Santa Clara, CA

Santa Clara short-term rentals are subject to occupancy caps typically based on bedroom count, plus California building and fire code occupant load limits to protect health and safety.

Santa Clara short-term rental operators must provide off-street parking consistent with residential zoning and ensure guests do not block driveways, fire lanes, or create parking…

Santa Clara taxes short-term rental stays at 13.5% of rent under its transient occupancy tax chapter. Any host renting a room, unit or house for 30 consecutive days or less counts as a…

A Santa Clara property loses its shot at short-term rental registration for a full year after trouble: Section 18.60.250 requires the City to deny registration if the property carries…

Santa Clara does not require every short-term rental to be the host's primary residence, but the Zoning Code ties unlimited operation to it: a hosted unit, one where the host lives…

Santa Clara requires every short-term rental host to obtain an Administrative Permit for Short-term Rentals and hold a valid City Business License before advertising or renting a unit…

Transient Occupancy Tax on a Santa Clara short-term rental is the host's responsibility to collect and remit, not the platform's, unless the City has struck a voluntary collection…

An unhosted short-term rental in Santa Clara, meaning no host is present in the unit during the stay, is capped at 90 days per calendar year in the aggregate under Zoning Code Section…

When a Santa Clara host lives on site during the stay, the City places no annual cap on how many days the unit can operate as a short-term rental. Section 18.60.250 allows a hosted…

Santa Clara bans weddings, corporate events, commercial functions, large parties, and any other gathering likely to cause traffic, parking, or noise impacts on a short-term rental…

Santa Clara defines who counts as a host for short-term rental purposes and backs that presence with round-the-clock accountability. An accessory dwelling unit only qualifies as hosted…

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…

Santa Clara follows California Civil Code 841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act) presuming equal shared responsibility between adjoining owners for boundary fence construction and maintenance.

Santa Clara's Title 18 Zoning Code bans barbed wire, razor wire, and electrified fencing on every parcel in the city under § 18.34.060(D), along with grease coatings and broken glass…

Santa Clara limits retaining walls to three feet in height under Title 18 Zoning Code § 18.34.040(B), with a six-foot fence and one foot of lattice allowed on top. Where the grade…

Santa Clara caps fences, walls and hedges at 3 feet in the required front setback and in the street-side setback along a corner lot, and at 6 feet everywhere else on the parcel, with…

Santa Clara requires Architectural Review under Chapter 18.120 for any new fence, wall, hedge or screen unless it qualifies for the residential exemption. Fences on R1-6L, R1-8L or R2…

Santa Clara pool owners must comply with anti-entrapment drain covers under the federal VGB Act, approved safety features, proper electrical bonding, and chemical storage rules to…

Santa Clara treats above-ground pools deeper than 18 inches as regulated swimming pools, requiring permits, barrier compliance under California H&S Code 115921, and setback conformity.

Santa Clara encourages California native landscaping through MWELO compliance and Valley Water rebates. Native plants are allowed as lawn replacements citywide.

Santa Clara allows rainwater harvesting under the CA Rainwater Capture Act. Rain barrels under 5,000 gallons typically need no permit, but larger cisterns and pumps do.

Santa Clara requires a City permit before removing any protected tree, including heritage trees, listed native species twelve inches or wider, and any private tree with a…

Artificial turf is permitted on residential lots in Santa Clara subject to setbacks, permeability, and product standards. Civil Code 4735 limits HOA bans on synthetic lawns.

Santa Clara Water and Sewer Utilities enforces year-round outdoor watering rules under Valley Water guidance. AB 1572 also phases out potable water on non-functional turf.

Santa Clara protects designated heritage and street trees. Routine trimming on private trees is allowed, but major work on protected trees requires a permit from the city.

Santa Clara lets residents compost their own organic waste on their own property without a City refuse-collector contract or permit. The allowance sits inside the refuse code's…

Santa Clara bars property owners from letting weeds grow on their lots, sidewalks or the abutting half of any street or alley, and the Fire Department can declare uncut weeds a public…

Santa Clara is largely not mapped in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, but adjacent foothill communities are. Check the CAL FIRE map before building or landscaping near open space.

