Mountain View, CA

Shared fences between Mountain View neighbors are governed by California Civil Code 841 which presumes equal cost sharing for maintenance with 30 day written notice required before…

In Mountain View's R1 single-family zone, a fence needs no permit at all below set heights under City Code Sec. 36.06.50, but anything from six up to seven feet triggers a development…

Mountain View only waives its zoning permit for a retaining wall when the wall retains earth only and creates a grade change of 18 inches or less, and even then only if Chapter 8…

Mountain View caps fences in R1 and R2 residential zones at three feet in the front yard and six feet on rear and side property lines without any permit, under City Code Sec…

In the unincorporated New Almaden Historic Preservation combining district of Santa Clara County, new and replacement fencing must be built of wood similar to the area's original…

Mountain View was an early California city to ban gas-powered leaf blowers, aligning with AB 1346; only electric and battery units are permitted, with time restrictions on all blowers.

Construction in Mountain View can only run 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, under City Code Sec. 8.06.05; no work is allowed on Saturdays, Sundays or recognized holidays…

Mountain View bans operating any vehicle equipped with a sound-amplifying device on a public street if the sound carries onto private property or reaches other people using the street…

Mountain View makes it unlawful to keep a dog that disturbs neighbors with loud barking under City Code Sec. 5.62. "Loud barking" has a numeric definition: continuous barking for ten…

Mountain View caps stationary noise sources at 55 dB(A) daytime and 50 dB(A) between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. as measured on any receiving residential property, City Code Sec. 21.26…

Any project in Mountain View that would put a new building where aircraft noise from Moffett Federal Airfield reaches CNEL 65 dB or louder must grant the U.S. Government and Santa…

Mountain View restricts outdoor sound devices, such as loudspeakers or sound amplifiers used to advertise or draw attention to a building, to a 150-foot audibility limit and bars them…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bars residential noise disturbances from radios, stereos, and similar devices between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. across a neighboring property line.

Mountain View requires pool barriers at least 60 inches high with self-closing, self-latching gates to comply with the California Swimming Pool Safety Act (H&S 115920).

Mountain View requires building, plumbing, and electrical permits to construct or install any in-ground or above-ground swimming pool deeper than 18 inches under the California…

Most of Mountain View sits outside state-mapped Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, but western hillside areas near open space are treated as elevated risk by local fire authorities.

Mountain View prohibits the possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of all fireworks, including 'Safe and Sane' fireworks otherwise legal under California law, per…

California law requires working smoke alarms in all dwellings, and carbon monoxide alarms in any home with fuel appliances or an attached garage. Mountain View enforces these on sale…

Mountain View allows built-in fire pits, barbecues, chimneys and outdoor kitchens as residential accessory structures, but Sec. 36.12.50(i) requires a minimum 5-foot setback from every…

Mountain View bars storage of liquefied petroleum gas containers anywhere natural gas mains already reach, under City Code Sec. 14.32.05. Once mains are installed, LPG users must…

Property owners must maintain defensible space and remove dry vegetation that poses a fire hazard. Mountain View follows Santa Clara County weed and fire abatement standards.

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bans burning refuse outright unless every agency with air-quality or fire jurisdiction, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, the local fire…

Artificial turf is allowed in Mountain View residential yards subject to setbacks, drainage, and design standards. Some front-yard coverage and aesthetic limits may apply.

Mountain View enforces permanent water waste rules and follows state mandates. Outdoor watering is limited and runoff, hosing down pavement, and leaks are prohibited.

Mountain View encourages California native and low-water plants through its Bay-Friendly landscaping policies and water-efficient landscape ordinance for new projects.

Cutting down, destroying, removing or relocating a heritage tree anywhere in Mountain View, public or private property, takes a heritage tree removal permit. City Code Sec. 32.27(a)…

Trimming, pruning or cutting back any street tree or shrub in Mountain View takes the prior written permission of the director of parks and recreation. City Code Sec. 32.6 bars…

Mountain View property owners must control weeds and rank growth that create fire hazards, blight, or vermin habitat. Santa Clara County Fire handles abatement.

Rainwater harvesting in rain barrels and small cisterns is legal and encouraged in Mountain View. Larger systems and any potable use require permits.

