San Clemente, CA

Unlike dogs, cats over four months old in San Clemente are never required to carry a license. Section 6.10.130 makes cat registration purely optional, though a licensed cat must still…

Keeping four or more dogs or cats over four months old at a San Clemente home requires a private kennel permit. Any combination of other animals is capped at six, unless another…

Keeping any hive or swarm of bees anywhere in San Clemente requires a permit under the city's wild-animal chapter. A narrow exception covers bees kept for study or research at schools…

A grooming parlor in San Clemente cannot open without a license from the Coastal Animal Services Authority. The permit chapter covers commercial groomers alongside kennels, pet shops…

San Clemente bans feeding coyotes and other non-domesticated predators citywide, with narrow exceptions for licensed animal owners and injured wildlife. A separate rule bans feeding…

Chickens and other fowl kept at a San Clemente residence must stay at least 100 feet from any neighboring residential structure occupied by someone else, unless the Zoning Code…

San Clemente's zoning code lets veterinary and animal hospital offices operate by right in the NC 1.3, NC 2 and NC 3 neighborhood commercial zones and all four Community Commercial…

San Clemente has no breed-specific ban. Instead, Chapter 6.20 lets the Coastal Animal Services Authority declare any dog 'potentially dangerous' or 'vicious' based on its own conduct…

San Clemente requires every dog off its owner's property to be on a leash or chain no longer than six feet, unless it is under an in-hand handler's control. On the owner's own land, a…

San Clemente bans keeping any wild, exotic or non-domesticated animal without a permit from the general manager of the Coastal Animal Services Authority. Applicants must prove the…

San Clemente does not require microchipping for ordinary pets, but a dog declared potentially dangerous must be licensed, microchipped and vaccinated at the owner's expense before…

San Clemente does not require pets citywide to be fixed, but a dog formally declared potentially dangerous must be spayed or neutered at the owner's expense before it can be released…

At John Wayne Airport, Orange County's Rules of Conduct bar anyone from hunting, pursuing, trapping, catching, injuring or killing any bird or animal on Airport property without the…

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

San Clemente lets residential properties run gas or wood-burning fire pits under fire-code clearance rules: gas devices need Building Department approval and 3 to 10 feet of clearance…

Outdoor fires burning wood or solid fuel are barred citywide once sustained winds exceed 8 mph with humidity under 25%, a red flag is declared, or OCFA posts a ban notice, and every…

San Clemente designates parts of the city as Moderate, High, and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones under state Government Code Section 51179(a), using the FHSZ map adopted by…

San Clemente's Fire Code requires every fireworks display, regardless of shell or mortar size, to be fired electrically, and the applicant must give OCFA a diagram showing the firing…

The Orange County Fire Authority's fire code official can order flammable vegetation cleared for 10 feet on each side of highways and private streets used for vehicle traffic. Single…

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

San Clemente limits what can sit in a residential driveway: boats and trailers cannot be parked there at all, and an oversized vehicle must be self-powered and operable, under…

San Clemente's Chapter 10.28 sets baseline rules for stopping, standing and parking on City streets: a list of places where parking is always off-limits, a 72-hour cap on leaving a…

San Clemente must issue electric vehicle charging station permits through a nondiscretionary, expedited process under Municipal Code Chapter 15.19, implementing state Government Code…

San Clemente declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles on private or public property a public nuisance under Municipal Code Section 10.52.010, acting under…

Section 10.28.230(A) of the San Clemente Municipal Code bars parking a wide vehicle on narrow streets between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. The ban applies wherever the curb-to-curb width is…

San Clemente marks curb loading zones with paint, and the color controls how long you can stop. Yellow curbs allow loading or unloading of passengers for up to three minutes or…

San Clemente runs a citywide preferential parking permit program under Municipal Code Section 10.28.260. The City Council designates zones and sets permit costs by resolution; a…

Section 10.28.230(B) of the San Clemente Municipal Code bars parking a commercial vehicle on any City street, public lot or alley between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., except while…

San Clemente Municipal Code Section 10.28.230(C) limits RVs, buses, campers, house cars and trailers to four hours on any City street, public lot or alley, and bars leaving an…

San Clemente Municipal Code Section 10.12.090 bars anyone but the City from painting a street or curb surface. The only carve-out is for curb house numbers, and even that requires…