Santa Clara is mostly on the valley floor and not mapped as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, but nearby foothills trigger PRC 4291 defensible space for properties bordering…

Santa Clara bans burning solid waste anywhere in the city except fuel burned in a compliant wood burning appliance, and no fire may be kindled on any public street, alley or waterway…

Santa Clara bans possession, sale, handling and use of all fireworks, including state-classified Safe and Sane fireworks, allowing only permitted public displays and licensed…

Santa Clara lets residents run a freestanding outdoor fireplace without a wood-heater certification, but a backyard bonfire or other outdoor fire needs a permit the Fire Marshal issues…

Santa Clara enforces residential smoke alarm requirements through the 2025 California Residential Code, adopted wholesale by SCCC § 15.17.010, and layers on a local smoke-alarm mandate…

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.

Santa Clara restricts leaf blower operation to 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM weekdays and 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM weekends, with gas-powered models phased out under California AB 1346 (SORE…

Santa Clara makes it unlawful under Municipal Code § 6.30.130 to keep a dog that disturbs the peace of the immediate neighborhood with loud barking, howling or baying at frequent or…

Santa Clara bars construction work within 300 feet of residentially zoned property outside 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays. No construction…

Santa Clara City Code § 9.05.060 makes it unlawful to run any outdoor sound system or project amplified music, including a live band, for more than five minutes in any single day…

Santa Clara bans loud and unreasonable noise between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM under City Code § 9.05.010(c), whether it disturbs anyone within earshot or happens within 250 feet of a…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bars idling a heavy truck or its auxiliary equipment for more than 15 minutes an hour within 150 feet of a residential area between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Unincorporated Santa Clara County caps exterior noise at 45 dBA nighttime / 55 dBA daytime for single-family homes, rising to 60-65 dBA for commercial land and 70-75 dBA for industrial…

In unincorporated Santa Clara County, helicopters can't exceed 80 dBA daytime noise over residential or commercial areas, or violate nighttime limits, without a variance; military and…

Santa Clara requires EV-ready wiring in new construction under CALGreen, and Silicon Valley Power offers rebates for residential Level 2 charger installations.

Santa Clara has no citywide overnight parking ban but enforces CVC 22651(k) 72-hour limits and residential permit zones near SCU and Levi's Stadium.

Santa Clara can close specific streets to commercial vehicles entirely: Section 10.05.780 of the City Code lets the City Manager designate a street off-limits, and once signs go up…

Only the City Council can authorize painting a Santa Clara street or curb surface: Section 10.05.250 of the City Code makes any unauthorized curb paint job unlawful, with a narrow…

Santa Clara treats an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle sitting on private or public property (not a highway) for more than three days as a public nuisance under…

Santa Clara paints loading zones yellow and passenger loading zones white on the curb, per Section 10.05.670 of the City Code. A yellow zone allows loading or unloading of passengers…

Santa Clara's zoning code bars required parking from front and side-corner setbacks and requires any parking that is allowed there to sit on a continuously paved or all-weather…

Santa Clara creates residential permit parking districts by City Council resolution under Municipal Code Section 10.40.020, using criteria the City Manager sets in written guidelines…

Santa Clara homeowners may park one recreational vehicle, boat, or trailer in a residential front setback, but only on the owner's own property, on a paved or approved driveway, stored…

Santa Clara limits continuous street parking to 72 hours under CVC 22651(k), posts time zones near downtown, and operates residential permit districts near SCU and Levi's Stadium.

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 Clara must treat small and large family daycare homes as permitted residential uses under California Health and Safety Code 1597.40, which preempts local zoning restrictions on…

Home-based businesses in Santa Clara can host clients, but only two at a time and only between 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Title 18 Section 18.60.120's Table 4-1 sets both caps as part of…

A home occupation in Santa Clara gets no dedicated business sign at all: Table 4-1 under Zoning Code Section 18.60.120 states no signs are allowed except whatever a dwelling unit could…

Running a business from a Santa Clara home requires a Zoning Clearance under Title 18 Section 18.60.120, and the use has to stay inside the dwelling itself, capped at 25 percent of the…

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 Clara does not restrict dog ownership by breed due to California Food and Agricultural Code Section 31683 preemption, but may declare specific dogs dangerous based on individual…

Santa Clara prohibits exotic and wild animals as pets under California Fish and Game Code Section 2116-2126 and City Code Chapter 6.10; violations carry fines up to 1,000 dollars.