Mountain View's mandatory organics ordinance does not force every household onto the city's green cart. Section 16.102(c) of the City Code lets a single-family generator manage its own…

Small family daycare homes (up to 8 children) and large family daycare homes (up to 14 children) are permitted by right in Mountain View residential zones under California H&S Code…

Mountain View allows home occupations as an accessory use in every residential zoning district, but City Code Section 36.28.80 requires a business license, and Section 36.28.85 imposes…

Mountain View caps the traffic a home occupation can add: City Code Section 36.28.85(f) limits most home businesses to five extra vehicle or pedestrian trips per day beyond what the…

Mountain View bars any signage for a home-based business. City Code Section 36.28.85(c) states there is "no window display, advertising sign or other identification of the home…

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…

Short-term rental guests in Mountain View must follow the same residential parking rules as any resident, including no overnight RV parking, permit zones, and street sweeping…

A Mountain View short-term rental only counts as 'hosted', and escapes the 60-day annual cap, if the host physically remains in the dwelling unit for the entirety of the renter's stay…

An unhosted short-term rental in Mountain View cannot operate more than 60 days per calendar year under City Code Sec. 44.4.b.2. Hosted rentals, where the owner or tenant remains on…

Mountain View lets a resident host rent part of their home for an unlimited number of days per year, so long as the host stays on site throughout each stay, under City Code Sec…

A Mountain View short-term rental property gets locked out of registration for 12 months after an active citation, compliance order, or a denied or revoked application, under City Code…

Mountain View bans weddings, corporate events, commercial functions, large parties and similar gatherings at any short-term rental property under City Code Sec. 44.4.f. The rule…

Every Mountain View short-term rental host must register the dwelling unit and hold a city business license before advertising, under City Code Sec. 44.5. The application needs host…

Mountain View requires every short-term rental host to collect and remit the city's Transient Occupancy Tax under Chapter 33, with STR TOT liability running from January 1, 2019. A…

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…

Mountain View lets residents keep bees but fixes exact placement rules under City Code Sec. 5.46: a hive must sit at least 10 feet from a side or rear property line and at least 20…

Mountain View forces sterilization on any dog or cat impounded twice or more from the same owner over the animal's lifetime: City Code Sec. 5.37 requires the animal be spayed or…

Mountain View bans displaying, offering or selling any animal anywhere except a permitted pet shop or kennel, or a private residence, under City Code Sec. 5.84. Pet shops also cannot…

Mountain View bans keeping livestock in any R (residential) district and makes it unlawful to keep chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigeons, or other fowl anywhere in the city except…

Mountain View caps most households at four adult dogs and cats combined over four months old, and at only one unspayed female dog and one unspayed female cat, under City Code Sec…

Shoreline at Mountain View Park is declared a wildlife sanctuary by City Code Sec. 38.18(i), and feeding any wild bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian or invertebrate there is banned…

Veterinary clinics fall under Mountain View's "animal service establishment" category. City Code Section 36.30.35 allows them in commercial and general industrial districts only with a…

Unlike dogs, cats in Mountain View are never required to carry a city license: City Code Sec. 5.53(b) makes cat licensing purely voluntary, letting an owner register a cat if they…

Mountain View lets a microchip substitute for the metal license tag, but only for cats. Dogs must still wear the metal "DOG/CAT LICENSE" tag issued with every license, per City Code…

Anyone who operates a pet grooming parlor in Mountain View needs an annual permit from the city's animal services administrator before opening, under City Code Sec. 5.66. Groomers must…

Mountain View prohibits ownership of wild and exotic animals consistent with California Fish and Game Code, limiting residents to common domestic pets and certain small reptiles.

Mountain View requires every dog owner to keep their dog on a leash no longer than six feet, or confined behind a fence of reasonable height, under City Code Sec. 5.50. Exceptions…

New buildings in Mountain View must treat most of their glass exterior with bird-friendly markers under City Code Sec. 8.96.10, part of the Green Building Code's mandatory Appendix A5…

California law bars Mountain View from banning or singling out any dog breed: Food and Agricultural Code Sec. 31683 lets cities run their own dangerous-dog program but forbids making…

Mountain View can prohibit parking between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on any street the city council designates by resolution, under City Code Sec. 19.71. The restriction only takes…

Mountain View must review a residential or commercial EV charging station permit under an expedited process required by Government Code Sec. 65850.7, implemented locally at City Code…

