Modesto's Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax under § 8-2.603 charges every hotel guest staying 27 consecutive days or less nine percent of the rent, phased in from seven percent in 1985…

Modesto requires every premises to keep enough approved garbage, recycling, and organics containers on hand, and it is unlawful to put anything but recyclables in the blue container…

Modesto Code § 5-5.154 requires any business generating more than four cubic yards of solid waste a week, or any multifamily residential dwelling of five or more units, to arrange for…

Modesto Code § 5-5.121 tells residents exactly where garbage, recycling, and organic-waste carts must sit for pickup: within four feet of where the collection truck parks, clear of…

Modesto's Public Works Department picks up large green waste once a month from January through November under Modesto Code of Ordinances § 4-7.1103, switching to leaves-only pickup…

Modesto collects the black trash and green organics carts weekly and the blue recycling cart every other week (odd/even addresses) on the same day. Look up your day online or call…

Modesto requires commercial premises and multi-family buildings built, enlarged, or structurally altered after January 1, 2023 to have a dedicated Solid Waste Enclosure or Solid Waste…

Dumping garbage, recycling, organic waste, green waste, hazardous waste, or bulky items on public or private property without the owner's consent is an abatable nuisance under Modesto…

Modesto runs a Residential Bulky Item Collection Program through the Public Works Director, letting residential customers schedule pickup of large items twice a year by appointment…

Stanislaus County bars residential trash and recycling pickup before 5 a.m. or after 6 p.m. in unincorporated residential districts under Section 9.04.170, with a later 9 p.m. cutoff…

Every single-family household in Stanislaus County's mandatory collection service area must separate its trash into the recyclables, organics, and solid-waste containers its franchise…

Licensed Smoke Shops in Modesto may not sell flavored tobacco products, defined by reference to California Health and Safety Code Section 104559.5, under Code Section 4-24.105(k)(4)…

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…

The Modesto Finance Director decides which license-tax class a business falls into, and a business that thinks it was misclassified can apply for reclassification within three months…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 4-5.01 makes it a misdemeanor to block any public street or alley with anything large or bulky that obstructs free passage. Companion sections in Chapter 5…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 7-1.302 makes it unlawful for any property owner fronting a street with an installed sidewalk to let that sidewalk fall out of repair, become defective, or…

Anyone excavating in a county highway or other public place, or installing a siphon, bridge, pipeline or conduit across one, needs board of supervisors permission and a road…

Modesto Code Section 5-1.313 makes it unlawful for anyone to handle, prepare or store food or drink, or sanitize utensils, in an eating and drinking establishment for more than 30…

Modesto requires every property and structure to stay free of rodent harborage and infestation, assigning extermination duty to owners before renting a unit and to occupants for…

The Parks, Recreation and Neighborhoods Director sets operating hours for every Modesto park, trail, green space, and recreation facility, and staying in one outside those posted hours…

Modesto Code § 4-7.202 makes it unlawful for a minor under sixteen to linger or remain in any public place between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., and for a minor under eighteen to do so…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 4-7.1502.1 bars sitting, lying down or substantially blocking pedestrian passage on business-district sidewalks and streets between 7 a.m. and midnight…

Modesto Code of Ordinances § 4-12.703 makes it unlawful and a public nuisance to camp, occupy camp facilities, or use camp paraphernalia on any public property, or on private property…

Modesto allows garage sales in residential zones, but caps each sale at three consecutive days and limits any one property to two garage sales per calendar year. Running a longer or…

Anyone selling food or merchandise from a pushcart, stand, or non-motorized cart on a Modesto sidewalk needs an annual sidewalk vending permit from the City's neighborhood preservation…

Modesto restricts mobile food trucks and trailers to private property in the C-1, C-2, C-3, C-M, M-1, and M-2 zones under Code § 10-3.212(i); they cannot operate from the sidewalk…

Modesto requires every mobile food facility to hold a City permit and a business license before vending, restricts operation to private property zoned commercial or industrial, and…

Modesto limits electronic message boards, video display signs, and digital freeway billboards along Highway 99 to a brightness of three-tenths of a foot candle above ambient light…

Modesto has no citywide dark-sky or outdoor-lighting code; the only shielded-lighting and night-sky standard in the Municipal Code sits inside the commercial cannabis chapter. Section…

In Stanislaus County's Industrial Business Park (IBP) zoning district, direct or sky-reflected glare or heat from floodlights or high-temperature processes cannot be visible or felt at…

Modesto lets a household hold a garage sale with no sign permit, but caps the signage under section 10-6.107(a): only two unlighted signs, three square feet each and five feet tall…

Modesto caps digital freeway billboards along Highway 99 at seven citywide, and each one needs a conditional use permit approved by the City Council on the Planning Commission's…

Modesto limits temporary window signage to half the glass: under the commercial and industrial sign table in section 10-6.107(b), a window sign can cover no more than 50 percent of the…

Modesto exempts political signs from the sign permit and fee requirement, but the zone tables in section 10-6.107 still cap them: on a residential parcel with a home, unlimited…

Digital freeway billboards in Modesto are allowed only as relocations or conversions of existing billboards along State Highway 99, per Section 10-6.108(f)(3) of the Municipal Code…

