Ontario, CA

Total occupancy at an Ontario STR, including the host and all guests, may not exceed two times the number of bedrooms. A single dwelling is limited to two concurrent groups or booking…

Ontario requires a Short-Term Rental Permit and a business license before any dwelling under 30 days is rented. Only the host's primary residence qualifies, and non-owner-occupied…

Loud or disturbing noise from a short-term rental in unincorporated San Bernardino County is unlawful under a reasonable-person standard, not a decibel limit.

Bookings of thirty-one consecutive days or longer fall outside the SBC short-term rental program and are treated as standard residential tenancies subject to AB 1482 statewide rent and…

Development Code Section 84.28.060(d) requires all renter vehicles to park on the STR property at a ratio of at least one space per four renters. On-street and right-of-way parking is…

A San Bernardino County short-term rental permit can be revoked outright once it has been suspended twice within a rolling 24-month period, under County Code § 84.28.100(a)(4). The…

Airbnb, Vrbo and similar hosting platforms must collect and remit transient occupancy tax, disclose listing data to the County on request, and display the STR permit number for every…

STR owners in unincorporated San Bernardino County must answer complaint calls within 30 minutes and reach the property in person within one hour, 24 hours a day.

Short-term rental renters in unincorporated San Bernardino County must pay the county's 7% Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax on top of STR permit application and annual renewal fees set…

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…

Ontario allows artificial turf at homes subject to drainage and zoning rules. Civil Code 4735 (AB 349) blocks HOA bans, and AB 1572 makes synthetic turf a compliant replacement for…

California's Rainwater Capture Act (AB 1750) lets Ontario residents collect roof rainwater for outdoor use without a permit for simple barrels. Large cisterns and indoor use require…

Ontario Municipal Code Section 6-3.501 lets residents compost yard trimmings and vegetable scraps at home, provided the pile sits in the rear or side yard, out of street view, capped…

Removing or relocating any City parkway tree in Ontario requires prior authorization from the Public Works Agency under Municipal Code Sec. 10-2.06. Removal is limited to five listed…

Ontario Municipal Code Chapter 6-9 (Weeds and Refuse Abatement) declares it unlawful and a public nuisance for any property to allow weeds, rubbish, refuse, or dirt to exist on it…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 7-3.13 makes the abutting property owner responsible for watering, trimming, and maintaining parkway vegetation, including trimming trees to a minimum…

Ontario is in the Voluntary Conservation Stage of its Water Conservation Plan (Ontario Municipal Code Chapter 8A, sections 6-8.20 through 6-8.35). The City's WaterWise program asks…

San Bernardino County's Development Code requires native and drought-tolerant plants in new and rehabilitated landscaping, and Chapter 88.01 protects native trees and desert plants…

Where grade differs between properties or a property and the public right-of-way, Ontario allows a wall or fence combined with a retaining wall above the normal height limit, but a…

Ontario lets neighbors build a wall or fence on a common interior side or rear property line for division or security. On corner lots and in front yards the area between a fence and…

Ontario prohibits razor wire on any wall or fence citywide, and bans barbed wire and electrified fences in residential, commercial, and residential mixed-use districts. Residential…

In Ontario residential zones, walls and fences within a front yard may not exceed 3 feet, while interior side, rear, street-side, and subdivision-perimeter walls or fences may not…

Every wall, fence, and gate in Ontario is subject to Planning Director design review regardless of whether a building permit is needed. A building permit is separately required for…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 4-6.408 bars anyone but the City from painting a street or curb surface. The only carve-out is house-numbering: a resident may paint curb address numbers if…

Ontario has no blanket overnight parking ban on ordinary passenger vehicles, but standard cars are still subject to the 72-hour limit (OMC Sec. 4-6.1011) and posted street-sweeping and…

Ontario's City Council can turn a residential street into a permit parking zone under Municipal Code Section 4-6.1305 once it finds nonresident vehicles are crowding out residents…

