Newport Beach, CA

Newport Beach follows California Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations prohibiting most exotic pets. Ferrets, hedgehogs, and most wild or non-domesticated animals are illegal to…

Newport Beach does not require cats to be licensed like dogs, but a cat allowed to stray onto public property or someone else's land without permission can still be impounded. Owners…

Feeding any non-domesticated animal anywhere in Newport Beach is unlawful, with a narrow exception for animals fed under a valid county, state, or federal permit. A parallel rule…

Newport Beach bans keeping cows, pigs, goats, horses, mules, poultry, or any other animal commonly considered livestock anywhere in the city unless the zoning code specifically allows…

Newport Beach requires dogs on any beach, street, alley, public place or another person's private property to be on a substantial leash or chain no longer than six feet, controlled by…

Newport Beach bars anyone without a state or federal wildlife license from incubating or otherwise propagating eggs of ducks, terns, gulls or pelicans found on or near Newport Bay. The…

Newport Beach has no breed-specific ban; instead it regulates individual dogs by behavior. Under Municipal Code Sec. 7.04.100, once a dog bites a person or another dog and is reported…

Newport Beach outright bans keeping bee apiaries in any residential area of the city. The prohibition uses California's own statutory definition of an apiary, and violating it is…

Newport Beach does not mandate spay or neuter for dogs and cats citywide, but any miniature pot-bellied pig kept in the city must be sterilized before the owner can get the required…

Newport Beach requires every stand-alone animal grooming business to operate entirely inside a soundproofed, air-conditioned building under Municipal Code Section 20.48.050(B). Outdoor…

Newport Beach requires animal hospitals and veterinary clinics to be entirely enclosed, soundproofed and air-conditioned under Municipal Code Section 20.48.050(D). Outdoor runs, cages…

Unincorporated Orange County caps households at three dogs and three cats over four months old per lot; keeping more requires an animal permit from OC Animal Care.

In unincorporated Orange County, pet shops must get a license from the County Health Officer before selling live animals commercially: operating without one is a misdemeanor under the…

Newport Beach permits and encourages rainwater harvesting for landscape irrigation under California state law. Residents may install rain barrels and cisterns without a permit for…

Newport Beach requires property owners to control weeds on their property as part of general property maintenance and nuisance abatement obligations. Overgrown weeds are treated as a…

Newport Beach property owners must maintain the parkway strip between their property line and the street curb and trim any tree, shrub, or plant so branches never encroach onto the…

Newport Beach bans daytime lawn and landscape irrigation between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. year-round and caps automated sprinkler stations at 10 minutes per watering session under Municipal…

Newport Beach bars anyone from cutting down, damaging, removing, or destroying a tree on any public park, beach, playground, public building grounds, or street right-of-way without the…

Newport Beach's Zoning Code exempts areas intentionally maintained with native plants from the automatic irrigation system otherwise required for new landscaping, and directs landscape…

Unincorporated Orange County lets residents compost fruit and vegetable garden waste at home, but Section 7-9-102 requires compost piles be screened from neighboring properties…

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…

Portions of Newport Beach, particularly the hillside areas of Newport Coast and San Joaquin Hills, are designated as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Properties in these areas…

Newport Beach property owners must cut and remove weeds, grass, vines and other ignitable vegetation within 10 feet of a chimney outlet under Municipal Code Section 9.04.060. The Fire…

Newport Beach bans beach, camp and recreational fires everywhere except in City-provided containers at posted, permitted locations under Section 9.04.070. Section 9.04.080 separately…

Newport Beach only allows beach fires in fire rings or fire pits that the City Manager has specifically designated for burning, and only natural wood, lighter fluid, manufactured fire…

Newport Beach bans virtually all fireworks in city limits. Municipal Code Section 9.04.420 makes it unlawful to store, use, sell, possess, or handle "Safe and Sane" 1.4G fireworks or…

In unincorporated Orange County, propane and LP-gas storage follows the 2025 California Fire Code's Chapter 61 exactly: the county adopted it in its entirety with zero local…

Newport Beach declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles on public or private property a public nuisance under Municipal Code Section 10.52.010. The Police Chief…