Only Mountain View's city traffic engineer may authorize painting a street or curb surface, including stenciling numbers on it. City Code Sec. 19.34(g) makes unauthorized curb or…

Mountain View requires any vehicle visible from the street to sit on a paved, permitted surface, never on the sidewalk. Homes without a garage or with a one-car garage get a…

Vehicles left on Mountain View streets over 72 hours or on private property in public view without movement may be declared abandoned and towed. Reports can be submitted online or by…

Mountain View bars living in a parked RV, trailer or boat on any street, and limits guest RV parking on a driveway to 72 hours (extendable to 30 days by police permit). No more than…

Mountain View bars parking a commercial vehicle rated 10,000 pounds or more on any street next to residentially zoned property under City Code Sec. 19.79.1. Pickups, SUVs and vehicles…

Mountain View caps commercial loading in a marked yellow loading zone at 20 minutes and passenger loading or baggage handling at 3 minutes. The city traffic engineer marks these zones…

Mountain View's Residential Parking Permit (RPP) program lets the city council designate neighborhood zones, under state Vehicle Code Sec. 22507, where only permit holders may park…

On-street parking in Mountain View is limited to 72 consecutive hours per CVC 22651(k), with time-limit zones downtown and permit parking districts in several neighborhoods. Street…

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…

A backyard shed under 120 square feet in Mountain View needs no zoning permit if it stays one story and skips a building or grading permit under Chapter 8, per City Code Sec…

Converting a garage into living space in Mountain View is regulated as an accessory dwelling unit conversion under City Code Sec. 36.12.95. The city waives replacement parking entirely…

A single-family lot in Mountain View can add one accessory dwelling unit plus one junior ADU under Sec. 36.12.75(a). Sec. 36.12.80 caps a single-family ADU at 850 square feet (one…

Building a junior accessory dwelling unit in Mountain View requires at least one legal owner to occupy one of the dwellings on the property, per Sec. 36.12.90. A deed restriction…

Mountain View exempts accessory dwelling units from its citywide transportation impact fee under City Code Sec. 43.8.a.3. The fee otherwise applies per new dwelling unit for…

Mountain View lets owners rent an accessory dwelling unit or junior ADU independently of the main house under City Code Sec. 36.12.100, but forbids selling either unit separately from…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County allows one movable tiny home per lot in place of a standard ADU, but only if it's ANSI 119.5-certified, DMV-registered, incapable of self-propulsion…

Mountain View residents and businesses must separate recyclables and organics from trash under California AB 341, AB 1826, and SB 1383. Recology provides three-cart service for…

Dumping, throwing or depositing refuse on any public right-of-way, waterway or private property other than an approved disposal area is a misdemeanor under City Code Sec. 16.5, and…

Recology is Mountain View's exclusive hauler for garbage, recycling, and organics. Containers go out no earlier than the evening before collection and must be removed by the end of…

Property owners can't keep a dumpster, box, or container sitting out for more than 72 straight hours under City Code Sec. 25.4(h), unless it's tied to ongoing construction or otherwise…

Every property in Mountain View must have garbage and waste removed at least once a week, per City Code Sec. 16.4, with more frequent pickup required if waste accumulates faster…

Mountain View's City Code makes curbside recyclables the property of the city or its licensed hauler the moment they're set out, and Section 16.22 bans anyone else from picking…

Mountain View requires garbage, waste, and recycling containers to be pulled to the street sidewalk line no more than 24 hours before your scheduled collection and pulled back within…

Every single-family household in Mountain View must subscribe to the city's organic waste collection service and sort food scraps and yard waste into the green cart, recyclables into…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County collects residential yard waste through its three-container system, but yard debris removed by a landscaper, gardener, or tree service counts as…

Mountain View treats building below the base flood elevation as an exception, not a default: it takes a rare variance to do it, and the floodplain administrator must warn the owner in…

Every construction project in Mountain View that disturbs less than one acre must manage storm water and erosion on site under City Code Sec. 8.70.05, using retention basins, filtered…

Mountain View requires a floodplain development permit from the floodplain administrator before any construction, grading, filling or similar development in a flood hazard area…

Mountain View bans dumping anything but stormwater into curbside gutters, storm drains and creeks under City Code Sec. 35.32.3.1. The fire chief enforces the rule, and violators face…

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…

Within the Shoreline Regional Park Community, Mountain View requires identified retail, commercial and industrial customers to convert their irrigation systems to recycled water under…

Mountain View lets commercial and industrial customers get a sewer bill credit under City Code Sec. 35.35.2 when an underground pipe leak inflates their water usage. The public works…

Mountain View requires an encroachment permit from the public works director before anyone places a structure, object, or storage container on, over, or under city-owned property or…

Mountain View bans leaving anything on a public sidewalk or street that blocks free passage for more than one hour, under City Code Sec. 27.11. Narrow exceptions cover active…

California Streets and Highways Code 5610 makes abutting property owners responsible for sidewalk repair in unincorporated Santa Clara County, with county-issued repair notices.

