San Bernardino, CA

San Bernardino does not impose a citywide overnight parking ban on passenger vehicles, but the 72-hour rule under CVC 22651(k) applies along with permit districts, street sweeping…

San Bernardino codes curb colors by rule, not custom: red means no stopping or parking, green caps parking at 20 minutes, and yellow or white marks loading zones. The Director of…

Residents on streets zoned for time-limited parking can get a preferential parking permit exempting their vehicle from those restrictions under SBMC § 10.16.180. The Director of…

San Bernardino caps commercial loading and unloading stops at 40 minutes for freight and 3 minutes for passengers under SBMC § 10.16.050, with a 10-minute passenger allowance at hotel…

San Bernardino bars commercial vehicles, truck tractors, semitrailers and trailers of 10,000 pounds GVWR or more from parking on any street, alley or parkway in a residential district…

San Bernardino restricts on-street RV and boat storage to 72 hours under state law, and private property storage of recreational vehicles is regulated by the zoning code with side and…

San Bernardino uses CVC 22651(k) to tow vehicles left on public streets more than 72 hours. Abandoned vehicles on private property can be removed under CVC 22658 with owner…

San Bernardino enforces on-street parking under the Municipal Code and CVC. Vehicles parked on a public street more than 72 hours are subject to tow under CVC 22651(k).

San Bernardino bans parking on any unpaved parcel of real property, but the ordinance carves out a specific exception for residential driveways: an unpaved driveway or a durable drive…

San Bernardino County Ordinance No. 4446 (2022) added rules for EV charging stations in County parking lots. Only EVs and plug-in hybrids that are actually plugged in may use charging…

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…

San Bernardino family child care homes are protected by CA Health and Safety Code 1597.40. Licensed small homes up to 8 children and large homes up to 14 are a residential use by right…

In unincorporated San Bernardino County, Class I home occupations need no permit, while Class II and III require a Special Use Permit renewable every 24 months. All classes must stay…

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…

Home occupations in unincorporated San Bernardino County generally may not use signs or alter the home's residential appearance. Only a Class III home occupation in the Desert Region…

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…

Inside any San Bernardino public park or playground, it is unlawful to frighten, chase, snare, catch, injure or destroy wild birds, or to disturb their eggs or young. The rule sits in…

San Bernardino bars owning an unaltered dog over four months old unless it qualifies for a narrow exemption. New residents and new owners get 60 days to comply, and impounded unaltered…

Chickens and other domestic fowl must stay at least 50 feet from any occupied building, with a hard cap of 24 birds per lot. Roosters and peacocks need 200 feet of clearance and are…

Beyond the base five-cat limit, San Bernardino lets owners keep more cats only under a tiered fancier permit tied to lot size, capped at 20 cats on any property, and bars anyone with…

No one may keep a dangerous or poisonous animal anywhere in San Bernardino, and any wild, exotic or non-domestic animal already banned by state or federal law is likewise prohibited…

San Bernardino applies its baseline animal-care standards, adequate feed, water, cleaned shelter, exercise, care and veterinary treatment, directly to grooming businesses. Municipal…

Dogs and other animals must stay on a leash, secured by another suitable restraint, or confined by fence at all times outside authorized off-leash areas, so they can't run at large…

San Bernardino caps ownership at three dogs and five cats age four months or older per lot or premises, unless zoning under Title 19 allows more. Exceeding the cap without qualifying…

California Food and Agricultural Code 31683 preempts breed-specific dog bans. San Bernardino can require spay and neuter for certain breeds but cannot outright ban them.

San Bernardino caps beekeeping at two stands or swarms of bees per location citywide; maintaining an apiary or more than two swarms at any one place is unlawful under Municipal Code §…

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…

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…

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…

San Bernardino's Controlled Hours of Operation rule pushes eleven categories of noisy activity, from leaf blowers to power tools, out of residential zones before 8:00 a.m. or after…

San Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.54.020(D) bans playing a radio, phonograph or other sound-amplification equipment loud enough to disturb neighbors, and sets fixed audibility limits…

Construction, demolition, and repair work in San Bernardino is confined to 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. under the Noise Control chapter's disturbance rule. Work outside that window, absent a…

San Bernardino bans modified mufflers that boost a vehicle's noise above factory levels in residential zones and outlaws car stereos plainly audible 50 feet away in daytime or 25 feet…

A dog or other animal that barks or makes noise so as to annoy neighbors and disturb the peace is declared a public nuisance under Chapter 6.02. Animal Control issues a written warning…

San Bernardino's general noise code judges most noise by whether it is plainly audible at a set distance rather than a decibel meter, but licensed vending sound trucks face an actual…

