Mono City, CA

Unincorporated Mono County sets nighttime quiet hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. under Noise Regulation Chapter 10.16. At night a sound source may exceed background noise by only 5 dBA before it is a violation, versus 10 dBA during the 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daytime period.

In unincorporated Mono County, construction, demolition and earthmoving may not operate between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, or at any time on weekends or legal holidays, except for emergency utility or road work or by county variance. Construction noise also has dBA limits by land use.

Unincorporated Mono County does not ban leaf blowers, but its Noise Regulation limits when powered lawn and garden equipment may run. Such tools are exempt only between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekends and holidays, if they stay under 85 dBA at the property line.

Unincorporated Mono County prohibits noisy dogs under its animal code. Section 9.36.030 makes it unlawful to permit a dog in your possession or control to habitually destroy the peace and quiet of any person or neighborhood by habitual barking or howling. The noise ordinance separately covers animal noise across property lines.

Unincorporated Mono County restricts amplified sound under its Noise Regulation. Radios, TVs, musical instruments and similar devices may not be played between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. so as to create a noise disturbance across a property line. Loudspeakers and PA systems are similarly barred during those hours.

Unincorporated Mono County's Noise Regulation does not set a separate motor-vehicle decibel limit; on-highway vehicle noise is governed by California state law. The county code does require that motors and machinery be muffled, and it limits vehicle burglar alarms to a five-minute shutoff.

Unincorporated Mono County sets absolute exterior decibel limits by land use in Table 10.16.060(A). Residential, lodging and public uses are capped at 55 dBA daytime and 50 dBA nighttime; commercial and industrial uses at 65 dBA at all times. A noise disturbance is also defined relative to background sound.

Unincorporated Mono County restricts outdoor amplified sound after 10:00 p.m. under its Noise Regulation, but permits occasional outdoor gatherings, dances, shows and entertainment events when held under a county permit or license. Without a permit, outdoor music must stay within the land-use decibel limits.

Unincorporated Mono County caps noise from industrial, light-industrial, utility, mining, ranching and agricultural land uses at 65 dBA at all times under Table 10.16.060(A). Engine-powered equipment must have working silencers, and motors, pumps and generators must be muffled to avoid a noise disturbance.

Aircraft and airport noise in unincorporated Mono County is not set by the county noise ordinance. Aircraft operations are governed by federal FAA rules, and land use near county airports is controlled through Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans for Bryant Field, Lee Vining and Mammoth Yosemite Airport using the CNEL metric.

In unincorporated Mono County, operating a short-term/transient rental (a stay of 30 days or less) requires both a discretionary Use Permit and a Short-Term Rental Activity Permit, plus a county business license and a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate. The Board of Supervisors adopted new regulations under General Plan Amendment 25-01 and Mono County Code Chapter 5.65 on December 9, 2025.

Mono County STR operators must register on multiple tracks: a Short-Term Rental Activity Permit (renewed annually, with renewals due by August 1), a Use Permit, an active Mono County business license, and a Transient Occupancy Tax registration certificate. Permits are tied to the operator and, under the December 2025 rules, no longer automatically transfer to a new owner on sale.

Short-term rental guests in unincorporated Mono County pay a 15% Transient Occupancy Tax, increased from 12% effective December 13, 2024 by voter-approved Measure K. Operators collect the TOT, hold a TOT registration certificate, and remit returns within 30 days of the end of each reporting period. STR permits are also billed at $135.00 per hour of staff time.

Under Mono County's transient rental standards, overnight occupancy of a vacation/transient rental is limited to two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons, with a hard cap of 10 persons unless the Building Official certifies the unit for a higher number. Septic system capacity may impose stricter limits.

Mono County's transient rental standards require all guest parking to be on-site: 'There shall be no off-site or on-street parking allowed.' Parking on neighboring property is treated as trespass. The rental agreement must state the parking limits, and a diagram of the designated parking location must be posted on and in the unit.

Mono County's transient rental standards aim to prevent disturbance to the peace and quiet of residential neighborhoods. Required interior postings list emergency contacts (911, property manager, sheriff/fire) and the consequences of violations. A property manager must be available 24 hours a day to respond to disturbance complaints. The transient rental standards do not set a specific decibel limit.