Ontario bars parking or storing vehicles, trailers and boats on a lawn, landscaped area or any other unpaved surface in a residential lot's front or street-side yard, and holds the…

Ontario marks curb space yellow for freight and white for passengers under a City Traffic Engineer program that caps loading zones at half a block's curb length. Stopping is free only…

Ontario regulates electric vehicle charging stations through a dedicated Building Code chapter rather than a parking ordinance: installations must meet Article 625 of the California…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-12.01 declares an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicle on private or public property, other than a highway, a public nuisance under Cal…

On-street parking in Ontario is governed by Title 4, Chapter 6 of the Ontario Municipal Code together with the California Vehicle Code. Drivers must obey all posted signs and curb…

Since July 1, 2023, Ontario requires a displayed permit to park an oversized vehicle (including most RVs, boats, and trailers) on any public street. Permits are limited to 48 hours, no…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 4-13.04 prohibits parking or storing commercial vehicles over 10,000 lb GVWR (11,500 lb for pickups), and any motor truck, truck tractor, or trailer…

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…

Ontario permits Cottage Food Operations as a home occupation but requires them to be conducted consistent with California state-law operating requirements and limited to products on…

Ontario follows California law classifying small and large family daycare homes as residential uses. State statutes preempt most local zoning, but fire clearance and basic…

An Ontario home occupation must be clearly incidental and subordinate to the residential use, conducted only by the occupants of the dwelling, confined to one room occupying no more…

Ontario prohibits any change in the outward appearance of the premises and bars advertising that identifies the home occupation by its street address, effectively prohibiting on-site…

San Bernardino County limits home occupation customer and delivery traffic to levels normally associated with a residential neighborhood, and caps Class II and III home occupations to…

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…

A City of Ontario Building Department permit, plan check, and engineered drawings are required to build a residential swimming pool, and site plans must show all property lines…

The City of Ontario Building Department requires every outdoor swimming pool, spa, or hot tub to be surrounded by a barrier at least 60 inches high with no more than a 2-inch gap at…

Ontario divides every parcel into five noise zones and sets numeric dBA ceilings for each: 65 dBA daytime for single-family and multi-family homes, dropping to 45 dBA and 50 dBA at…

Ontario limits gas and electric leaf blowers, along with chainsaws and mulching machines, to daytime hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday…

Ontario Municipal Code section 5-29.14 prohibits operating any motor vehicle in a condition that creates excessive, impulsive or intrusive noise, including exhaust noise from engines…

Ontario Municipal Code section 5-29.13 requires a Police Chief permit to operate a loudspeaker or sound amplifier on public property, or at outdoor/indoor events over 100 people that…

No Ontario-specific ordinance directly regulates aircraft noise; the City's noise chapter exempts activities preempted by state or federal law (OMC 5-29.06(h)), and aircraft noise is…

Ontario does not use a single curfew but enforces lower nighttime exterior noise limits between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (45 dBA in single-family zones), plus a general…

Ontario Municipal Code section 5-29.09 limits noise-producing construction, remodeling, grading and demolition to 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on…

Ontario Municipal Code Title 6 (Animals) treats persistent barking as a public nuisance: a dog that barks in a substantially continuous manner, day or night, to the annoyance of the…

Ontario bans bulk liquefied petroleum gas storage in every zoning district except the General Industrial District under Fire Code Section 4-4.73, and even there a storage installation…

Ontario sits on the valley floor and is not mapped in a CAL FIRE Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction and PRC 4291 defensible space do not…

Ontario enforces California H and S 13113.7 requiring smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on every floor. 10-year sealed-battery or hardwired units are required…

All fireworks - including state-approved 'safe and sane' fireworks sold in some neighboring cities - are illegal to use, possess, store, or sell anywhere in the City of Ontario…

Backyard fire pits, fire rings, chimineas, and barbecues are allowed in Ontario but must follow the 2022 California Fire Code. Barbecue/BBQ pits outside of buildings must be at least…

