Santa Ana, CA

Santa Ana's tree ordinance protects public trees on streets, parkways and public grounds. Topping is banned outright, and no one may post signs, nail, cut, paint or attach wires to a…

Santa Ana keeps its street trees on a roughly four-and-a-half-year trimming cycle and requires the city to prune any public tree so its limbs don't block a streetlight or intersection…

Watering a lawn, landscape, or other vegetated area in Santa Ana between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. is a standing, year-round violation under Municipal Code § 39-99(a), enforced with…

Backyard composting is permitted in Santa Ana. SB 1383 requires organic waste diversion. Composting must not create nuisance conditions.

Santa Ana permits artificial turf installation on residential properties as an alternative to natural grass. Under California Government Code Section 4735, HOAs cannot prohibit…

Santa Ana caps weeds, grass, rank growth, and brush at six inches above grade on any lot or private premises. The Public Works Agency posts removal notices, and if the growth isn't cut…

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…

AB-1572 prohibits using potable water to irrigate non-functional turf at commercial, institutional, and HOA-common areas, accelerating native and low-water landscape conversions…

Building a junior accessory dwelling unit (JADU) in Santa Ana comes with a rental catch: Municipal Code Section 41-194.5 requires an owner-occupancy covenant, recorded against the…

Santa Ana's zoning code fixes exact yard setbacks for sheds and other accessory buildings by height and lot type. An interior-lot structure up to 15 feet needs only a 3-foot side and…

Santa Ana caps detached ADUs at 20 feet and 1,000 square feet, with 4-foot side, street-side and rear setbacks, under Table 41-194.3 of the zoning code. Attached ADUs generally can't…

Santa Ana lets homeowners convert an existing garage, carport or accessory structure into an ADU under City Code §§ 41-194.2(E) and 41-194.3(C), with up to 150 square feet of expansion…

Unincorporated Orange County requires the building site's owner to occupy a dwelling unit whenever a junior accessory dwelling unit is built there.

Santa Ana's fire code official can require flammable vegetation and combustible growth cleared for 10 feet on each side of highways and private streets used for vehicular traffic…

Santa Ana requires smoke detectors 'installed throughout the live/work spaces' of any converted artist live/work building in a C3A zone, under Municipal Code § 8-2701(i), which ties…

Wood or solid-fuel fires in Santa Ana yards must sit in a spark-arrested firebox or portable pit at least 3 feet from combustible construction at single-family homes, or 15 feet at…

Santa Ana is a fully urbanized city with no areas designated as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZ) by CAL FIRE. The city is served by the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA)…

Santa Ana bans outdoor wood or solid-fuel fires whenever sustained winds top 8 mph with humidity under 25%, a red flag warning is declared, or the fire code official posts a ban…

Santa Ana bans all "dangerous fireworks" outright: manufacture, storage, sale, possession, or discharge. Only "safe and sane" fireworks may be sold, and only by permitted school or…

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…

Santa Ana bans parking oversized, non-motorized, and recreational vehicles on public streets between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., and within 50 feet of any intersection at all times…

Santa Ana declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or inoperative vehicles on private or public property a public nuisance under state Vehicle Code authority. The Planning and Building…

Painting your own curb in Santa Ana is illegal unless the city has authorized it by contract. Municipal Code § 36-148 bars anyone from painting "any public street or curb surfaces"…

Santa Ana's Public Works Director designates loading zones by curb marking, and Municipal Code § 36-138(c) bars leaving any vehicle, attended or not, parked there longer than the…

Santa Ana's city council creates preferential parking districts by resolution under Municipal Code Article XI, and within those districts a specific block only gets restricted once…

Santa Ana's Building Department must run a nondiscretionary, expedited permit and inspection process for every electric vehicle charging station in the city, with no carve-out for…

Santa Ana caps on-street parking at 72 consecutive hours under Municipal Code § 36-136(b), and separately bars leaving an inoperable vehicle parked more than 12 hours or using a public…