Mono County does not require an STR to be your primary residence, but the December 2025 overhaul prioritizes residential use and a 'hosted' sharing model. The County replaced 'owner-occupied' language with 'hosted,' allowing a resident owner or tenant to host. STR approvals are limited to one per natural person and generally do not transfer with the property on sale.

Mono County does not require a host to be physically on-site, but a designated property manager or management company must be available 24 hours a day to handle problems, and the owner must be personally reachable by phone around the clock. Failure to remain reachable can lead to permit revocation. The December 2025 rules also use a 'hosted' model.

Mono County's published transient rental standards do not state a specific minimum liability-insurance dollar amount. The rental agreement must notify renters they may be personally and financially liable for damage or loss caused by their use of the unit. Operators should verify any insurance requirement added under the December 2025 ordinance directly with the County.

Mono County does NOT cap the number of nights an STR may rent per year. A proposed numeric cap of about 95 STR permits in June Lake was rejected, so the adopted ordinance has no permit cap. Instead, the County imposed a two-year waiting period (with exemptions) before a new owner or new unit can apply.

In unincorporated Mono County, fireworks - including state-approved 'Safe and Sane' fireworks - are prohibited under Mono County Code Chapter 10.18 except in limited designated areas. Almost all of the county is federal forest (Inyo NF, Humboldt-Toiyabe NF) where all fireworks are banned year-round.

Outdoor fire pits in unincorporated Mono County are tightly restricted during fire season. The county has adopted urgency ordinances (e.g., Ord. 21-08) prohibiting open fires - campfires, bonfires, fire pits, and any open-flame fire - on private property and in county campgrounds during extreme fire danger. Propane and charcoal cooking BBQs are exempt.

Open outdoor burning in unincorporated Mono County is regulated by the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (GBUAPCD) under Rules 406-411 and by CAL FIRE/USFS burn permits. Pile burning of dry natural vegetation is allowed only with a valid permit on a permissive burn day; burning trash or residential waste is never allowed in California.

Unincorporated Mono County requires defensible space under its Fire Safe Regulation (General Plan Chapter 22, Section 22.150), which adopts Public Resources Code 4291 and Government Code 51182: a 30-foot firebreak around structures and a 30-100-foot reduced-fuel zone. Tree branches must be kept 10 feet from chimney/stovepipe outlets.

Backyard/recreational fires in unincorporated Mono County are restricted during fire season. Mono County urgency ordinances (e.g., Ord. 21-08) ban campfires, bonfires, and open-flame fires on private property during extreme fire danger, exempting propane and charcoal cooking BBQs. When allowed, a California Campfire Permit and defensible space are required.

Mono County does not publish a unique county smoke-alarm ordinance for unincorporated areas; smoke and carbon monoxide alarm requirements come from California state law. Health & Safety Code 13113.8 requires operable smoke alarms in dwellings, and Section 17926 requires carbon monoxide alarms in units with fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces, or attached garages.

Propane (LPG) storage in unincorporated Mono County follows the California Fire Code (Chapter 61) and NFPA 58, enforced through the county's building and fire review. Residential above-ground tanks must meet setback distances - commonly 10 feet from buildings, property lines, and ignition sources for typical 250-500-gallon tanks - and must be kept clear of vegetation.

Nearly all of unincorporated Mono County is a CAL FIRE State Responsibility Area within Fire Hazard Severity Zones (Moderate, High, or Very High), and the county's Fire Safe Regulation (General Plan Chapter 22) applies SRA fire-safe building standards. Parcels in these zones face defensible-space, roofing, access, water, and disclosure requirements.

In unincorporated Mono County, storing an RV on residential property is generally allowed, but living in one on undeveloped land is time-limited under General Plan Section 04.040. On-street parking falls under the California Vehicle Code, which the County enforces in this Eastern Sierra snow country.

On unincorporated Mono County roads, on-street parking is primarily governed by the California Vehicle Code, enforced by the Mono County Sheriff and the California Highway Patrol. The County's own code (Title 11 – Vehicles and Traffic) supplements state law on county-maintained roads.