Open burning to dispose of residential waste, leaves, brush, or trash is prohibited in Ontario. The city is in the South Coast Air Quality Management District, whose Rule 444 (Open…

San Bernardino County Land Use Services requires property owners in wildfire-prone unincorporated areas to maintain defensible space by clearing flammable vegetation. The County…

Ontario allows poultry, fowl, and livestock only as residential animal keeping in the AR-2, RE-2, and AG zones (household pets aside), at a density of one poultry/fowl animal per 6,000…

Ontario Municipal Code Section 6-1.216 sets the redemption and disposal process for impounded cats. An owner can reclaim a cat by paying a redemption fee plus food and care costs set…

Ontario permits the keeping of four or fewer household pets by right in every residential and mixed-use zone (and the AG and MHP zones) in conjunction with a dwelling. Beyond that, the…

Ontario's only mandatory spay-neuter rule targets pet pot-bellied pigs, not dogs or cats generally. Section 6-1.230 bans breeding pot-bellied pigs kept as pets and requires every one…

Ontario requires every dog off its owner's own property to be held on a leash no longer than six feet, controlled by a competent person, whenever it is on a public street, sidewalk…

Ontario does not impose any breed-specific dog ban. California state law (Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683) prohibits any local dog-control program from being breed-specific…

San Bernardino County residents may not keep injured wildlife without a California Department of Fish and Wildlife rehabilitator permit. SBC Animal Care refers calls to permitted…

San Bernardino County Code § 28.0307(k) bans molesting, injuring or killing any bird or mammal, or disturbing its habitat, inside any County Regional Park. The rule sits among two…

The County does not ban retail pet sales; instead every pet shop, grooming parlor, aquarium, game bird farm, petting zoo, or wild-animal facility in the unincorporated area must hold…

Pet grooming parlors in unincorporated San Bernardino County must get a license from the County Health Officer before opening, and comply with zoning and sanitation rules under County…

Veterinary clinics and animal hospitals in unincorporated San Bernardino County may open only in Community Industrial (IC), SD-COM, or SD-IND districts, each requiring a Minor Use…

San Bernardino County requires owners of animals formally declared potentially dangerous or vicious to permanently identify the animal with a registered tattoo or implanted microchip…

Feeding wildlife is illegal in unincorporated San Bernardino County. County Code 32.1301 prohibits leaving food outside for nondomesticated mammalian predators - coyotes, raccoons…

Unincorporated San Bernardino County requires apiaries to sit 100 feet from public roads, 500 feet from houses, and be registered yearly with the Agricultural Commissioner.

Keeping exotic animals in unincorporated San Bernardino County is tightly controlled by Development Code 84.04.040. Exotics are an accessory use to a single-family home, require a…

Ontario allows converting an existing garage or accessory structure into an ADU under Section 5.03.010, waiving replacement parking for the converted or demolished garage, requiring a…

Ontario permits accessory dwelling units ministerially under Section 5.03.010 of the Development Code, limiting detached and attached ADUs to 850 square feet for a studio/one-bedroom…

Ontario Development Code Section 5.03.011 governs detached accessory residential structures such as storage sheds, capping permitted-by-right area at 650 square feet (up to 1,100 for…

San Bernardino County lets accessory dwelling units be rented long-term anywhere, but short-term rentals under 30 days are allowed only in the Mountain and Desert Regions, under the…

San Bernardino County does not require owner occupancy for a standalone accessory dwelling unit (ADU) under County Code § 84.36.060(b). A junior accessory dwelling unit (JADU), created…

Unincorporated San Bernardino County allows a permitted "Tiny Home" on single-family residential parcels if it meets California Residential Code or manufactured-home construction…

Ontario follows California AB 1482 (Civil Code 1946.2), requiring landlords to provide just cause to terminate tenancy after 12 months of occupancy, with relocation assistance for…

