San Diego, CA

Home occupations in San Diego may host only one customer on-site at a time, by appointment only, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with visits spaced at least two…

San Diego lets residents run a home occupation as a limited use on residential property under Municipal Code § 141.0308's standard conditions, without a separate permit, but exceeding…

San Diego bans all signage advertising a home occupation, and other advertising for the business may not even list the home address: a flat prohibition rather than a size or placement…

San Diego treats small and large family child care homes as a limited zoning use under SDMC §141.0606, capping capacity at up to 8 or 14 children depending on license type and…

Cottage Food Operations in unincorporated San Diego County that draw drinking water from a private well cannot get a CFO permit until they prove the well meets a "Transient…

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 Diego allows wood, brick, block, stone, stucco, metal, and prefabricated PVC for fences, but bans plywood outright and requires vinyl fencing to be manufactured specifically as…

California Civil Code Sections 841-841.4 (Good Neighbor Fence Act of 2013) governs shared boundary fences in San Diego. Adjoining landowners are presumed equally responsible for…

San Diego generally does not require permits for standard fences up to 6 feet in height. Fences over 6 feet, masonry/concrete walls, and fences in special zones require building…

San Diego's fence height caps depend on location: 3 feet in visibility triangle areas and along most front and street-side property lines, sliding up to 6 feet as the fence moves back…

San Diego caps freestanding retaining walls at 12 feet outside required yards, with lower limits and horizontal offsets required closer to the street; any wall 3 feet or taller needs a…

Multi-dwelling residential projects in a San Diego transit priority area that choose to provide off-street parking must include electric vehicle charging spaces, with the required…

Only DMV-registered commercial vehicles may use a marked Commercial Loading Zone in San Diego, and loading is capped at three minutes for passengers or 20 minutes for goods, enforced 6…

San Diego lets a homeowner paint their own street number on the curb for free, but no one else may do it without the occupant's permission, and paid solicitors must register with…

San Diego's City Council may, by resolution, designate residential streets as Residential Permit Parking Areas under SDMC Division 20, exempting permit-holding residents' vehicles from…

San Diego enforces a 72-hour street parking limit under SDMC 86.0125 and California Vehicle Code 22651(k). The SDPD Abandoned Vehicle Detail responds to complaints, marks the tires…

San Diego bars trucks and equipment over 24 feet from driving or parking in the Downtown central traffic district on weekdays under SDMC § 85.02, and lets the City Council post…

SDMC Section 86.0139 prohibits oversized, non-motorized, and recreational vehicles from parking on public streets between 2 AM and 6 AM. Vehicles may not park within 50 feet of an…

San Diego bars parking off-street spaces or vehicles in a required front or street side yard except on a legal driveway, per SDMC §142.0510(e).

San Diego imposes a 72-hour continuous parking limit on all public streets under SDMC 86.0122. Many neighborhoods have Residential Parking Permit (RPP) zones restricting non-resident…

SDMC §86.0139 prohibits oversized and recreational vehicles from parking on public streets between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM. Oversized vehicles are defined as exceeding 27 feet in length…

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…

Backyard composting is permitted in San Diego. SB 1383 requires organic waste diversion. The city provides organics collection through its Environmental Services Department.

San Diego bans irrigating lawns, gardens, and landscaped areas with potable water between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. under the city's water waste ordinance, with narrow exceptions for…

Rainwater harvesting is encouraged in San Diego through rebate programs and stormwater management goals. Rain barrels and cisterns under 5,000 gallons do not require a permit. Systems…

Artificial turf installation in San Diego generally does not require a building permit for the turf itself, but the associated grading and drainage systems may trigger municipal review…

San Diego's tree ordinance gives the Park and Recreation Department exclusive jurisdiction over the planting, maintenance, care, and removal of trees in every city street, backed by…

SDMC Section 54.0201 declares all weeds, waste, and rubbish on property a public nuisance. Property owners must maintain lots free of weeds over approximately 12 inches. Vacant lots…

San Diego requires property owners to trim trees that overhang sidewalks (minimum 8 ft clearance) and streets (minimum 14 ft) per SDMC. Topping trees is prohibited under California…

San Diego encourages native plant landscaping through the County's Native Landscape Program approved in December 2022 and the San Diego County Water Authority's Nifty 50 guide of…

Airbnb, Vrbo and similar hosting platforms operating in San Diego must verify a host's STRO license before processing bookings, notify hosts of licensing and tax rules, and report…

San Diego's home-share licenses, Tier One (20 days or less) and Tier Two (over 20 days), are only issued for the host's own primary residence, not a separate non-owner-occupied unit.