Mountain View requires pedestrians to cross at a crosswalk anywhere in a business district; crossing mid-block there is a code violation under Sec. 19.47. A separate section adds a…

Mountain View bars anyone under 18 from loitering on streets, alleys, parks or any public place between 10:00 p.m. and sunrise unless a parent or guardian is present, City Code Sec…

Mountain View makes it an infraction to solicit anyone entering or exiting a vehicle in a way that impedes their movement, whether on a public street, a driveway leading to one, or a…

Mountain View's cannabis ordinance bars consuming cannabis, by any method, at a cannabis business's premises or in any public place, and requires posted no-consumption notices, City…

Mountain View extends its smoking ban outdoors to picnic areas, dining areas (including streets and sidewalks used for dining), and outdoor amphitheater seating, City Code Sec. 21.49…

City Code Sec. 19.53 lets skateboarders use Mountain View sidewalks if they exercise due care and yield to pedestrians, but the city can ban skateboards from specific sidewalks by…

Mountain View bans drinking or consuming alcohol on any public street, sidewalk, median, park or parking lot, and extends the ban to private sidewalks, building aprons and parking lots…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County treats gatherings of four or more where minors drink alcohol as a public nuisance; hosts face administrative citations up to $1,000 and liability for…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bars urinating or defecating anywhere in a County Park except in an enclosed restroom fixture the Parks Director has designated for that use.

Mountain View bans any sign designed or maintained primarily to be viewed from a freeway under City Code Sec. 3.18.2, and any sign proposed within 600 feet of a freeway's right-of-way…

Ground-floor businesses in Mountain View may cover at most 25 percent of their street-facing window glass with a window sign, or one square foot per linear foot of occupancy frontage…

Mountain View allows political signs on private residential property without a permit. Size, placement, and timing rules must follow the content-neutral sign ordinance and First…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires a discretionary Use Permit for any billboard and limits sign illumination to continuous, non-blinking light, effectively barring changeable…

A downtown Mountain View business cannot set up a parklet-style outdoor dining or merchandise area in the public right-of-way without a city-issued Outdoor Patio License under City…

A downtown Mountain View restaurant cannot set tables on the public sidewalk without a city-issued Outdoor Patio License. The Public Works Director administers the program under City…

A special event with four or more mobile vendors, or single-property vending exceeding four hours in a day, needs a temporary use permit under City Code Sec. 15.28 before it can…

Reserving a Mountain View park or recreational facility for a private event, gathering over fifty people, or a fundraiser requires a permit from the Community Services Department under…

Mountain View requires a parade permit from the chief of police before any parade, march, or public procession on city streets. Sec. 22.3 exempts funeral processions, supervised school…

Mountain View has no separate block-party ordinance; any organized use of a public street, defined broadly as a "parade" to include any similar display upon a street, requires a parade…

Mountain View bars minors under 18 from loitering in public streets, parks or other public places between 10 p.m. and sunrise unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, or actually…

Mountain View parks, tennis courts and parking areas close to the public a half hour after sunset and stay closed until 6:00 a.m. under City Code Sec. 38.13. Shoreline at Mountain View…

Sidewalk vendors selling food, goods or services on foot or from a cart need an annual mobile vendor permit and fee from the finance director under City Code Sec. 15.15, and must vend…

Food trucks in Mountain View may operate in commercial and industrial zones with property owner consent. Castro Street downtown restricts vending to special events. Sidewalk vendors…

Food trucks in Mountain View need a Santa Clara County Environmental Health Mobile Food Facility permit plus a city business license. SB 946 limits the city's ability to restrict…

Under the Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act, Mountain View landlords cannot terminate a covered tenancy without one of nine enumerated just causes, from unpaid rent to owner…

Mountain View sets local habitability standards for hotels, motels, and multi-family housing through Sec. 25.58's inspection criteria, covering structural soundness, working plumbing…

Every landlord of a rental unit covered by Mountain View's Community Stabilization and Fair Rent Act must pay an annual Rental Housing Fee to fund the city's Rental Housing Committee…

Mountain View caps the annual general rent adjustment at between 2 and 5 percent of CPI, allows only one increase per twelve months, and requires landlords to give at least 30 days'…

The Mountain View CSFRA caps rent increases on pre-1995 multi-family units at CPI (2-5 percent). Just-cause eviction and relocation assistance apply. AB 1482 covers newer units.