Santa Clara does not ban retail pet sales outright, but it heavily conditions them: dogs and cats can't be sold under eight weeks old, sellers must give buyers written health and…

Santa Clara's General Code caps backyard fowl and livestock at six animals per property under § 6.15.070(a), covering chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, rabbits, goats, sheep, hogs and…

Santa Clara's General Code requires every dog owner to keep the dog under physical restraint on a leash no longer than six feet, or confined behind a fence of reasonable height, under…

Santa Clara does not require microchips for pets generally, but a dog formally classified as "dangerous" after a City hearing must have a microchip implant for identification as one of…

Santa Clara Municipal Code § 6.10.100 requires that any dog or cat impounded twice or more from the same owner during the animal's lifetime be spayed or neutered at the owner's expense…

Santa Clara's General Code requires every cat over four months old to be licensed under Municipal Code § 6.30.040, with narrow exceptions for nonresidents keeping a cat in the city…

Santa Clara caps most households at three adult dogs and cats combined, over four months old, at any one street address, under Municipal Code § 6.30.020. Only one unspayed female dog…

Santa Clara's General Code caps backyard beekeeping at two hives per lot without written City Manager consent for more, under § 6.28.030. Hives must sit at least ten feet from a side…

Santa Clara requires a Minor Use Permit for veterinary facilities in the C-C commercial zone and a Conditional Use Permit in C-R, and bars them outright from the C-N neighborhood…

Feeding deer, geese, or other wildlife in a Santa Clara County Park is prohibited unless the Parks Director issues a Valid Permit; unincorporated county parks are declared wildlife…

Santa Clara permits ADUs and JADUs under California Gov Code 65852.2. Ministerial approval applies to compliant designs with no owner-occupancy requirement and no discretionary review.

Santa Clara caps detached sheds and other residential accessory structures at 16 feet tall and 600 square feet under Title 18 Zoning Code Chapter 18.32. Sheds over 120 square feet or…

Santa Clara's Title 18 Zoning Code bars short-term rentals of accessory dwelling units. Under Section 18.60.020, every ADU and JADU created through the City's ministerial approval…

Turning an existing garage into living space in Santa Clara counts as a converted ADU under Title 18 Zoning Code Section 18.60.020(J), which waives rear, side and street-side setbacks…

Santa Clara requires the property owner to live on site before a junior accessory dwelling unit can be permitted. Title 18 Zoning Code Section 18.60.020 ties JADU approval to…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County allows one movable tiny home per lot in place of a standard ADU, but only if it's ANSI 119.5-certified, DMV-registered, incapable of self-propulsion…

Santa Clara has no local rent control; state AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act) caps annual rent increases at 5 percent plus CPI up to 10 percent on qualifying units.

Santa Clara does not require a general rental registration program. Landlords must comply with state habitability standards and obtain a business license for rental operations in some…

Santa Clara does not have a local just cause eviction ordinance, but state AB 1482 (Civil Code 1946.2) applies to most rentals over 15 years old and requires just cause for eviction…

Santa Clara enforces minimum property maintenance and habitability standards through the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code, adopted wholesale by SCCC § 15.18.010, effective…

California Civil Code §1950.5, amended by AB-12 effective July 2024, caps residential security deposits at one month's rent statewide. Santa Clara County adds no local cap, so the…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County applies California's AB-1482 no-fault grounds: owner move-in, substantial remodel, demolition, government order, and Ellis Act withdrawal. Each path…

Santa Clara County has not adopted a countywide tenant anti-harassment ordinance for unincorporated areas. Tenants rely on California Civil Code §1940.2 against forcible exclusion plus…

Santa Clara County has no countywide rent stabilization, so pass-through charges in unincorporated areas follow state law. AB-1482 caps annual rent increases at 5% plus CPI, capped at…

California Government Code §12955, expanded by SB-329 in 2020, prohibits housing discrimination based on lawful source of income, including Section 8 vouchers. Santa Clara County…

