Santa Cruz, CA

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.160(1)(f) limits fences and hedges in clear corner triangles and clear vision areas to 3 ft 6 in. State Civil Code §841 also governs shared boundary-fence costs.

A conditional fence permit is required whenever a fence exceeds the standard height limits - over three feet six inches in the front or exterior side yard, or over six feet behind the…

Santa Cruz limits fences to three feet six inches within the front and exterior side yard setbacks, six feet in the exterior side yard when set back at least three feet, and eight feet…

Santa Cruz prohibits barbed-wire fences, electrified or not, without a conditional fence permit, and bars any fence that creates a fire or traffic hazard. California Civil Code 841.4…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, a retaining wall holding back three feet of material or less needs no building permit, but any wall retaining more than four feet must be designed…

Santa Cruz adopts the California Fire Code Wildland-Urban Interface chapter under §19.05.270 plus a local Wildfire Risk Areas chapter (Title 19 §19.05.310 / Fire Code Ch. 90).

Open burning in Santa Cruz requires a Fire Department burn permit ($50), is limited to parcels of one-half acre or larger, and is generally allowed only during the December 1 - April…

All fireworks - including 'safe and sane' - are prohibited to possess, manufacture, store, sell, handle, or use anywhere in the City of Santa Cruz. The City deletes the state Fire…

The City of Santa Cruz allows backyard recreational and warming fires daily unless wildfire danger is high. The fire must be no more than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet high, kept at…

Santa Cruz adopts the CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone map under §19.20.010, triggering wildland-urban interface (WUI) building and defensible-space requirements citywide for…

Santa Cruz County caps liquefied petroleum gas storage at 2,000 gallons water capacity anywhere within the Santa Cruz County Fire District under Fire Code § 7.92.9500(C). The limit…

Under Santa Cruz zoning code 24.12.630, family farm animals (including poultry) may be kept only on a residential lot of at least 20,000 square feet - up to two large and ten small…

Santa Cruz §8.14.320 makes it unlawful for any dog owner to permit a dog to be off the owner's premises unless securely restrained by a leash. Dogs at large violate §8.14.310.

Santa Cruz zoning code (SCMC 24.12.620) allows a maximum of six domestic animals on any residential lot, of which no more than three may be dogs and no more than one may be an unspayed…

No Santa Cruz-specific ordinance restricts dogs by breed; California Food and Agricultural Code 31683 preempts breed-specific bans and provides that 'no program regulating any dog…

Santa Cruz County bans injuring, killing, capturing, or taking any wild bird in the unincorporated area under SCCC § 6.12.150(C). The law covers every wild bird species, not just game…

Santa Cruz County does not ban pet shops from selling animals, but SCCC § 6.04.220 bars selling or displaying live animals anywhere else open to the public. Swap meets, flea markets…

Every dog, cat, and rabbit over three months old in unincorporated Santa Cruz County must carry an implanted microchip under SCCC § 6.08.011. Sellers must disclose the chip number on…

Intentionally feeding ducks, geese, or pigeons anywhere in unincorporated Santa Cruz County violates SCCC § 6.14.020. The ordinance also bans selling live waterfowl or pigeons as pets…

Santa Cruz County treats veterinary offices and animal hospitals as a conditional use requiring a permit in its agricultural districts, and SCCC § 13.10.646 layers on siting rules for…

Feeding a feral cat colony in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is illegal unless the caretaker registers with Animal Services and meets six ongoing duties under SCCC § 6.10.040…

Possessing, keeping, or controlling any wild-species animal anywhere in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is illegal under SCCC § 6.12.150, unless the owner holds a valid California…

Owning an unaltered dog, cat, or rabbit over six months old in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is illegal under SCCC § 6.10.030 unless the owner holds an annual unaltered animal…

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

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Ch. 3.28 imposes the Uniform Transient Occupancy Tax on accommodations rented for 30 consecutive days or less, including STRs, hotels, motels, and B&Bs.

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.1770 applies the §9.36 noise standards to short-term rentals and bans weddings, parties, and other large engagements. Quiet hours are 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m…

Every short-term rental in the City of Santa Cruz must hold a short-term rental permit and a Transient Occupancy Tax certificate. New permits are limited to owner-occupied 'hosted'…

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.1770(3) caps vehicles at one per one-bedroom unit, two per two- or three-bedroom unit, plus one additional vehicle per bedroom over three.

