Novato, CA

In the City of Novato, California, any barbed wire or electrified fence within four horizontal feet of a public street, way, sidewalk or pedestrian way is declared a public nuisance…

In the City of Novato, a retaining wall that is not necessary as a structural element of a building cannot exceed eight feet in height, and a retaining wall above street level must sit…

In the City of Novato, a fence needs no building permit when it is 7 feet or less in total height and built of anything other than stone, masonry or concrete, or 6 feet or less when…

In the City of Novato, California, Table 3-1 in Municipal Code § 19.20.040 limits fences, walls and hedges to 3 feet within 15 feet of the sidewalk in a front setback, 6 feet elsewhere…

California Civil Code Section 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act, presumes adjoining landowners share equal benefit and equal cost responsibility for boundary fences, applying statewide…

In the City of Novato, every person who owns a cat over four months old that is present in the city must have it sterilized under Novato Municipal Code § 3-4.2, and must also microchip…

In the City of Novato, Novato Municipal Code § 3-1.22 defines potentially dangerous and vicious dogs by conduct, and no breed is named in those definitions. A declared dog must be…

In the City of Novato, a dog must be on a leash on all public property, including parks, schools and open space, unless the property is posted with signs permitting dogs off leash…

In the City of Novato, California, bird protection is written for one place: inside the Pacheco Pond Wildlife Area it is unlawful to hunt, molest, harm, frighten or kill any bird, or…

In the City of Novato, Novato Municipal Code § 3-1.23 bars any person from boarding, keeping or possessing any wild or undomesticated animal for any length of time. Section 3-1.24…

In the City of Novato, Table 3-14 in § 19.34.060 caps household pets at 5 or less per site, counting cats, dogs, pot belly pigs under 80 pounds and other non-poisonous small animals…

In the City of Novato, Novato Municipal Code § 3-1.32 bars anyone from intentionally feeding, or knowingly providing food for, non-captive wild animals, naming coyotes, mountain lions…

In the City of Novato, every person who owns, harbors or has custody of a cat over four months old must have the cat microchipped. A tag or collar does not substitute for the chip. The…

In the City of Novato, California, every owner of a cat over four months old that is present in the city must have the cat sterilized, the same age trigger as the microchip rule…

In the City of Novato, California, Table 2-7 in Municipal Code § 19.12.030 requires a Use Permit for a veterinary clinic or animal hospital in the CG, CDB, CI and LIO districts and…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, Novato Municipal Code § 19.34.060 allows animal keeping in residential zoning districts under Table 3-14: up to 12 fowl on at least…

Any grooming business operating in unincorporated Marin County is a "commercial animal establishment" under the county code and cannot open without a permit from the county's animal…

Marin County does not zone or cap backyard hives; the Development Code simply lists beekeeping as an allowed agricultural production use. The county's real regulatory bite lands in the…

In the City of Novato, California, it is unlawful to store, manufacture, sell or discharge fireworks, firecrackers, torpedoes or any similar agency that creates noise or fire. The only…

In the City of Novato, development in areas the Novato fire district board defines as high hazard fire areas must eliminate listed hazardous vegetation within 30 feet of all structures…

In the City of Novato, California, no one lights or maintains a fire on public property unless it burns in an apparatus the City of Novato provides, owns or maintains for that purpose…

In the City of Novato, new and substantially remodeled buildings in any Fire Hazard Severity Zone or Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area designated by the enforcing agency must meet the…

Open burning (debris piles, vegetation) is prohibited in unincorporated Marin County from May 1 to October 31. Outside that window, residents need a LE5 California Inter-Agency Burn…

Marin County Fire Code § 16.16.034 restricts where liquefied petroleum gas can be stored, tying the limit to the residential and commercial areas the County itself has established. The…

Marin County Code § 19.14.020(2) requires State Fire Marshal-approved smoke alarms in any residential dwelling unit being altered or improved by at least $1,000, verified as a…

In the City of Novato, California, a Short Term Rental must hold a city Short Term Rental license as a condition precedent to renting all or a portion of a dwelling unit. Eligibility…

In the City of Novato, California, the hotel room tax ordinance names short-term rental of all or part of a dwelling unit for less than 30 days consecutive tenancy as a taxable hotel…

Marin County requires short-term rental owners to notify occupants of neighboring properties before obtaining or renewing a business license. The 2024 ordinance also limits new…

Marin County splits short-term rentals into 'hosted' units, the primary residence of the owner or a designated host, and 'unhosted' units with no resident overseeing them. Under Code…