A San Diego short-term rental license can be revoked if a hearing officer finds a third violation of the property's operating requirements within the prior 12 months.

Home-sharing more than 20 days a year in San Diego requires a Tier Two License, which must still be in the host's primary residence and carries its own two-year renewal cycle.

Tier Two home-share hosts in San Diego must personally occupy their primary residence at least 275 days of the year in which the home is rented out as a home share.

San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 5, Article 10, Division 1 (STRO Ordinance, effective May 1, 2023) sets a 20-day annual threshold that determines licensing tier: Tier 1 allows up to 20…

San Diego's Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) ordinance under SDMC Chapter 5, Article 10, Division 1 establishes occupancy limits tied to the license tier. A two-night minimum…

San Diego requires a Short-Term Residential Occupancy (STRO) license under SDMC Sections 30.18-30.20 for any rental under 30 days. Three license tiers exist with caps: whole-home…

STRO hosts must provide guests information about available parking. No dedicated off-street parking requirement for STRs beyond standard residential requirements. Guests must follow…

San Diego requires 10.5% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) plus a 2% Tourism Marketing District (TMD) assessment on all short-term rental income under SDMC Section 35.0101. Hosts must…

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…

Radios, phonographs, and other sound devices played in San Diego's public parks, beaches, or adjacent lots and streets are capped at 65 decibels from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 55 decibels…

San Diego bars sound systems, car stereos, and vehicle radios from disturbing neighbors; playing one audibly beyond 50 feet between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. is treated as a prima facie…

Construction work that creates disturbing noise is banned before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m. on weekdays, on Sundays, and on legal holidays without a permit from the Noise Abatement and…

Aircraft using Montgomery Field Airport must stay under set decibel limits by time of day, with tighter caps at night to protect nearby residential neighborhoods.

Keeping an animal whose frequent or long-continued noise annoys a reasonable neighbor is unlawful under SDMC §59.5.0502(c), and a complaint from two adjacent neighbors, or three nearby…

Any sound device played loud enough to be heard 50 feet away between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. is automatically treated as an unlawful disturbing noise under SDMC §59.5.0502(b)(2)(A), giving…

SDMC Section 59.5.0502(b) restricts leaf blower use in residential zones: prohibited 7 PM to 8 AM weekdays and 5 PM to 9 AM weekends/holidays. Maximum 65 dBA at 50 feet. California AB…

Unincorporated San Diego County caps noise at 50 dBA daytime and 45 dBA nighttime in low-density residential zones, with higher limits up to 75 dBA in industrial and extractive zones…

San Diego waives development impact fees for the first two ADUs on a property and for any ADU under 750 square feet, removing one of the biggest cost barriers to building a backyard…

San Diego bars renting an accessory dwelling unit for stays shorter than 31 consecutive days, closing off short-term vacation rental use of ADUs while leaving JADUs free of any…

San Diego permits garage conversions to ADUs under state law (Government Code 65852.2) without requiring replacement parking. Conversions must meet Building Code standards for…

A detached one-story storage shed or playhouse in San Diego skips the Building Permit if its roof area is 120 square feet or less and it isn't used for a separately regulated use.

San Diego permits ADUs under SDMC Chapter 14, Article 1, Division 3, consistent with California ADU law (Government Code 65852.2). Single-family lots may have one ADU, one JADU, and…

Movable tiny houses are allowed citywide as an accessory structure with a Process One permit, capped at 430 square feet and limited to one per lot.

In unincorporated San Diego County, a junior accessory dwelling unit stays legal only while the owner of record lives in either the primary home or the JADU, per a recorded deed…

San Diego allows veterinary clinics and animal hospitals as a permitted or conditional use depending on zone, requiring a Neighborhood Use Permit in some areas and barring them from…

San Diego bans pet shops from selling live dogs, cats, or rabbits unless the animal came from a shelter, humane society, or rescue group, per SDMC §42.0707.