Newport Beach caps commercial loading zone use at 20 minutes for materials and 3 minutes for passengers under Municipal Code Section 12.48.060, and the City Traffic Engineer can…

Newport Beach declares it a public nuisance to park or store a vehicle in the required front yard setback unless it sits in a garage, carport, or paved driveway leading to one, under…

Painting a street or curb surface in Newport Beach without City authorization is illegal. Municipal Code Section 12.20.080 bars unauthorized curb painting outright, though the ban does…

Newport Beach declares it a public nuisance to park or store any watercraft longer than 35 feet on residential property, under Municipal Code Section 10.50.020(L). Length is measured…

Newport Beach bars parking within 20 feet of a mid-block safety zone curb point, within 25 feet of an intersection, and within 25 feet of a traffic signal or stop sign, once the City…

Newport Beach lets the City Council create Residents' Preferential Parking zones under Chapter 12.68 where posted nonresident parking limits don't apply to permit-displaying vehicles…

Newport Beach lets the City Council designate specific streets where parking or standing between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. is banned, under Municipal Code Section 12.44.160. The ban only takes…

Newport Beach bans parking or leaving standing any heavy-duty commercial vehicle on a public street or alley in a residential district, or within 500 feet of a park, day care center or…

Newport Beach bars leaving a vehicle parked at a public electric vehicle charging station once charging is complete, under Municipal Code Section 12.44.111. An automatic per-minute…

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…

Newport Beach only counts a rental as 'home-sharing,' rather than a regular short term lodging, if the owner lives on site in the unit the entire time a paying guest is staying there.

Every Newport Beach short term lodging permit requires a written rental agreement limiting overnight occupancy to the maximum allowed by the building code and fire code. Exceeding that…

Newport Beach suspends a short term lodging permit for six months after two violations of any permit condition, Code section, or state or federal law within a 12-month period, and…

Newport Beach caps short term lodging permits citywide at 1,550, with 1,475 allowed in residential districts and 75 in mixed-use areas; no owner may advertise or rent short term…

Newport Beach can direct hosting platforms like Airbnb to collect and remit transient occupancy tax, and platforms must strip any listing lacking a City-issued registration number and…

Newport Beach short term lodging permits require silence for amplified or reproduced sound audible from the property line between 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. Guests who break the curfew…

Newport Beach charges a 9% transient occupancy tax on every stay of 30 days or less in a hotel, motel, vacation rental or similar unit under Municipal Code Sec. 3.16.030. Operators…

Newport Beach limits the total number of short term lodging permits citywide to 1,550. Residential districts are separately capped at 1,475 permits and the multi-use area at 75, with a…

Newport Beach requires short term lodging owners to make all on-site parking, including garage, carport, driveway and tandem spaces, available to guests and disclose the exact count…

Orange County does not impose a separate extended home-share category for partial-unit rentals exceeding hosted-only night caps. All short-term rentals in unincorporated areas operate…

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…

Newport Beach bans loud, unreasonable noise that disturbs neighbors at any hour under Municipal Code Sections 10.28.007 and 10.28.010, but an officer must first ask a violator to stop…

A dog or other animal that barks or makes noise loud enough to disturb two or more neighbors in separate residences is a declared nuisance in Newport Beach. Ten minutes of continuous…

Newport Beach requires an Administrative Services Department permit before anyone uses sound-amplifying equipment or a sound truck in the city, per Municipal Code Section 10.32.020…

Newport Beach limits construction noise to weekdays 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. outside high-density areas under Municipal Code Section 10.28.040. No…

Newport Beach's general noise ordinance exempts aircraft in flight as preempted by state and federal law, but the Zoning Code still requires new homes near John Wayne Airport to…

Newport Beach sets numeric exterior noise limits by noise zone under Municipal Code Section 10.26.025: 55 dBA daytime and 50 dBA at night in single-, two- and multiple-family…

Newport Beach regulates leaf blower use through its general noise ordinance under NBMC Chapter 10.26. Gas-powered leaf blowers must comply with permitted landscaping hours and decibel…