Overnight occupancy at a Santa Cruz short-term rental is capped at two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons. Only one rental agreement may be in effect at a time, vehicles…

Santa Cruz County caps the total number of short-term rental permits by area. SCCC § 13.10.694(D)(4) limits the Live Oak, Seacliff/Aptos/La Selva, and Davenport/Swanton designated…

Santa Cruz County makes booking platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo directly accountable for illegal short-term rental listings: SCCC § 13.10.695 requires platforms to disclose listing URLs…

A Santa Cruz County hosted rental requires the host to actually live in the home. SCCC § 13.10.694(C)(5) defines a hosted rental as a unit where a long-term resident occupies at least…

Santa Cruz County tracks short-term rental compliance on a strike system: more than two significant violations on one property within any 12-month period sends the permit under SCCC §…

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 Cruz Code §6.110.030 prohibits property owners from authorizing the operation of any gas-powered leaf blower at any time for any purpose, citywide.

Sound amplifying equipment may not be used between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., and in designated commercial zones amplified sound on public property that can be heard 125 or more feet…

Vehicle noise in Santa Cruz is regulated by California Vehicle Code §27150–27151 (muffler and modification rules) plus local §10.40.270, which limits engine idling on city streets to…

Santa Cruz prohibits any offensive noise between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. that is made within 100 feet of a building used for sleeping or that disturbs anyone within hearing distance.

Construction noise falls under the 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. curfew, so work generally must occur between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.; limited public-works and emergency exceptions allow a 7 a.m…

Santa Cruz's noise ordinance expressly names barking or howling dogs as 'offensive noise,' which is prohibited between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. and may be unreasonably disturbing at…

No Santa Cruz-specific ordinance directly regulates aircraft noise in flight; such regulation is federally preempted by the FAA, and California PUC 21669 sets airport noise standards…

A one-story detached shed under 120 sq ft needs no building permit under California Residential Code R105.2, and under Santa Cruz Municipal Code 24.12.140 a shed under 120 sq ft and 15…

The City of Santa Cruz allows converting a garage into an accessory dwelling unit under Santa Cruz Municipal Code 24.16.125 and 24.16.130; a conversion ADU may use the existing…

The City of Santa Cruz allows accessory dwelling units on lots of any size in any zone that permits residential use, processed ministerially under Santa Cruz Municipal Code (SCMC)…

Santa Cruz County lets a Tiny Home on Wheels (THOW) serve as a primary residence or replace an accessory dwelling unit under SCCC § 13.10.680, capped at 400 square feet and 14 feet…

Santa Cruz County flatly bars short-term rental use in any accessory dwelling unit or junior ADU. SCCC § 13.10.681(G)(3) says a rental of less than 30 days is never allowed in an ADU…

Santa Cruz County cannot charge an impact fee on any JADU or on an ADU smaller than 750 square feet. SCCC § 13.10.681(H)(3) caps fees for larger ADUs proportionally to the primary…

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §10.40.120 prohibits parking any oversized vehicle on a public street, alley, or city parking lot between midnight and 5:00 a.m. unless a city manager permit…

Santa Cruz §10.40.080 bars commercial vehicle washing on driveways, sidewalks, or streets; §10.40.070 prohibits vehicle repairs on public streets; and Title 6 §6.28 treats inoperable…

Santa Cruz §10.40.115 prohibits parking any commercial vehicle with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more in any residential district.

Santa Cruz §10.40.050(a) prohibits parking any vehicle on a city street or alley for more than 72 consecutive hours.

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County has no blanket overnight ban on ordinary cars on residential streets, but SCCC 9.70.620 bans overnight RV/mobile-home street parking, SCCC 9.36.080…

The Fall Creek area of unincorporated Santa Cruz County runs a preferential parking permit zone under SCCC Chapter 9.46, adopted under Vehicle Code § 22507. Parking is prohibited…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires off-street loading berths for retail uses over 10,000 square feet, wholesale and warehousing establishments, industrial uses, and mortuaries…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County runs a streamlined, checklist-based permit for electric vehicle charging stations under SCCC § 12.10.322. The Building Official must approve a complete…

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…

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 Cruz Municipal Code §18.32.030 requires every outdoor swimming pool to be enclosed by a fence or wall at least 5 feet high with openings no greater than a 4-inch sphere can pass…

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §18.32.020 requires permit application to the chief building official with detailed plans (in duplicate, including plot plan) showing construction method…

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §16.02.040 bans irrigating turf, gardens, and ornamental landscape between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. except by drip or hand-held shutoff nozzle, and prohibits…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, routine trimming of trees on your own property is generally allowed without a permit. But in the Coastal Zone, cutting more than one-third of a…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County has no numeric lawn-height limit. Tall grass and weeds are regulated only as a wildfire fuel hazard: under California Public Resources Code 4291 (via…