Every short-term rental in unincorporated Marin County must provide off-street parking that meets the county's general zoning standards. Section 5.41.060(4) ties STR parking directly…

Marin County holds short-term rental owners responsible for keeping their guests within the county's general noise law. Section 5.41.060(5) ties every STR directly to Section…

Marin County will not renew a short-term rental license once code enforcement has verified more than three substantial violations of the chapter or the license terms during a single…

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…

In the City of Novato, California, using any system that amplifies sound in a city park, whether for speech, music or anything else, is prohibited unless an exclusive use permit is…

In the City of Novato, Novato Municipal Code § 3-1.20 makes it unlawful to let a dog, cat, fowl or other animal habitually bark, yelp, howl or make noise that unreasonably disturbs…

In the City of Novato, California, section 7-13.3 makes it unlawful to operate a gas-powered leaf blower at any time. Every other leaf blower, electric ones included, is limited by…

In the City of Novato, California, authorized construction is exempt from the Table 3-5 noise limits between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays and between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturdays…

In the City of Novato, California, Table 3-5 of section 19.22.070 caps exterior noise at the property line: residential 45 dBA from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and 60 dBA from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m…

Marin County Code § 6.70.030(4) bars yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, or singing on public roads between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. if it disturbs the quiet, comfort, or repose of anyone…

California sets statewide airport noise limits under Title 21 CCR, with the state preempting most local aviation noise control because federal FAA authority dominates aircraft…

In the City of Novato, electric vehicle charging stations go through an expedited permit process run by the chief building official, who publishes an adopted checklist on the city…

In the City of Novato, California, no vehicle or trailer can sit on a street or alley for more than 72 consecutive hours, parking on parkways and bicycle lanes is banned, and curb…

In the City of Novato, California, Municipal Code § 19.34.170 limits outdoor parking and storage at a home in a residential zone to four vehicles. Only operable vehicles can sit in the…

Section 18-7.21 lets the Novato City Council designate streets by resolution where adjacent residents and merchants can be issued preferential parking permits. A permit exempts the…

In the City of Novato, California, nobody can leave a vehicle or trailer on any street or alley for more than 72 consecutive hours. A separate rule bars vehicles longer than 24 feet or…

Under Section 18-7.12 of the Novato Municipal Code, each curb color in the City of Novato has a fixed meaning. Red means no stopping, standing or parking at any time, yellow limits…

In the City of Novato, no one can park a commercial vehicle over 10,000 pounds unladen gross weight on a city street in a residential, planned residential, community facilities…

In the City of Novato, leaving an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle on public or private property for more than ten days is an infraction unless it is fully…

In the City of Novato, a yellow curb is a loading zone from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on any day except Sunday and holidays. Passenger loading is capped at three minutes and freight loading at…

Marin County has no general ordinance banning recreational vehicles, trailers, or boats from parking on streets in unincorporated areas; the 72-hour street-parking limit and any signed…

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…

In the City of Novato, California, a written permit from the community development director is required to alter or remove a heritage tree on any parcel, or to remove one or more trees…

In the City of Novato, California, owners must keep trees they maintain at least eight feet above any public right-of-way and free of dead or dangerous growth. Pruning a street tree…

In the City of Novato, Section 19.31.030(G) makes overgrown, dead, decayed or diseased vegetation on private property unlawful. The section prints no height in inches. Vegetation is…

Marin County Code § 7.04.050 exempts homeowners from the county's dump-permit law when they pile up their own garden, tree, shrub and lawn trimmings on their own property to make…

Unincorporated Marin's Development Code lists rainwater cisterns and collectors, alongside solar collectors and storage sheds, as an allowed residential accessory use. A free-standing…

In unincorporated Marin County served by Marin Municipal Water District (Marin Water), Ordinance 459 prohibits using district water to irrigate new ornamental lawn in…

Marin County requires a landscaping plan for every discretionary development permit and directs it to favor native species. Section 22.26.040(G) states landscaping 'should be designed…

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…

In the City of Novato, pools fall under the building code, and Section 106.2 exempts only one kind from permits: a prefabricated pool accessory to a detached one- or two-family…

Private swimming pools in unincorporated Marin County must comply with the California Building Code pool barrier requirements; Marin's Chapter 19.12 governs decorative pools, ponds…

In the City of Novato, California, a home business needs approval from the Director in conjunction with a City Business License under Municipal Code § 19.34.080. Activity must stay…

