Pop. 62,956 · Santa Cruz County
We currently have 1 ordinance verified for Santa Cruz, CA. Our research team is actively working to add more categories including noise rules, parking restrictions, fence regulations, building permits, and other local ordinances that affect daily life.
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Santa Cruz Municipal Code Chapter 10.40 (Stopping, Standing and Parking) prohibits any 'oversized vehicle' from parking on city streets or municipal lots between midnight and 5 a.m. unless a valid OV permit is displayed. An oversized vehicle is any vehicle 20 feet or longer, 8 feet or taller, or 7 feet or wider — covering most RVs, trailers and boats on trailers. The ordinance was adopted in November 2021 and reaffirmed in April 2022 after Coastal Commission review.
California Vehicle Code sections 22651 and 22669 set uniform rules allowing peace officers and authorized agents to remove abandoned vehicles from public and private property after defined waiting periods, with statewide notice and lien procedures.
Unincorporated Santa Cruz County enforces SCCC Chapter 12.10 (Building Regulations), which adopts the California Building Standards Code (CBC, CRC) and incorporates the Swimming Pool Safety Act, California Health & Safety Code sections 115920-115929. Pools and spas with water deeper than 18 inches require a barrier at least 60 inches (5 feet) high measured on the side facing away from the pool, with self-closing and self-latching gates whose release mechanism is at least 60 inches above the ground. New or remodeled pools must include at least two of the seven state-approved drowning prevention features.
California's Swimming Pool Safety Act covers above-ground pools deeper than 18 inches, requiring uniform drowning-prevention features and barriers regardless of pool type.
Hot tubs and spas fall under California's Swimming Pool Safety Act when capable of holding water deeper than 18 inches, requiring barriers, covers, or other approved safety features.
California's Swimming Pool Safety Act and Title 24 Building Standards Code establish uniform anti-entrapment, drain cover, and safety equipment requirements for all residential pools.
Persistent barking dogs in unincorporated Santa Cruz County are enforced under SCCC Chapter 8.30 (Noise) and Title 6 (Animals). Barking audible 150 feet past the property line during the day or any barking between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. is an offensive noise. Santa Cruz County Animal Services handles barking complaints.
Santa Cruz County Code Chapter 8.30 (Noise) prohibits any offensive noise between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. in unincorporated areas (including Aptos, Soquel, Live Oak, Felton, Boulder Creek, La Selva Beach). During 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. a noise is automatically offensive if clearly discernible from 150 feet beyond the property line. Commercial agriculture is exempt.
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 operations in flight.
More than half of Santa Cruz County residents live in the Wildland Urban Interface - one of the highest shares in California. CAL FIRE maps designate most rural parcels as Moderate-to-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, with Very High zones in Bonny Doon, Boulder Creek, Summit Road, Aptos Hills, and north of Corralitos. WUI building standards (CBC Chapter 7A) and SCCC 7.92 apply.
Under SCCC Chapter 7.92 (Fire Code), all fireworks - including 'Safe and Sane' fireworks - are prohibited everywhere in Santa Cruz County, including on all beaches and in all four incorporated cities. The ban reflects extreme wildfire risk after the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire.
Santa Cruz County adopts the California Fire Code via SCCC Chapter 7.92. Open burning (including recreational fires and fire pits) is heavily restricted countywide due to wildfire risk, particularly in the State Responsibility Area covering most of the Santa Cruz Mountains. CAL FIRE CZU and local fire districts issue burn permits and may declare red-flag bans.
SCCC Chapter 7.92 (Fire Code) and California PRC 4291 require property owners countywide to maintain defensible space around structures. A firebreak must be cleared of flammable vegetation for at least 30 feet on each side of any building (or to the property line if closer), and 100 feet total in the State Responsibility Area.
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.
SCCC Chapter 16.34 (Significant Trees Protection) protects trees in the Coastal Zone of Santa Cruz County. Any tree at least 20 inches d.b.h. (about 5 ft circumference), or a sprout clump of five or more stems each over 12 inches d.b.h., or a group of five or more trees each over 12 inches d.b.h. on one parcel, is a 'significant tree' and may not be removed without a permit.