Ontario has no local rent-control ordinance, but most rentals fall under California AB 1482 capping annual rent increases at 5 percent plus CPI (max 10 percent) and requiring just…

For covered units in unincorporated San Bernardino County, no-fault evictions are limited to AB 1482's enumerated reasons: owner or family move-in, substantial remodel, government…

Unincorporated San Bernardino County has not adopted a local relocation-assistance ordinance for displaced tenants. Only the relocation payment required by California AB 1482 for…

San Bernardino County rentals follow California Civil Code 1950.5, which limits security deposits to one month's rent for both furnished and unfurnished units and requires return…

California requires landlords to include or attach an AB 1482 disclosure in every covered lease and lease renewal, informing tenants of the rent cap and just-cause protections in plain…

Licensed rental dwelling units in unincorporated San Bernardino County must meet Fire and Building Code standards, stay nuisance-free, and allow county inspection or risk losing their…

Unincorporated San Bernardino County does not require general rental-property registration. However, short-term rentals require county permits and Transient Occupancy Tax registration.

The Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino administers Housing Choice Vouchers across SBC, inspecting units for HUD habitability standards and paying the subsidy portion…

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%…

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…

Ontario HOA assessments follow Civil Code 5600 through 5740. Regular dues and special assessments are capped, must be disclosed in writing, and must follow strict collection and lien…

Ontario HOA disputes must first go through Internal Dispute Resolution under Civil Code 5900 and then Alternative Dispute Resolution under Civil Code 5950 before any civil lawsuit on…

Ontario HOAs enforce CC&Rs through notices, hearings, fines, and ultimately court action under Davis-Stirling. Due process requirements at Civil Code 5855 protect owners before fines…

Ontario HOAs running an architectural review committee must follow Civil Code 4765 requirements for written procedures, prompt decisions, appeal rights, and protection of solar…

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…

Ontario expressly lists "Data Processing, Hosting and Related Services" as a land use. It is permitted by right in all five industrial zones - BP, IP, IL, IG, and IH - and allowed only…

Ontario caps exterior noise by receiving zone under Municipal Code Sec. 5-29.04: 65 dBA daytime and 45 dBA overnight at single-family homes, and 70 dBA at any hour on industrial land…

Ontario requires food service workers to hold a valid competency certificate under County Ordinance No. 1964, adopted by reference into City law at Municipal Code Sec. 6-11.01. The San…

Ontario, California code enforcement treats overgrown vegetation that is likely to harbor rats, vermin and other vectors as a public nuisance on any premises. The Code Enforcement…

After every routine inspection, the county Health Official posts a letter grade card (A, B, or C) at the food facility. Operating without the card posted, or defacing or removing it…

California Civil Code 1954.603 requires landlords to disclose bed bug information and prohibits renting units with known infestations; San Bernardino County enforces habitability…

Ontario requires NFPA 13D fire sprinkler systems installed throughout every one- and two-family dwelling, Group R-3, Group R-4 Condition 1 facility, and townhouse built under the…

Ontario adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (Title 24, Part 11) by reference under Municipal Code Section 8-12.01, applying the state's green building requirements…

Ontario enforces the 2025 California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3) by reference under Municipal Code Section 8-4.01, making it the governing standard for wiring, panel, and…

Ontario requires a building permit for any construction covered by the 2025 California Building Code, adopted by reference under Municipal Code Section 8-1.02. Local amendments set…

Ontario adopts the 2025 California Plumbing Code (Title 24, Part 5) by reference under Municipal Code Section 8-7.01, governing every water, sewer, and gas piping installation…

Ontario's building security code requires every exterior swinging door on a residential building or attached garage, including the garage-to-house door, to carry a single-cylinder…

Ontario runs a Systematic Health and Safety Inspection Program under Municipal Code Chapter 17: designated properties get routine inspections on a schedule set by City Council…