Santa Ana bans parking any oversized, non-motorized or recreational vehicle on a public street between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., and within 50 feet of an intersection at any time, under…

In Santa Ana's R1 single-family district, a driveway must lead to a garage and can't be wider than the garage itself or 50% of the lot's street frontage width, whichever is smaller…

On Main Street, Broadway, First Street, Bristol Street and several other named corridors, Santa Ana bars parking any vehicle longer than 30 minutes between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. under…

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…

Santa Ana's zoning code lists animal hospitals and veterinary clinics as a permitted use in the C1 Community Commercial district and the C-SM South Main Street Commercial district…

Santa Ana caps ownership at three dogs per premises under Section 5-50, with no exceptions built into the code: the section states flatly there 'shall be no exceptions.' A household or…

Santa Ana designates itself a bird sanctuary under Municipal Code Section 5-5 and bans killing or injuring any species of wild bird within city limits, along with damaging or molesting…

Cats are not licensed in Santa Ana, Section 5-51 levies its license fee on dogs only, but Section 5-14 still requires every owner to confine any animal, cats included, on the owner's…

Santa Ana has no breed-specific ban, § 5-72.1 defines potentially dangerous and vicious dogs entirely by documented biting or attacking behavior, never by breed. An animal services or…

Santa Ana requires every dog off its owner's property to wear a current license tag and stay on a leash strong enough to hold 40 pounds and no longer than 8 feet. Dogs must otherwise…

Santa Ana follows OC Animal Care policies that strongly encourage spay and neuter, with sharply higher license fees for unaltered dogs. California Food and Agricultural Code section…

California AB 485 prohibits pet stores statewide from selling dogs, cats, or rabbits unless sourced from a public shelter or registered rescue. Santa Ana retailers must comply, post…

California Fish and Wildlife requires rehabilitators to hold a state permit before keeping injured native wildlife. Santa Ana residents finding hurt birds or mammals should contact OC…

Santa Ana allows backyard beekeeping on single-family residential lots without a permit, but caps hives at two on lots of 6,000 square feet or less, rising to one hive per 3,000 square…

Santa Ana caps backyard fowl and rabbits at four total per property before a special permit is required, and bans roosters outright on any residential premises. Coops and hutches must…

Keeping a wild or exotic animal in Santa Ana requires a permit from the animal control officer under Section 5-8, and no location may hold more than two wild animals over two months…

Anyone running a grooming parlor in unincorporated Orange County must get a permit from the County Health Officer before opening, whether the operation is a fixed shop or a mobile unit.

Orange County's Title 4 animal ordinances do not set a general countywide ban on feeding wildlife, so the controlling rules come from California state law. Title 14 CCR 251.3 prohibits…

Santa Ana caps residential fences and walls by location: front yard fences top out at 3 feet on most streets and 4 feet on designated arterials, side and rear walls can reach 8 feet…

Santa Ana limits front yard fences to specific approved materials: wood, wrought iron, tubular steel, stone, brick, stucco, or decorative block such as slump stone or split-faced…

Santa Ana requires a planning and building agency permit for any front yard fence over 18 inches tall in the RE, R1, R2, R3, and R4 residential zones under § 41-610(b). Approved…

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…

In unincorporated Orange County, front-setback retaining walls are capped at 3.5 feet in height with the exposed face limited to 6 feet; taller walls need a Site Development or Use…

Santa Ana requires a home occupation permit from the zoning administrator before anyone runs a business from a residence. Section 41-192.3 sets the application process, filed by the…

Santa Ana bars home occupations from holding frequent client meetings or gatherings. Section 41-192.2(e) prohibits "any activity which involves frequent meetings or gatherings of any…

Small family daycare homes serving up to 8 children are permitted by right in all residential zones in Santa Ana under California Health and Safety Code Section 1597.45. Large family…

Santa Ana flatly bans signage for home-based businesses. Section 41-192.2(a) states "there shall be no signs or other devices identifying or advertising the home occupation," meaning a…