San Diego restricts ownership of certain exotic and dangerous animals. Monkeys, alligators, poisonous reptiles, and other dangerous or invasive species are prohibited or require…

San Diego does not impose breed-specific legislation (BSL). No dog breeds are banned. California state law (Food & Agriculture Code Section 31683) preempts local breed-specific bans…

San Diego has no standalone leash ordinance of its own. SDMC § 44.0300 adopts the County of San Diego's Animal Control Ordinance by reference, so the county's leash and at-large…

San Diego allows 1-2 beehives on residential property per SDMC Chapter 4, Article 4, Division 4. Hives must be outside setbacks or 15 feet from property lines. A 6-foot barrier is…

San Diego permits up to 5 chickens (hens only, no roosters) on single-family lots under SDMC Section 42.0709. Coop must be in the rear yard, 5 feet from side property lines and 13 feet…

Unincorporated San Diego County has no dedicated ordinance prohibiting the feeding of coyotes, deer, or other wildlife. Such conduct is governed mainly by California law: Fish and Game…

In unincorporated San Diego County, keeping seven or more dogs at one property makes it a legally defined 'kennel,' requiring a County Animal Services kennel license: there is no set…

San Diego County doesn't license cats, but if animal control impounds your unaltered cat found at large, County Code § 62.679(b) requires you to pay an altering deposit before…

Dogs and cats adopted from San Diego County's animal shelter must be altered within 30 days of the adoption or transfer, unless a licensed veterinarian grants a written 30-day…

Unincorporated San Diego County has no blanket pet microchip mandate. Animal Services can require owners to pay for a microchip when redeeming an impounded dog or cat picked up at…

Pet grooming is its own zoning use type, 'Animal Sales and Services: Grooming,' under Zoning Ordinance Section 1425. It's permitted by right in C34 General Commercial zones but needs a…

San Diego allows backyard recreational fires under San Diego Fire Code Section 511.0307 (adopting 2022 California Fire Code Section 307) when the fire is no more than 3 feet wide and 2…

San Diego enforces 2022 California Residential Code Section R314 and California Health and Safety Code Sections 13113.7 and 13114 through the San Diego Building Regulations (SDMC…

All consumer fireworks are illegal in the City of San Diego under California Health & Safety Code 12689 and SDMC fire regulations. This includes sparklers, firecrackers, bottle…

San Diego bans bonfires within 50 feet of a structure unless contained in a barbecue pit, and suspends all open burning citywide during a National Weather Service Red-Flag Warning or…

San Diego requires 100 feet of defensible space around all structures in Very High Fire Severity Zones under SDMC 142.0412. Three fuel modification zones apply. Properties must be…

San Diego has extensive Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) due to its canyon-rim topography and Santa Ana wind exposure. SDMC §142.0412 establishes a comprehensive brush…

Unincorporated San Diego County bans bulk liquefied petroleum gas storage countywide except in mixed, general, or high-impact industrial zones; up to 30,000 gallons aggregate water…

All in-ground swimming pools require a building permit in San Diego. Prefabricated above-ground pools under 5,000 gallons and less than 18 inches deep are exempt. Permits include…

SDMC Section 145.0303 requires a fence at least 60 inches high completely surrounding all swimming pools. Maximum 2-inch ground clearance. Gates must be self-closing and self-latching…

San Diego exempts security lighting for walkways, equipment yards, and parking lots from its 11 p.m. curfew, but only if adequate public-safety lighting is maintained and output is…

San Diego caps most outdoor lighting at 4000 Kelvin color temperature and requires it off between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., with a stricter 2500 Kelvin/4,050-lumen cap near the Palomar and…

Unincorporated San Diego County requires billboard and other off-premises sign lighting to be fully shielded, aimed downward, and shut off by midnight under the county's light…

San Diego allows cannabis production facilities, cultivation, processing, and wholesale sites, only with a Conditional Use Permit in zones marked "C" in the Chapter 13 Base Zone…

SDMC §141.0614 requires 1,000 feet between any Marijuana Outlet and a school, public park, library, child-care center, playground, residential care facility, church, or another…

San Diego prohibits outdoor growing of personal cannabis. Adults 21+ may cultivate up to six plants indoors per household under California Proposition 64 (HSC §11362.2). Medical…

Adults 21 and older in San Diego may cultivate up to six living cannabis plants per private residence under California Proposition 64, codified at Health and Safety Code §11362.1, with…

San Diego bans smoking, vaping, and ingesting cannabis or cannabis products in any public place or place open to the public under SDMC §42.1303. Violators are guilty of an infraction.

San Diego bars skateboards, coasters, and roller skates from open roadways and from sidewalks or plazas in business districts under SDMC § 84.12, plus a nighttime riding ban for…

San Diego bans drinking alcohol on public streets, sidewalks, parking lots, alleys, plazas and piers citywide, with extra beach and time-window bans layered on top under SDMC § 56.54.