California Labor Code 7300-7323 and Title 8 CCR 3000+ require annual elevator inspections by Cal/OSHA in San Bernardino County, with permits to operate and licensed elevator…

No drone may land or take off within five miles of any airport in Ontario without air traffic control authorization. The rule reaches every airport in the city, not just Ontario…

Drones cannot fly over an active parade, motorcade, or City event without the City Manager's written authorization, and a separate 500-foot buffer keeps drones away from any special…

Recreational drone flyers in Ontario need no city permit, but must keep the drone within visual line of sight, land only in daylight unless FAA night-flight rules are met, stay 25 feet…

Commercial drone operators in Ontario must hold a City drone operating permit and a business license before flying, on top of complying with FAA Part 107. Operators must file a flight…

Ontario residential customers get four free bulky item pickups a year under Section 6-3.309, scheduled by appointment at least a week ahead as part of the regular monthly service fee…

Ontario requires every residential property owner or occupant to subscribe to the city's integrated waste collection service and place non-organic waste, recycling, green waste, and…

Ontario requires every single-family household to subscribe to organic waste collection and separate food waste and green waste from trash and recyclables, under Article 8 of the Solid…

Ontario requires the City's Integrated Waste Collector to pick up non-organic waste, recycling, green waste and other organic material from every residential unit at least once a week…

Commercial properties in Ontario must use City-approved bins, roll-offs or carts for non-organic waste, recycling, green waste and organics, sized and scheduled by the Administrator…

Ontario businesses generating four or more cubic yards of solid waste a week, and multifamily buildings of five units or more, must recycle under Section 6-3.604. Covered customers…

Ontario Municipal Code Section 6-3.308 tells residents exactly when and where to put out trash, recycling and green waste carts: by 6 a.m. on collection day, no earlier than the…

Ontario Municipal Code Section 6-3.206 bans dumping, placing or burying solid waste, condemned substances or any deleterious or offensive material on any lot, land, street, alley…

Ontario residents and businesses must separate recyclables and organics per California AB 341, AB 1826, and SB 1383, using blue recycling and green organics carts provided by Burrtec.

Unincorporated San Bernardino County homes must subscribe to organic waste collection and sort green waste like grass and branches into the green container.

Ontario requires any company towing vehicles for the Police Department without owner consent to hold both a City business license and a towing carrier permit issued by City Council…

Ontario requires every adult business and adult business performer to register with the City Manager under § 3-1.801 before operating, submitting fingerprints, photographs, criminal…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-6.01 lets the Chief of Police grant secondhand-dealer licenses under California's secondhand dealer law, Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 21625 et seq. Section…

County Code § 84.12.050(b) bars motor vehicle repair, including engine, muffler, and drive-train work, upholstery, painting, and vehicle storage, from every home occupation in the…

San Bernardino County requires every massage clinic in the unincorporated area to hold a license issued under County Code Chapter 19 before opening. The Land Use Services Department…

The Sheriff's Department charges $35.00 to process a State pawnbroker permit for anyone opening a pawnshop in unincorporated San Bernardino County, per County Code § 16.0226(w)(2).

San Bernardino County requires every tattoo, piercing and permanent-makeup studio to register annually with the Department of Public Health under Code Section 16.0213B(h) and pay set…

San Bernardino County bans self-service tobacco and e-cigarette displays and outlaws tobacco vending machines outright in the unincorporated area under County Code § 31.0308. Every…

Every transient occupying a hotel room in Ontario, including short-term and vacation rentals under the code's broad 'hotel' definition, owes an 11.75% Transient Occupancy Tax on rent…

Ontario caps garage and yard sale signage at one double-faced sign per property, six square feet per side, and the sign may go up only on the actual sale days. The Police Department…

In unincorporated San Bernardino County, holiday lighting is exempt from the county's outdoor lighting rules only if it goes up no more than 30 days before a holiday and comes down…

County Code § 83.13.090(h) caps window display signs at 25 percent of the window area on which they're placed, one flat rule for every zoning district in the unincorporated county…

Political signs in unincorporated San Bernardino County must come down within 30 days after the election and stay under 8 square feet in residential zones.