California Civil Code §1950.5, amended by AB-12 effective July 2024, caps residential security deposits at one month's rent statewide. Santa Clara County adds no local cap, so the…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County applies California's AB-1482 no-fault grounds: owner move-in, substantial remodel, demolition, government order, and Ellis Act withdrawal. Each path…

Santa Clara County has not adopted a countywide tenant anti-harassment ordinance for unincorporated areas. Tenants rely on California Civil Code §1940.2 against forcible exclusion plus…

Santa Clara County has no countywide rent stabilization, so pass-through charges in unincorporated areas follow state law. AB-1482 caps annual rent increases at 5% plus CPI, capped at…

California Government Code §12955, expanded by SB-329 in 2020, prohibits housing discrimination based on lawful source of income, including Section 8 vouchers. Santa Clara County…

Santa Clara County has no countywide relocation ordinance for unincorporated areas. State law controls: AB-1482 requires one month of rent for no-fault terminations and the Ellis Act…

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

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

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

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

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

Mountain View licenses secondhand jewelry dealers under Chapter 23 of the City Code, requiring a bound transaction record, daily reports to the police department, and a 30-day hold on…

Mountain View flatly bans vehicle repair as a home business. City Code Section 36.28.90(f) lists "vehicle repair (body or mechanical), upholstery, automobile detailing and painting"…

No one may open or operate a massage establishment in Mountain View, including a home massage business, without a permit from the police chief under Sec. 9.23, and every practitioner…

Mountain View requires a police-chief-issued license before an adult bookstore, cabaret, theater, or similar establishment can open, under City Code Sec. 26.53. The chief must act…

Mountain View bans pawnbroking outright. Sec. 23.18 of the City Code makes it unlawful for anyone to carry on the business of a pawnbroker, defined by Sec. 23.17 as receiving goods in…

Mountain View confines "significant tobacco retailers" to the CRA commercial zone and requires a conditional use permit. City Code Section 36.30.20 bans self-service displays, requires…

Tow operators in unincorporated Santa Clara County cannot solicit business at accident scenes or park tow vehicles within 1,000 feet of one.

Body art practitioners and facilities anywhere in Santa Clara County, including San Jose and other cities, need Public Health Department permits and registration under the county's…

Mountain View requires a smoke/carbon monoxide detector in every recreational vehicle enrolled in the city's overnight Safe Parking program for people living in their vehicles. The…

Mountain View enforces the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code as amended into the 2025 California Plumbing Code, under City Code Sec. 8.48.10, as the city's own Plumbing Code. The adoption…

Mountain View regulates where and how child-care centers can locate under City Code Section 36.28.20. Standalone centers need a conditional use permit, must keep outdoor play areas…

Mountain View adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) by reference as the Mountain View Green Building Code under City Code Sec. 8.62.10, with local…

Mountain View enforces the 2023 National Electrical Code as amended into the 2025 California Electrical Code, City Code Sec. 8.42.10, as the city's own Electrical Code. A one-family…

Lead-based paint disturbance in Mountain View pre-1978 housing must follow EPA RRP rules and California lead-safe work practices, with disclosure required for rentals and sales.

