San Mateo, CA

Private tree trimming in San Mateo does not require a city permit. Street trees (public right-of-way) require permission from the Parks Division. Trees must not encroach on adjacent…

San Mateo's water is provided by Cal Water (San Mateo District). Water conservation ordinances (SMMC Ch. 23.72) apply to landscaping. Year-round prohibitions include runoff, watering…

Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged in San Mateo under California AB 1750. Rain barrels under 5,000 gallons are exempt from building permits. Cal Water may offer rebates…

Artificial turf is permitted in San Mateo. California Government Code 65595 prohibits cities from requiring natural grass. HOAs cannot prohibit water-efficient landscaping under Civil…

San Mateo encourages drought-tolerant and native landscaping consistent with California's MWELO. New landscapes over 500 square feet must comply with water-efficiency calculations…

Single-family organic waste generators in the county's densely populated unincorporated areas may compost yard and food waste on site instead of subscribing to hauler collection, per…

In San Mateo County's Design Review zoning districts, removing a protected tree requires planting at least three replacement trees of the same species, backed by a maintenance surety.

Unincorporated San Mateo County abates hazardous fire vegetation through its fire districts under California Health & Safety Code 14875 et seq. and Government Code 25845. Programs such…

San Mateo requires STR properties with 1–3 bedrooms to have at least 1 off-street parking space, and 4+ bedrooms at least 2 spaces. Oversized vehicles (RVs) are prohibited from…

San Mateo limits STR occupancy to two people per bedroom or ten people per property, whichever is less, under Chapter 5.66. Events including weddings, parties, and corporate functions…

San Mateo County treats short-term rental violations as strikes: once a permitted unit racks up more than two documented violations in any 12-month period, the Department of Planning…

Anyone renting a home or room to guests for 30 days or less in unincorporated San Mateo County must register with the Tax Collector.

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 Mateo enforces CVC 72-hour abandonment rule, street sweeping restrictions, and residential permit parking zones. Time-limit zones and residential permit areas restrict parking in…

San Mateo enforces the 72-hour vehicle storage limit on public streets under California Vehicle Code 22651. Inoperable vehicles on private property visible for more than 10 days are…

San Mateo restricts overnight street parking of commercial vehicles under SMMC Section 11.32.100. Oversized vehicles and unattached trailers are regulated under Section 11.32.105. RVs…

San Mateo follows CalGreen requirements for EV charging infrastructure in new construction. California AB 1236 mandates streamlined permitting for EV chargers. The city has public…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, the Director of Public Works assigns red, yellow, white, green and blue curb colors, each with a specific legal meaning drivers must follow.

Two Ordinance Code sections limit truck and trailer parking on unincorporated San Mateo County streets. Section 7.28.070 lets the Board of Supervisors designate parking zones that bar…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, parking in a designated loading zone beyond the time needed to load or unload passengers or freight is prohibited.

Front-yard vehicle, boat and camper-shell parking is banned outside the driveway in the Broadmoor Police Protection District.

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 Mateo follows California CDFW regulations banning many exotic species. Local animal code may restrict wild or dangerous animals. Contact Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA for…

Wildlife feeding in San Mateo is discouraged through the city's nuisance provisions and California Fish and Game Code Section 251.1 which prohibits feeding big game mammals. San Mateo…

Cats and dogs over six months old in unincorporated San Mateo County must be spayed or neutered unless the owner instead obtains an unaltered-animal license or breeding permit under §…

In San Mateo County parks and the San Francisco Fish and Game Refuge, feeding, hunting, trapping or disturbing any wild bird or other wildlife is banned under the county's park rules.

Selling or offering cats, dogs or wolf hybrids on a public street, sidewalk or park in unincorporated San Mateo County requires a pet-sales business license under § 6.12.040(c), unless…

Unincorporated San Mateo County caps casual pet-keeping at four animals. Ordinance Code Section 6.20.020 makes it unlawful to keep five or more dogs, five or more cats, or five or more…

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires an annual license for every cat over three months old, with lower fees for altered cats and a lifetime tag.

Unincorporated San Mateo County R-1 lots may keep a small number of chickens and ducks by right, up to six on parcels of 2,500 sq ft or more, ten on parcels over 7,500 sq ft, but…

In unincorporated San Mateo County's C-1 Neighborhood Business Districts, a veterinary hospital for small animals needs a discretionary use permit before it can open, not just a…

Unincorporated San Mateo County has no breed-specific ban. The County Ordinance Code regulates individual dogs as dangerous or vicious based on behavior, not breed. California state…

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires every dog off its owner's enclosed property to be on a leash. Ordinance Code Section 6.04.060(a) bars any owner or caretaker from letting an…

California law requires every beekeeper, apiary owner, broker, or person possessing an apiary in the state to register each colony's number and location by January 1 each year with the…

Shared fence cost and responsibility between neighbors in San Mateo is governed by California Civil Code §841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act). Disputes are civil matters. SMMC Ch. 27.84…

To build a fence or hedge more than two feet above the standard height limit in unincorporated San Mateo County, owners outside the Coastal Zone must get a discretionary exception…

In the North Fair Oaks NMU commercial district, chain-link and corrugated metal fences are banned within 15 feet of the street, and visible street-facing fences top out at 4 feet.