Unincorporated Mono County has no found blanket overnight on-street parking ban, but vehicles cannot sit on a county road 72 or more consecutive hours (CVC §22651(k)). In winter, parking that interferes with snow removal on county-maintained roads is the real constraint.

Unincorporated Mono County has no found dedicated ordinance restricting where commercial trucks may park on residential lots; on-road truck operation and parking follow the California Vehicle Code, and off-street commercial parking is shaped by the General Plan's zoning and parking-lot standards.

Abandoned, wrecked, or inoperative vehicles in unincorporated Mono County are addressed through county code-compliance and the California Vehicle Code. A vehicle left on a county road 72+ hours can be removed (CVC §22651(k)); one with registration expired over six months can be towed (CVC §22651(o)).

In unincorporated Mono County, blocking a driveway is prohibited under California Vehicle Code §22500(e). New driveways and access must meet county Roadway Standards and Fire Safe Standards, and driveway surfacing requirements are set in the General Plan parking chapter.

Mono County follows California's statewide framework for EV charging: residential charger installation must be permitted through the County's building process using the state-mandated expedited review (Gov. Code §65850.7), and public chargers are available at regional sites. No restrictive county EV ordinance was found.

Unincorporated Mono County has no found size-based ordinance specifically banning oversized vehicles from residential streets; the California Vehicle Code governs on-road parking, and the County can post oversized/weight restrictions under CVC §22507. Heavy snow makes obstruction the chief concern.

Unincorporated Mono County has no found network of curbside loading zones like a city; on-road loading follows the California Vehicle Code. Off-street, the General Plan parking standards require developments to provide adequate on-site parking, circulation, and access for loading and snow removal.

Mono County Public Works plows 679.26 miles of county road, prioritized Class 1–Class 5 under Resolution R04-069 (2004), with plowing usually triggered at three inches of accumulation. Vehicles that obstruct plows can be removed under the California Vehicle Code, and new development must provide on-site snow storage.

In unincorporated Mono County, fences shall not exceed 7 feet in height generally, and may not exceed 4 feet within any required front yard. Taller fences may be allowed by use permit if they do not block sight lines for vehicles. Standards come from the General Plan Land Use Element, Chapter 04.

Unincorporated Mono County's General Plan does not require a routine permit for fences within the 7-foot limit (4 feet in front yards). Fences taller than those limits require a use permit. A building permit may be required under the California Building Code for taller fences or retaining walls. Confirm with Community Development.

Mono County's General Plan does not set boundary-fence cost-sharing rules, so California Civil Code Section 841 (the Good Neighbor Fence Law) controls. Adjoining landowners are presumed equally responsible for the reasonable cost of a shared boundary fence, and a 30-day written notice is required before incurring costs.

In unincorporated Mono County, retaining walls of 4 feet or less above grade are permitted within required setbacks. For walls exceeding 4 feet, the base must be set back from the property line by at least the amount the wall exceeds 4 feet. Taller walls also trigger California Building Code structural review.

Unincorporated Mono County does not require property owners to build perimeter fences. Per Section 04.160, fences are permitted but not required. When built, they must meet the 7-foot height limit (4 feet in front yards), preserve vehicle sight lines, and respect setbacks and wildlife considerations.

Mono County's General Plan does not impose a general list of prohibited fence materials for unincorporated parcels. Standard wood, wire, and similar materials are typical. Fences in sensitive wildlife areas warrant special consideration, and specific plans or design guidelines may add requirements in some communities.

Unincorporated Mono County allows standard fencing materials; the General Plan regulates fences by height and placement (Section 04.160), not by a material list. Wildlife-friendly designs are encouraged in sensitive areas, and California Civil Code 841 governs cost-sharing for shared materials on boundary fences.

In unincorporated Mono County, leash rules apply within designated 'leash law areas' such as June Lake, Hilton Creek, Lee Vining, Wheeler Crest, White Mountain Estates and Chalfant. In those areas dogs must be confined or on a leash no longer than six feet under a competent person's immediate control.