Mountain View reins in oversized additions to R1 homes with a sliding floor-area-ratio formula, larger second-story side setbacks than the ground floor, and a 150-square-foot cap on…

A Mountain View building permit is not valid until the fees set by the city's master fee schedule are paid, under City Code Sec. 8.28.30. The same rule applies to permit amendments: no…

Every new one- and two-family dwelling in Mountain View must have an automatic fire sprinkler system installed, under City Code Sec. 8.40.15. Additions that push an existing…

Mountain View requires a footing and foundation inspection before any concrete pour, and a final inspection before a project can get its certificate of occupancy, under City Code Sec…

Santa Clara County elevators are regulated by Cal/OSHA under Labor Code 7300 to 7324. Every conveyance needs annual inspection and a current permit. HOA and condo elevators follow…

Every business operating in Mountain View pays an annual business registration and license tax scaled to its average number of employees, from $75 for a single-employee operation up to…

Mountain View bans property conditions that create rodent harborage citywide. Sec. 25.4(a) of the Neighborhood Preservation chapter makes it unlawful to maintain overgrown, diseased…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires every inspected food facility to post the Director's inspection placard within five feet of the front door, clearly visible to the public and…

Under California Health and Safety Code §113948, every food handler in Santa Clara County must obtain an ANSI-accredited food handler card within 30 days of hire. Cards are valid for…

Sharps manufacturers selling products in Santa Clara County must fund and run a County-approved take-back program, so residents get free mail-back kits and drop-off sites for used…

Mountain View requires every owner of a heritage tree, generally one with a 48-inch trunk circumference, to keep it healthy and forbids injuring, damaging, destroying, moving or…

Mountain View plants and regulates every tree and shrub in its parkway strips through a citywide master street tree plan. City Code Sec. 32.4 requires the director of parks and…

Mountain View extends heritage tree protection to native oak, redwood and cedar trees at a fraction of the size required for other species. City Code Sec. 32.23(c) defines a "heritage…

Mountain View has not opted out of cannabis retail, but it caps it hard: only nonstorefront retail cannabis businesses are allowed, limited to three citywide, each requiring a…

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…

Mountain View's building division must approve a complete small residential rooftop solar application within three business days under City Code Sec. 8.16.35. The expedited track…

Mountain View must approve a complete, code-compliant small residential rooftop solar permit within three business days under City Code Sec. 8.16.35, implementing Civil Code Sec. 714…

California Civil Code 714 prohibits Mountain View HOAs from unreasonably restricting residential solar. Aesthetic guidelines are allowed but cannot significantly raise cost or cut…

Mountain View requires all exterior lighting on multi-family and nonresidential properties to be shielded so it does not cause off-site glare or nuisance, under City Code Sec. 8.22.05…

Mountain View designates historic resources under City Code Sec. 36.54.65, placing buildings, structures, sites or objects the city council finds meet one of four criteria, such as…

Mountain View residents can hold a garage or yard sale up to four times a year per property, capped at three days per sale, under City Code Sec. 36.12.55(b), which treats the sale of…

HOA CC&R enforcement in Mountain View must follow Davis-Stirling due process rules, with written notice, a hearing opportunity, and fines limited to published schedules.

HOA disputes in Mountain View must go through Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) or Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) under Davis-Stirling before most lawsuits can be filed.

HOA architectural review committees in Mountain View must follow Davis-Stirling rules requiring fair, written standards and procedures, and cannot prohibit solar, EV charging, or…

HOA boards in Mountain View operate under the California Davis-Stirling Act, requiring open meetings, agenda notices, and recorded minutes for common interest developments.

HOA assessments in Mountain View are governed by Davis-Stirling, capping regular increases at 20 percent per year and special assessments at 5 percent of the budget without member…

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…

Mountain View taxes hotel stays at ten (10) percent of the rent charged. City Code Sec. 33.2 imposes the transient occupancy tax on any guest staying thirty (30) consecutive days or…

Santa Clara County's Living Wage Policy requires county service contractors to pay minimum living wages and provide health benefits. The policy covers contractors providing services to…

In Mountain View's R1 and R2 zoning districts, Sec. 36.12.50(b) caps every accessory structure on a lot, combined, at 30 percent of the required rear yard, not the whole property…

Mountain View's R1 single-family zone sets minimum yard setbacks in City Code Sec. 36.10.25: 20 feet from the front property line for the first-floor wall, at least 5 feet per side, 15…

Mountain View caps single-family homes in the R1 zone at 24 feet for a one-story house and 28 feet for a two-story house under City Code Sec. 36.10.25, with separate wall-plate limits…

Mountain View's Zoning Ordinance names "data center" as a distinct use, permitted by right in the Limited Industrial (ML) and General Industrial (MM) districts when housed in a fully…

Mountain View does not set numeric decibel limits. Its Noise Control ordinance, City Code Chapter 10, Article 13, prohibits any noise that creates a "noise disturbance" across a…