Santa Cruz County's water-efficient landscape ordinance lets artificial turf into "special landscape areas" (active-recreation sites or areas irrigated 60-plus percent with nonpotable…

Santa Cruz County's landscape water ordinance encourages, but does not mandate, rain gardens, cisterns and other rain-harvesting systems as stormwater best practices under SCCC §…

For landscaping covered by the County's Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, SCCC § 13.13.060(C) requires plant selection to fit the site's climate, soil, and fire-district defensible…

In the unincorporated Coastal Zone, cutting down, poisoning, or trimming more than one-third of a significant tree's foliage requires a significant tree removal permit under SCCC §…

SB 1383 requires every California resident and business to separate food scraps and yard waste from trash, with universal collection or on-site composting.

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Section 24.10.160(3)(f) flatly prohibits the placement of any sign advertising a home occupation. A home business may not display an exterior business sign…

Santa Cruz Municipal Code Section 24.10.160 allows a home occupation only as a use clearly incidental and secondary to the dwelling, operated by a resident, employing no more than one…

California Government Code Section 51035 prohibits Santa Cruz from banning a cottage food operation in a residential dwelling. The city must treat it as a permitted residential use or…

Running a hairdressing, personal training, yoga, or lesson-based home business out of an unincorporated Santa Cruz County residence caps client traffic at two people on-site at a time…

Santa Cruz County treats a family day care home serving up to 14 children as a permitted residential use in every residential zone district, requiring only an administrative permit…

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 Cruz Municipal Code §5.40.030 requires a business license for peddling or soliciting; §5.40.050 limits door-to-door solicitation to 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. §5.40.040 bars entry on…

Santa Cruz IZO §24.12.1320(5) allows cannabis retail sales in Community Commercial (C-C), Thoroughfare Commercial (C-T), General Industrial (I-G), and IG/PER-2 Districts with an…

SCCC § 7.130.110(E) keeps a licensed cannabis retail business at least 600 feet from a school, another cannabis retailer, or a drug or alcohol treatment facility, and at least 300 feet…

Health and Safety Code section 11362.2 grants every adult 21 or older the statewide right to cultivate up to six cannabis plants indoors, and bars local governments from completely…

Santa Cruz Municipal Code §9.04.030 makes it unlawful for a child under 16 to tarry or remain in any public place between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.

Santa Cruz County has no single closing time posted in ordinance for every park. Santa Cruz County Code § 10.04.060 puts that decision with the Director of Parks, Open Space and…

California Civil Code §1946.2 (AB 1482) provides just-cause eviction protection for covered tenants after 12 months of occupancy. Santa Cruz Code §21.07.010 extends those protections…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County rentals must meet the 1997 Uniform Housing Code, adopted at County Code § 12.10.252, and any dwelling the Building Official finds dangerous is abated…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, mobile home park owners must give residents 90 days' written notice before any annual general rent adjustment, using the exact form the county's…

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…

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…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County enforces a locally amended Uniform Code for the Abatement of Structural and Geologic Hazards, letting the Building Official or County Geologist declare…

Santa Cruz County grants a density bonus of up to 35% (50% with an enhanced bonus) above the zoning maximum to unincorporated-area housing developments that set aside affordable units…

Residents in unincorporated Santa Cruz County can hold garage or yard sales at their home up to four weekends a year without any County permit under SCCC § 13.10.616(D)(4). The sale…

Trash and recycling carts in unincorporated Santa Cruz County can't sit uncollected indefinitely. County Code § 7.20.160 requires every premises' containers to be emptied and hauled to…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires every generator, homeowners, tenants, and businesses alike, to subscribe to organics collection and keep yard trimmings out of the trash cart…

Rolling your cart to the curb early or leaving it out for days is a code violation in unincorporated Santa Cruz County. County Code § 7.20.150 caps curbside placement to 24 hours…

Dumping in unincorporated Santa Cruz County outside an approved container or resource management facility is banned outright under County Code § 7.20.180, and the penalties escalate…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires every household and business to subscribe to organic materials collection and keep food scraps and yard trimmings out of the trash and…

Every residence and business in unincorporated Santa Cruz County has had to carry recyclable materials, organic materials, and solid waste collection service from a County-authorized…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County it's an infraction to pull recyclables out of a neighbor's cart or a curbside recycling load. County Code § 7.20.040 gives the County's franchised…