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…

Santa Ana bans short-term and home-sharing rentals outright: Municipal Code Section 8-3401 makes it unlawful to rent, offer to rent, or even advertise a dwelling unit for less than 30…

Two strikes and a short-term rental in unincorporated Orange County goes dark for up to a year. Section 7-9-93(e)(3) ties the county's Short-term Rental Permit to good standing: a…

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…

Short-term rental guests in unincorporated Orange County must observe the same exterior noise limits as any other resident: 55 decibels from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 50 decibels…

Zoning Code Section 7-9-93 requires unincorporated Orange County short-term rentals to provide at least two off-street parking spaces (garage and/or driveway) at all times. Vehicles…

Under Zoning Code Section 7-9-93, overnight occupancy of an unincorporated Orange County short-term rental is capped at two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons. The…

Short-term rental operators in unincorporated Orange County must collect a 10 percent Transient Occupancy Tax on rent, register with the Tax Administrator within 30 days, and file…

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…

California AB 1346 phases out new sales of gas-powered leaf blowers, lawn mowers, and other small off-road engines starting 2024, pushing Santa Ana landscapers toward electric or…

Santa Ana Municipal Code § 5-59 declares a barking dog or other noisy animal a public nuisance if it disturbs the peace or interferes with anyone's enjoyment of life or property, with…

Santa Ana exempts construction, repair, remodeling, and grading noise from its citywide sound limits, but only from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, including Saturday. Run…

Santa Ana bars 'loud and raucous noise', sound amplified enough to be heard 50 feet from the device, on private property, public streets, sidewalks, and parks under Section 10-153. The…

In unincorporated Orange County, it's a misdemeanor to operate a vehicle in a way reasonably likely to disturb the peace of any neighborhood or person through noise, dust, smoke or…

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…

In unincorporated Orange County, noise from any source, including commercial and industrial operations, that hits 55 dB(A) at a neighboring residential property from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m…

Unincorporated Orange County caps residential exterior noise at 50 dB(A) from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., down from the 55 dB(A) daytime limit.

Santa Ana enforces the California Swimming Pool Safety Act (HSC §115920-115929) requiring all residential pools to have a primary barrier at least 60 inches high plus a secondary…

Santa Ana requires a building permit from the administrative authority before anyone installs, alters, repairs, replaces, or maintains a swimming pool, spa, or hot tub system under…

Santa Ana taxes hotel occupancy at eleven percent of the rent charged, collected by the operator from every guest staying under thirty days and remitted monthly to the finance director…

Garage sale activity in Santa Ana is confined to 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. under City Code § 41-193(2), and subsection (3) bars conducting the sale on public sidewalks, parkways, streets…

Santa Ana pushcart vendors can't set up within 50 feet of another cart, 200 feet of a school or church, 500 feet of the Santa Ana Zoo boundary, or 10 feet of an intersection, driveway…

Santa Ana requires a police-department owner's permit and a separate operator's permit for every pushcart vending food or beverages on city streets and sidewalks, and layers on strict…

Santa Ana requires an administrative permit from the Planning and Building Agency before any mobile food truck can operate on private property, issued only to an operator holding both…

No building or structure in Santa Ana may be erected, altered, repaired, moved, or have its occupancy changed without a separate permit for each structure from the building official…

Any Santa Ana commercial building activity that needs a building permit must meet the deadbolt and hardware specs in Municipal Code § 8-211. Swinging exterior doors need a single- or…

Santa Ana adopts the California Electrical Code, 2025 Edition, plus its Informative Annex A on product safety standards, as the city electrical code under Municipal Code § 8-667. A…

Before a Santa Ana building can be occupied, the owner or occupant must apply to the building official for an inspection and pay a nonrefundable processing fee plus an inspection fee…

Santa Ana's local Fire Code amendment at § 8-102 requires automatic sprinklers in any new building exceeding 5,000 square feet or more than two stories, regardless of fire area, and in…