Santa Clara County has no countywide relocation ordinance for unincorporated areas. State law controls: AB-1482 requires one month of rent for no-fault terminations and the Ellis 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…

Santa Clara HOAs must offer Internal Dispute Resolution (Civil Code 5910) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (Civil Code 5925) before most lawsuits between an association and a member…

Santa Clara HOAs follow Davis-Stirling assessment rules (Civil Code 5600+), including annual budget disclosures, limits on assessment increases without member approval, and lien…

HOA boards in Santa Clara must follow the Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act, California Civil Code 4000 and following, which governs meeting notice, open sessions…

Santa Clara HOA architectural committees must follow California Civil Code 4765 fair procedures and honor state protections like Civil Code 714 (solar) and 4735 (low-water landscaping)…

Santa Clara HOAs enforce CC&Rs under Civil Code 5850 through 5865, requiring adopted enforcement policies, notice and hearing before fines, and limits on selective or arbitrary…

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 Clara food trucks need SCCDEH mobile food facility permit, city business license, and compliance with SB 946 sidewalk vending protections. Temperature logs required.

Santa Clara restricts mobile vending locations through zoning and Levi's Stadium event zones; SB 946 limits time/place restrictions to objectively health/safety-based reasons.

Sidewalk vendors selling food or merchandise near Levi's Stadium must hold a police-issued sidewalk vending permit at all times, not just on event days, under SCCC § 5.05.420. On event…

Political signs are protected speech in Santa Clara on private property with owner consent. Local size and duration limits are relaxed for political content under California Elections…

Freeway- and expressway-oriented signs in Santa Clara must sit on the same parcel as the business they advertise, stay under 30 feet tall and 200 square feet, and sit within 500 feet…

Santa Clara caps window signs at 25 percent of each individual window on any building frontage and confines them to the ground and second floors under Zoning Code Section 18.42.120(L)…

Santa Clara does not require a Sign Permit for holiday displays and decorations, and they are not counted toward the number, type, or area of signs otherwise allowed on a parcel. The…

Santa Clara requires a Conditional Use Permit before anyone erects or maintains any electronic digital display message sign, including digital billboards, under City Code Section…

Santa Clara mandates recycling and organics separation under California SB 1383. Residents must sort recyclables, organics (food scraps and yard waste), and landfill trash into…

Santa Clara phased in mandatory organic waste recycling for commercial businesses under City Code Section 8.25.276, starting with 8+ cubic yards weekly in 2016 and dropping to a…

Santa Clara bars refuse collection before 7:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. at residential properties under City Code Section 8.25.110, requires collections to run as quietly as possible…

Santa Clara makes it unlawful to dispose of refuse on City-controlled disposal land outside the terms of Chapter 8.25 under City Code Section 8.25.330, and any Chapter 8.25 violation…

Santa Clara requires refuse, recycling and organics containers to be kept in an enclosure or the side/rear yard, with tight-fitting lids at all times, and bars setting carts out on the…

Santa Clara requires weekly refuse pickup for every residential, commercial, industrial and institutional property under City Code Section 8.25.120, and only the City Manager can…

Every household in Santa Clara must subscribe to residential recycling service, and commercial properties generating 4 or more cubic yards of refuse weekly must subscribe to commercial…

New solid waste enclosures built in Santa Clara must meet exact design specs under City Code Section 8.25.100(c): drainage to the sanitary sewer or a 25-foot storm drain setback, a…

Santa Clara's clean-up campaign lets residents set bulky items at the curb only during a scheduled collection week under City Code Section 8.25.300, with strict placement and…

Santa Clara bans mixing green waste into garbage or recycling containers under City Code Section 8.25.290, lets the City Manager require single-family and multifamily homes to…

California Civil Code 714 (Solar Rights Act) prohibits Santa Clara HOAs from unreasonably restricting solar installations; only modest cost/performance-based conditions allowed.