In the City of Novato, California, a home occupation gets one name plate not exceeding one square foot and nothing else. Municipal Code § 19.34.080.C.4 bars window displays…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, Novato Municipal Code § 19.34.070.A allows a small family day care home (8 or fewer children) and a large one (9 to 14 children) within…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, a home occupation under Novato Municipal Code § 19.34.080.C.9 can have only one client or family on site at a time, and visitors…

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…

In the City of Novato, Section 19.34.030 allows one accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a primary single-family dwelling, approved ministerially on a building permit alone. A…

In the City of Novato, an accessory dwelling unit must be rented to the same person or persons for a term of 30 days or longer under Section 19.34.030(K). The recorded deed restriction…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, a conversion accessory dwelling unit created inside an existing accessory structure under Novato Municipal Code § 19.34.030 needs only…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, an accessory dwelling unit under 750 square feet of floor area pays no development impact fees under Novato Municipal Code §…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, accessory structures in residential districts follow Novato Municipal Code § 19.34.032: a maximum of two, up to 12 feet tall, set back…

A Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit in unincorporated Marin County requires the property to be owner-occupied. Marin County Code of Ordinances § 22.32.125(E) states 'the property shall be…

In the City of Novato, California, no commercial cannabis permit is issued for storefront retail sales, which section 8-11.6(b) prohibits. Permitted cannabis businesses must sit in…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, commercial cannabis operations must stay 600 feet from schools teaching kindergarten through grade 12, daycare centers and youth…

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…

In the City of Novato, California, it is unlawful to conduct a filming activity without first obtaining a film permit from the chief of police. News filming, filming inside a studio…

In the City of Novato, California, the chief of police can condition a film permit on restrictions on gunfire, explosions and other noise-creating or hazardous devices, and on…

In the City of Novato, California, a film permit application involving road closures must be filed not less than ten days in advance. Altered traffic flow needs a traffic operations…

Marin County still requires the Chapter 5.36 commercial filming permit for student or educational productions, but Section 5.36.030 lets the board of supervisors waive all or part of…

In the City of Novato, California, nine kinds of park use need a park permit under Municipal Code § 10-4, including exclusive use, amplified sound, commercial activity, open flames…

In the City of Novato, anyone who wants to conduct or sponsor a parade, athletic event or other special event first obtains a special event permit from the chief of police. Events on…

In the Downtown Core of the City of Novato, fronting Grant Avenue and Redwood Boulevard, a restaurant uses the sidewalk for outdoor dining only under a license agreement with the city…

In the City of Novato, a downtown business needs a license from the city engineer to build a parklet or streatery in a parking stall or tree well. The applicant needs a ground-floor…

Marin County requires anyone holding a circus, carnival, festival, concert, or similar amusement event in the unincorporated area to secure a license under Chapter 5.12 at least…

In the City of Novato, California, skateboards, in-line skates and scooters are barred from roadways except bike lanes, from sidewalks and private shopping areas where signs are…

In the City of Novato, California, it is unlawful to consume, dispense or furnish alcoholic beverages on a public sidewalk, pedestrian way, street, open space or creek right-of-way…

In the City of Novato, California, a gathering of three or more people on private property that causes a substantial disturbance through loud and raucous noise is a public nuisance…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, marijuana smoke counts as smoke under the Novato Smoke-Free Air and Health Protection Ordinance in section 7-3. Smoking and tobacco…

In the City of Novato, California, smoking and tobacco product use, including vaping and marijuana smoke, are prohibited in the unenclosed areas of recreational areas, service areas…

In the City of Novato, no pedestrian can cross a roadway other than at a crosswalk in any business district. Everywhere in the city, a pedestrian crossing outside a marked crosswalk…

In the City of Novato, it is unlawful to linger or loiter on any portion of a median less than four feet wide, and unlawful to block a traffic sign or signal on any median for more…

Marin County Open Space District Code section 02.02.110 bars urinating or defecating within fifty feet of any entrance to district lands, within one hundred feet of any water source…

In the City of Novato, California, it is unlawful for anyone to enter or remain in any city park facility between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under Municipal Code § 10-30. The director of…

In the City of Novato, California, minors under 16 cannot remain in public places between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., and minors 16 and 17 cannot between 11:30 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., under…

In the City of Novato, California, no one can keep or operate a place where a game of hazard or chance is played for anything of value. Section 14-5.5 spares card games only if no one…

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…

In the City of Novato, California, anyone peddling, taking orders or canvassing door to door for commercial purposes needs a commercial solicitation permit from the chief of police…