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…

Every San Clemente lot owner, whether the land is improved or vacant, must keep the property free of weeds, grass, and other unsanitary growth that could endanger neighbors or public…

San Clemente bans daytime irrigation between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and bars watering during or within 48 hours after a quarter-inch of rain, as permanent, year-round water…

San Clemente property owners must keep trees, shrubs and hedges on their land trimmed to an 8-foot vertical clearance over any adjacent street, sidewalk, bikeway, trail or parkway, and…

Inside San Clemente's Coastal Zone (-CZ) Overlay, landscaping placed within the required coastal bluff or coastal canyon setback must be primarily native plant species, and the code…

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

Unincorporated Orange County exempts landscape projects that meet their entire water demand with on-site rainwater capture or graywater from the standard water-budget calculation…

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…

San Clemente can revoke a short-term lodging unit's operating license after three conclusively established code violations tied to that unit within any 12-month period, or immediately…

Operating or advertising a short-term lodging unit in San Clemente requires two approvals: an STLU operating license from the Finance and Administrative Services Director's office and…

Getting or renewing a short-term lodging unit operating license in San Clemente costs a Council-set filing fee under § 3.24.210, and every licensed STLU must keep filing its transient…

A Short-term Apartment Rental in San Clemente must have its owner or a trained property manager sleep on the property every night a unit is rented. This applies only to STARs, the STLU…

Every San Clemente short-term lodging unit owner must carry vacation rental property insurance covering the commercial lodging use and prove it to the city every year. The requirement…

San Clemente bars short-term rental guests from unreasonable noise, disorderly conduct, or violations of alcohol and drug laws, and puts the compliance burden on the owner. A quick…

San Clemente caps overnight occupancy in a licensed Short-Term Lodging Unit at two people per legal bedroom plus two, but never more than 10 people total, under Section…

San Clemente does not set a fixed parking-space count for short-term lodging units; instead every STLU application must diagram the property's existing legal on-site parking spaces and…

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

San Clemente caps residential retaining wall height under Section 17.24.180: 3 feet 6 inches in a front yard setback, and 6 feet elsewhere on the lot, rising to 8 feet 6 inches only…

San Clemente restricts fences, walls and hedges in residential zones to 3 feet 6 inches in front yards and within 5 feet of a street-side property line, rising to 6 feet in interior…

Raising a San Clemente fence, wall or hedge above the standard limit takes a discretionary permit. A Minor Exception Permit covers a front or street-side yard fence raised to 6 feet…

San Clemente bans barbed wire and razor fencing in every zone, residential and nonresidential alike, under Municipal Code Section 17.24.090(B)(2). The only exception is fencing needed…

Shared boundary fences in unincorporated Orange County are governed by California Civil Code Section 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Law. Adjoining owners are presumed equally responsible…

Converting an existing garage into an ADU in San Clemente needs only a building permit, no separate ADU permit, if it keeps within the garage's existing footprint plus up to 150 square…

San Clemente charges no impact fee at all on an ADU under 750 square feet. Larger ADUs pay an impact fee, but only proportional to the ADU's floor area versus the primary home's, under…

An ADU or JADU in San Clemente can never be rented for less than 30 days, regardless of when it was built, and it can never be sold or conveyed apart from the main lot and primary…

San Clemente reviews ADU applications ministerially within 60 days, no hearing required, under Section 17.28.270. Detached ADUs are capped at 16 feet in height, rising to 18 or 20 feet…

ADUs permitted before January 1, 2025 in San Clemente carry no owner-occupancy requirement, but any ADU permitted on or after that date, and every junior ADU regardless of date…

San Clemente's Municipal Code sets specific setback and height limits for detached sheds and accessory buildings under Section 17.24.040. A shed of 450 square feet or less can sit at…

San Clemente allows home occupations inside legal residential dwelling units in every zone, but Municipal Code Section 17.28.160 requires a Home Occupation Permit and a City business…

San Clemente Municipal Code Section 17.28.160(C)(8) flatly bans signage for a home occupation: no signs for the home occupation shall be allowed. The rule pairs with a broader…

San Clemente Municipal Code Section 17.28.100 lets family day care homes operate in residential surroundings as a home environment for children, while imposing lighting, noise, and…

San Clemente's home occupation standards at Municipal Code Section 17.28.160(C) bar a home business from becoming a customer pickup or delivery point and from increasing vehicular…