Freeway oriented off-site signs need a Conditional Use Permit, must sit in an established commercial or industrial business area, and must be spaced 750 feet apart under the…

Ontario taxes every paid parking occupancy at 100% of the rent charged, but caps the tax an occupant actually owes at $1.75 per vehicle per day, or 12.5% of the monthly rate for…

Ontario Municipal Code § 3-1.201 taxes every profession operating in the city under Article 2's per-classification business license scheme: a $50 flat fee plus $0.55 per $1,000 of…

Ontario requires a City license before anyone stages an outdoor or indoor festival expected to draw 5,000 or more people, and food vendors at that event must hold a valid Health…

Booking an Ontario park building or facility for exclusive use requires a written permit under Municipal Code Sec. 10-1.08. Applications go to the Community Services Director at least…

Parades and other public gatherings in unincorporated San Bernardino County need a Temporary Special Event Permit from the Land Use Services Department before the event, with major…

Closing an unincorporated county street for a block party requires a Highway Permit from the Road Commissioner under Public Works' Highway Permit Code, plus a $732 road closure fee…

Ontario requires a signed use agreement and City approval before any property can receive recycled water, restricting it to State Water Board approved uses like irrigation and toilet…

The county's Development Code does not run a lawn-removal rebate program, but Chapter 83.10 requires new landscaping in the Mountain and Desert regions to minimize turf under §…

Anyone filming or videotaping a scene for public viewing in Ontario, from a single shot to a full production, owes a flat $200 business license tax under § 3-1.217 and must first…

Closing or temporarily using a County road for filming requires a separate, non-refundable road encroachment permit from the Transportation and Flood Control Department, arranged…

Student filmmakers in unincorporated San Bernardino County still need a filming permit but skip the processing fee with a school letter.

Ontario bans dumping refuse, wash water, pet waste, pool chemicals and dozens of other pollutants into any street, gutter or storm drain that feeds the City's stormwater system. The…

Ontario requires a development permit before any construction or development begins in an area of special flood hazard, flood-related erosion hazard, or mudslide hazard, mapped on the…

In Ontario's special flood hazard areas, new construction and substantial improvements must have the lowest habitable floor built at least one foot above the base flood elevation. A…

California Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards mandate cool-roof reflectance values for new and re-roofed buildings in San Bernardino County climate zones 10, 14, 15, and 16…

San Bernardino County adopts the California Building Code's grading appendix and carves out an exemption: County Code § 63.0104 excuses any job moving 100 cubic yards or less of…

San Bernardino County caps off-road diesel equipment idling at five minutes on unincorporated land use project sites, with exceptions for queuing, safety checks, servicing, and…

Properties in San Bernardino Mountain WUI zones must clear 100 feet of defensible space around structures. SBCFPD inspects annually before fire season; failure to comply triggers…

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…

Anyone going door-to-door in Ontario selling goods or taking orders for future delivery must first obtain a solicitor's permit from the License Official under § 3-1.702; soliciting…

Ontario bans smoking tobacco, using electronic delivery devices, and consuming cannabis in every public park in the city, at all times, day or night. The ban covers restrooms…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 4-6.902 bars pedestrians from crossing a roadway anywhere except a marked crosswalk within the Central Traffic District or any business district. The City…

Ontario does not ban skateboarding, roller skating, or roller blading outright. Municipal Code Section 4-6.1903 makes it unlawful only when the activity becomes a nuisance, meaning it…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-11.02 bans drinking alcohol or possessing an open alcoholic beverage container in any city park, city-owned property, or other public place, including…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-23.06 bans urinating, defecating, or dumping fecal matter on public or private property in view of the public, on any street, sidewalk, alley, or park…