Unincorporated Mono County allows poultry through its General Plan land-use 'animal-keeping' standards rather than a chicken-specific ordinance. Hens are counted in 'animal units' (10 chickens, ducks or game hens equal one unit), with the number of units tied to lot size and zoning designation.

Unincorporated Mono County has no breed-specific ban. California law (Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683) prohibits cities and counties from declaring any dog dangerous or vicious based on its breed, so pit bulls, Rottweilers and similar breeds are legal to own in the county.

Unincorporated Mono County has no beekeeping-specific ordinance in its animal code. Statewide, California Food and Agricultural Code Section 29040 requires every beekeeper to register their apiary annually with the county agricultural commissioner, regardless of how many hives they keep.

Unincorporated Mono County does not have its own exotic-animal ordinance, so California state law controls. Food and Agricultural Code Section 2118 and Title 14 CCR Section 671 make it unlawful to keep most restricted wild animals - including primates, many wild carnivores, and many reptiles - without a state permit, and pet permits are not issued.

Unincorporated Mono County's animal code sets no fixed maximum number of dogs or cats per household. Every dog over four months old must be licensed and rabies-vaccinated, and the practical 'limit' is driven by licensing, nuisance rules and California's care-based animal-welfare law rather than a hard number.

Ranching is a traditional, by-right use in much of unincorporated Mono County. The General Plan's animal-keeping standards count livestock in 'animal units' (one cow or horse equals one unit; two pigs, goats or sheep equal one unit) and tie the allowed number to lot size and land-use designation, with no numeric limit above ten acres.

Mono County's leash and 'at large' rules in Title 9 apply specifically to dogs, not cats, so there is no cat leash law in the unincorporated county. Cats are not required to be licensed, but owners remain responsible for nuisance and for proper care under California animal-welfare law.

Unincorporated Mono County has no standalone wildlife-feeding ordinance in its animal code. Feeding wild animals is discouraged because it draws bears and other wildlife into conflict; under California law it is generally unlawful to intentionally feed big-game wildlife such as bears, and county nuisance rules can address attractants.

Unincorporated Mono County addresses animal hoarding through California's animal-cruelty and neglect laws rather than a county hoarding ordinance. Penal Code Sections 597 and 597.1 make it a crime to fail to provide proper food, water, shelter and care, and allow animals to be seized when their health and safety are compromised.

Unincorporated Mono County has no general heritage-tree ordinance requiring a permit to remove a private tree by species or size. Removal is shaped instead by wildfire fuel-modification rules (Chapter 22 / PRC 4291), invasive-tree removal encouraged by the General Plan, and development-related vegetation review; trees on federal or LADWP land follow those agencies' rules.

Unincorporated Mono County has no general lawn-mowing height ordinance. Vegetation height is governed by wildfire fuel-modification rules: the County's Fire Safe Regulation (Chapter 22) caps grass at 18 inches beyond 30 feet of a structure, and state law PRC 4291 requires annual grasses cut to about 4 inches within defensible space in State Responsibility Areas.

Unincorporated Mono County has no general permit requirement for routine pruning of private trees. The main trimming rules are wildfire-driven: Chapter 22 Fire Safe Regulation requires tree branches kept at least 10 feet from chimney/stovepipe outlets and removal of dead or overhanging limbs, mirroring state PRC 4291 defensible-space standards.

Two regimes govern weeds in unincorporated Mono County. Fire-hazard vegetation (dry brush, weeds, grass near structures) is abated through Chapter 22 Fire Safe Regulation and state PRC 4291 defensible-space law. Noxious/invasive weeds are managed by the Inyo/Mono Agricultural Commissioner through the Eastern Sierra Weed Management Area.

Mono County's General Plan commits to implementing the Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (Action 3.C.3.a) and requires water-conservation measures as a condition of approval for water-intensive development (Policy 3.C.3). Where the County has no local WELO provision, California's statewide Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO) and State Water Board drought rules control.

Rooftop rainwater harvesting is broadly allowed. Under California's Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (Water Code 10574), capturing rooftop rainwater needs no state water-right permit, and the County's General Plan actively encourages rain gardens and vegetated infiltration as low-impact development. Larger or potable cisterns still follow the California Plumbing/Building Code.