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…

San Clemente bans yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on public streets, especially between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., if it annoys or disturbs anyone's quiet, comfort or…

Gas-powered leaf blowers are banned citywide in San Clemente under Municipal Code Section 8.50.050, effective November 4, 2022. Electric leaf blowers are allowed only if rated at 65…

Construction noise in San Clemente is allowed only from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, with none permitted on Sunday or a…

San Clemente bans keeping any animal whose noise unreasonably disturbs neighbors. A dog barking continuously for 30 minutes, or intermittently for 60 minutes, meets the code's own…

San Clemente bans playing a car radio or stereo loud enough to disturb others or cross a property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and separately requires every vehicle exhaust…

San Clemente bans playing a loudspeaker, sound amplifier or similar device outside a vehicle so that sound is cast onto public streets, unless it is done under a City-issued Commercial…

San Clemente caps exterior noise measured at a neighboring property by land use and time of day: 55 dB(A) daytime and 50 dB(A) at night for residential property, up to 70 dB(A) around…

Orange County bars regularly scheduled commercial flights at John Wayne Airport from departing between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. (8 a.m. Sundays) or arriving between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. (8…

New or remodeled residential pools and spas in San Clemente must be enclosed by a code-compliant barrier plus a second drowning-prevention feature under Municipal Code Section…

San Clemente requires a building permit to construct or remodel most residential pools and spas; only small prefabricated above-ground pools under 18 inches deep and 5,000 gallons are…

San Clemente requires a city filming permit under Section 5.44.020 before anyone conducts commercial filming activity on public property or in a way that restricts the public's normal…

San Clemente holds filmmakers who need to close or partially close a public street, park, right-of-way, or the municipal pier to a stricter deadline: Section 5.44.030 requires the…

Enrolled students filming non-commercial work on Orange County property still need a film permit, but the County waives the permit fee if they submit a class schedule and a school…

San Clemente requires every sidewalk food and merchandise vendor to obtain a sidewalk vending permit from the License Collector, then keeps a 48-inch accessible path clear and bars…

Operating a food truck or other mobile food preparation unit in San Clemente requires a food vending permit from the Orange County Health Department under Section 8.24.020, plus…

San Clemente confines vending from a vehicle to public streets in residential zones under Chapter 5.52, requiring a street vending permit, $500,000 in liability insurance, and a…

San Clemente bars loud loading, unloading, and container-opening noise, plus retail-center maintenance noise like trash-bin dumping and parking-lot sweepers, between 10:00 p.m. and…

San Clemente requires HVAC units, pool pumps, spa equipment, and fountain motors to be enclosed or muffled so they do not create a noise disturbance under Municipal Code Section…

San Clemente treats a generator as a fixed noise source under Chapter 8.48, meaning it must stay within the same exterior decibel limits as any stationary equipment, dropping from 55…

San Clemente's noise code specifically accounts for low-frequency bass by requiring investigators to use C-weighted decibel measurement, the scale built to assess bass from drums or…

San Clemente treats a car alarm, horn, or other vehicle signaling device sounded for an unreasonable period or at an unreasonably loud or harsh volume as a prohibited noise under…

San Clemente bans dumping or leaving litter on any open or vacant private lot within city limits, whether or not the person owns it, and separately requires every property owner to…

San Clemente declares a long list of dilapidated, unsafe, or visibly blighted property conditions a public nuisance under Municipal Code Section 8.52.030, from structurally unsafe…

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

San Clemente makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate on private property in view of the public, or on any public street, sidewalk, alley, park, or beach, unless the person uses a…

San Clemente bans aggressive solicitation anywhere in public: approaching or following someone in a way likely to make a reasonable person fear harm, intentionally touching a person or…

Chapter 9.16 of the San Clemente Municipal Code makes a 'loud or unruly gathering' at any residential unit a public nuisance and holds the host, renter or event organizer responsible…

San Clemente Municipal Code Section 17.28.035(C) makes personal recreational marijuana use, possession, purchase, transport, or distribution unlawful anywhere in the city to the same…

San Clemente bans smoking on every public beach, beach access point, park, coastal or inland canyon, public trail, and designated open-space area in the City, under Municipal Code…

San Clemente bans skateboarding outright on the streets and sidewalks of the Avenida del Mar business core and around the Municipal Pier under Municipal Code Section 10.64.020…