Every commercial, industrial, and multi-family property in unincorporated Santa Cruz County must keep its own discarded-materials containers on site, in good repair, sized to hold…

A business in unincorporated Santa Cruz County that stores discarded materials in large quantities doesn't get to decide for itself how much is too much. County Code § 7.20.140 puts…

Santa Cruz County's noise ordinance (County Code Chapter 8.30) caps sound at the source property line: 75 dBA daytime (8 a.m.–10 p.m.) and 60 dBA at night (10 p.m.–8 a.m.). Data-center…

Santa Cruz County has no dedicated data-center ordinance. On unincorporated land a data center is regulated only as an industrial use, allowed in the M-1 or M-2 districts under SCCC…

Every pharmacy, medical office and other retailer or provider that sells or furnishes hypodermic needles, lancets or other sharps in unincorporated Santa Cruz County has had to run a…

Feeding rats, mice, or other wild rodents and vermin in any outdoor public place in unincorporated Santa Cruz County, including streets, sidewalks, parks, and beaches, is prohibited…

Santa Cruz County bans any nonstormwater discharge from leaving private property or entering the storm drain system, receiving waters, or groundwater. New development and redevelopment…

Coastal-zone development in unincorporated Santa Cruz County needs an approved erosion control plan under SCCC Chapter 16.22 before any grading, land clearing, building or development…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, new and substantially improved buildings in mapped flood hazard areas must have their lowest floor elevated at least 2 feet above the base flood…

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…

Santa Cruz County requires a floodplain development permit for any development activity in a mapped flood hazard area, with no exception for small projects. Under §§ 16.13.290 and…

Santa Cruz County sorts every unincorporated-area business into one of five license tax classes under SCCC § 4.02.060, each with its own basic tax plus a per-employee rate. Class A…

Santa Cruz County bans letting a plumbing leak or break run unfixed past a reasonable time, and county code fixes that reasonable time at 24 hours after the leak is discovered or the…

Santa Cruz County allows tertiary-treated recycled water facilities on land zoned CA (Commercial Agriculture) or A (Agriculture), but only next to an existing public wastewater…

New or rehabilitated landscaping covered by Santa Cruz County's Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance can put no more than 25 percent of the total landscaped area into turf, high water…

Drinking alcohol on any public street, sidewalk, park, beach or parking lot in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is a misdemeanor. Carrying an open, unsealed alcoholic beverage…

Santa Cruz County's Smoking Pollution Control ordinance, SCCC Chapter 7.88, defines "smoking" to include burning or carrying any plant product intended for human inhalation, so…

Santa Cruz County bans skateboards, roller skates, and similar wheeled devices from specific public and posted private areas under SCCC § 8.23.020, including tennis courts, active…

Hosting a loud or unruly gathering on property you own or rent in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is an infraction under SCCC § 8.32.020, and a second Sheriff's response within 12…

Santa Cruz County bans smoking outdoors at every unincorporated county park, beach, recreation area and trail, plus outdoor dining patios, under Chapter 7.88 of the county code. The…

Santa Cruz County has no general public loitering law; its only codified loitering rule sits inside the cardroom chapter. SCCC Section 5.16.120 bars a cardroom owner, operator, or…

Santa Cruz County caps unincorporated cardrooms at one and reserves eligibility for whoever already held the county license as of January 1, 1998, or their successor in interest…

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…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires a separate building permit before any building, structure, or building service equipment covered by the California Building Code is erected…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen) with local amendments requiring Energy Star appliances and added insulation on…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County enforces the 2025 California Plumbing Code with local amendments requiring earthquake-actuated gas shutoff valves on new or replacement gas lines and…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County adopts the 2025 California Electrical Code and requires a permit for most electrical work, with a local rule mandating a concrete-encased grounding…

Santa Cruz County requires a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector on every level of a home built under the county's Limited-Density Owner-Built Rural Dwelling program, SCCC…

Santa Cruz County requires an automatic fire sprinkler system in every new building in the unincorporated county, regardless of construction type or square footage, under Fire Code §…

Permitted work in unincorporated Santa Cruz County must stay exposed for inspection until the Building Official signs off under SCCC § 12.10.355. Skipping ahead of an inspection, or…

Santa Cruz County lets a permitted Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operation (MEHKO) cook on an outdoor barbecue, smoker, or wood-burning oven only with prior Department approval under…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County must offer a streamlined, checklist-based permitting process for small residential rooftop solar systems up to 10 kilowatts AC, limiting review to a…

California Civil Code section 714 makes any HOA covenant, deed restriction, or governing document provision that effectively prohibits or restricts a solar energy system void and…

California's Solar Rights Act and the SolarAPP+ mandate (SB 379) require expedited permit review of small residential solar systems, preempting restrictive local processes.