Santa Clara runs a checklist-based expedited review for small residential rooftop solar systems up to 10 kW AC, letting applicants self-verify structural and electrical readiness and…

Santa Clara County issues expedited residential solar permits within 3 business days under AB 2188 and AB 1414. Title 24 mandates solar on new homes. PG and E interconnection runs…

Door-to-door solicitors and peddlers in Santa Clara must register with the city and carry a valid solicitor identification card. Hours are limited, and residents can opt out with No…

Santa Clara residents can prohibit solicitors by posting No Solicitation or No Trespassing signs at their front entrance. Solicitors who knock after seeing such signs are subject to…

Santa Clara adults 21+ may cultivate up to 6 cannabis plants per residence under California Proposition 64. Outdoor cultivation is prohibited - plants must be grown indoors in a…

California licenses cannabis retailers under MAUCRSA, but Business and Professions Code section 26200 preserves each city's and county's power to zone, permit, or completely prohibit…

Snow is essentially nonexistent in Santa Clara. Property owners are responsible for keeping sidewalks adjacent to their property clear of debris, vegetation overgrowth, and trip…

Santa Clara prohibits property blight including accumulated junk, overgrown vegetation, graffiti, broken windows, and inoperable vehicles. Code enforcement can issue citations and…

Santa Clara property owners must keep weeds from growing on vacant lots and the abutting half of any adjoining street or alley, under City Code § 8.15.020. If left unabated after City…

Santa Clara participates in the NFIP; properties in FEMA AE/AH zones near Guadalupe and San Tomas creeks need elevation certificates and flood insurance for federally-backed mortgages.

Santa Clara adopts CCR Title 24, Part 2, Appendix G for flood-resistant construction in flood hazard areas and lets detached garages sit below the base flood elevation only if they are…

Santa Clara Municipal Code § 13.20.050 requires every construction site owner and operator to run erosion, sediment, and nonstormwater controls through every phase of work, from…

Santa Clara requires every construction site owner and operator to run erosion, sediment and runoff controls through all phases of building, from clearing to final landscaping, and to…

The California Coastal Act, Public Resources Code sections 30000 through 30900, requires Coastal Development Permits for nearly all work in the coastal zone and gives the Coastal…

In Santa Clara, you cannot plant a tree in the park strip (the parkway between the sidewalk and the street) yourself; the City controls all street tree planting under SCCC § 12.35.050…

Nine native and specimen tree species are protected across Santa Clara once their trunk reaches twelve inches in diameter, measured fifty-four inches above grade, on private property…

Santa Clara Municipal Code Chapter 12.35 designates "heritage trees" as trees significant for their age, historic commemoration, or memory of a person or event, and bans removing one…

Santa Clara requires a Police Chief-issued massage establishment permit before anyone opens or operates a massage business, on top of a business license and each therapist's state…

Santa Clara requires secondhand dealers, businesses that buy, sell, trade or take in secondhand goods for consignment or auction, to hold a Chief of Police permit before operating…

Santa Clara requires anyone running a pawnbroker business to hold a permit from the Chief of Police before opening, under City Code § 5.30.030. Applicants submit fingerprints for a…

Santa Clara zones tattoo and body piercing shops as a "Restricted Personal Service" under City Code Section 18.60.170, requiring a Minor Use Permit and a 500-foot buffer from other…

Santa Clara confines adult-oriented businesses to the C-R commercial zone, and only with a Conditional Use Permit, then layers on strict spacing rules under Zoning Code Section…

Santa Clara flatly bans vehicle repair as a home occupation. Title 18 Section 18.60.120 lists vehicle storage, cleaning, dismantling, installation, manufacture, repair, and service…

Tow operators in unincorporated Santa Clara County cannot solicit business at accident scenes or park tow vehicles within 1,000 feet of one.