In unincorporated Orange County, it's a misdemeanor to operate a vehicle in a way reasonably likely to disturb the peace of any neighborhood or person through noise, dust, smoke or…

Newport Beach's Zoning Code bans barbed wire, electrical fences, razor wire, and similar materials on residential property under Municipal Code Section 20.30.040(E). The prohibition…

Newport Beach caps retaining walls at 8 feet measured from finish grade at the base of the wall under Municipal Code Section 20.30.040(A)(2), and requires horizontal separation between…

Newport Beach limits fences, hedges, and walls to 42 inches in front setback areas and 6 feet in rear and interior side yards under Municipal Code Section 20.30.040, with an 8-foot cap…

A building permit is required in Newport Beach for any fence over 6 feet, or over 3.5 feet if masonry or concrete built within 3 feet of the property line, under the city's amendment…

Shared boundary fences in Newport Beach are governed primarily by California Civil Code good neighbor fence provisions. Both property owners generally share responsibility for…

Newport Beach lets owners rent out an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or junior ADU, but bans renting either one for 30 days or less and bars selling or conveying the unit separately…

Newport Beach does not require an owner to live on site for a standard accessory dwelling unit, but it does for a junior ADU. Municipal Code Section 20.48.200(H)(3) requires a natural…

Newport Beach approves ADUs and junior ADUs ministerially within 60 days under Municipal Code Section 20.48.200, capping detached units at 16 feet and limiting size to 850 or 1,000…

Newport Beach lets small accessory structures, including sheds and mechanical equipment housings, sit inside the required side or rear yard setback if they stay six feet tall or less…

Converting a required garage parking space into living area in unincorporated Orange County is allowed only under a new-construction permit, and the owner must replace the removed…

Newport Beach permits home occupations by right in every residential zoning district under Table 2-1, but Municipal Code Section 20.48.110 requires the business to be run by a resident…

Newport Beach allows small family day care homes (six or fewer adults, eight or fewer children) by right in every residential zone, while large homes (seven to fourteen adults, nine to…

Home occupations in Newport Beach cannot generate pedestrian, auto or truck traffic significantly above what is normal for the neighborhood, and Municipal Code Section 20.48.110(L)…

Newport Beach bans any visible signage for a home-based business. Municipal Code Section 20.48.110(D) prohibits advertising signs, merchandise displays, or any other evidence of the…

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…

Newport Beach requires a building permit to construct, alter, or replace a residential pool or spa under the city's Administrative Code. Only small prefabricated, above-ground units…

Newport Beach requires building and electrical permits for permanent hot tub and spa installations. Spas must comply with California Building Code barrier requirements, electrical…

Newport Beach rental properties are subject to California's statewide just cause eviction protections under AB 1482 (Civil Code Section 1946.2). Landlords may not terminate tenancies…

Newport Beach does not impose local rent control or rent stabilization ordinances on residential properties. California's Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) applies statewide, capping…

Newport Beach requires owners of short-term lodging units to obtain permits but does not operate a general long-term rental registration program. Landlords of residential rental…

Unincorporated OC treats overcrowded, unventilated, unsanitary or substandard housing as a public nuisance under the Uniform Housing Code.

California AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019) requires landlords countywide in Orange County to provide written notice of statewide rent caps and just-cause eviction protections…

The Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) administers Section 8 housing-choice vouchers for most unincorporated areas and many cities. Landlords are required to accept voucher…

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 requires written notice before raising a month-to-month tenant's rent. Under Civ. Code § 827, increases of 10% or less in 12 months need 30 days' notice; increases above 10%…

As of July 1, 2024, California landlords may collect no more than one month's rent as a security deposit, regardless of whether the unit is furnished. The deposit, minus any lawful…

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

Newport Beach residents must separate recyclables into the blue cart and organic waste into the green cart per California SB 1383 requirements. Accepted recyclables include paper…

Newport Beach limits how long waste can pile up on a property: Municipal Code Section 6.04.110 caps solid waste, green waste, wood waste, and food scraps at one calendar week and…

Newport Beach requires AB 341 generators, businesses and multifamily properties producing enough waste, to divert all recyclable material from the trash under Municipal Code Section…