Unincorporated San Bernardino County has no ordinance banning or specifically restricting leaf blowers. Their use is governed by the general noise rules: the Development Code…

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…

San Bernardino enforces weed and vegetation fire-hazard abatement by adopting the San Bernardino County Weed Abatement Code by reference under Municipal Code § 8.19.010. City Code…

San Bernardino requires a city permit before cutting down, uprooting, destroying or removing more than five trees from a development site or parcel within any 36-month period. The…

Rainwater harvesting for irrigation is legal in San Bernardino under the CA Rainwater Capture Act of 2012. Simple rooftop barrels up to 5,000 gallons need no permit; pressurized…

San Bernardino encourages native and climate-appropriate landscaping under MWELO and local rebates. HOAs cannot prohibit low-water plantings under California Civil Code 4735.

Artificial turf is allowed in San Bernardino yards and is protected under California Civil Code 4735, which bars HOA bans. Installations must meet drainage, fire, and landscape…

San Bernardino allows residents to compost yard and food waste on-site instead of disposing of it. Municipal Code Section 8.24.070(A)(2) carves backyard composting out of the general…

San Bernardino owners must keep trees trimmed for sidewalk and street clearance, and in foothill fire zones limbs must be at least six feet above ground and canopies 10 feet apart…

Day-to-day outdoor watering limits in unincorporated San Bernardino County are set by your local water purveyor and by statewide rules from the State Water Resources Control Board, not…

San Bernardino lets residents burn in properly built incinerators, outdoor water heaters, cooking grills and similar devices without a Fire Department permit, but only if the chimney…

San Bernardino dwellings must have working smoke alarms in every sleeping room and on every level under CA H&S 13113.7, plus CO alarms in homes with fuel appliances or attached garages.

San Bernardino designates Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones on a map dated October 29, 2008, kept at the City Clerk's office, and Municipal Code Chapter 15.10 layers extra building…

San Bernardino allows only state-classified safe and sane fireworks, sold from licensed stands and only from noon July 1 through midnight July 4, and bans them entirely in mapped…

Foothill Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone properties must maintain 100 feet of defensible space under California PRC 4291. San Bernardino County Fire conducts annual hazard…

San Bernardino bans lighting any outdoor fire to clear land or burn brush, slash, timber or grass anywhere in the city without a written permit from the City Fire Department first…

San Bernardino County's Development Code allows a residential propane tank to encroach up to 4 feet into the rear setback only, never the interior side yard, and requires siting per…

In San Bernardino's foothill fire zones A, B and C and any state-designated very high fire hazard severity zone, § 15.10.080(B)(1) bans combustible fencing outright: fencing must be…

San Bernardino exempts only fences up to 6 feet, and masonry or concrete fences up to 3 feet, from needing a building permit under Municipal Code § 15.04.070. Anything taller, or a…

California Civil Code 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act, presumes adjoining owners share equally in the cost of a boundary fence and requires 30 days' written notice before work.

In unincorporated San Bernardino County, retaining walls under three feet tall are exempt from setback rules, but taller walls must meet full setback standards and need a Building…

Fences and walls in unincorporated San Bernardino County top out at 4 feet in front and street-side setbacks, 6 feet on interior side and rear lines for most zones, and drop to 30…

Above-ground pools in San Bernardino over 18 inches deep follow the same permit and barrier rules as in-ground pools. Pool walls of 60 inches can serve as the barrier when steps or…

San Bernardino treats spas over 18 inches deep as pools under CA H and S Code 115921. A locking ASTM F1346 safety cover can substitute for the perimeter fence on residential hot tubs…

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…

Under Development Code Section 84.28.060, sleeping occupancy is set by room size (70 sq ft for one person, +50 sq ft per additional person), then capped by unit size and parcel acreage…

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.

Unincorporated San Bernardino County requires a current STR permit before any dwelling can be rented short-term, capped at one or two per parcel.

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…

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…

San Bernardino County caps attached ADUs at 1,200 square feet, limits floor area to 50% of the primary home, and sets 4-foot side and rear setbacks under Development Code Chapter 84.36.

One pre-manufactured storage shed per lot is exempt from a Building Permit and a planning permit, but parcels one acre or smaller get only one detached shed over 120 square feet, and…

California ADU law, Government Code 66310 et seq. (formerly 65852.2), expressly authorizes converting an existing garage into an ADU, with no replacement parking allowed and…

San Bernardino has no local rent stabilization, but AB 1482 (Civil Code 1947.12) caps annual rent increases at 5% plus CPI (max 10%) and imposes just cause eviction.