In the City of Novato, California, commercial solicitation is unlawful at premises painted or posted with a clearly visible sign reading No Peddlers, No Solicitors, No Agents, No…

In the City of Novato, code enforcement officials can inspect any apartment building, hotel, apartment, guest room, or the real property in response to a complaint from any person…

Every owner of an apartment building or hotel in the City of Novato must let the city inspect each building, every apartment or guest room, and the grounds one time each calendar year…

In the City of Novato, California, it is unlawful and a public nuisance to camp, occupy camp facilities or use camp paraphernalia on any public property, or to store personal property…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, new construction and substantial improvement in a special flood hazard area must have the lowest floor, basement included, at or above…

In the City of Novato, California, anyone doing soil-disturbing construction must put erosion and sediment controls in place under section 7-4.10c. A written erosion and sediment…

In the City of Novato, California, section 7-4.6 prohibits discharging anything other than stormwater into the city storm drain system, and any other discharge must comply with an…

In the City of Novato, the F1 flood overlay district, applied to lands in a primary floodway, limits allowable land uses to boat docks, and each dock needs Use Permit approval…

In the City of Novato, California, Municipal Code § 19.16.050 applies a Flood Hazard (F) overlay in three tiers. F1 primary floodway land is limited to boat docks with a Use Permit, F2…

Marin County caps construction-equipment idling at five minutes on projects that trigger environmental review. Section 22.20.040(C)(6) of the Development Code tells contractors to shut…

Marin County's coastal areas are regulated by the Local Coastal Program (LCP) Implementation Plan, codified in Title 20 of the Marin County Code. Development within the Coastal Zone…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, non-residential buildings must provide solid waste and recycling storage areas sized by floor area, kept out of required front yards…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, every development must place solid waste collection points within 75 feet of a through or cul-de-sac street. A common collection point…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, section 7-2.1 makes it an infraction to place or dump trash, garbage, refuse or rubbish on a public street, park, waterway or other…

In the City of Novato, California, section 7-14.060 requires every food vendor that provides waste containers for customer use to offer separate receptacles for garbage, recyclables…

In the City of Novato, every covered construction, demolition and renovation project must divert at least 50 percent of its construction and demolition debris through reuse or…

In the City of Novato, new multi-family projects of five or more units and new non-residential projects must provide storage areas for recyclable material as well as solid waste, sized…

Marin County Code § 7.00.110 bars anyone from collecting, hauling or handling garbage, recyclables or organic waste in the unincorporated county without a franchise agreement with the…

Marin County Code § 7.00.010 defines "bulky waste" as oversized items such as mattresses, appliances, furniture, tires and tree limbs that normal collection cannot handle. Outside of a…

Marin County Code § 7.00.060 requires every residential generator in the unincorporated county to subscribe to the county's organic waste collection service and to size garbage…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, no one can operate a food establishment without a valid certificate from the county health officer, and the certificate must be…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, section 7-1.3 bars the county health officer from issuing a food establishment certificate until satisfactory evidence shows every…

Marin County Code § 7.08.040 requires every building and premises in the county to be kept positively free from rats by the owner, lessee, occupant or agent. Section 7.08.050 backs…

In the City of Novato, California, apartment buildings with three or more apartments and hotels with four or more guest rooms must meet the substandard housing provisions of the…

Landlords in the City of Novato are prohibited from terminating a covered tenancy unless the reason is an at-fault or no-fault just cause listed in section 4-17.5. Before terminating…

In the City of Novato, California, Chapter XX of the Municipal Code is the rent control ordinance, and Section 20-2 confines it to mobilehome parks. Space rents are capped at a base…

Landlords of qualifying multifamily rentals in unincorporated Marin County must register every dwelling unit each year by January 1 under Chapter 5.100's just-cause eviction rules…

Marin County requires landlords in unincorporated areas to give tenants a notice of tenant rights whenever they serve a rent increase, on top of the state notice required by Civil Code…

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…

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…

In the City of Novato, the building division issues a permit for a small residential rooftop solar system the same day for over-the-counter applications, or within three business days…

Rooftop and ground-mounted solar energy systems in unincorporated Marin are exempt from a discretionary land use permit under Development Code Section 22.06.050(H), as long as they…

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

In the City of Novato, a park permit is required for any activity that includes an open flame, or a flame within any apparatus, including a fire pit, barbeque, or other container or…

Portable barbecues and camp stoves are barred everywhere in Marin County parks except spots the Department of Parks and Open Space designates. Section 10.08.010 limits open flame to…