Selling tobacco products in unincorporated Santa Clara County requires an annual Tobacco Retailer Permit, and new retailers can't locate within 1,000 feet of a school or 500 feet of…

Santa Clara requires a park use permit for any assembly of more than 50 people that lasts, or is expected to last, longer than 30 minutes in a City park. Applications go to the…

Running a festival, fair, carnival or flea market in Santa Clara requires a Temporary Use Permit under Zoning Code § 18.122.050(B), filed with the Community Development Department at…

Santa Clara requires only a Zoning Clearance for permanent outdoor dining with 24 or fewer seats, but a Minor Use Permit for 25 or more seats, and bars all outdoor dining within 100…

Santa Clara requires a written Police Department permit before anyone may hold or conduct a parade, march or procession, other than a funeral procession, on a public street, park or…

Portable patio heaters used for sidewalk cafes, holiday markets, and outdoor seating in Santa Clara's commercial and mixed-use zones can sit inside the required setback without a…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires a special event permit from the Director of Roads and Airports before any block party closes or restricts use of a county road, filed at…

Card rooms are banned in Santa Clara. City Code Chapter 5.70 (Card Rooms) exists in name only: a reviser's note explains the prohibition was reaffirmed by an advisory referendum on…

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 Clara makes it unlawful to smoke cannabis anywhere tobacco smoking is already banned under City Code Chapter 8.35 or State law. That sweeps in enclosed public places, workplaces…

Santa Clara bans smoking in open-air dining areas, public parks, service areas and any public place hosting a public event, plus within a 30-foot "reasonable distance" of those areas…

Santa Clara bans soliciting money, employment or business from vehicle occupants in any public street, sidewalk, driveway or right-of-way, and bans the same solicitation aimed at…

Santa Clara City Code § 9.05.020 lets police bill whoever hosts, controls, or sponsors a loud or unruly gathering once a second response is needed within 72 hours of a warning: a…

Santa Clara bans skateboards, roller skates, scooters and coasters from roadways and sidewalks in any zoning district zoned for business, under Section 10.05.890 of the City Code. The…

Santa Clara City Code § 9.05.040 bans drinking intoxicating liquor on any public right-of-way, street, sidewalk, park strip, alley, or other public property, and on any private parking…

Santa Clara bars pedestrians from crossing any roadway in a business district except at a marked crosswalk, under Section 10.05.430 of the City Code. Even outside business districts…

Santa Clara makes it unlawful to urinate or defecate anywhere on a street or in a public place except at a lavatory facility, under City Code § 9.05.010(a). A first offense is an…

Loitering, standing, or sitting on a public highway, alley, sidewalk, or crosswalk that blocks or annoys passersby is unlawful in unincorporated Santa Clara County.

Santa Clara taxes hotel and short-term lodging stays at 13.5% of the rent charged, effective January 1, 2025, under Chapter 3.25 of the City Code. "Hotel" is defined broadly to cover…

Santa Clara County's Living Wage Policy requires county service contractors to pay minimum living wages and provide health benefits. The policy covers contractors providing services to…

Every person doing business in Santa Clara pays an annual business tax based on employee count: $45 per employee since July 1, 2023, capped at $350,000 a year, under SCCC § 3.40.360…

Santa Clara makes it unlawful to loiter, stand or sit on a public street, sidewalk or crosswalk in a way that blocks or hinders the passage of people or vehicles, or to annoy or molest…

Santa Clara Code Chapter 12.50 makes it unlawful to camp or lodge, including sleeping in a parked vehicle, on any public street, publicly owned property, public park, parking lot…

Santa Clara's General Code declares it a public nuisance, and unlawful, for any property owner to let real property become infested with rodents, animal pests, bugs, beetles or insects…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires every inspected food facility to post the Director's inspection placard within five feet of the front door, clearly visible to the public and…

Under California Health and Safety Code §113948, every food handler in Santa Clara County must obtain an ANSI-accredited food handler card within 30 days of hire. Cards are valid for…

Sharps manufacturers selling products in Santa Clara County must fund and run a County-approved take-back program, so residents get free mail-back kits and drop-off sites for used…

Santa Clara requires a City-issued permit before anyone, including students, films on public or private property, a facility, or a residence within city limits. SCCC § 12.60.030(a)…

Filming that would impair traffic flow in Santa Clara requires the production company to hire Santa Clara Police Department personnel for traffic control and to post advance warning…

Student filmmakers in Santa Clara must obtain the same City permit as any other production, even though SCCC § 12.60.030(b)(5) lets the City Manager waive the fee on a case-by-case…

Santa Clara's fixed-source noise chapter, SCCC 9.10, exempts a generator's noise from its decibel limits only while the generator is performing emergency work under § 9.10.070(a). Run…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County caps air-conditioning and air-handling equipment noise at 50 dBA on a neighbor's property line and 45 dBA at a neighboring patio or window, absent a…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bans loud loading, unloading, and container handling near homes between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and at any time if it breaches the Table B11-152 decibel…

In unincorporated Santa Clara County, a motor vehicle burglar alarm that doesn't shut off within 15 minutes of activation is a noise-code violation.