In unincorporated San Mateo County, front-yard fences top out at 4 feet and side/rear fences at 6 feet, with a 4-foot cap near corner-lot intersections.

Small family daycare homes (up to 8 children) are permitted by right in all residential zones under California H&S Code Section 1597.45. Large family daycare homes (9-14 children)…

Unincorporated San Mateo County allows home occupations by right in residential zones like R-1 and R-E, but caps them at a quarter of the ground floor with no retail sales or outside…

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…

Swimming pools in San Mateo require building, electrical, and plumbing permits. Plans must verify proper setbacks per the zoning code. Pool barriers must comply with the Swimming Pool…

Pool barriers in San Mateo must comply with the California Building Code (Title 24 Chapter 31) and the Swimming Pool Safety Act. Barriers must be at least 60 inches high with…

Properties in fire-prone areas of San Mateo must maintain defensible space under California PRC 4291. The San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department enforces vegetation management…

Portions of western San Mateo are mapped in CAL FIRE's Fire Hazard Severity Zones. New construction in these areas must meet Chapter 7A of the California Building Code for…

Before San Mateo County issues a short-term rental permit in the unincorporated county, the owner must install smoke alarms complying with UL 217 in every bedroom, just outside each…

Possessing, selling, or exploding any fireworks is unlawful in unincorporated San Mateo County unless a Fire Warden permits a supervised public display.

California requires permits for most outdoor burning, with statewide CAL FIRE and Air Resources Board rules that uniformly apply alongside local air district restrictions.

California uniformly applies the State Fire Marshal's propane storage standards through the California Fire Code, which all local jurisdictions must enforce as a minimum.

San Mateo specifically regulates leaf blower operation under Chapter 10.80 in addition to the general noise ordinance. Leaf blowers must comply with both the noise standards in Chapter…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, exterior noise reaching a home, school, hospital, church or library cannot exceed the numeric limits in Table I of Code Section 4.88.330: as low as…

In unincorporated San Mateo County it's unlawful to make unreasonably loud, unnecessary, or unusual noise that disturbs a neighborhood's peace and quiet or annoys a person of normal…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, letting a dog or cat habitually bark, meow, or disturb residents is banned as a public nuisance under County Ordinance Code § 6.04.060(c), enforced…

Operating sound amplifying equipment in a San Mateo County park or recreation area is unlawful without a Parks and Recreation Department permit under Section 3.68.130(b).

In unincorporated San Mateo County, construction noise is only exempt from the noise code between set weekday, Saturday, and blackout-day hours.

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…

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires the parcel owner to live in one unit whenever a junior accessory dwelling unit is built, secured by a recorded deed restriction.

San Mateo County waives development impact fees entirely for accessory dwelling units under 750 square feet, and for larger ADUs charges only a prorated share: Zoning Regulations…

San Mateo County bars accessory dwelling units built under its ADU chapter from short-term rental: Zoning Regulations Section 8.392.050(22) requires any ADU that is rented to be rented…

San Mateo County allows accessory dwelling units by right in the R-1, R-2, R-3, PC, CMU, NMU, R-E, RH, RM and TPZ districts and any other residential district under Zoning Regulations…

Converting an attached or detached garage into an accessory dwelling unit in unincorporated San Mateo County does not require replacing the lost parking spot: Zoning Regulations…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, a detached one-story accessory building in a residential district is capped at 30% of the rear yard, 1,000 square feet, and must sit at least 3 feet…

San Mateo does not have a local rent control ordinance. Covered rental properties are subject to California AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act), which caps annual rent increases at 5% plus…

San Mateo adopted an emergency just cause eviction ordinance (Ord. 2019-12) providing local protections that complement AB 1482. Landlords must cite a specific just cause for…

San Mateo does not require a separate rental property registration program. Landlords must obtain a city business license. The city follows state law habitability requirements. Code…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, a mobilehome park owner seeking a space-rent increase above the standard CPI cap must file a petition with the County Hearing Officer 60 days…

Unincorporated San Mateo County landlords must pay relocation benefits to tenants displaced when code enforcement declares their rental unit substandard or unsafe, under Chapter 3.108.