In the City of Novato, no person encroaches within, upon, over or under any right-of-way, watercourse, open space or park land without first obtaining a permit under section 15-2. The…

Section 15-2.5 of the Novato Municipal Code lists encroachments the City of Novato will not permit at all, including loading docks, advertising sign posts, flashing signs, anything…

In the City of Novato, the owner of a parcel that abuts the area between the property line and the curb face of a public street is responsible for all maintenance and repairs…

In the City of Novato, California, no one can sell tobacco products, electronic smoking devices or tobacco paraphernalia without a tobacco retailer's license for each location…

In the City of Novato, California, section 8-4.3 requires a massage establishment permit from the chief of police, a use permit in a zone that allows the use, a city business license…

In the City of Novato, California, an Adult-Oriented Business needs a Regulatory Permit from the Police Chief and must sit 300 feet from another adult business, 500 feet from a…

In the City of Novato, California, a tattoo parlor can open only in a zoning district where Article 2 allows it and only on a site that meets § 19.34.168. The site cannot sit within…

In the City of Novato, California, Municipal Code § 19.34.180 allows only non-commercial vehicle repair at a home in a residential zone, and only when the resident who owns the vehicle…

In the City of Novato, California, section 8-1.6 sorts businesses into classifications for the annual business license fee: a general rate built on employee count, a per-unit rate for…

In the City of Novato, California, any owner or agent who installs, alters, repairs, removes, converts or replaces a plumbing system or component must first apply to the building…

In the City of Novato, newly constructed buildings must meet the CALGreen mandatory measures plus the Tier 1 measures from Appendix A4 or A5, with the energy-efficiency divisions…

In the City of Novato, a single swing door into a dwelling unit needs a dead bolt with a minimum one inch throw and a deadlocking latch, key operated from outside and keyless from…

In the City of Novato, an owner or agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish a building or structure, or change its occupancy or use, must apply to the…

In the City of Novato, permitted work is inspected by the building official or a designee at set stages: footing and foundation, slab and under-floor, rough plumbing, mechanical, gas…

In the City of Novato, an automatic residential fire sprinkler system must be installed in a townhouse or an existing one- or two-family dwelling when repairs, alterations or additions…

In the City of Novato, electrical work needs a permit from the building official under Section 106.1 unless it falls on the Section 106.2 exemption list. The City applies the 2025…

In the City of Novato, California, Municipal Code § 19.26.050.I limits new homes and additions on hillside lots by floor area ratio. The allowed ratio drops one percent for each…

In the City of Novato, Marin County, California, a child day care center serving 15 or more children needs Use Permit approval under § 19.42.050 and must meet the standards in Novato…

Marin County Code § 19.14.020(3) requires State Fire Marshal-compliant carbon monoxide alarms in every existing dwelling unit that has a fuel-fired appliance, a fireplace, or an…

In the City of Novato, Section 19.31.030 makes it unlawful to let property fall into listed conditions, and presumes a violation for peeling paint or broken exterior covering over four…

In the City of Novato, Section 14-6.20 bans throwing or depositing litter on any open or vacant private property, whether the person owns it or not. Section 14-6.19 requires the owner…

The City of Novato, California imposes a uniform hotel room tax of twelve percent of the rent an operator charges a transient. The operator collects it with the rent, registers with…

In the City of Novato, California, a heritage tree is any woody plant with a trunk of 24 inches in diameter or more, or one the city council designates. Altering or removing one on any…

The City of Novato, California protects native trees by category, not by a species list: development on land with native tree or woodland resources must retain a minimum of 75 percent…

In the City of Novato, California, every tree or shrub planted in or projecting over a public right-of-way must be on the council-approved Approved Street Tree List unless the director…

In the City of Novato, California, the Zoning Ordinance prints two limits for residential garage sales. Section 19.34.130 allows no more than three consecutive days within a ninety day…

In the City of Novato, California, section 19.22.040 of the Zoning Ordinance bars air conditioners, heating and ventilation equipment, pumps and similar machinery from being located…

Marin County Code § 6.70.030(5)(b) limits loud noise-generating construction equipment, including backhoes, generators, and jackhammers, to running only between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m…

Marin County Code § 6.70.030(1) makes it unlawful to sound a car horn or other vehicle signaling device except as a danger warning, to make it produce an unreasonably loud or harsh…

In the City of Novato, California, section 19.22.060 requires light or glare from interior or exterior lighting to be shielded or modified so it does not escape the property line…

Marin County's Development Code requires exterior lighting on any project that goes through Master Plan, Design Review, or Site Plan Review to stay low-wattage, point downward, and be…