Newport Beach handles oversized trash separately from regular carts under Municipal Code Section 6.04.080: items too big for an approved container are bulky items, collected under…

Newport Beach makes trash and recycling collection an exclusive City-authorized service under Municipal Code Section 6.04.060: once solid waste or divertible material is set at the…

Newport Beach bans dumping solid waste or divertible material on another person's property, on public streets, beaches, or in Newport Bay, and on your own land. Municipal Code Section…

Newport Beach requires every single-family household to separate food scraps from trash under Municipal Code Section 6.06.030, implementing the state's SB 1383 organics law. Residents…

Newport Beach requires green waste and wood waste collected in the City to be composted on site or delivered to a permitted processing facility under Municipal Code Section 6.06.050…

Newport Beach controls when and where trash and recycling carts sit under Municipal Code Section 6.04.120: containers must be stored out of view except on collection day, set out no…

In the Santa Ana Heights Residential Equestrian (REQ) District, Newport Beach bars dumpsters from a home's front setback and requires them fully screened from the street with a block…

Newport Beach restricts food truck vending to designated commercial and industrial zones. Mobile food vendors are prohibited from operating in residential districts, on public beaches…

Newport Beach requires every mobile food preparation unit to hold a food vending permit from the County Health Department before operating, per Municipal Code Sec. 6.08.030. Applicants…

Newport Beach requires anyone selling food or merchandise from a pushcart, stand, or similar nonmotorized setup on a public sidewalk to first obtain a sidewalk vendor permit from the…

Door-to-door solicitors and peddlers in Newport Beach must obtain a solicitor permit from the Police Department before conducting commercial solicitation. Permits require a background…

Newport Beach enforces no-soliciting sign compliance, requiring all solicitors to immediately leave properties displaying such signs. Residents may post no-soliciting signs to prevent…

Newport Beach allows political signs on private property subject to size limits and placement restrictions. Signs may be displayed during election periods without a permit. Political…

Newport Beach bans all new billboards, digital or static, citywide. Only billboards that legally existed or held an unexpired permit before the ban's adoption may remain, and the city…

Garage sale signs in Newport Beach must follow the temporary sign standards in Chapter 20.42, can never be placed in a public right-of-way or on public property, and must come down…

Newport Beach caps window signage at 20 percent of total window area per building frontage, whether the signs are permanent or temporary. The rule, enforced by the Community…

In unincorporated Orange County, billboards facing highway traffic are allowed only in C1 and C2 commercial districts and need a Use Permit from the Zoning Administrator; permanent…

Newport Beach requires a permit from the City Manager or Film Liaison before anyone stages, shoots or records images on residential property, public property or a public facility for a…

Newport Beach still requires a film permit for student productions, but Section 5.46.030 waives both the application fee and the daily permit fee that other commercial filmmakers must…

Newport Beach bars anyone from operating a massage establishment without a Police Department operator's permit, and every technician must hold a current CAMTC state certification…

Newport Beach requires a Police-issued tobacco retailer's permit for every location, and new retailers must sit 1,000 feet from another tobacco shop and 500 feet from schools, parks…

Secondhand dealers in Newport Beach, defined by cross-reference to California's Business and Professions Code, need a Chief of Police permit under Municipal Code Chapter 5.20. They…

Pawnbrokers in Newport Beach need a Chief of Police permit before opening, under Municipal Code Chapter 5.20. Applicants are fingerprinted and investigated, pledged goods must sit…

Newport Beach limits police-requested towing to just two Council-selected companies operating under five-year contracts, each needing a City business license and meeting minimum truck…

Newport Beach confines tattoo establishments to commercial zoning districts, caps hours at 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. by appointment only, and imposes strict separation distances from schools…

Newport Beach requires an adult-oriented business permit and business license before any adult bookstore, cabaret, theater, model studio, or similar use can operate, on top of Title 20…

Newport Beach bans vehicle repair and vehicle storage tied to a home business outright. Municipal Code Section 20.48.110(K) states vehicle repair or storage associated with the home…

Newport Beach bills recycled water users a monthly fixed service charge, a per-unit commodity charge, and a pump station charge under Municipal Code Chapter 14.13. Rates reset every…