San Diego bans aggressive solicitation citywide under SDMC Division 40: coercing, threatening, hounding, harassing, or intimidating someone to ask for money or goods on any street…

San Diego makes it a misdemeanor to loiter near critical-infrastructure sites, airports, tank farms, reservoirs, power plants, gas plants and similar facilities, once the owner has…

San Diego has no jaywalking ordinance of its own: pedestrians are bound by California Vehicle Code § 21955, which bars crossing mid-block between signal-controlled intersections…

San Diego prohibits urinating or defecating on streets, sidewalks, parks, beaches, or any place open to public view under SDMC § 56.55, with an exception for use of an actual restroom.

San Diego bans smoking and vaping in every public park, public beach, boardwalk, seawall, and City-owned pier, with fines up to $100 per infraction.

Anyone who owns or controls property in unincorporated San Diego County and hosts a party must take reasonable steps to stop minors from drinking or using marijuana there. Hosts who…

Spilling, depositing, or abandoning solid waste, hazardous waste, or recyclable material on any highway or public or private property is prohibited, and violators owe the full cost of…

New development in San Diego must locate exterior trash and recycling storage areas away from the street and behind a solid enclosure, per the municipal code's refuse storage…

San Diego requires weekly separate-container collection of food material and food-soiled paper at residential and commercial facilities served by a franchise hauler, under the city's…

City forces must collect residential solid waste from single-family and small multi-family homes at least once a week under San Diego's Solid Waste Management Services ordinance.

San Diego's Recycling Ordinance requires weekly separate-container collection of yard trimmings and wood waste at residential and commercial facilities served by a franchise hauler…

San Diego provides weekly residential solid waste collection per SDMC §66.0127 and the Waste Management Regulations. The City collects trash weekly and recyclables biweekly. The new…

San Diego property owners and occupants must keep enough covered, leakproof trash and recycling containers on site and keep the area around them free of waste.

San Diego requires recyclable materials to be placed in approved blue recycling containers per SDMC Chapter 6, Article 6, Division 7. The City collects recyclables biweekly. SB 1383…

Unincorporated San Diego County requires households and businesses to source-separate recyclables and organic waste from trash under County Code § 68.570, with violations charged as…

San Diego requires a Plumbing/Mechanical Permit before any plumbing, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, or refrigeration system is installed, altered, or replaced under SDMC…

San Diego only requires fire sprinklers in an ADU or JADU when the primary house on the same lot is already sprinklered, so building a new backyard unit does not automatically trigger…

San Diego requires staged inspections for all permitted construction, and no work may be covered or occupied until the Building Official has approved each successive stage.

San Diego adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code by reference for all new construction citywide, covering energy and water efficiency, material conservation, and…

San Diego requires a separate Electrical Permit before any wiring, device, appliance, or equipment is installed, altered, or replaced, with permits issued only to licensed contractors…

San Diego bars child care centers within 1,000 feet of businesses handling large quantities of hazardous, flammable, or compressed gas materials, and requires 4-6 foot fencing plus…

San Diego's Lead Hazard Prevention and Control Ordinance requires owners of rental properties built before 1979 to perform lead hazard evaluations when units become vacant. All…

California's Elevator Safety Orders (Cal/OSHA Title 8, Sections 3000-3141) and the Conveyance Safety Act (Labor Code Section 7300) govern elevator maintenance in San Diego. All…

Most renovations in San Diego require building permits from the Development Services Department. Permit fees are based on project valuation. Cosmetic work like painting, flooring, and…

Unincorporated San Diego County limits a building's total floor area under the Zoning Ordinance's Maximum Floor Area designator, set zone by zone to keep new construction in scale with…

In unincorporated San Diego County, new or fully renovated mid-rise buildings must wire stairway door locks to release automatically from the fire command center, and locking hardware…

San Diego adopts the Uniform Housing Code and State Housing Law as its Housing Code, governing habitability, maintenance, and occupancy standards for every Residential Occupancy in the…

San Diego's Tenants' Right to Know Ordinance (SDMC §98) and California's Ellis Act require landlords ending a tenancy through no-fault grounds to pay relocation assistance equal to two…

The San Diego Housing Commission administers Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) for the city. California Government Code §12955(p) bars landlords from refusing voucher holders…