In the City of Novato, California, Division 19.25 allows a state density bonus under Government Code Sections 65915 through 65918 and adds a local Senior Density Bonus to 30 dwelling…

In the City of Novato, California, Municipal Code § 19.16.040 creates the Downtown Novato Specific Plan (D) Overlay District. New development, facade renovations and new uses must…

In the City of Novato, no one can stop, stand or park a vehicle in a bicycle lane or bicycle path. Bicycles can be ridden on sidewalks unless posted otherwise, with pedestrians holding…

In the City of Novato, section 18-18 enacts the Marin Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot Program for Class 2 electric bicycles. No one under 16 can operate a Class 2 e-bike, and every rider…

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…

In the City of Novato, California, every mobile food vending vehicle needs its own commercial solicitation permit from the chief of police under Municipal Code section 14-8 before…

In the City of Novato, only a sidewalk vendor holding a city sidewalk vending permit can stop or stand in a public right-of-way. The permit lasts one calendar year and cannot be…

In the City of Novato, a mobile food vending vehicle cannot vend from a public street with a posted speed limit above 35 miles per hour, within 1,500 feet of a school on school days…

In the City of Novato, the A (Agricultural) zoning district protects land to be maintained in agricultural use, with non-agricultural uses limited to those related to and supportive of…

Marin County Code Chapter 23.03 shields established commercial farms from nuisance lawsuits over noise, odor, dust, and machinery, and requires the county to disclose that risk to…

Section 1-6.4 of the Novato Municipal Code declares a list of property conditions to be public nuisances in the City of Novato. Rank overgrowth, overgrown or diseased vegetation…

In the City of Novato, the residential setback tables set minimum yards by zone and lot-size suffix. R1-20 requires 30 ft front and rear and 15 ft sides, R1-10 requires a 25 ft front…

In the City of Novato, California, Municipal Code § 19.20.070 caps structure height at the most restrictive of the zoning district limit, the hillside slope rules in Division 19.26 and…

Marin County's Development Code doesn't set a flat maximum lot-coverage percentage by zoning district; instead, Section 22.52.020(A) requires discretionary Site Plan Review any time…

In the City of Novato, California, Municipal Code § 19.16.060 puts any development, alteration, new use or demolition in the Historic (H) Overlay District through Design Review…

In the City of Novato, Section 19.32.040 specifically prohibits animated signs, including electronic message display signs and variable intensity, blinking, or flashing signs. Time and…

In the City of Novato, permanent and temporary window signs together cannot occupy more than 20 percent of the total window area. Temporary window signs can be displayed inside a…

Unincorporated Marin County exempts temporary, non-commercial holiday and religious decorations from the Sign Permit, Sign Review, and Master Sign Program requirements that apply to…

California Civil Code Section 4710 universally prohibits homeowner associations from banning noncommercial political signs on owner-occupied separate interest property, overriding any…

Unincorporated Marin County bans the sale of any flavored tobacco product outright, including menthol cigarettes, flavored vape liquid, and flavored cigars. Marin County Code §…

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…

Marin County Code of Ordinances § 23.18.073(D) lets property owners irrigate with recycled water, but any holding pond built for it may not discharge except during a twenty-five-year…

Marin County Code of Ordinances § 23.18.073 requires every property owner in an urbanized unincorporated area to detect and repair leaks in an irrigation system within seventy-two…

Marin County has no data center ordinance, and its unincorporated land is overwhelmingly residential, agricultural, and open space with very little industrial zoning. A data center is…

Marin County caps new stationary-source noise at 50 dBA Leq daytime and 45 dBA Leq at night, measured at the property line of the affected home. A data center's cooling and generators…

Marin County's Development Code expressly refuses to police private Conditions, Covenants and Restrictions (CC&Rs) in unincorporated neighborhoods. Under Section 22.02.020.F.2, the…

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…

Marin County Open Space District Code section 02.02.080 bars anyone from operating a drone, or any other self-propelled model aircraft, boat or vehicle, on land owned or managed by the…

Marin County Code Section 6.60.010 makes it unlawful to knowingly let 13 named noxious weeds, including Canada thistle, Russian knapweed, and puncture vine, grow on land you 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 prohibits grocery stores and large retailers from providing single-use plastic carryout bags under Public Resources Code 42280-42288, enacted by SB 270 (2014) and ratified…

California restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that…

California Public Resources Code 42270-42273, enacted by AB 1884 (2018), prohibits full-service restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by the customer…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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