San Clemente Municipal Code Section 10.24.020 requires pedestrians in any business district to cross the roadway only at a marked crosswalk, not mid-block. Crosswalks themselves are…

San Clemente prohibits consuming, selling, buying, giving away, or even possessing an open container of alcohol anywhere in public, including streets, parks, the pier, and the beach…

San Clemente sorts every business license into one of two tax tracks: retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, telephone providers, and most professions pay under a graduated…

San Clemente's disorderly conduct ordinance bars anyone from sitting, lying, or otherwise blocking a public sidewalk, and separately bars leaving a bicycle, vehicle, or similar object…

Property owners next to a sidewalk, bikeway, or private trail in San Clemente must maintain, repair, and replace it themselves under Municipal Code Section 12.24.050, covering every…

Placing any private improvement in a San Clemente public easement or right-of-way requires an encroachment permit under Municipal Code Section 12.20.015, with a Council-set filing fee…

Opening a pawnbroker business in San Clemente requires City Council approval, or in some cases a special event permit, before the License Collector can issue any business license, the…

A commercial vehicle service or repair facility cannot locate on a new site that shares a border with a residential or mixed-use zone, and all repair work must happen inside an…

San Clemente tattoo parlors and body piercing studios need a Minor Conditional Use Permit, must register with the Orange County Health Department, and keep 1,000-foot buffers from…

San Clemente requires a Massage Establishment Business License for every fixed-location massage business, and Section 5.28.060 additionally conditions approval on holding an active…

San Clemente requires a sexually oriented business to obtain both an adult-oriented business permit and a business license before opening, and it keeps such businesses at least 1,000…

San Clemente requires smoke and tobacco shops to get a Conditional Use Permit setting their hours, and keeps them at least 500 feet from residential property, schools, parks and each…

Anyone buying, selling, pawning, consigning or auctioning secondhand personal property in unincorporated Orange County must first get a county license before opening for business.

San Clemente adopts the state's three-class e-bike system in Municipal Code Section 10.62.010 and adds a local age floor and sidewalk ban for the fastest tier. Class 3 bikes, capable…

San Clemente requires bicycle, e-bike, scooter and skateboard riders to travel with traffic and use a designated bike lane where one exists under Municipal Code Section 10.62.020…

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

Unincorporated Orange County bars installation of any automated traffic enforcement system, including red-light cameras, on county streets or for traffic enforcement in unincorporated…

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…

Anyone who wants to sell goods, run a business, or offer services inside a San Clemente park, beach, building or trail needs a permit from the Beaches, Parks and Recreation Department…

A street fair, festival or carnival in San Clemente counts as a 'special event' under Chapter 12.34 and needs a special event permit issued by the City Manager before it can happen…

San Clemente's temporary parklet program, adopted under state AB 1217, lets restaurants convert curbside parking into outdoor dining through a ministerial Parklet Permit. Parklets are…

A parade in San Clemente is a regulated special event: Municipal Code Section 12.34.030 bars conducting or organizing one without a City Manager-issued special event permit…

San Clemente's Filming Coordinator can deny a commercial filming permit under Section 5.44.050(C) when the city has already issued a special-event permit for the same site and the…

Restaurants that want to put tables on a San Clemente sidewalk need a Minor Conditional Use Permit for up to 16 seats and four tables, or a full Conditional Use Permit above that, plus…

San Clemente bans illicit connections and prohibited discharges into its stormwater drainage system under Chapter 13.40, enacted to meet the City's NPDES permit obligations under the…

San Clemente enforces defensible space and fire-spread rules through its Wildland-Urban Interface Code, adopted from the 2025 California WUI Code (Title 24, Part 7). New construction…

San Clemente requires new residential construction in a special flood hazard area to elevate the lowest floor, including any basement, to or above the base flood elevation under…

San Clemente's Grading Ordinance requires erosion and sediment control on every active grading site during the rainy season, October 15 through April 15, under Municipal Code Section…

San Clemente regulates construction in flood hazard areas under Chapter 15.76, Flood Damage Prevention. A development permit is required before any construction begins in a mapped…

A written County permit is required to build, extend, or alter any pier, dock, piling, bulkhead, or seawall in a County harbor, issued by the Harbors, Beaches and Parks Director.