San Diego has not enacted a comprehensive Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance like Los Angeles. Tenants rely on California Civil Code §1940.2, §1942.5, and general unfair-business…

California Civil Code §1950.5, amended by AB-12 effective July 2024, caps residential security deposits at one month's rent statewide. San Diego follows state law without adding a…

California Government Code §12955, amended by SB-329 in 2019, prohibits housing discrimination based on lawful source of income, including Section 8 vouchers. The San Diego Human…

San Diego's Tenants' Right to Know Ordinance (SDMC §98) and California AB-1482 limit no-fault evictions to enumerated reasons such as owner move-in, substantial remodel, withdrawal…

SDMC §98.0704 prohibits landlords from terminating tenancy without just cause, effective immediately upon commencement of tenancy. At-fault causes include nonpayment of rent, lease…

San Diego requires landlords to file termination notices with the San Diego Housing Commission's Tenant Termination Notice Registry within 3 business days of serving notice to the…

San Diego's Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance (SDMC §§98.0701-98.0709), adopted May 16, 2023, provides tenant protections that exceed California's AB 1482 Tenant Protection Act…

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…

San Diego has no separate bike-lane ordinance: the ban on driving in a marked bicycle lane comes from California Vehicle Code § 21209, which lets a vehicle enter only to park, to reach…

San Diego bars kids under 12 from operating Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles anywhere in the city under SDMC § 84.19, with helmet and no-extra-passenger rules for all e-bike…

San Diego requires shared e-scooter and e-bike providers to geofence speed and no-parking zones citywide under SDMC § 83.0308: 8-mph caps in Balboa Park and a full ban on riding…

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…

San Diego's Minimum Wage Ordinance (SDMC §39.0103 et seq.) sets a citywide minimum wage that exceeds California's state floor. The 2024 rate of $17.25 per hour adjusts each January…

San Diego has not adopted a Fair Workweek predictive-scheduling ordinance. California AB-1228 created a statewide Fast Food Council setting wages and standards for fast-food chains…

San Diego's Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage Ordinance (SDMC §39.0105) requires employers to provide at least 40 hours of paid sick leave per year, equal to California SB-616's floor…

San Diego bans the sale or distribution of flavored tobacco products citywide, including flavored e-cigarette liquid, under SDMC §42.1603: with narrow exemptions for sisha, premium…

Federal Tobacco 21 (Public Law 116-94) and California Business and Professions Code section 22963 bar San Diego retailers from selling cigarettes, cigars, vapes, or any tobacco product…

San Diego does not ban facial recognition technology outright. The TRUST Ordinance requires SDPD and every city department to get City Council approval of a public Surveillance Use…

Automatic license plate readers count as surveillance technology under San Diego's TRUST Ordinance, so SDPD needs City Council approval of a public Surveillance Use Policy covering…

California is a two-party (all-party) consent state. Recording private conversations without the consent of ALL parties is a criminal offense under California Penal Code §632. First…

California Health and Safety Code §113948 requires every food employee in San Diego to obtain an ANSI-accredited Food Handler Card within thirty days of hire and renew it every three…

San Diego requires every business building to rat-proof basements, floors, doors, windows, and vents using approved materials, with the Health Officer able to order the same for other…

Unincorporated San Diego County restaurants earn an A, B, or C letter grade card during Department of Environmental Health inspections and must post it where patrons can see it, per…

California Labor Code §2814 (added by AB-1236, 2011) bars cities including San Diego from requiring private employers to use E-Verify. The federal program remains voluntary except for…

California SB-54 (the Values Act) limits state and local cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement. San Diego Police Department policy mirrors the statute, barring routine…

California Civil Code §3482.5 shields established agricultural operations from nuisance suits after three years of consistent activity. San Diego applies the state rule; the city has…

San Diego designates AG and AR base zones under Municipal Code Section 131.0301 specifically to accommodate agriculture and protect traditional farming uses from being crowded out by…

California AB-1884 (Public Resources Code section 42270) bars full-service restaurants from automatically providing single-use plastic straws. San Diego aligns through SDMC section…

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

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

California bans open carry of handguns under Penal Code section 26350 and openly carried unloaded long guns in incorporated areas under section 26400. San Diego is fully incorporated…

Penal Code section 25400 prohibits carrying a concealed firearm without a CCW. San Diego residents apply through the San Diego County Sheriff under shall-issue rules following Bruen…

California Penal Code sections 25400 and 25610 require firearms transported by vehicle in San Diego to be unloaded, with handguns inside a locked container or trunk. Long guns must be…

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

San Diego requires a Citywide Special Event Permit for block parties that close public streets. Applications must be submitted at least 60 days in advance through the Special Events…

Parades, marches, and other assemblies of 75+ people on San Diego streets need a Special Event Permit from the City Manager before they can happen, with no small-event exception.