Santa Cruz County Code Chapter 7.69 (Water Conservation) applies countywide in unincorporated areas. Daytime irrigation between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. is prohibited (drip and hand watering with shut-off nozzle excepted), watering is limited to two days per week, automatic systems to 15 minutes per station, and outdoor watering is banned during and 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
Government Code 65850.3 prevents California cities and HOAs from banning drought-tolerant artificial turf installed at single-family residential properties.
SB 1383 requires every California resident and business to separate food scraps and yard waste from trash, with universal collection or on-site composting.
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 statewide.
The 2012 Rainwater Capture Act allows California residents to capture rainwater from rooftops for non-potable outdoor use without a state water-right permit, preempting most local barriers.
Santa Cruz County Code Title 6 (Animals) requires dogs to be under physical restraint - leash, tether, or in a person's grasp - whenever off the owner's property. In public, dogs must be leashed except at designated off-leash areas, must be accompanied, and cannot be left unattended more than 15 minutes.
Under SCCC Title 6 (Animals), chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, other fowl, rabbits, and guinea pigs are allowed in the unincorporated county only if they cannot run at large, are confined at all times to the owner's property, and provided a predator-proof house or coop with an enclosed runway. Livestock (horses, cattle, sheep, swine, poultry) is regulated through zoning.
California Food and Agriculture Code section 31683 preempts cities from banning specific dog breeds, though localities may regulate spay-neuter and breeding by breed.
Santa Cruz County allows Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior ADUs on any parcel where the zoning district or General Plan permits residential use, under SCCC Chapter 13.10. ADUs can be attached or detached, new construction or conversion. Properties with ADUs or JADUs cannot have short-term/vacation rentals under state law.
Government Code 65852.2 expressly authorizes converting an existing garage into an ADU, with no replacement parking allowed and ministerial approval required.
California HCD guidance and Health and Safety Code 18007 classify many tiny homes on wheels as manufactured housing or ADUs, granting statewide siting protections.
Santa Cruz County requires a Short-Term Rental Permit for any rental under 30 days in unincorporated areas under SCCC 13.10.694. Hosted Rentals (host occupies a bedroom) and Non-Hosted (formerly 'Vacation') Rentals (whole home) are distinct categories; permits last five years. STRs are banned on parcels with an ADU or JADU per state law, and only one STR per person/entity/property is allowed.
California law requires hosting platforms to verify or disclose liability insurance for short-term rental listings, applying uniformly across all California cities.
California Civil Code Section 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act, presumes adjoining landowners share equal benefit and equal cost responsibility for boundary fences, applying statewide regardless of city ordinance.
California's Swimming Pool Safety Act in Health and Safety Code Section 115920 mandates statewide drowning prevention barriers around residential pools, with cities prohibited from adopting weaker standards.
California Building Code under Title 24 universally requires permits and engineering for retaining walls over four feet measured from the bottom of the footing, applying statewide regardless of local variation.
The California Homemade Food Act, codified at Health and Safety Code sections 113758 and 114365, sets uniform rules for cottage food operations and bars local governments from prohibiting them in residential zones.
Health and Safety Code sections 1597.40 through 1597.465 require all California cities and counties to treat licensed family daycare homes as permitted residential uses, preempting any local prohibition or restrictive zoning.
While most home occupation rules are local, California Government Code section 65852.2 and Business and Professions Code provisions universally guarantee certain residential uses such as accessory dwelling units and licensed professional offices statewide.
Santa Cruz County Code Chapter 16.13 (Floodplain Management Regulations) implements FEMA floodplain rules countywide. Developers and subdividers of parcels in flood hazard areas must record a Declaration of Flood Hazards with the County Recorder as a condition of permit approval. New construction in Special Flood Hazard Areas must meet elevation, anchoring, and flood-resistant materials standards.