Mono County's Conservation/Open Space Element strongly favors native vegetation. Landscape plans must incorporate native vegetation where feasible, non-native plantings require assessment and mitigation, invasive non-native species shall not be approved, and revegetation should use local native stock. There is no native-only mandate for ordinary home gardens.

Unincorporated Mono County has no ordinance banning residential artificial turf. Under California Civil Code 4735, homeowners associations cannot prohibit synthetic grass on a member's separate-interest property. Drainage, grading, and stormwater permits may still apply, and development landscape plans favor native, water-efficient design.

California's SB 1383, effective January 1, 2022, requires organic-waste recycling statewide, including in Mono County, so residents must use a green/organics cart or self-haul or backyard-compost organics. Backyard composting is allowed and encouraged as a compliant option; the County's General Plan promotes on-site organic reuse.

Unincorporated Mono County zoning treats above-ground pools like in-ground pools for placement: at least 5 feet from side/rear lot lines, out of easements, and 10 feet from a corner side-street line. Construction requires a building permit, and the state Pool Safety Act barrier rules apply to new pools.

In unincorporated Mono County, building a residential pool, spa, or hot tub is construction work that requires a building permit from the County Building Division, which enforces state-mandated codes. Public pools and spas additionally need a health permit from Environmental Health. Private pools follow California Building/Residential Code and the state Pool Safety Act.

Mono County's zoning code sets pool setbacks but does not publish its own pool-barrier ordinance. New residential pools in the unincorporated county follow California's Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code 115922-115928), which requires a 60-inch enclosure with a self-closing, self-latching gate among approved drowning-prevention features.

Unincorporated Mono County does not publish its own residential pool-safety ordinance; new pools follow California's Swimming Pool Safety Act (HSC 115922-115928), including barrier/alarm options and dual anti-entrapment drains. Public pools and spas are inspected by Mono County Environmental Health and must post required safety signs.

Mono County zoning groups hot tubs and spas with pools: at least 5 feet from side/rear lot lines, out of easements, and 10 feet from a corner side-street line (Section 04.120(7)). Installation generally needs a building/electrical permit. Public spas need an Environmental Health permit; private spas follow the state Pool Safety Act.

Home occupations are permitted in all residential designations in unincorporated Mono County, subject to a business license and the home-occupation standards in General Plan Section 04.290. The business must be incidental and secondary to the residence, run by resident family members, with no outside employees and no neighborhood traffic impact.

In unincorporated Mono County, signs advertising a home occupation are NOT permitted unless allowed through an Expanded Home Occupation Permit (Sign Code Section 07.060(8)). Standard home occupations may show no external evidence. A private residence may post only a 2 sq. ft. identification sign with the occupants' names.

A standard home occupation in unincorporated Mono County needs a business license and must meet the Section 04.290 home-occupation standards — no separate discretionary permit. To exceed those limits (outside employees, signage, greater visibility), an Expanded Home Occupation Permit is required, approved by the Planning Commission at a public hearing.

Family daycare homes in unincorporated Mono County are protected by California state law. Health & Safety Code 1597.45 makes small and large family daycare homes a residential use 'by right' for all local zoning, and bars local business-license fees for them. Operators license through the state, not through County zoning approval.

Cottage food operations in unincorporated Mono County are governed by California's Cottage Food Law and administered locally by Mono County Environmental Health. Class A operators register with a self-certification checklist; Class B operators register and obtain a permit after a home-kitchen inspection. Only CDPH-approved non-hazardous foods are allowed.

Unincorporated Mono County allows ADUs and junior ADUs in any designation permitting single-family homes under General Plan Land Use Element Chapter 16. Detached one-bedroom ADUs may reach 850 sq ft and two-bedroom ADUs 1,000 sq ft by building permit, with four-foot side/rear setbacks.

Unincorporated Mono County has no shed-specific chapter; sheds and accessory structures must meet the height, setback, lot coverage, and snow-storage standards of the underlying land use designation. The California Building Code generally exempts one-story sheds of 120 sq ft or less from a building permit, but zoning setbacks still apply.