Santa Ana enforces the California Green Building Standards Code, 2025 Edition, as its own law under Municipal Code § 8-2900, incorporating CALGreen by reference through the city…

Santa Ana adopts the California Plumbing Code, 2025 Edition, including Appendices A, B, D, I and J, as its local plumbing code under Municipal Code § 8-290. The adopted code, together…

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…

Santa Ana inspects every residential rental property at least once every four years under the Proactive Rental Enforcement Program (PREP). The Executive Director sets each property's…

Santa Ana's tax collector, not the business owner, decides which license-tax category a business falls into. The collector keeps a public master list of specific businesses assigned to…

Santa Ana law requires every rental housing owner to keep the unit and property free of 'substandard conditions': nuisances, deterioration that hurts neighboring property values, code…

Santa Ana caps annual rent increases on covered residential units and mobilehome spaces at 3%, or 80% of the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less, and allows only one…

Every Santa Ana rent-increase notice must tell tenants the Rent Stabilization Ordinance exists and spell out their right to respond to any Fair Return or Capital Improvement Petition…

California AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019) requires landlords statewide to give tenants a written notice describing the law's rent cap and just-cause rules. Santa Ana enforces…

Once a Santa Ana tenant has lawfully occupied a unit for 30 straight days, the landlord can't end the tenancy without just cause stated in the written termination notice. Sec. 8-3120…

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 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…

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…

Santa Ana Municipal Code Section 10-96 bars loitering, standing, sitting, or lying on a public street, sidewalk, curb, or walkway after a law-enforcement warning if it hinders…

Santa Ana bars aggressive or intrusive solicitation anywhere in public, plus any solicitation within 30 feet of a bank, ATM, transit stop, or shopping-center driveway, or inside an…

Santa Ana doesn't ban crossing outside a crosswalk citywide. Municipal Code § 36-117 only makes it illegal where the city has posted signs telling pedestrians to use a crosswalk. The…

Santa Ana's traffic code bars skateboards from any roadway or bicycle lane and prohibits riding one on a sidewalk inside a designated business district. Outside those business…

Santa Ana bills the person responsible for a large private-property party a police services fee, capped at $500 per incident, once officers must return after an initial warning under…

Santa Ana bans drinking any alcoholic beverage on a street, in a park, inside an automobile or in any other public place within the city. The only exception is inside an establishment…

Santa Ana makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate on private property in view of the public, or on any public street, sidewalk, alley, park or other public place, unless it's inside a…

Santa Ana bans smoking outright in every city building, park, stadium and zoo under Sec. 18-40. The prohibition covers lighted pipes, cigars and cigarettes as defined in Sec. 18-39…

Santa Ana Municipal Code Article VIII bans camping, occupying camp facilities, or storing personal property, tents, bedding, shopping carts, in the Civic Center, medians, and other…

Santa Ana bans sitting, lying, sleeping, or storing property on public property within set buffer zones: 20 feet of driveways, ramps, loading docks, and fire hydrants, 50 feet of…

Santa Ana bars anyone from holding a parade on city streets without a permit. Applicants file with the city manager between 180 and 30 days ahead, pay a nonrefundable fee to the police…

Santa Ana treats a block party as a 'special event' under Sec. 10-22, so organizers need a permit under Sec. 10-22.1 before closing a street for a neighborhood gathering. Applications…

Santa Ana requires a permit before holding a picnic, outing or gathering of forty or more people in any city park, along with performances, public meetings, parades and any exclusive…

Restaurants that want to set up outdoor dining on a Santa Ana street or sidewalk need a license under the city's Outdoor Dining Ordinance, Sec. 33-171, available only in the Midtown…

Orange County requires a film permit before any commercial motion picture, television production, or still photography shoot on county-owned property or facilities in unincorporated…

Street fairs, carnivals and similar temporary gatherings in unincorporated Orange County need a Site Development Permit once attendance tops 100 people, or a Zoning Use Certificate for…