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

San Clemente's sign matrix flatly prohibits freeway-oriented signs regardless of size or height. A sign merely visible from the freeway, without being aimed at freeway traffic, is a…

San Clemente's sign matrix prohibits off-site billboard signs outright, and separately bans animated, blinking and flashing signs anywhere in the city, which forecloses the…

San Clemente allows one garage sale sign per site, capped at 4 square feet, with no permit required. It must be posted on the property holding the sale and taken down no later than the…

San Clemente caps window signs by how much of the window they cover. A window sign under 25 percent of an individual window's area needs no permit at all, but once coverage crosses…

Unincorporated Orange County regulates signs content-neutrally under Zoning Code Sec. 7-9-114. Political signs are treated as temporary noncommercial signs: in residential districts…

San Clemente's residential setback table sets front, side and rear yard minimums by density zone, from a 10-foot front yard in the highest-density RH zone up to a 20-foot front yard in…

San Clemente caps lot coverage at 50 percent in the RL and RML residential zones and 55 percent in the higher-density RM and RH zones, set in the same development standards table as…

San Clemente's residential zones cap building height at 30 feet with a 2-story limit in the RVL zone, and 25 feet in the RL, RML and RM zones, rising to 45 feet in the RH zone, per…

San Clemente closes its municipal parks nightly under Municipal Code Section 9.12.060. The general rule bars anyone from remaining in a City park between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., but…

San Clemente bars anyone under 18 from remaining in any public place or business establishment between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., with limited exceptions. Parents, guardians, or…

San Clemente Municipal Code Section 17.28.035 prohibits cannabis dispensaries, delivery services, and every other commercial marijuana business in all zoning districts. No use permit…

Orange County Ordinance No. 17-011 (codified at OCCO §7-9-146.8 through §7-9-146.14) strictly regulates personal cannabis cultivation in unincorporated areas. Indoor cultivation of up…

San Clemente enforces the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) by reference under Municipal Code Section 15.14.010, covering sustainable construction practices and…

San Clemente requires a building permit for construction and alteration work unless a project falls within the specific exemption list in amended CBC Section 105.2 (Municipal Code…

San Clemente's Building Division charges a re-inspection fee whenever a scheduled inspection finds the work incomplete, prior corrections unfixed, or the site inaccessible, under…

San Clemente requires anti-burglary hardware on new construction and converted multi-family units under its Building Security Code, Chapter 15.28. Doors must use interchange-free…

San Clemente enforces the 2025 California Electrical Code, based on the 2023 National Electrical Code, as its local electrical regulations under Municipal Code Section 15.12.010. New…

San Clemente requires automatic fire sprinklers in all new Group R residential buildings, including attached garages, under amended CBC Section 903.2.8 (Municipal Code Section…

San Clemente enforces the 2025 California Plumbing Code, based on the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code, adopted by reference under Municipal Code Section 15.20.010. Permit administration and…

In unincorporated Orange County, child care centers or early education facilities serving more than 14 children need a Use Permit from the Planning Commission before opening, per the…

San Clemente must use an administrative, nondiscretionary expedited review process for small residential rooftop solar systems up to 10 kW AC (or 30 kW thermal) under Municipal Code…

Unincorporated Orange County requires a building permit for small rooftop solar systems, but the Building Official must issue it within three business days once the application meets…

California's Solar Rights Act (Civil Code §714) provides strong protections for homeowners installing solar panels in unincorporated Orange County. HOAs cannot prohibit solar…

San Clemente requires many properties within its Service Area to switch from potable to recycled water under Municipal Code Chapter 13.44. Mandatory uses include irrigation, commercial…

San Clemente requires every dumpster serving a commercial or multi-parcel use to sit inside a solid enclosure at least 9 feet wide and 6 feet deep, screened on three sides by a 5-foot…

San Clemente bans solid waste collection in residential zones between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and in commercial or other zones between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Containers can go to the…

Under the state's SB 1383 program, every single-family household in San Clemente must subscribe to the City's three-container collection service and keep food scraps and other organic…

San Clemente requires every property owner to have solid waste collected through the City or its exclusive Franchise Hauler under Section 8.28.050, and Section 8.28.060 bans collection…

San Clemente requires trash, recycling and organics carts to sit at the curb no earlier than 5 p.m. the day before collection under Section 8.28.040. Within 24 hours after pickup…