Selling goods, food, or beverages at a San Diego street fair or festival requires authorization from that event's Special Event Permit holder, not a separate city vending permit. Only…

Anyone holding a Special Event in a San Diego park must first get a City Manager reservation of space, filed at least 120 days before the event, before a Special Event Permit can be…

San Diego Municipal Code Section 141.0621 establishes sidewalk cafe regulations. Restaurants must obtain a permit and execute a recorded encroachment maintenance and removal agreement…

Commercial filming or photography in a San Diego County park requires written authorization from the Parks and Recreation Department, the same discretionary sign-off used for vendor…

San Diego treats bass you can feel as its own violation. Under SDMC § 59.5.0502(b)(2)(B), a sound amplifier that makes a person aware of vibration 50 feet from the source is a prima…

San Diego bars and nightclubs holding a 2 a.m.-6 a.m. after-hours entertainment permit must observe every noise-abatement law in Chapter V, per SDMC §33.0810, letting the Police Chief…

San Diego caps how long a burglar alarm, including a car alarm, can blare. SDMC § 59.5.0503 bans any audible alarm that can't shut off on its own within 20 minutes, and lets police…

Unincorporated San Diego County caps air conditioner, heat pump, and other mechanical equipment noise under the county's general sound level ordinance: 50 dBA daytime and 45 dBA…

In unincorporated San Diego County, testing an emergency generator is exempt from the noise ordinance only between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; outside those hours the general noise rules of…

For small rooftop solar, San Diego's Building Official can evaluate only health-and-safety compliance and must approve the permit unless the system busts the height limit or causes a…

Rooftop solar installations in San Diego need a construction permit before work starts, an Electrical Permit alone, or a Combination Building/Electrical Permit if the array requires…

California's Solar Rights Act (Civil Code §714) prohibits HOAs and local governments from unreasonably restricting solar energy system installations. HOAs may impose reasonable…

Placing, erecting, or installing a boat mooring anywhere in Mission Bay Park requires a permit issued by the Park and Recreation Director. Unpermitted moorings are unlawful under San…

New construction and substantial improvements in Special Flood Hazard Areas must elevate the lowest floor at least 2 feet above the base flood elevation, per San Diego Municipal Code §…

Inside San Diego's designated Ballpark District, private motor coaches may not idle longer than fifteen minutes while parked, standing, or stopped on any public way, except while…

California Public Resources Code §4291 requires 100 feet of defensible space around structures in wildland fire areas. San Diego enforces this in Tierrasanta, Mira Mesa hillsides…

San Diego bans dumping anything but rainwater into storm drains, and violators face misdemeanor charges plus civil penalties up to $10,000 per day.

Development inside a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area in San Diego must follow strict floodway and flood-fringe standards: floodway structures can't be bolted to a foundation, and any…

San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 14, Article 2, Division 1 governs grading permits. Any cut or fill more than 200 cubic yards, slopes steeper than 5 feet, or work in environmentally…

Development in the unincorporated coastal zone of San Diego County requires a Coastal Development Permit per the California Coastal Act. The County's Local Coastal Program governs land…

Temporary window signs in San Diego may cover no more than 30 percent of the window area, with letters capped at 6 inches and logos capped at 16 inches, and must be mounted on the…

San Diego bans remotely or electronically changeable sign copy citywide. SDMC §142.1210(a)(2) requires changeable copy to be changed manually or mechanically in the field, with only…

Freeway-oriented signs in San Diego must sit within 660 feet of the freeway right-of-way and within 1500 feet of the exit serving the premises, and their copy is limited to lodging…

Inflatable displays used as temporary signs on San Diego commercial and industrial premises are capped at three per property, must sit at least 100 feet from any residential zone, and…

San Diego limits homeowners in single-dwelling zones to one yard-sale sign per property, capped at 9 square feet and 6 feet tall, and the sign may only be displayed during the actual…

San Diego treats political signs as temporary signs under SDMC §142.1245. Residential properties may post non-illuminated temporary signs up to 6 square feet per sign, with aggregate…