Santa Ana outlaws running any house, room, apartment or place used as a gambling house, or where cards, dice or similar devices are used to play for merchandise, property or anything…

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…

Santa Ana defines base flood elevation (BFE) as the water surface height shown on the FIRM for a flood with a 1% annual chance of being equaled or exceeded: the 100-year flood. Section…

Santa Ana requires a grading permit under Municipal Code § 8-183, which amends Appendix J, Section J103.2 of the adopted building code. The section lists nine specific exemptions…

Santa Ana bans illicit connections to the storm drain system and any non-stormwater discharge that isn't specifically exempted. New development must follow the county's Drainage Area…

Any construction or development, including manufactured homes, inside a Santa Ana special flood hazard area needs a development permit under § 7-15 before work starts. Applicants must…

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…

Santa Ana bans syringe exchange programs outright. City Code § 18-654 prohibits operating one anywhere in the city on public or private property, in every zoning district, and the city…

Anyone preparing, storing, or serving food at a Santa Ana restaurant must hold a California Food Handler Card, obtained within 30 days of hire and renewed every three years.

California Civil Code 1954.603 requires Santa Ana landlords to give every tenant a bed bug information notice and prohibits renting any unit known to have an active infestation.

Unincorporated Orange County property owners must not let waste or conditions breed flies, cockroaches, rats, or rodents; the County Health Officer can inspect, order abatement, and…

Santa Ana requires every tobacco retailer, including e-cigarette and vapor product sellers, to hold a Police Department-issued license at a fixed business location. Selling flavored…

Secondhand dealers in Santa Ana, anyone meeting the state definition in Business and Professions Code § 21626, need the same police-issued certificate as pawnbrokers, must log every…

Tow operators who want police-dispatched tows in Santa Ana must qualify for the police department's rotational tow list under Sec. 32-107, which lets the chief of police set binding…

Santa Ana confines adult entertainment businesses to six commercial/industrial zones and requires a ministerial land use permit before any can open, plus 1,000-foot separation from…

Santa Ana keeps tattoo and body art establishments in the C-1, C-2 and C-4 zones at least 500 feet from any K-12 school or public park and 500 feet from another tattoo or body art…

Anyone wanting to run a pawnshop in Santa Ana must first apply in writing to the Chief of Police, disclosing personal history, business address and employees, and submitting to…

Santa Ana limits full massage establishments to six commercial zones plus a Conditional Use Permit, 1,000-foot spacing from other massage businesses and a 500-foot residential buffer…

Unincorporated Orange County confines home occupations to the dwelling's enclosed living area and bars offensive noise, dust, smoke or smell: standards that make a home-based auto…

Santa Ana bans dumping trash, garbage, refuse or other filth on any public or private alley, street, watercourse or property anywhere in the city except where the council has…

The executive director of public works sets each address's curbside collection day in Santa Ana, and single-family and multifamily accounts must subscribe to weekly three-container…

Santa Ana single-family households must subscribe to weekly three-container service and route food scraps and yard trimmings into the green organic-waste cart, keeping them out of the…

Commercial and multifamily properties with five or more units that hire a gardening or landscaping service must put diversion requirements in the written contract: the landscaper has…

Every commercial and industrial property in Santa Ana, along with residential developments of three or more units, must screen its dumpsters in a dedicated enclosure sized to serve the…

Santa Ana's own contractor holds the exclusive right to collect, transport and dispose of all solid waste generated in the city, and once waste is set out for collection it becomes the…

Santa Ana requires residential and commercial recycling under California's mandatory recycling laws including AB 341 and SB 1383. Residents must separate recyclable materials from…

Santa Ana requires curbside trash to go out in the city's official carts, placed in the street with the wheels touching the curb, or along an alley open at both ends. Loose piles left…

Santa Ana's solid waste ordinance defines bulky items, furniture, mattresses, major appliances, up to 30-gallon bags of green waste and electronics, as material too large for a cart…

In unincorporated Orange County, it's illegal for anyone but the county's authorized recycling agent to take paper, glass, cardboard, plastic, used motor oil, or metal once residents…

Before Santa Ana approves a final map for a condominium or planned-unit project, the recorded CC&Rs must give the city itself, not just the homeowners association, power to enforce…

When an apartment building converts to condominiums in Santa Ana, the city withholds approval until the developer files a management plan whose draft CC&Rs spell out project…

Santa Ana HOA architectural review is governed by CA Civil Code Sec. 4765, with a 60-day review deadline and state preemptions protecting solar, native plants, and EV chargers.