Modesto requires door-to-door solicitors and peddlers to obtain a city permit under MMC Title 6, Chapter 2. Solicitors who call on residences displaying a posted 'No Soliciting' sign…

Modesto requires door-to-door solicitors and peddlers to obtain a Solicitation Temporary Permit from the Modesto Police Department before canvassing. The permit costs $10. Soliciting…

Modesto bars every commercial cannabis use, from cultivation to dispensary, from locating within 600 feet of a school, licensed child care center or youth center; within 200 feet of a…

Modesto limits cannabis dispensaries and other commercial cannabis uses to a Commercial Cannabis Permit in the C-2, C-3, and other listed zones, and bans them entirely within 600 feet…

Health and Safety Code section 11362.2 grants every adult 21 or older the statewide right to cultivate up to six cannabis plants indoors, and bars local governments from completely…

Modesto's Table 4.1-1 sets minimum yard setbacks for the R-1, R-2 and R-3 residential zones: 15 feet in front, 5 feet on an interior side for a one-story wing, and 10 feet in the rear…

Modesto caps main dwellings at 2 stories or 30 feet, whichever is less, in the R-1 and R-2 zones, and at 3 stories or 42 feet in R-3. A conditional use permit can push a church…

Modesto caps residential lot coverage at 50 to 60 percent for interior lots and 55 to 65 percent for corner lots, scaling up from the R-1 to the R-3 zone, under Table 4.1-1 of Section…

Modesto's Street Tree Plan under § 7-5.02 sets the varieties and locations planted in the public right-of-way, and § 7-5.04 assigns planting duties: subdividers must supply about one…

California provides statewide protections for native oak woodlands and heritage trees through CEQA review, Public Resources Code, and Forest Practice Rules that apply uniformly.

Modesto designates Landmark Preservation Sites by City Council resolution after Commission review, then requires written Commission approval before any building permit for alteration…

Modesto has enacted no local predictive or fair-workweek scheduling ordinance. California has no statewide predictive scheduling law. Only San Francisco, Emeryville, and Los Angeles…

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…

Modesto's Fire Code amendment to the LP-gas permit rule exempts residential barbecue propane containers from a permit only if they hold no more than 5 gallons of water capacity and are…

Stanislaus County exempts small propane cookers from its fire-code permit rule: Section 16.55.040(V), amending 2025 California Fire Code Section 6101.2, lets you fill and use an LP-gas…

Modesto marks dedicated curb space for taxicabs and transportation network company (TNC) vehicles awaiting hire, painted yellow on white and signed 'Taxicab' or 'App Ride/TNC Zone.'…

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…

Modesto's Property Maintenance Code, MMC § 9-9.509, declares blighted or deteriorating conditions public nuisances. The Code Enforcement Unit issues administrative citations and civil…

Modesto, located in California's Central Valley at roughly 50 feet elevation, experiences no meaningful snowfall. The city has no local snow-removal ordinance. California Streets and…

Stanislaus County's Vacant Property Ordinance (Chapter 2.94) bars owners of unimproved lots from letting nuisance conditions accumulate, naming weeds over eighteen inches, abandoned…

Modesto governs its downtown with a form-based code under Article 5 of the zoning chapter, splitting the area into six named zones such as Central Downtown and Main Street Downtown…

Modesto grants developers a density bonus above the maximum allowed by zoning when a project sets aside affordable units. Setting aside 10% of units for lower-income households alone…

Modesto runs an administrative, nondiscretionary review for small residential rooftop solar systems up to 10 kilowatts AC, reviewing complete applications within three business days…

California Civil Code section 714 makes any HOA covenant, deed restriction, or governing document provision that effectively prohibits or restricts a solar energy system void and…

California's Solar Rights Act and the SolarAPP+ mandate (SB 379) require expedited permit review of small residential solar systems, preempting restrictive local processes.

Stanislaus County requires any vehicle burglar alarm to shut itself off within fifteen minutes of activation. If it doesn't, sheriff's deputies may disconnect it, a rule drawn from the…

In Stanislaus County parks and campgrounds, Section 18.04.250 sets quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., during which amplified sound, equipment, electronics and machinery, including…

Stanislaus County shields agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits once they've run more than three years without complaint, provided they follow accepted farming customs…

Stanislaus County's Agricultural Land Policies chapter requires every discretionary parcel or subdivision map touching agricultural land to carry a recorded right-to-farm disclosure…

Stanislaus County has no dedicated data center ordinance. In unincorporated areas a data center is an industrial use, allowed by right in the Industrial (M) district under Zoning…

Stanislaus County's Noise Control Ordinance (County Code Chapter 10.46) caps exterior noise at 50 dBA daytime and 45 dBA at night when measured at a residential property. Data center…

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's Gambling Control Act bars any city or county from issuing a gambling license to a cardroom unless a local ordinance authorizes it first: one adopted by voters after…

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 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's Davis-Stirling Act gives every HOA member the right to inspect and copy association records under Civil Code § 5205. Boards must produce current-year records within 10…

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 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…

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 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…

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…