Mountain View does not receive measurable snow, so there is no snow-clearing ordinance. Property owners must still keep sidewalks free of obstructions, debris, and overgrown vegetation…

Mountain View abates buildings that endanger life, health or safety under its Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, adopted at City Code Sec. 8.98.10. The building…

Mountain View runs a mandatory hotel, motel, and multi-family housing inspection program under Secs. 25.55-25.56. Multi-family buildings are inspected at least every five years, or…

Mountain View bars landlords from evicting or retaliating against any tenant, single-family renter, or hotel or motel guest who files a habitability complaint with the city. Sec. 25.52…

Mountain View can bar oversized vehicles from parking on streets adjacent to class II bike lanes once the city council designates those streets by resolution and posts signs, under…

In unincorporated Santa Clara County parks, Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles may only ride trails and roads specifically signed for e-bike use: plain bike-trail signage isn't…

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…

Mountain View has banned camping, lodging or tarrying overnight on a vacant lot or in any building without the owner's or occupant's permission since 1938. The rule applies citywide to…

Mountain View City Code Sec. 36.48.80 requires the city to grant a density bonus above zoning and general plan limits when a housing development of five or more base units sets aside…

Mountain View's Fire Code bans charcoal burners and other open-flame cooking devices on combustible balconies and within 10 feet of combustible construction, per City Code Sec…

Mountain View's Agricultural (A) zoning district, City Code Section 36.24, exists to keep farmland from being crowded out by incompatible development. It permits agriculture, ranch and…

California Civil Code §3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits after three years of consistent activity. SCC layers this with the Williamson Act and…

Mountain View bans new cardrooms outright: Sec. 9.2 makes it unlawful for any person or business entity to open, operate, keep or maintain any cardroom within city limits, except for…

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…

Launching or landing a drone in any Santa Clara County Park requires a Valid Permit from the Parks Director; unauthorized flights from park land are prohibited countywide.

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bans operating any drone, commercial UAS included, in a way that interferes with firefighting, law enforcement, or emergency response; only…

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

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

California Penal Code section 26350 bans open carry of unloaded handguns in incorporated areas, and section 26400 bans openly carried unloaded long guns. All fifteen Santa Clara County…

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

Unincorporated Santa Clara County caps air-conditioning and air-handling equipment noise at 50 dBA on a neighbor's property line and 45 dBA at a neighboring patio or window, absent a…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bans loud loading, unloading, and container handling near homes between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and at any time if it breaches the Table B11-152 decibel…

In unincorporated Santa Clara County, a motor vehicle burglar alarm that doesn't shut off within 15 minutes of activation is a noise-code violation.

Santa Clara County has no predictive-scheduling ordinance. California AB-1228 governs fast-food workers via the statewide Fast Food Council. Outside fast food, no local or state…

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…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires peddlers, solicitors, and itinerant merchants to obtain a Sheriff's Office permit, wear a photo-ID badge, and limit door-knocking to between…

California AB-1884 (Public Resources Code section 42270) and AB-1276 make Santa Clara County a straws-on-request jurisdiction. Restaurants countywide cannot auto-distribute single-use…

California AB-1276 (Health and Safety Code §42270 et seq.) prohibits full-service and takeout food facilities from providing single-use utensils, straws, or condiment packets unless…

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 AB-1236 (Labor Code §2814) prohibits Santa Clara County and any city from requiring private employers to use E-Verify. Federal mandates apply only to federal contractors…

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

Retailers in unincorporated Santa Clara County can't sell any tobacco product with a characterizing flavor other than tobacco: menthol, fruit, candy, or dessert flavors are all…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires Board of Supervisors approval before any county department acquires or uses automated license plate readers, with a public Surveillance Use…

California is an all-party consent state. All parties to a confidential conversation must consent to audio recording under Penal Code §632. Video recording in public is legal…

Commercial filmmaking or photography in any Santa Clara County Park needs a Valid Permit from the Parks Director, and TV, radio, or movie rights need a separate reviewed contract.

Unincorporated Santa Clara County's Community Preservation ordinance defines "property blight", abandoned buildings, dead vegetation, illegal outdoor storage, junk vehicles, graffiti…

New landscape and irrigation projects on unincorporated Santa Clara County land can't use California Invasive Plant Council-listed species; the county's Landscape Design Plan review…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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