In San Bernardino mobile home parks, when a resale rent increase of up to 10% is applied at a new resident's move-in, Municipal Code § 8.90.050 requires the landlord to give written…

City code sets minimum exterior and interior maintenance standards for every rental unit in San Bernardino, covering landscaping, trash, structural repair, sewage connection and safe…

Every owner of a single-family rental property in San Bernardino must hold a current business registration under Title 5 before renting the unit, as a condition of the city's rental…

San Bernardino tenants are protected by California AB 1482 (Civil Code 1946.2). Landlords must state a just cause to end tenancies of 12+ months, and no-fault evictions require one…

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…

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 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…

Cannabis businesses must sit at least 600 feet from any residentially zoned parcel and at least 600 feet from any K-12 school, licensed daycare center, youth center or park, measured…

San Bernardino has not opted out of commercial cannabis. Businesses may operate only on property zoned CG, CG-2, CG-3, CR-2, CR-3, CCS-1, CCS-2, CH, IL, IH or OIP under Municipal Code…

San Bernardino adults 21+ may grow up to 6 cannabis plants indoors at their residence under Prop 64 (H and S Code 11362.2). Outdoor grows are banned citywide, and plants must be…

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…

San Bernardino's City Clerk decides which fee category a business registration certificate falls into, based on gross receipts, employee counts, vehicles used or similar measures, and…

San Bernardino does not tax parking transactions directly, but Municipal Code Chapter 3.64 lets the Mayor and Council levy an annual parking and business improvement area assessment on…

Running a massage parlor or working as a massage technician in San Bernardino requires a City Clerk permit backed by a police background investigation, fingerprints and a 600-hour…

Pawnbrokers in San Bernardino must file a daily property report with the Chief of Police by noon, take pledgers' signature, address and fingerprint, and hold every item 30 days before…

Any tow company that hooks a vehicle off private property in San Bernardino must file a tow report with the Police Department by the end of the next business day and collect a city…

San Bernardino requires anyone running a junk dealer or collector business to get a permit from the Mayor and City Council before the Chief of Police will issue a license, and the…

San Bernardino requires a city license before anyone operates a public dance hall, night club or any venue offering adult entertainment, with the City Clerk investigating every…

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 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…

San Bernardino puts the legal duty to maintain and repair public sidewalks and curbs on the owner of the abutting lot, not the city. Municipal Code § 12.92.040 requires owners to keep…

San Bernardino requires a written encroachment permit before anyone excavates, obstructs, or puts a sidewalk, street, or public right-of-way to private use. The Director of Development…

San Bernardino Municipal Code § 12.44.030 keeps every public street, sidewalk and crosswalk "free from all obstructions," including obstruction by people standing or sitting; §…

San Bernardino bans urinating or defecating in any public park, street, alley, highway or other public place, or anywhere in view of one. City Code Chapter 9.28, Offenses Against…

Chapter 9.60 bars aggressive solicitation anywhere in the city and bans all solicitation outright near banks and ATMs, in parking lots after dark, and on public transit vehicles. The…

San Bernardino Municipal Code Chapter 8.82 lets the Police Department bill the person in charge of an unscheduled gathering, defined to include loud and boisterous conduct and loud…

Riding a skateboard, roller skates or similar coaster device on a business-district sidewalk, or on any public roadway anywhere in the city, is unlawful under SBMC § 10.24.090. A…

San Bernardino requires public streets, sidewalks and crosswalks to stay free of obstructions, including people, and bans willfully sitting, standing in or blocking them so as to…

San Bernardino bans drinking or consuming alcoholic beverages in any public park, street, alley, highway or other public place under Municipal Code § 9.32.020. Anyone holding an open…

Smoking anywhere in a San Bernardino public park is against the law under Section 8.73.050, with no carve-out for trails or picnic areas inside park boundaries. Chapter 8.73 also adds…

Chapter 8.97 bans smoking or vaping cannabis in every public place, dining area, service area, recreational area and place of employment in San Bernardino, indoors or out, plus within…

Electrically operated compressors, fans, and similar HVAC-type devices in San Bernardino can only run during the city's controlled noise hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in residential…

A motor vehicle burglar alarm sounding in San Bernardino must shut off within 15 minutes of going off. Letting it run longer, outside emergency use or testing, is a noise-code…

Loading or unloading trucks with excessive noise is flatly prohibited citywide under San Bernardino's Noise Control chapter, and the same chapter confines the activity to set daytime…

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…

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.