Most development in Santa Cruz County's Coastal Zone (extending roughly five miles inland from the Pacific along the North Coast and along Highway 1) requires a Coastal Development Permit under SCCC Chapter 13.20 (Coastal Zone Regulations) and Chapter 18.60 (Local Coastal Program Administration). The County's certified Local Coastal Program implements the California Coastal Act of 1976.
California Water Code sections 13260 and 13383 implement the federal Clean Water Act through statewide MS4 NPDES permits issued by the State and Regional Water Boards, binding all municipal stormwater dischargers uniformly.
Unincorporated Santa Cruz County has no local just-cause eviction ordinance; California's statewide Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482, Civ Code 1946.2) applies. AB 1482 requires 'just cause' to terminate tenancies of 12+ months and caps annual rent increases at 5% + CPI (max 10%) for most rentals more than 15 years old.
Unincorporated Santa Cruz County has no local rent-control ordinance. The City of Santa Cruz rejected Measure M (a comprehensive rent-control measure) in November 2018. The only applicable rent cap is statewide AB 1482 (Cal. Civ Code 1947.12): 5% + regional CPI annually, maximum 10%, for most non-exempt rentals more than 15 years old.
Commercial drone operations in California follow uniform federal rules under 14 CFR Part 107 plus statewide California provisions in Civil Code 1708.8 and Public Utilities Code 21401, with local rules limited to ground-based regulation.
Recreational drone flight in California is governed primarily by FAA regulations under 14 CFR Part 107 and 49 USC 44809, with state-level rules added by Civil Code 1708.8 and Government Code 853 applying uniformly statewide.
California sets a statewide minimum wage floor under Labor Code 1182.12, currently $16.50 per hour for all employers as of 2025. Local governments are not preempted and may set higher minimums; many cities exceed the state rate substantially.
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 or five days annually effective January 2024, applying universally.
California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant standards, preempting local variations on issuance criteria and qualifications.
California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However, local governments retain limited authority over discharge, sensitive places, and zoning of gun businesses.
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 applies uniformly across all California cities and counties without local variation.
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 the vehicle's locked trunk; long guns must be unloaded but need not be locked.
California Retail Food Code (Health and Safety Code 113700-114437) sets uniform mobile food facility permit, equipment, and food safety standards enforced by counties statewide.
California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946) preempts most local bans on sidewalk vending, allowing only objective health, safety, and welfare regulations.
California prohibits state and local governments from requiring private employers to use the federal E-Verify system except where federal law mandates it, under Government Code 7285.1 and 7285.3. The restriction applies uniformly to every California city and county.
The California Values Act (SB 54, 2017) codified at Government Code 7284-7284.12 limits state and local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It applies uniformly to every California agency and bars participation in most civil immigration enforcement.
The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (Williamson Act), Government Code 51200-51297.4, allows landowners to enter contracts with counties restricting land to agricultural use for ten-year minimum terms in exchange for reduced property tax assessment based on farming income.
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 law applies statewide and limits both private and local government nuisance actions.
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 as Proposition 67 in 2016. Recycled paper or reusable bags require a 10-cent minimum charge.
California restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that polystyrene foodware achieve 25 percent recycling by 2025 or face statewide sales prohibition.
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. The on-request rule applies uniformly to dine-in restaurants statewide.
Civil Code section 714 voids HOA covenants and rules that prohibit or unreasonably restrict residential solar energy systems, preempting private and local restrictions.
California's Solar Rights Act and the SolarAPP+ mandate (SB 379) require expedited permit review of small residential solar systems, preempting restrictive local processes.
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 applies uniformly across all California jurisdictions.
California bans retail sale of most flavored tobacco products statewide under Health and Safety Code 104559.5, enacted by SB 793 (2020) and upheld by voters via Proposition 31 in November 2022. The ban applies uniformly to all California retailers.
California requires statewide licensing of tobacco and vape retailers under the STAKE Act and the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act. Business and Professions Code 22970 establishes uniform retailer licensing, while local governments may adopt stricter rules.