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

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

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

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

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

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

City of San Mateo Municipal Code Sec. 7.30.040 caps noise measured on the receiving property: 70 dB anytime in manufacturing zones, and 60 dB daytime, 50 dB nighttime at single-family…

The City of San Mateo has no data-center ordinance and no data-center use category. Data centers land in M1 manufacturing or E1/E2 executive office districts, permitted as a compatible…

Food trucks in San Mateo require a San Mateo County Health Permit for mobile food operations and compliance with city zoning and business licensing requirements. Food trucks on private…

San Mateo regulates sidewalk vending consistent with California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946). Vendors may operate on public sidewalks maintaining adequate pedestrian clearance…

Unincorporated San Mateo County bans anyone from erecting, placing or maintaining a stand, vehicle, or any object on the public right-of-way of a county highway for peddling, under…

San Mateo respects no-soliciting signs posted by residents. The city does not maintain a formal no-knock registry. California Penal Code 602 applies to solicitors who refuse to leave…

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires commercial peddlers and solicitors to obtain a Peddler/Solicitor License from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, including a…

San Mateo adopted Ordinance 2017-4 adding Chapter 7.45 to prohibit outdoor cannabis cultivation within city limits. Indoor cultivation of up to six plants per residence is protected…

Unincorporated San Mateo County bars almost every kind of cannabis business outright. County Code Section 5.148.050 lets the Planning and Building Department license only Mixed-Light…

Licensed cannabis cultivation sites in unincorporated San Mateo County must sit at least 600 feet from schools, day cares, youth centers and playgrounds.

California's Solar Rights Act (Civil Code 714) prohibits HOAs from effectively restricting solar panel installations. HOA rules cannot increase installation cost by more than $1,000 or…

Unincorporated San Mateo County uses expedited solar permitting under California AB 2188 (Solar Rights Act). Residential rooftop systems under 10 kW qualify for same-day online permits…

San Mateo has a mild Mediterranean climate on the San Francisco Peninsula and does not experience snowfall. There is no snow removal or ice clearing ordinance. Sidewalk maintenance…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, the Planning and Building Code Compliance Section enforces property-maintenance standards and abates public nuisances such as accumulated refuse…

Political signs in San Mateo are protected by the First Amendment and California Elections Code Section 18310. Signs on private property cannot be prohibited. Under state law…

In the NMU-ECR District along El Camino Real in unincorporated North Fair Oaks, San Mateo County caps window signs at 25 percent of the window's glass area under Zoning Regulations…

Recology San Mateo County provides weekly curbside collection of trash, recyclables, and organic waste. SB 1383 requires organic waste separation. Bins must be at the curb by…

Unincorporated San Mateo County properties must dispose of solid waste at least once a week and, where a hauler serves the area, must subscribe to that hauler's weekly collection…

Unincorporated San Mateo County treats illegal dumping as a misdemeanor and littering as an infraction, with major violations, mattresses, appliances, commercial quantities, drawing…

New commercial and mixed-use development in San Mateo County's CMU-1 (Commercial Mixed Use-1) zoning district, the unincorporated North Fair Oaks area, must build at least one refuse…

Single-family homes in San Mateo County's densely-populated unincorporated areas must subscribe to their hauler's organic waste collection service under Ordinance Code Sec. 4.04.140…

Recycling is part of the mandatory minimum residential service under County Code Chapter 4.04, with single-stream recyclables collected weekly alongside garbage and organics. The…

Unincorporated San Mateo County residents may set carts out no more than 24 hours before pickup and must store them out of sight within 24 hours after the hauler empties them.

San Mateo County administers its own certified Local Coastal Program (LCP) and issues Coastal Development Permits (CDPs) for projects in the Coastal Zone, which covers roughly 240 sq…

Unincorporated San Mateo County bans dumping anything but rainwater into the county storm drain system under its Stormwater Pollution Prevention Ordinance.

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires the lowest floor of any new or substantially improved structure in an Area of Special Flood Hazard to sit at or above the regulatory…

Grading and construction sites in unincorporated San Mateo County must keep BMPs in place to stop erosion and sediment from reaching roads or storm drains.

Unincorporated San Mateo County bars grading, filling, new construction or any other development in a mapped Area of Special Flood Hazard, Floodway or Coastal High Hazard Area until…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, the Planning Director can exempt interior remodels, repairs and minor exterior work from the discretionary site development permit, though a…

Unincorporated San Mateo County child care centers eligible for a ministerial permit must pass a fire safety inspection to Building Inspection Section standards before opening.

Section 7.80.010 lets San Mateo County's Director of Public Works, once the Board of Supervisors authorizes it, designate bicycle lanes on unincorporated county roads and post signs…

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 running a pawnbroker, secondhand dealer, junk dealer, or junk collector business in unincorporated San Mateo County must hold an annual License Board license under County Code…

Unincorporated San Mateo County bans tow operators from soliciting business at crash scenes and keeps tow trucks 500 feet away.

Tattoo and piercing shops in unincorporated San Mateo County need an annual LEA permit, and every practitioner must hold a current registration.