It's unlawful to throw or deposit litter on any private property in San Clemente, occupied or vacant, under Sections 8.40.190, 8.40.200 and 8.40.210. Property owners must keep their…

San Clemente residents dispose of yard clippings, prunings, and brush through the City's organic waste cart under the mandatory three-container system, but a homeowner's own gardener…

Bulky items like furniture and appliances don't have to go in a container under San Clemente's code, but Section 8.28.021 bans leaving them on a street, alley, sidewalk or visible part…

San Clemente requires every customer to place trash, recyclables, and organic waste only in City- or Franchise Hauler-supplied containers, and bars overfilling any cart so the lid…

San Clemente requires every single-family home to subscribe to the city's three-container collection service, sorting organic waste, recyclables and refuse into separate carts under…

San Clemente requires every door-to-door solicitor, canvasser, or peddler to obtain a solicitor's business license from the License Collector before working the city's streets…

San Clemente limits door-to-door soliciting to daylight hours only: no one may solicit orders, peddle, canvass, or hawk goods on private property except between sunrise and sunset. Any…

San Clemente prohibits flying a drone over any city-permitted event open to the public unless the operator carries written or electronic permission from the City. The rule is part of…

San Clemente regulates every drone operator under Municipal Code Chapter 8.82, a citywide safety ordinance that says it does not preempt FAA rules. Operators must keep the drone in…

San Clemente charges a 10 percent transient occupancy tax on rent paid by anyone staying 29 or fewer consecutive days in any hotel, motel, bed-and-breakfast, or short-term lodging unit…

San Clemente's Property Maintenance Code bans noxious weeds outright and requires every developed property to stay free of dead, dry weeds and live weeds over one inch, under Municipal…

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

San Clemente requires a City permit before anyone plants or maintains landscaping in the parkway, the strip of City-owned right-of-way between the curb and the property line. The…

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

San Clemente's Architectural (-A) Overlay District requires new buildings and major remodels in the designated downtown area to be built in Spanish Colonial Revival style and to…

In the unincorporated H Overlay District, Orange County lets developers who consolidate small parcels into a site of one acre or more raise base density from 70 to 84 units per acre: a…

San Clemente requires residential building permit applicants to certify their project complies with any HOA CC&Rs under Section 15.04.030, and to show the HOA's written design approval…

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…

San Clemente requires all exterior lighting to be energy-efficient and shielded or recessed so glare and reflections stay within the property line, aimed downward and away from…

Unincorporated Orange County's zoning code requires all outdoor lighting to be designed and located so it confines direct rays to the property where it's installed, a light-trespass…

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

San Clemente's Property Maintenance Code requires every structure to stay free of insect and rodent infestation, measured against standards set by Orange County Vector Control, under…

San Clemente bans camping on City-owned land, in private open space designated by the zoning code or General Plan, and in areas the Fire Chief flags as fire-risk. A companion ordinance…

San Clemente outlaws keeping any house, room, or dwelling where card or dice games are played for money, checks, credit, or anything of value, unless the specific game is one of the…

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…

Changes to any property on San Clemente's list of designated historic resources and landmarks need a Cultural Heritage Permit before construction. The permit reviews new buildings…

Unincorporated Orange County's Fire Code adds permit and clearance rules for outdoor fireplaces and fire pits at apartments and other Group R buildings, but portable barbecues and…

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

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

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

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

Unincorporated Orange County has no local rent control ordinance. Tenants are protected by California's statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), which caps annual rent increases at…

Unincorporated Orange County has no local just cause eviction ordinance. California's Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482, Civil Code §1946.2) provides statewide just cause eviction…

Unincorporated Orange County does not require rental property registration. There is no countywide rental registry, landlord licensing, or rental inspection program for unincorporated…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

California prohibits grocery stores and large retailers from providing single-use plastic carryout bags under Public Resources Code 42280-42288, enacted by SB 270 (2014) and ratified…

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

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

In unincorporated Orange County, data centers are not a listed use in the M1 "Light Industrial" district, so they can proceed only with a discretionary Use Permit approved by the…

Unincorporated Orange County has no data-center-specific noise rule, but its Noise Control Ordinance caps exterior noise reaching any residential property at 55 dB(A) daytime (7…

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 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…

California bans retail sale of most flavored tobacco products statewide under Health and Safety Code 104559.5, enacted by SB 793 (2020) and upheld by voters via Proposition 31 in…

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…