Newport Beach property owners must fix any leak, break or malfunction in their own plumbing or distribution system within three days of getting notice from the City, under the…

Newport Beach requires a special event permit for any street fair or craft show on a residential or commercial right-of-way that could obstruct traffic, under Municipal Code Section…

Newport Beach requires a City Manager permit before closing any street or alley for a street dance, neighborhood party, or special event under § 12.62.010, with an application fee…

Commercial filming in Newport Beach is carved out of the special event permit chapter and instead governed by its own film production ordinance. Any shoot for commercial or business…

Reserving a Newport Beach park or park facility for a birthday party, sports league, class, or other group activity requires a use permit or agreement from the Director of Recreation…

Parades and motorcades in Newport Beach are regulated as special events. No one may organize a parade, motorcade, or similar procession on a public street without a special event…

A Newport Beach restaurant cannot place tables, chairs or other equipment on a public sidewalk for outdoor dining without first obtaining a sidewalk cafe license encroachment permit…

Newport Beach requires anyone who builds a new building, moves a building onto vacant land, or expands an existing main building's floor area by more than 50 percent to plant a parkway…

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

Newport Beach lets the Fire Marshal declare weeds, dry brush and rubbish on vacant lots a public nuisance under Municipal Code Section 10.48.020 and order abatement. Owners get 30…

Newport Beach declares any substandard building, one with structural hazards, faulty wiring, or unsanitary conditions, a public nuisance the city can force an owner to repair…

Orange County, California does not experience snowfall in its unincorporated communities and has no snow removal or sidewalk snow-clearing ordinance. Coastal and inland Southern…

Newport Beach declares any gathering of eight or more people involving loud or unruly conduct a public nuisance under Municipal Code Section 10.66.020. Civil fines escalate from $500…

Newport Beach bans smoking tobacco products across a long list of public places under Municipal Code Sec. 6.25.020, including every public park, beach and the oceanfront boardwalk plus…

Newport Beach makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate on private property visible to the public, or on any public street, sidewalk, alley, park or beach, unless using a public or…

Newport Beach bans skateboarding outright on any public pier under § 12.57.022, and lets the City Council prohibit it by resolution on any street, sidewalk, or parking lot with a grade…

Newport Beach bars drinking or carrying an open alcohol container on streets, sidewalks, parking lots, piers, beaches, vacant lots, and parks under Municipal Code Section 10.04.010…

Newport Beach bars sitting, lying, sleeping, or storing property in public rights-of-way under Municipal Code Section 10.08.010, with flat bans near driveways, fire hydrants, ATMs, and…

Newport Beach requires erosion control on every graded slope and pad under Municipal Code Section 15.10.130: check dams, riprap, and permanent desilting basins must keep silt out of…

Newport Beach requires an approved fuel modification plan before issuing a building permit for property in a Fire Hazard Severity Zone or Wildland-Urban Interface area, under Section…

In Newport Beach flood hazard areas, new construction and substantial improvements must have the lowest floor elevated to or above the design flood elevation, which is the base flood…

Newport Beach bans illicit connections to the storm drain system and any discharge other than stormwater under Municipal Code Section 14.36.030. New development and significant…

Newport Beach requires a harbor development permit before anyone builds, modifies or maintains a private dock, pier or float over the waters of Newport Harbor or the Pacific Ocean. The…

Newport Beach requires elevation or floodproofing for all new construction and substantial improvements inside FEMA special flood hazard areas, plus a building permit and technical…

Development within the coastal zone of unincorporated Orange County requires a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) under OCCO §7-9-127 and the California Coastal Act. The County has…

Newport Beach wires its electrical rules to the 2025 California Electrical Code, itself based on the 2023 National Electrical Code, and folds every electrical permit's fees…

Newport Beach requires general child day care centers to sit on lots of at least 10,000 square feet, keep a 30-foot setback from residential zones, and provide fenced outdoor play…

Newport Beach requires automatic fire sprinklers throughout every new Group R building, including single-family homes and apartments, under Municipal Code Section 9.04.280. Existing…