San Bernardino Municipal Code Chapter 12.98 makes it unlawful to camp or store camp facilities, camp paraphernalia or other personal property on any street, public parking lot, public…

County Code Section 28.0903 bars sitting, lying, sleeping, or storing personal property on unincorporated San Bernardino County streets, sidewalks, alleyways, trails, and county…

Only the city's franchised hauler may place containers, including roll-off and commercial dumpsters, anywhere in San Bernardino, on public right-of-way, city property or private…

San Bernardino requires every occupied property to subscribe to at least the minimum level of solid waste service from the city's franchised hauler. Service must start within seven…

Routine yard waste like grass clippings, leaves and tree trimmings goes out with organic waste collection under Municipal Code Section 8.24.010. Branches and trunks over two feet in…

Every residential, commercial and multi-family generator in San Bernardino must subscribe to organic waste and recycling collection sufficient for the waste they produce. Municipal…

San Bernardino requires solid waste containers to stay out of the public right-of-way and out of sight except on collection day. Municipal Code Section 8.24.060 also bars storing carts…

Only the city's franchised hauler may collect garbage, recycling and organic waste in San Bernardino, and Municipal Code Section 8.24.040 requires every collection to be made as…

Large household items like furniture, appliances and mattresses are bulky waste under Municipal Code Section 8.24.010 and are collected only as a special service. Customers must…

San Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.090 requires every household, business and multi-family generator to subscribe to a recycling and organic waste collection level with the city's…

Dumping garbage or waste on any San Bernardino lot, street, alley or waterway is unlawful under Municipal Code Section 8.24.120. Violations are charged as misdemeanors carrying up to…

Unincorporated County residents receive a 96-gallon recycling cart from WM and must keep recyclables separate from trash and organics. Recycling is mandated by California law (AB 341…

San Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.120(A)(2) directs residents to report illegal dumping and solid waste violations to the City Code Enforcement Department or the Public Works…

San Bernardino limits yard-sale signs to three unlighted signs of four square feet or less on the sale property itself, plus up to four two-square-foot directional signs on private…

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…

San Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.24.120(E)(1) bars anyone from putting unbroken, exposed hypodermic needles or other dangerous substances in a garbage, recycling or organics…

San Bernardino's Property Maintenance Code requires every single-family, multi-residential, commercial and industrial property to stay free of termite, insect, vermin and rodent…

San Bernardino adopts the San Bernardino County restaurant inspection grading program by reference under Municipal Code Chapter 8.02. The County Department of Public Health inspects…

San Bernardino's sidewalk vending ordinance requires every food-selling sidewalk vendor, stationary or roaming, to display a county health permit on the cart and have all employees…

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

San Bernardino bars minors under 18 from public places and business premises from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on school nights and from 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Parents…

San Bernardino Municipal Code § 12.68.020 closes public parks overnight: 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. from October through March, and 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. from April through September…

Anyone running a motorized mobile food business in San Bernardino, including ice cream trucks, must get a peddling permit from the City Clerk before selling on any street or door to…

Non-motorized sidewalk food and merchandise vendors in San Bernardino, including cart and pushcart operators, must get an annual sidewalk vending permit from the Business Registration…

San Bernardino bans stationary sidewalk vending in residential zones citywide, allowing it only in non-residential and mixed-use zones under Municipal Code § 5.30.060, with added…

San Bernardino makes it unlawful to throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant private property in the city, whether the person doing so owns the lot or not, under Municipal Code §…

San Bernardino's Building Official can summarily abate a dangerous or hazardous building or premises under San Bernardino Municipal Code § 15.28.150, without waiting for a hearing…

San Bernardino rarely sees snow, so there is no shoveling ordinance. Owners are still responsible under Streets and Highways Code 5610 for keeping the abutting sidewalk safe and clear…

San Bernardino's private surveillance equipment ordinance lets residents run home security cameras but bars pointing them at a neighbor's property. Chapter 9.58 prohibits positioning…

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…

San Bernardino Municipal Code Chapter 12.40 puts every parkway, median and public right-of-way tree under the city's street tree master plan. Planting outside that plan is unlawful…

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…

No parade or procession may occupy or march along a San Bernardino street without a permit issued by the Chief of Police under SBMC § 10.24.140. Funeral processions and the military…

San Bernardino Municipal Code § 12.80.040 lets groups under 25 use a public park permit-free, requires a written Director permit for a picnic, celebration, parade or exercise expecting…

San Bernardino County requires a Temporary Special Event Permit under County Code § 85.16.030 before anyone can advertise, conduct, or operate a street fair, festival, or similar event…

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…

When a San Bernardino property sits in an approximate Zone A flood hazard area with no FEMA base flood elevation on record, the Floodplain Administrator can set the base flood…