Any gathering of five or more people that turns loud or unruly is a declared public nuisance in Ontario, with fixed noise-distance triggers, mandatory minimum fines starting at $250…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-7.04 makes it unlawful for a minor subject to compulsory school attendance to be in a public street, park, or other public place away from home during…

California Proposition 64 and San Bernardino County rules ban smoking, vaping, or eating cannabis in public places, including streets, parks, and county buildings in unincorporated…

Ontario Municipal Code Chapter 34 bans selling, displaying, or possessing with intent to sell any flavored tobacco product or flavor enhancer, including menthol, mint, fruit, and…

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…

Ontario's Code Enforcement Director treats abandoned, partially destroyed, or substantially deteriorated buildings as a public nuisance under Municipal Code Chapter 22. Owners get a…

A vacant lot next to an improved sidewalk or parkway must carry live, healthy grass, landscaping, or screening under Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-22.02(x). The City can serve a Notice…

Ontario does not receive snow, but property owners must maintain sidewalks free of debris, obstructions, and trip hazards under California Streets and Highways Code 5610 and OMC…

Ontario bans camping and storing personal property on public property, streets, sidewalks, parks, and any parked vehicle under Municipal Code Chapter 23. Narrow exceptions cover…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 4-6.903 bars sitting or lying on a public sidewalk, curb, gutter, parkway, street or public parking lot, or on a blanket, chair or stool placed there…

Anyone building a curb, driveway, retaining wall, sign, fence, or sprinkler line in an Ontario public right-of-way must first get an encroachment permit from the City Engineer, pay the…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 4-6.904 makes it unlawful to intentionally obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic in any public place, at any time, citywide. 'Public place' sweeps in…

Under CA Streets and Highways Code 5610, adjacent property owners in unincorporated San Bernardino County are responsible for maintaining and repairing sidewalks fronting their…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-5.01 makes it unlawful to play, maintain, or operate draw poker or any other card game for money, chips, or tokens anywhere a charge is made for tables…

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…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-15.03 limits garage and yard sales to no more than four weekends a year, on Council-designated Friday-through-Sunday weekends, and restricts sale hours to…

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 5-7.02 makes it unlawful for anyone under 18 to remain on a public street, park, or other public place between 10:00 p.m. and sunrise unless accompanied by…

Ontario closes every City-owned park from 9:00 p.m. until sunrise, and entering or staying inside during closure is a misdemeanor under Municipal Code Sec. 10-1.29. The City Council…

Altering or demolishing a designated Historical Resource in Ontario, California without a Certificate of Appropriateness is a misdemeanor and an expressly declared public nuisance…

Ontario regulates every parkway tree planted along its streets under Municipal Code Sec. 10-2.07. Trees must go in at roughly 60-foot intervals or one per lot frontage, stay at least…

Joshua trees, mesquites, desert ironwood, palo verde and other listed desert native plants can't be removed on unincorporated land without a county Tree or Plant Removal Permit.

San Bernardino County classifies three or more palm trees planted in a linear windrow or parkway row 50 feet or longer as heritage trees, requiring a Tree or Plant Removal Permit…

Ontario's Building Department must run a nondiscretionary review for small rooftop solar applications, deem a complete application ready within its process, and issue the permit within…

California Civil Code 714 (Solar Rights Act) bars Ontario HOAs from banning rooftop solar, and aesthetic rules cannot add over 1,000 dollars in cost or cut output by more than 10…

Ontario's Chapter 8 solar ordinance defines which rooftop systems qualify as a permitted "small residential rooftop solar energy system": no larger than 10 kW AC or 30 kW thermal…

Ontario exempts vehicle and building alarms from its general noise standards only if the alarm shuts itself off within 45 minutes of activation. Under Ontario Municipal Code §…

Standby and portable generators in unincorporated San Bernardino County must meet Title 8 limits (45 dBA night residential). PSPS and emergency use is exempt. SCAQMD Rule 1470 permits…

Rooftop and ground-mounted air conditioners, heat pumps and ventilation equipment in unincorporated San Bernardino County must stay under 55 dB(A) daytime and 45 dB(A) at night at the…

San Bernardino County Code § 24.0706(b) bars sound amplifying equipment or live music from being plainly audible inside an occupied dwelling between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., a standard that…

In unincorporated San Bernardino County, a car stereo or speaker's rhythmic bass alone is enough to prove a plainly-audible noise violation: no decibel meter needed.