Santa Ana HOA disputes follow the Davis-Stirling Act framework requiring IDR and ADR before court action. AB 130 caps most fines at $100 per violation.

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…

Santa Ana's Building Department must administratively approve any residential solar energy system application that meets its standard checklist under Municipal Code § 8-2511, without…

Santa Ana requires building permits for solar panel installations per the California Solar Permitting Act (AB 2188). The city must offer a streamlined, ministerial permitting process…

California's Solar Rights Act (Civil Code §714) prohibits HOAs from effectively banning solar installations. HOAs cannot impose restrictions that increase the cost of a solar system by…

Santa Ana bars a commercial cannabis retail business from operating within 500 feet of another retail cannabis business, or within 1,000 feet of any K-12 school, park, or residential…

Cannabis can be delivered to Santa Ana adults 21 and over by any state-licensed delivery operator, but local retailers must hold a Santa Ana Regulatory Safety Permit to dispatch from…

Adults 21 and over in Santa Ana may cultivate up to six cannabis plants per private residence under California Proposition 64, but Santa Ana requires indoor cultivation only.

Santa Ana bans commercial cannabis activity in every zoning district by default, then carves out an exception under Municipal Code § 40-5 for specific businesses in the Light…

Under California Proposition 64 and Health & Safety Code Section 11362.2, adults 21 and older may cultivate up to six cannabis plants per household for personal use. Plants must be…

A single-family home in Santa Ana's R1 district can't rise higher than 27 feet or exceed two stories, measured from the lowest adjacent grade to the top of the structure. Planned…

Santa Ana's R1 single-family zone requires a front yard equal to the block's prevailing setback but never less than 20 feet, side yards of at least 5 feet (10 feet on a corner lot's…

Multifamily residential development processed under Santa Ana's Planned Community Development (PCD) provisions is capped at fifty percent lot coverage under Section 41-575. Buildings…

Santa Ana lets one freestanding freeway sign reach 35 feet and 100 square feet -- nearly triple the normal citywide cap -- but only within 300 feet of a freeway exit centerline…

Santa Ana allows new digital billboards only inside a 300-foot-wide Freeway Corridor along I-5, SR-22 and SR-55, capped at 60 feet tall, spaced 1,000 feet apart, and set back at least…

Santa Ana bans garage sale signs on telephone poles, streetlights, traffic signs, and any other structure in the public right-of-way under City Code § 41-193(5). Signs may go up no…

In unincorporated Orange County, window signs can't exceed 10% of a wall's window area in agricultural, open space and residential districts, or 15% in commercial, employment and…

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…

Santa Ana caps every digital billboard's brightness at 0.3 foot-candles over ambient light and requires a photocell or light sensor to auto-adjust it -- manual timer- or calendar-based…

Electronic message displays approved through Santa Ana's Regional Planned Sign Program can't sit within 300 feet of residential property and must be oriented to minimize light spilling…

Santa Ana bars and nightclubs offering amplified music must hold an entertainment permit and keep music and noise inaudible beyond 20 feet from the exterior of the premises in any…

In unincorporated Orange County, portable and standby generators are classified as fixed noise sources under Division 6 and must meet the 55/50 dB(A) exterior noise limits set for…

In unincorporated Orange County, air conditioners and other equipment noise sources must stay within the county's Noise Zone 1 limits: 55 dB(A) daytime and 50 dB(A) nighttime on…

Santa Ana protects historic buildings by placing them on the city register of historical properties. The Historic Resources Commission designates eligible properties by resolution…