San Diego prohibits commercial, industrial, and institutional properties from using potable water to irrigate non-functional (purely ornamental) turf, following state timelines, unless…

San Diego's water waste ordinance requires customers to repair or stop any water leak as soon as it's discovered, or within 72 hours of the City's notification, or face water waste…

Unincorporated San Diego County requires new discretionary development to use recycled water for irrigation, toilet flushing, and industrial uses instead of potable water whenever a…

San Diego bans camping or maintaining an encampment on any public property -- streets, sidewalks, parks, beaches, open space, or waterways -- without City Manager authorization, with…

San Diego's Expressive Activity ordinance bars blocking a sidewalk to less than 48 inches of usable width, or blocking emergency ingress and egress, when using tables, easels, or other…

San Diego requires a Public Right-of-Way Permit before building or maintaining privately owned structures, facilities, or improvements within a public street, alley, or service…

San Diego tattoo shops must sterilize needles and instruments before every customer, use metal or stainless-steel operating tables, and can't tattoo anyone under 21 without written…

San Diego permits adult entertainment businesses only as a limited use in designated zones, and bars them from locating within 1,000 feet of another adult business, a residential zone…

Pawnbrokers in San Diego must hold a police permit before opening, keep detailed loan records open to police inspection, and cannot operate between 9:30 p.m. and 8:30 a.m.

San Diego bans operating a massage establishment or sole practitioner massage establishment without a police-issued permit, under SDMC § 33.3503.

San Diego requires every tobacco and e-cigarette retailer to hold a police permit from the Chief of Police before selling, with a separate permit issued for each fixed sales location…

Pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers in unincorporated San Diego County must hold a Sheriff-issued license and operate from a fixed place of business before buying used goods.

San Diego's Park and Recreation Director sets a citywide street tree planting map under §62.0614, zoning streets for specific tree and shrub species and fixing the spacing and exact…

San Diego Municipal Code § 63.07 makes it unlawful to cut, injure, or destroy any Torrey Pine tree (Pinus Torreyana) growing on city-owned Pueblo Lots 1332, 1337, 1338, or any other…

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 Diego taxes hotel guests 10.5% of room rent: a 6% base transient occupancy tax plus four stacked additional levies of 1%, 1%, 1%, and 1.5% added between 1985 and 1994.

San Diego bans nighttime access to ten named parks -- Children's Park, Pantoja Park, and others -- from midnight to 6 a.m., plus separate curfews for the Spruce Street Bridge and…

San Diego bars minors under 18 from public places and business premises between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Parents or guardians who knowingly allow it, or fail to control it, face the same…

San Diego taxes most businesses under a default class of $125 a year plus $5 per employee, with separate classifications carved out for rental housing, refuse collectors, trailer…

Downtown development in the Centre City Planned District is evaluated against the City's Downtown Design Guidelines alongside the mandatory standards of SDMC Article 6, Division 3…

California Government Code §65915 and SDMC §142.1305 grant up to 50 percent additional density, parking reductions, and waivers when developers reserve units for very-low, low, or…

Designating a San Diego property as a historical resource (the city's cultural-monument equivalent) runs through the Historical Resources Board via a public hearing, research report…

Sidewalk vending in San Diego requires a Sidewalk Vending Permit per SDMC §36.0110(b). Permits are issued to individuals only; each vendor needs a separate permit. Vending is permitted…

San Diego food trucks need a Mobile Food Facility permit from San Diego County Department of Environmental Health & Quality ($488–$889/year depending on truck type), a city Business…

San Diego Ordinance O-21459 (effective June 22, 2022) establishes sidewalk vending regulations under SDMC Chapter 3, Article 6, Division 1. Vendors must obtain a Business Tax…

The City of San Diego has no data-center ordinance and no "data center" use category. Data centers locate in the industrial base zones - IP, IL, and IH - permitted by right as an…

The City of San Diego caps one-hour average sound at the property line: 75 dB(A) any time on industrial or agricultural land, and just 50 dB(A) day, 45 dB(A) evening, and 40 dB(A)…

A vacant lot with code or nuisance violations counts as an 'abandoned property' under SDMC §54.0307, letting the Code Enforcement Director order removal of weeds over 12 inches tall…

San Diego addresses property blight through its public nuisance and vacant structure provisions under SDMC Chapter 5, Article 4. The City may issue Administrative Enforcement Orders…

San Diego does not receive measurable snowfall at city elevation and has no snow or ice removal ordinance. Sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of adjacent property owners for…

San Diego caps garage, yard, and estate sales at three per property each year, with each sale limited to two consecutive calendar days, as an accessory use to a permitted dwelling.