Santa Clara does not run a separate invasive-plant ordinance, but its tree protection code carves out eight species it labels "unsuitable species for single-family lots." SCCC §…

Anyone who wants to cut, open or excavate a Santa Clara street, curb, gutter, driveway, sidewalk or other public right-of-way, or install pipes, conduits or utility structures there…

Owners of lots fronting an improved Santa Clara street must keep the abutting sidewalk safe and free of conditions that endanger people or interfere with public use, under City Code…

Santa Clara bars placing merchandise displays, piled boxes or other obstructions on any sidewalk so as to impede foot traffic, and bars defacing sidewalks with drawings or lettering…

Santa Clara's Downtown Form-Based Code, Chapter 18.26 of the Zoning Code, caps new buildings in the ten-block Downtown Zone at 2 to 7 stories (28 to 98 feet) without a height bonus…

Santa Clara grants density bonuses of up to 50% under Zoning Code Chapter 18.64 to housing developments that set aside affordable units, but only projects of five or more dwelling…

Santa Clara's Unmanned Aircraft Systems ordinance bars drone takeoffs and landings within a one-mile radius of any Major Event citywide for two hours before or after it happens, and…

Santa Clara bans drone takeoffs and landings in every city park under Municipal Code § 8.60.030(a)(3), part of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems chapter the City Council adopted in…

Santa Clara lets hobbyists fly drones but bans flying below 200 feet above ground level over school grounds during school hours, over emergency services and energy facilities, and over…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bans operating any drone, commercial UAS included, in a way that interferes with firefighting, law enforcement, or emergency response; only…

Santa Clara treats bicyclists as drivers under Section 10.05.110 of the City Code: riders get every right and carry every duty of a motor vehicle operator on the roadway, from stopping…

No shared e-scooter or shared bike company can put a fleet on Santa Clara streets without a City permit: Chapter 10.35 of the City Code caps the citywide fleet at 3,000 devices and…

In unincorporated Santa Clara County parks, Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles may only ride trails and roads specifically signed for e-bike use: plain bike-trail signage isn't…

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…

Santa Clara adopted the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CCR Title 24, Part 11) by reference on November 4, 2025, and layered on its own mandatory EV-charging…

Santa Clara requires an automatic residential fire sprinkler system in every new one- and two-family dwelling and accessory dwelling unit under SCCC § 15.17.030, replacing the state…

Santa Clara enforces building permits through the 2025 California Building Code, adopted wholesale by SCCC § 15.15.010, effective November 4, 2025 under Ordinance No. 2081. Any work…

Santa Clara enforces electrical permits through the 2025 California Electrical Code, adopted wholesale by SCCC § 15.20.010, effective November 4, 2025 under Ordinance No. 2081. The…

Santa Clara enforces plumbing permits through the 2025 California Plumbing Code, adopted wholesale by SCCC § 15.35.010, effective November 4, 2025 under Ordinance No. 2081. The chapter…

Santa Clara's Title 18 Zoning Code sets site standards for licensed Child Day Care Centers on top of state Department of Social Services rules: outdoor play areas set back at least…

Santa Clara County elevators are regulated by Cal/OSHA under Labor Code 7300 to 7324. Every conveyance needs annual inspection and a current permit. HOA and condo elevators follow…

Santa Clara County pre-1978 home renovation follows EPA RRP rules and CA Health and Safety Code 17920.10. Contractors disturbing more than 6 sq ft interior or 20 sq ft exterior painted…

On unincorporated county lots bordering Los Altos that carry the -n1 combining designator, homes are capped at a 0.35 floor-area ratio on smaller lots and a 27-foot maximum height, to…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County withholds a building's final inspection and certificate of occupancy until the County Fire Marshal clears its fire protection facilities and access…