Unincorporated Mono County expressly allows converting an existing garage into an accessory dwelling unit. General Plan Section 16.050.G requires no setback for an existing garage converted to an ADU, and conversions inside existing structures are approved ministerially by building permit under Section 16.040.A.

Unincorporated Mono County has no carport-specific ordinance; a carport is treated as a residential accessory structure that must meet the height, setback, lot coverage, and snow-storage standards of the underlying land use designation. ADU parking requirements appear in General Plan Section 16.050.D.

Unincorporated Mono County has no separate tiny-home ordinance; a permanent tiny home on a foundation is typically permitted as an accessory dwelling unit under General Plan Chapter 16, which allows units as small as the California Building Code efficiency-unit minimum. A movable tiny home on wheels is regulated separately as a vehicle/recreational structure.

Propane and charcoal barbecues used for cooking are allowed in unincorporated Mono County even when the county's urgency open-fire ordinances ban campfires and fire pits. On Inyo National Forest land, briquette barbecues are restricted to designated developed recreation sites during fire restrictions, but gas/propane cooking devices with a campfire permit are generally allowed.

Mono County has no smoker-specific ordinance, but a wood or charcoal smoker is treated as outdoor cooking - exempt from the county's urgency open-fire bans as a 'charcoal barbecue used for cooking.' On Inyo National Forest land, charcoal/briquette devices are limited to designated developed sites during fire restrictions; gas-fueled smokers may be used with a campfire permit.

Setbacks in unincorporated Mono County vary by land use designation. For example, Rural Residential (RR) and Estate Residential (ER) require 50-foot front and 30-foot side and rear yards, while Rural Mobile Home (RMH) requires 20-foot front and 10-foot side and rear yards. Standards are in the General Plan Land Use Element, Chapter 04.

In unincorporated Mono County, buildings and structures generally may not exceed 35 feet in height measured from grade. Accessory buildings in residential designations are limited to 20 feet unless the Director allows more. Public utility poles may exceed building height but not 60 feet. See General Plan Section 04.110.

Maximum lot coverage in unincorporated Mono County varies by land use designation. Residential designations such as Rural Residential (RR), Estate Residential (ER), and Rural Mobile Home (RMH) allow up to 40% lot coverage, while resource designations are far more restrictive (e.g., Resource Management limits coverage to about 5%). Standards are in the General Plan.

Unincorporated Mono County does not have a stand-alone protected-tree or heritage-tree removal permit for private trees by size or species. Tree removal is addressed through development review (CEQA / biological resources), wildfire defensible-space rules, and the General Plan's preference for native vegetation. Federal and LADWP lands follow those agencies.

In unincorporated Mono County, blighted and nuisance property conditions are enforced on a complaint basis by the Community Development Code Compliance Officer. The County Code addresses nuisances through Chapter 7.20 (Abatement of Nuisances), with administrative citations available under Section 1.12. Owners receive a Notice of Violation and a 30-day window to correct or abate before escalation. The incorporated Town of Mammoth Lakes is separate and handles its own code enforcement.

Unincorporated Mono County does not mandate curbside service, so residents either subscribe to a franchise hauler's cart or self-haul to a transfer station. Where a hauler serves a property, carts must be at the curb or alley for collection. Because much of the county is bear country, franchise haulers offer bear-resistant carts. Accumulated, overflowing, or improperly stored refuse can be addressed as a nuisance under the County Code's abatement provisions.

Mono County does not publish (in the sources reviewed) a dedicated vacant-lot maintenance schedule with specific clearance dimensions. Vacant and undeveloped parcels are instead regulated through the County's general nuisance abatement authority (Chapter 7.20) and the General Plan's complaint-based enforcement. Accumulated rubbish, junk, debris, or hazardous conditions on a vacant lot can be ordered abated within 30 days. The County also enforces wildfire defensible-space duties separately.