Newport Beach adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) as the Newport Beach Green Standards Code under Chapter 15.11 of the Municipal Code. The Building…

Newport Beach's Excavation and Grading Code requires the Building Official to inspect every permitted grading job through seven distinct stages, from pre-grading notice to a final…

Newport Beach's Building Division, created under the Administrative Code, requires a permit for most construction but carves out narrow exceptions for small fences and above-ground…

Newport Beach plumbing work runs on the 2025 California Plumbing Code, based on the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code, with Appendix Chapters A and C included. Permit fees, inspections and…

Newport Beach caps new residential HVAC equipment at 50 dBA under Municipal Code Section 10.26.045, or 55 dBA if paired with a timer that shuts the unit off between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m…

In unincorporated Orange County, portable and standby generators are classified as fixed noise sources under Division 6 and must meet the 55/50 dB(A) exterior noise limits set for…

Newport Beach splits the annual business license tax into three classes: out-of-town, residentially based, and commercially based. Each class pays a tax set by City Council resolution…

Newport Beach bans sitting, lying, sleeping or storing personal property in public rights-of-way and plazas under Municipal Code Section 10.08.010. The rule sets buffer zones around…

Newport Beach bans camping in any prohibited public place under Municipal Code Section 10.14.020, using a detailed conduct-based definition covering tents, bedding, cooking gear and…

Newport Beach's Zoning Code expressly declines to enforce private CC&Rs, covenants or easements between homeowners. Section 20.10.040(D)(1) makes clear that HOA governing documents are…

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 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…

Newport Beach bans riding any motorized scooter, including rented shared e-scooters, on the Oceanfront Boardwalk under Municipal Code § 12.54.025. Citywide, Police may impound any…

Newport Beach's City Charter flatly bans red light cameras and any other automated traffic enforcement system. Charter Section 426 voids any ordinance the City Council adopts…

Newport Beach lets its Traffic Engineer designate and sign bicycle lanes per § 12.56.050, bars riding bikes or e-bikes on sidewalks unless posted otherwise under § 12.56.030, and…

At John Wayne Airport, no driver may pick up or solicit passengers for hire, including rideshare fares, without a contract authorizing the pickup issued by the Board of Supervisors.

Unincorporated Orange County defines electric bicycles by Class 1, 2 and 3 under County Code § 6-4-102, then layers its own rules: no rider under 16 may operate a Class 3 e-bike…

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…

Newport Beach charges a 9% transient occupancy tax on rent paid by any hotel, motel, short-term rental, or space occupied 30 days or less. Operators collect it from guests and remit it…

Newport Beach bans card rooms outright: Municipal Code Section 10.16.020 makes it unlawful to let any building or room in the City be used as a place for playing cards, dice or…

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…

Newport Beach bans all cannabis dispensaries, cultivation, processing and delivery citywide under Municipal Code Section 10.70.030, with no zoning district where a storefront…

Newport Beach allows personal cannabis cultivation of up to six plants per residence for adults 21 and older under California Proposition 64. Plants must be grown indoors in a private…

Newport Beach caps residential garage and yard sales at three consecutive days per sale and no more than two sales per twelve-month period, under Municipal Code Section 20.48.150…

Newport Beach fixes minimum yard setbacks by residential zoning district in Table 2-2 of the Zoning Code. R-1 lots need a 20-foot front, interior side setbacks as narrow as 3 feet, and…

Newport Beach's Zoning Code caps how much of a single-unit residential lot can be covered by structures. Under Table 2-2, R-1-6,000, R-1-7,200 and R-1-10,000 lots max out at 60 percent…

Homes in Newport Beach's R-1, R-2, R-A, and R-BI districts are capped at 24 feet with a flat roof or 29 feet with a sloped roof under Municipal Code Section 20.30.060(C)(2)(a). A…

A building infested with insects, vermin or rodents can be declared a substandard building and a public nuisance under Newport Beach's building code, forcing the owner to fix or…

Newport Beach bans sitting, lying, sleeping or storing personal property in ways that block public rights-of-way, setting fixed buffers like 20 feet from driveways and fire hydrants…