Anyone excavating in a Santa Ana street, alley or sidewalk to install, repair or remove a pipe, conduit, utility pole or similar facility must first get an excavation permit from the…

Property owners in Santa Ana must maintain adjacent sidewalks under CA Streets and Highways Code 5610. Any sidewalk repair in the public right-of-way requires an encroachment permit…

In unincorporated Orange County, willfully and maliciously blocking anyone's free movement on a street, sidewalk or other public place is a misdemeanor under section 3-4-14. The law…

Once city water crosses the meter, Santa Ana Municipal Code § 39-21 puts every pipe, fixture, and leak on the customer's side back on the customer: they must keep those facilities in…

Santa Ana resells Orange County Water District recycled water to users inside city limits under Municipal Code § 39-32, but delivery depends on OCWD's Green Acres Project staying…

Santa Ana's A1 general agricultural district permits crop farming, grazing and small animal farms by right, but bans hog and commercial livestock feeding ranches and garbage-disposal…

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…

Santa Ana requires a permit before anyone shoots a commercial motion picture or video tape on property the city owns or controls. Applicants apply to the city manager at least fifteen…

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…

Santa Ana implements California Government Code Section 65915 density-bonus law, allowing developers extra units, parking concessions, and waivers in exchange for restricted affordable…

California Business and Professions Code 22958 sets the legal age to buy tobacco, vape, and nicotine products at 21 statewide, and Santa Ana retailers must check ID for any buyer under…

California Senate Bill 793 prohibits Santa Ana retailers from selling most flavored tobacco products including menthol cigarettes, flavored vapes, and flavored cigars.

California Assembly Bill 1884 prevents Santa Ana full-service restaurants from giving customers single-use plastic straws unless the customer specifically requests one.

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…

Santa Ana's urban forest ordinance limits parkway and street tree planting to an official species list set by category, with any other species needing sign-off from the environmental…

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

Santa Ana caps weeds, grass, and rank growth at six inches under Municipal Code § 16-48, the 'Garbage, Rubbish and Weed Control Ordinance', applying to any lot, improved or vacant…

Santa Ana's building official can declare any residential building or premises a public nuisance under Municipal Code § 8-1951 when hazardous walls, fences, broken driveways, or…

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…

Santa Ana names "data center uses" as a conditional use in its M1 (Light Industrial) district under Municipal Code Sec. 41-472.5(r), added by Ordinance No. NS-3038 in 2023. A Planning…

Santa Ana has no data-center-specific noise rule, but Municipal Code Sec. 18-312 caps exterior noise reaching any residential property at 55 dB(A) daytime (7 a.m.–10 p.m.) and 50 dB(A)…

Santa Ana requires anyone going door to door selling goods, taking orders, or soliciting opinions or endorsements to hold a peddler's or solicitor's license before starting. The…

Solicitors in unincorporated Orange County must respect posted no-soliciting signs on residential properties. The county's business licensing ordinance and California Penal Code…

Santa Ana bars minors from public places and businesses between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under Sections 10-181 through 10-187. Eleven listed defenses cover errands, work, emergencies…

Orange County parks, beaches and recreational areas close outside hours set by the OC Parks Director. Entering or staying past closing without a valid County permit violates County…

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…

In unincorporated Orange County, parking or leaving a vehicle standing in a signed on-road bicycle lane along the county arterial highway system violates Codified Ordinances Section…

Unincorporated Orange County defines electric bicycles by Class 1, 2 and 3 under County Code § 6-4-102, then layers its own rules: no rider under 16 may operate a Class 3 e-bike…

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…

Orange County prohibits operation of drones and radio-controlled devices in all county parks, beaches, and recreational areas under Section 2-5-42 of the Codified Ordinances except in…

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…

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…

California's noxious weed list applies in Orange County. The OC Agricultural Commissioner enforces plant quarantines and pest regulations. The county's Water Efficient Landscape…

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…

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 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…