Santa Clara caps structure coverage at 40% of lot area in the R1-6L and R1-8L single-family zones and 45% in the R2 two-family zone, rising to 60% in R3 and 80% in R4 multi-family…

Santa Clara's Table 2-3 sets a 20-foot front setback in R1-6L and R1-8L, stepping down to 10 feet in R3 through R6, with a 5-foot interior side setback in R1-6L and 6-to-9 feet in…

Santa Clara caps residential building height at 25 feet in the R1-6L and R1-8L single-family zones, and limits structures within 20 feet of any R1-6L, R1-8L or R2 zone boundary to 32…

Santa Clara's public parks open daily at 6:00 a.m. and close one-half hour after sunset under City Code Section 12.05.060, extending to 10:00 p.m. at lighted facilities. The Director…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County bars anyone under 18 from unsupervised public streets, parks, and lots between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or on a legitimate…

Santa Clara Municipal Code Chapter 13.15 bars potable water for landscape irrigation once recycled water reaches a site and meets applicable standards, and requires recycled water for…

Property owners in unincorporated Santa Clara County must fix outdoor water leaks from broken pipes, sprinklers, or irrigation within seven days of County notification, or face…

Santa Clara's Zoning Code regulates outdoor lighting under Section 18.40.080 to preserve dark skies and keep glare off neighboring lots. Anyone pulling a building, electrical, or…

Santa Clara's Zoning Code bars light fixtures from directly illuminating anything outside the project site. Section 18.40.080(E) requires every outdoor fixture to be shielded and aimed…

Electronic billboards and other digital display signs in Santa Clara cannot exceed 5,000 nits during daylight hours or 500 nits from dusk to dawn, measured at the sign face, under…

Santa Clara residents can hold garage and yard sales without a permit only twice a year, and each sale is capped at two consecutive days. City Zoning Code Section 18.122.040(C) exempts…

Santa Clara protects buildings, sites and districts through its Historic Resource Inventory (HRI) rather than a separate cultural monument list. Title 18 Zoning Code Chapter 18.130…

Santa Clara names "Data Centers" as a defined land use in its Zoning Code. They are allowed in the office and industrial zones - by right or Minor Use Permit in Light Industrial, and…

Santa Clara's own noise ordinance, City Code Section 9.10.040, caps exterior noise at the receiving property by zone: 55 dBA day and 50 dBA night at single-family homes, 70 dBA in…

California Civil Code §3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits after three years of consistent activity. SCC layers this with the Williamson Act and…

Santa Clara County's own ordinance shields lawfully run commercial agricultural operations from nuisance claims and sets up a Grievance Committee so disputes with new neighbors get…

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

California Penal Code section 25400 prohibits carrying a concealed firearm without a CCW. The Santa Clara County Sheriff issues permits to county residents under shall-issue rules…

California Penal Code section 26350 bans open carry of unloaded handguns in incorporated areas, and section 26400 bans openly carried unloaded long guns. All fifteen Santa Clara County…

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

Santa Clara County has no predictive-scheduling ordinance. California AB-1228 governs fast-food workers via the statewide Fast Food Council. Outside fast food, no local or state…

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 AB-1884 (Public Resources Code section 42270) and AB-1276 make Santa Clara County a straws-on-request jurisdiction. Restaurants countywide cannot auto-distribute single-use…

California AB-1276 (Health and Safety Code §42270 et seq.) prohibits full-service and takeout food facilities from providing single-use utensils, straws, or condiment packets unless…

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 AB-1236 (Labor Code §2814) prohibits Santa Clara County and any city from requiring private employers to use E-Verify. Federal mandates apply only to federal contractors…

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

Retailers in unincorporated Santa Clara County can't sell any tobacco product with a characterizing flavor other than tobacco: menthol, fruit, candy, or dessert flavors are all…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County requires Board of Supervisors approval before any county department acquires or uses automated license plate readers, with a public Surveillance Use…

California is an all-party consent state. All parties to a confidential conversation must consent to audio recording under Penal Code §632. Video recording in public is legal…

Unincorporated Santa Clara County's Community Preservation ordinance defines "property blight", abandoned buildings, dead vegetation, illegal outdoor storage, junk vehicles, graffiti…

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…