San Diego Municipal Code §33.0501 requires commercial solicitors and peddlers to obtain a city-issued permit and a numbered identification badge from the Police Department. Religious…

Under SDMC Chapter 3, Article 3, Division 14, it is unlawful for a solicitor to contact or attempt to contact any person at a residential or commercial property when a sign is posted…

California's Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act (Civil Code Sections 4900-4955) requires HOA board meetings to be open to all members with at least 4 days advance notice…

California's Davis-Stirling Act governs HOA architectural review. Under Civil Code Section 4765, associations cannot prohibit solar energy systems or electric vehicle charging…

California Civil Code Sections 5600-5740 govern HOA assessments. Regular assessments cannot increase more than 20% annually without member approval. Special assessments exceeding 5% of…

California Civil Code requires HOAs to offer Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) under Section 5900 and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) including mediation or arbitration under…

California's Davis-Stirling Act governs CC&R enforcement procedures. The association must provide written notice of a violation and an opportunity for a hearing before imposing fines…

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 Diego has an active Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Building ordinance requiring retrofit or demolition of pre-1939 URM buildings. In 2001, 884 URM buildings were identified. The…

San Diego offers free film permits through the Special Events and Filming Department. All filming on City public property requires registration through the Filming Authorization…

Film productions requiring street, sidewalk, or right-of-way closures in San Diego must submit permit applications at least 1 week in advance. Street closure requests are reviewed on a…

Commercial filming in unincorporated San Diego County requires Chief Administrative Office authorization and proof of insurance, and any filming activity that violates the County's…

San Diego's Building & Land Use Enforcement Division prioritizes cases by severity. Priority 1 cases (imminent health/safety hazards) are investigated within 24 hours. Priority 2 cases…

Common code violations in San Diego include unpermitted construction, illegal short-term rentals, brush management non-compliance, zoning violations, grading without permits, illegal…

San Diego's Land Development Code bars planting invasive plant species in any landscaping required for new development and requires existing invasive plants to be fully removed when…

In San Diego County's designated wildfire hazard zones, new bamboo plantings count as nonfire-smart vegetation and must be set back so their mature drip line clears any building by at…

Residential structure height in San Diego is capped by an angled building envelope plane keyed to lot width and zone, not a single flat number citywide, per SDMC §131.0444.

San Diego sets front, side, and rear yard setbacks separately for each RS residential subzone in Table 131-04D under Municipal Code Section 131.0443, so the minimum distance from a lot…

Lot coverage in San Diego's residential zones is capped at 50 percent on steep-hillside RS lots and by a sliding 50/60 percent to 21 percent scale in the RM-5-12 zone, per SDMC…

Flying a drone carelessly, violating FAA flight restrictions, or interfering with police, fire, or emergency operations is a citywide misdemeanor under Municipal Code Division 54 - but…

In unincorporated San Diego County parks, drones and other unmanned aircraft systems are banned outside areas the Parks Department specifically designates, and require written…

In unincorporated San Diego County, drones are barred from launching, landing or flying inside, or within three miles of, any area under a posted Temporary Area Restriction covering a…

In unincorporated San Diego County, portable outdoor fireplaces and smokers must stay 15 feet from structures unless used at a one- or two-family home, and warming fires need a spark…

Card rooms and other for-stakes card games are banned across unincorporated San Diego County. County policy prohibits all gambling except licensed bingo and casino parties run by…

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…

San Diego County's Department of Environmental Health and Quality can condemn a rental in the unincorporated area or force emergency repairs within days of finding a serious health…

Crime Free Multi-Housing Certification requires an inspection of rental units before certification for high calls-for-service properties.

Sobriety checkpoints are lawful in California and stopping at one is a statutory obligation, not a courtesy. Vehicle Code § 2814.2(a) requires a driver to stop and submit to a sobriety…

California is one of the few states that answers this by statute rather than by case law alone. Penal Code § 148(g) says that photographing or making an audio or video recording of a…

California has no general stop-and-identify statute. The old Penal Code § 647(e), which required a person lawfully detained to give "credible and reliable" identification, was held…

California has no statute that requires you to consent to a search of your car, and none that requires an officer to warn you that you may refuse. What the Legislature and the voters…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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