Since July 1, 2012, every massage practitioner working for compensation in unincorporated San Mateo County must hold current CAMTC certification, and every massage business must…

Retailers in unincorporated San Mateo County need an annual county Tobacco Retailer Permit for every location selling tobacco products.

Secondhand dealers and flea market operators in unincorporated San Mateo County must license with the County and hold purchased goods 15 days before resale.

The Director of Public Works may temporarily close County highways in unincorporated areas for block parties, celebrations and parades.

Any group meeting, rally, or similar gathering in a San Mateo County park needs a Parks and Recreation Department permit obtained at least ten days ahead under Section 3.68.140.

Under Ordinance Code Section 4.98.160(c), no tobacco retailer in San Mateo County's permit program may sell or offer for sale any Flavored Tobacco Product or Tobacco Product Flavor…

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…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, it is a misdemeanor to loiter in, on, or about any building or place open to the public where alcoholic beverages are sold. The Ordinance Code…

San Mateo County parks generally ban liquor other than beer or wine; hard alcohol is allowed only in designated areas of Coyote Point County Park under Section 3.68.080(t).

San Mateo County bans smoking, including e-cigarettes and vaping, throughout its unincorporated area and on every county-owned or leased building wherever located. Section 4.96.040(c)…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, hosting a loud or unruly gathering of four or more people where a minor drinks, uses cannabis, or is served alcohol triggers social-host liability…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, blocking a sidewalk or public right-of-way with an obstruction or excavation is declared a nuisance under Ordinance Code Chapter 1.12. The County…

Unincorporated San Mateo County requires a Public Works permit for fences, sidewalks, driveways or landscaping placed in the county right-of-way, and fines unpermitted encroachments…

In the unincorporated Midcoast (El Granada, Miramar, Moss Beach, Montara), county design review rules require new home exterior lighting to be directed away from neighbors and confined…

Development in unincorporated North Fair Oaks' CMU-1 commercial district must use dark-sky-compliant lighting confined to the property, and flood lights are banned absent a safety…

Unincorporated San Mateo County taxes one specific business category rather than classifying businesses generally: vehicle rental operators. Ordinance Code Section 5.150.040 charges…

County departments and staff are barred from using county resources to assist federal immigration enforcement absent a judicial warrant, under a countywide non-cooperation ordinance.

In the S-50 Combining District, layered onto R-2 (two-family) and R-3 (multi-family) parcels in unincorporated North Fair Oaks, San Mateo County requires a 20-foot front setback and a…

In the county's RH (Residential Hillside) zoning district, homes are capped at 28 feet measured from natural grade, with a lower 10-foot plate height for any part of a building that…

In the unincorporated North Fair Oaks S-50 combining district, buildings, accessory structures and raised patios or decks together cannot cover more than 50% of the lot.

San Mateo County Environmental Health posts a compliance placard at every inspected food facility under Ordinance Code § 4.56.070, and it is unlawful to operate without the placard…

Unincorporated San Mateo County property owners may not maintain a building, lot, vehicle or premises in a condition that lets rodents or other vermin breed or harbor there, under…

After a hearing finds repeated critical food-safety violations or unsafe staff practices, County Environmental Health can order a food facility to send all food-prep staff to an…

Unincorporated San Mateo County bars youths under 18 from public places between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. weeknights, midnight to 5 a.m. weekends, plus school hours, subject to listed…

San Mateo County Ordinance Code Section 4.72.140 requires every recycled water or graywater system to be designed and installed in accordance with California law and the local Plumbing…

In unincorporated San Mateo County, a Historic Preservation Permit is required before altering, demolishing or relocating any structure designated a County Historic Landmark or located…

Unincorporated San Mateo County grants residential developers a density bonus of up to 35 percent above the zoned maximum, plus incentives, parking reductions, or waivers, when a…

Commercial cameras in unincorporated county parks need a written permit from the Parks Director before shooting, with a news-gathering exemption.

Camping on public property in unincorporated San Mateo County is banned once an available shelter bed exists, backed by written-warning enforcement, a 72-hour removal notice, and…

Unincorporated San Mateo County's Agricultural Awareness ordinance declares normal farm impacts on neighboring property acceptable and routes disputes to a grievance committee instead…

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…

New commercial development in North Fair Oaks' CMU-1 (Commercial Mixed Use-1) zoning district must plant street trees along any public sidewalk the project abuts, under Zoning…

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

Unincorporated San Mateo County charges a 10% transient occupancy tax on hotel stays of 30 days or less, collected by the operator.

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…

California's Gambling Control Act bars any city or county from issuing a gambling license to a cardroom unless a local ordinance authorizes it first: one adopted by voters after…

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…

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 overrides HOA governing documents on several owner protections. The Davis-Stirling Act and related Civil Code sections bar HOAs from prohibiting solar systems, U.S. flag…

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…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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