Newport Beach Municipal Code § 13.01.100 requires the owner of property abutting a sidewalk that is out of repair, endangers people or property, or interferes with public use to repair…

In unincorporated Orange County, building or repairing a sidewalk, curb, driveway, or retaining wall in a public highway right-of-way requires a permit from the Road Commissioner…

Newport Beach bars minors under 18 from loitering in public streets, parks and vacant lots between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under Municipal Code Section 10.36.030. Exceptions cover…

Newport Beach closes every city park and park facility overnight. Section 11.04.040 makes it unlawful to enter or remain in a park or park facility between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m…

Newport Beach outlaws selling, advertising, offering for sale, or distributing any flavored tobacco product anywhere in the City under Municipal Code Sec. 6.30.020, adopted by…

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…

Newport Beach requires a building permit for every small residential rooftop solar system, but Chapter 15.18 of the Municipal Code puts the application, checklist and standard plan…

Newport Beach must issue small residential rooftop solar permits the same day for over-the-counter applications, or within one to three business days for electronic submittals, once a…

California's Solar Rights Act strongly protects Newport Beach homeowners' right to install solar energy systems despite HOA rules. HOAs cannot prohibit solar panels and may only impose…

Newport Beach requires all outdoor lighting fixtures to be shielded and aimed so they don't glare onto neighboring property, and mandates full cut-off fixtures for parking lots and…

Newport Beach requires spotlighting and floodlighting on buildings, statues, and landscaping to use full cut-off or directionally shielded fixtures confined to the object being lit…

Unincorporated Orange County limits how bright and where billboard lighting can shine: direct light rays must stay on-site, and signs facing homes within 100 feet can't be lit at all.

Newport Beach allows a freestanding gas barbecue or fireplace to sit inside a required setback, but caps height at 42 inches in the front yard and six feet along the side or rear, and…

Orange County's Fire Code exempts backyard grills, smokers and other cooking-only devices from the setback rules that govern fire pits and fireplaces, but it still bans any outdoor…

Newport Beach grants residential density bonuses of up to 50 percent, plus development standard waivers, for housing developments that reserve a share of units for very low-, low- or…

Newport Beach caps noise at the receiving property line under Municipal Code Chapter 10.26. On industrial land the limit is 70 dB(A) day and night; at a single-family home it drops to…

Newport Beach has no data-center ordinance and no "data center" use category. The city's only industrial district, IG, permits industrial and communication uses. A data center is…

Orange County prohibits operation of drones and radio-controlled devices in all county parks, beaches, and recreational areas under Section 2-5-42 of the Codified Ordinances except in…

Unincorporated Orange County's A1 General Agricultural District permits farming, ranching and crop sales as by-right uses on a 4-acre minimum site.

The California Right to Farm Act under Civil Code 3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits brought by neighbors who moved in after farming began. The…

California AB 1884 prohibits OC full-service restaurants from automatically providing single-use plastic straws; customers must explicitly request one. Many OC coastal cities go…

California AB 1276 requires OC food facilities to provide single-use utensils, napkins, stirrers, and condiment packets only when customers request them or affirmatively select them at…

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…

Orange County does not require employers or contractors to use the federal E-Verify system, and California Assembly Bill 1065 prohibits cities and counties from forcing private…

California's noxious weed list applies in Orange County. The OC Agricultural Commissioner enforces plant quarantines and pest regulations. The county's Water Efficient Landscape…

In unincorporated Orange County, flower, fruit and vegetable gardening is allowed in every residential district, but all growing, harvesting and selling must stay entirely on your own…

California sets a statewide minimum wage floor under Labor Code 1182.12, $16.90 per hour for all employers as of January 2026. Local governments are not preempted and may set higher…

California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act under Labor Code 245-249 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees statewide. SB 616 (2023) raised the minimum to 40 hours…

California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant…

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

California broadly prohibits open carry of firearms statewide under Penal Code 25850 (loaded firearms in public) and Penal Code 26350 (open carry of unloaded handguns). The prohibition…

California prohibits carrying loaded firearms in vehicles statewide under Penal Code 25400 and 25850. Unloaded handguns transported in private vehicles must be in a locked container or…

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…