Mono County's reviewed sources do not set a specific maximum grass or weed height for unincorporated areas. Overgrown weeds and rubbish are addressed through the County's nuisance abatement authority (Chapter 7.20) and complaint-based enforcement, with a 30-day correction window. In Mono County's high-desert and mountain setting, weed and dry-vegetation concerns also tie into wildfire defensible-space duties, which are administered separately by fire agencies.

The reviewed Mono County sources do not impose a dedicated garage-sale or yard-sale permit, frequency cap, or sign ordinance for unincorporated areas. Residents may generally hold occasional yard sales without a county permit. General provisions still apply: signs should not create a traffic or visibility hazard, and leftover items must be disposed of properly through self-haul or a franchise hauler rather than dumped or left to accumulate as a nuisance.

Mono County does not run garbage collection or mandate curbside service in unincorporated areas. Residents either subscribe to one of two franchise haulers (Mammoth Disposal or D&S Waste Removal) or self-haul municipal solid waste to one of six County transfer stations. D&S collects weekly with set-out by 6 a.m. or the night before. Benton Crossing Landfill closed December 31, 2022; customers now use Pumice Valley.

Because Mono County does not run collection, bin-placement rules come from the franchise hauler a resident subscribes to, not a countywide ordinance. D&S Waste Removal requires the cart, cans, and any extra bulk be at the curb or side of the alley, set out the night before or by 6 a.m. on pickup day. Bear-resistant carts are available. Self-haul customers instead deliver waste directly to transfer stations.

Bulky items in unincorporated Mono County are handled by self-haul to County transfer stations and landfills, where gate fees apply by item type, or through a franchise hauler. D&S Waste Removal includes up to one cubic yard of extra bulk weekly but excludes tires, batteries, appliances, and hazardous waste. Pumice Valley Landfill accepts old vehicles for a fee (title required) and buries construction and demolition debris.

Residential recycling in unincorporated Mono County is voluntary and free at County transfer stations, which accept glass, plastic, aluminum, cardboard, batteries, used oil, and household hazardous waste at no charge; Paradise also takes mixed paper. Commercial recycling is mandatory under California AB 341 for larger generators and multifamily complexes of five or more units. Mammoth Disposal offers curbside recycling to unincorporated areas.

California's SB 1383 sets statewide organic-waste recycling rules, but rural and high-elevation jurisdictions can obtain waivers. Mono County (population around 13,000, far below the 70,000 'rural county' threshold) qualifies as rural, and much of it sits at or above the 4,500-foot elevation waiver line. Consistent with this, the County's solid-waste pages describe only AB 341 commercial recycling, not a residential curbside organics program. No countywide residential food-waste collection was found.

Unincorporated Mono County permits political signs under General Plan Chapter 07, Section 07.020(3). They may be posted only as long as needed to convey the message and must then be removed; adhesive signs cannot be affixed directly to structures. Political and noncommercial signs are exempt from the 30-day temporary-sign limit. State Business & Professions Code 5405.3 governs signs near highways.

Unincorporated Mono County limits temporary signs in residentially designated areas to garage-sale and open-house signs, capped at 3 square feet, under General Plan Chapter 07, Section 07.020(9). Event-related temporary materials may not be erected more than 30 days before the event and must be removed when it ends.

Unincorporated Mono County enforces Dark Sky Regulations in General Plan Chapter 23 to protect the Eastern Sierra night sky. New outdoor lighting must use full-cutoff, fully shielded, downcast fixtures (Sec. 23.050). Mercury-vapor, low-pressure sodium, unshielded floodlights, and blinking/searchlight fixtures are prohibited (Sec. 23.070).

Unincorporated Mono County prohibits light trespass under General Plan Chapter 23. Section 23.070(2) bars any outdoor lighting fixture from being installed, aimed, or directed to produce light that spills over into neighboring properties or the public right-of-way, and Section 23.050 requires fully shielded, downcast fixtures.

Unincorporated Mono County prohibits camping in any County Park under Code Chapter 7.28. Section 7.28.020(A) bars camping - defined as occupying a spot with a tent, vehicle, or trailer between sunset and sunrise (7.28.010(A)) - in any County Park, community center, or recreation facility and its parking lots, except for emergencies or by Board designation. Violations are infractions.