Builders in San Bernardino disturbing an acre or more must get a state construction storm water permit and file a local Storm Water Quality Management Plan before any grading or…

San Bernardino bans dumping anything but rain into its storm drains under Municipal Code Chapter 8.80. Pet waste, wash water, pool backwash, and construction runoff are all prohibited…

Any development inside a San Bernardino flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit from the City Engineer, who serves as Floodplain Administrator, before work can begin…

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 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…

San Bernardino code enforcement can inspect any rental property at any time in response to a complaint alleging code violations, independent of the scheduled inspection cycle. Owners…

San Bernardino requires every single-family rental property in the city to undergo a periodic inspection by the Director of Community Development and Housing to confirm compliance with…

New construction and many alterations in San Bernardino must meet the 2022 California Green Building Standards Code, Part 11, adopted at San Bernardino Municipal Code §…

San Bernardino requires all plumbing work, from a water heater swap to a full re-pipe, to follow the 2022 California Plumbing Code adopted at San Bernardino Municipal Code §…

San Bernardino does not impose a blanket sprinkler mandate on home additions. Under § 15.04.250, the acting Fire Authority decides case by case whether a residential addition needs…

San Bernardino enforces electrical work under the 2022 California Electrical Code (based on the 2017 NEC), adopted into local law at San Bernardino Municipal Code § 15.04.020(B)(3)…

San Bernardino has adopted the 2022 California Building Code as its administrative provisions for construction, and it is unlawful to erect, construct, alter, repair, move, demolish or…

Every building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permit requires Building Official approval at each consecutive inspection step before work continues, unless the contractor holds…

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…

California Civil Code 714 limits HOA authority over rooftop solar in San Bernardino. HOAs cannot unreasonably restrict solar, impose costs over 1,000 dollars, or reduce system…

Small residential rooftop solar systems up to 10 kW AC get a streamlined, nondiscretionary building permit in the unincorporated county: no use permit or hearing unless there's a…

San Bernardino County uses a streamlined, nondiscretionary permit for small residential rooftop solar systems under 10kW AC, though the Building Official can require a discretionary…

San Bernardino requires property owners to destroy and remove castor bean (Ricinus communis) plants once the health officer finds one growing as a nuisance or health menace. Knowingly…

The City of San Bernardino has no data-center use category. A data center locates in its industrial zones - OIP, IL, IH, IE - classified as a public-utility communication equipment…

The City of San Bernardino sets its own noise standard in Development Code Chapter 19.20: mechanical equipment must not be discernible beyond the parcel boundary, and exterior noise in…

San Bernardino bars demolition of any building or structure 50 years or older without a valid demolition permit under its Historic Building Demolition Ordinance. Resources flagged in…

San Bernardino caps yard sales at 12 per calendar year per seller or location, each lasting no more than three consecutive days during daylight hours, and restricts them to the third…

San Bernardino HOA CC and R enforcement follows CA Civil Code 5850. Before fines, the board must give 10-day written notice, hold a hearing, and issue a written decision within 15…

San Bernardino HOA architectural review follows CA Civil Code 4765. Reviews must be fair, decisions delivered in writing, and denials carry an appeal right. State law preempts bans on…

California Civil Code 5600-5740 governs HOA assessments in San Bernardino County, requiring annual budget disclosure, limits on increases without member vote, and specific collection…

California Civil Code 5900-5965 requires HOAs in San Bernardino County to offer internal dispute resolution (IDR) and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) before filing litigation over…

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…

San Bernardino charges a 10% transient lodging tax on hotel room rentals for any stay of 30 consecutive days or less. Operators collect it at payment and remit it monthly to the…

San Bernardino lets single-family owners retire water-hungry turf for drought-tolerant landscaping under the Water Wise Landscape Program, Municipal Code Chapter 17.06. Participation…

San Bernardino residents may post No Soliciting or No Trespassing signs, making continued canvassing trespass under California Penal Code 602. Solicitors who ignore signs can lose…

San Bernardino requires a solicitor to obtain a peddling or soliciting permit from the City Clerk before going door to door or through the streets taking orders for future delivery or…

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…

California SB 793, upheld by Proposition 31 in 2022, bans the retail sale of most flavored tobacco products and flavor enhancers across San Bernardino County, including menthol…

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…

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…

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.

Commercial filming anywhere in unincorporated San Bernardino County, or on any County-controlled facility, requires a filming permit issued through the County Film Office.

San Bernardino County Code § 26.0101 makes it unlawful, in the unincorporated area, to keep, maintain, conduct, control, have charge of, or even be present at or visit any house, room…

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…

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…

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 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…