Under California SB 946, Ontario cannot ban sidewalk vendors citywide but regulates time, place, and manner through OMC Chapter 5, with no vending in parks during events or within 15…

San Bernardino County requires a peddling or soliciting license before selling goods, food, or services door-to-door or in public places anywhere in the unincorporated area, with…

San Bernardino County requires DEHS permits for mobile food facilities and nonpermanent food operations, plus mandatory commissary servicing and monthly location schedules submitted to…

Ontario residents 21 and older may grow up to 6 cannabis plants indoors per residence under Proposition 64, but outdoor cultivation is banned by OMC Chapter 9 ordinance.

Ontario prohibits every commercial cannabis business, including dispensaries, delivery services and cultivation operations, in all zoning districts citywide. The city has not opted in…

California Business and Professions Code 26054 requires licensed cannabis businesses to sit at least 600 feet from schools, daycares, and youth centers; San Bernardino cities often…

Adults 21 and older may grow up to six cannabis plants per private residence in San Bernardino County, but unincorporated areas require indoor cultivation inside a fully enclosed…

California SB 54, the California Values Act, limits how San Bernardino County Sheriff and other local agencies may cooperate with federal immigration authorities in unincorporated…

San Bernardino County does not set a local minimum wage, so the California statewide rate of 16.50 dollars per hour applies in 2026 to most employers in unincorporated areas, with…

California requires most employers, including warehouse and logistics operators in the Inland Empire portion of San Bernardino County, to provide at least 40 hours of paid sick leave…

California AB 1276 prohibits restaurants and food delivery platforms in San Bernardino County from automatically including plastic utensils, condiments, and napkins; items must be…

California AB 1884 bars full-service restaurants in San Bernardino County and statewide from automatically providing plastic straws; customers must specifically request 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…

San Bernardino County bans solid fuel burning outdoor fireplaces, chimineas, barbeques, and fire pits at short-term rentals in the Mountain Region, a fire-safety rule enforced through…

Unincorporated San Bernardino County requires a 25-foot front setback and 15-foot rear setback for RL, RS, and RM residential zones under the Development Code's Valley Region standards…

Unincorporated homes cap out at 35 feet in RL and RS zones and 45 feet in RM zones, measured from the highest adjoining grade to the roofline.

In the Valley Region of unincorporated San Bernardino County, RL lots cap structure and impervious coverage at 20 percent, RS lots at up to 40 percent, and RM lots at 60 percent.

Outdoor lighting in San Bernardino County's Mountain and Desert regions must be fully shielded and shut off by 11:00 p.m., with narrow exceptions for entry lighting and motion-sensor…

Commercial and industrial lighting can't spill more than 0.5 foot-candles onto neighboring homes or the street; mountain and desert zones cap it at 0.1 foot-candles.

Off-site sign (billboard) illumination in unincorporated San Bernardino County must comply with the county's outdoor lighting chapter, including mountain/desert dark-sky curfews where…

County Environmental Health Services inspects every apartment house, hotel, and motel in unincorporated San Bernardino County before issuing the Certificate of Occupancy required to…

San Bernardino County requires a minimum 100-acre parcel to establish the AG Agricultural zoning district under the Development Code, with crop production, livestock and community…

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 Density Bonus Law lets developers exceed San Bernardino County zoning density by up to 50 percent in exchange for affordable units. Recent updates under SB 1287 and AB 1287…

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

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…

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…

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…