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County bans parking in the striped buffer of a marked bicycle lane under SCCC § 9.36.060. Once curb markings or signs are posted, no motor vehicle may stop…

Santa Cruz County does not set citywide TNC pickup zones, but its Transportation Demand Management ordinance requires large nonresidential and mixed-use developments to provide on-site…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County bars riding a motorized scooter, e-bike, moped, or similar device on any sidewalk unless that sidewalk is also a bikeway, and bars riding on a bikeway…

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 Cruz County has no general dark-sky ordinance, but its zoning code requires shielded, downward-directed outdoor lighting for permitted non-retail commercial cannabis cultivation…

Santa Cruz County requires off-street parking and circulation-area lighting for any development other than single-family homes to be directed onto the site and away from adjacent…

Restaurants and cafes in unincorporated Santa Cruz County need a discretionary permit before adding outdoor seating: a Minor Use Permit for 12 or fewer seats, or an Administrative Use…

Reserving a Santa Cruz County park facility, building or grounds for a private event runs through Santa Cruz County Code § 10.04.040(C). The Board of Supervisors sets a fee schedule…

A block party in the unincorporated 'County beaches area' of Santa Cruz County needs a permit before it happens. Santa Cruz County Code § 10.20.020(C) expressly defines 'block parties'…

A street-fair-style festival on private land in unincorporated Santa Cruz County runs through the community events and fundraisers rule at Santa Cruz County Code § 13.10.614, not a…

Santa Cruz County's park code doesn't use the word 'drone,' but § 10.04.150 bans operating any motorized model aircraft anywhere in a County park except in an area the Department has…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County bans taking off or landing any unmanned aircraft system, drones included, on the Cotoni-Coast Dairies Unit of the California Coastal National Monument…

Santa Cruz County caps how much of a residential lot can be covered by buildings under SCCC § 13.10.323(C), with limits ranging from 10% on RR, RA, and R-1 parcels over an acre up to…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County sets minimum front, side, and rear yard setbacks by zone district in the Site and Structural Dimensions Chart at SCCC § 13.10.323(C). Setbacks scale…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County caps single-family building height at 28 feet in most residential zones under SCCC § 13.10.323(C), dropping to 25 feet (17 feet for beach lots) in the…

Santa Cruz County's Agricultural Land Preservation and Protection ordinance, SCCC Chapter 16.50, shields a commercial farm from nuisance claims once it has operated for three years…

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 Cruz County adopted its own sanctuary ordinance in 2026. Santa Cruz County Code § 10.07.030 bars any County-owned or County-controlled parking lot, open space or building from…

Santa Cruz County doesn't ban camping countywide; it lets the Board of Supervisors designate specific 'no camping zones' in the unincorporated area, and once a zone is designated under…

Santa Cruz County caps the exterior noise from residential or commercial air-conditioning and mechanical units near homes at 60 dB for older units and 55 dB for units installed after…

Santa Cruz County has no separate decibel limit for bass frequencies: instead, SCCC § 8.30.010(C)(2) lists 'pitch (frequency) of the sound, e.g., very low bass or high screech' as one…

In Santa Cruz County's commercial, tourist accommodation, visitor-serving, professional/administrative, public facility, and industrial zone districts, SCCC § 13.10.581(B) caps window…

Santa Cruz County places no size or number limit on political signs anywhere in the unincorporated area. SCCC § 13.10.583(B) allows them without restriction on top of the general…

Guests at a hotel, motel, inn or similar commercial lodging facility in unincorporated Santa Cruz County pay a 12% transient occupancy tax on rent under SCCC § 4.24.030, collected by…

A tattoo parlor in unincorporated Santa Cruz County is zoned as a personal service business under the Commercial Uses Chart, needing a Minor Use Permit in the C-1 Neighborhood…

Opening an adult bookstore or adult motion picture theater in unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires a development permit that can only be granted if the site clears three distance…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, a bath or massage establishment cannot open within 1,000 feet of another one, or within 500 feet of an elementary school, junior high school, or…

Selling tobacco or vape products anywhere in unincorporated Santa Cruz County requires a County tobacco retailer license from the Health Officer, in addition to the state license, and…

Unincorporated Santa Cruz County bans the sale or possession-for-sale of any flavored tobacco product, including flavored vape liquid and menthol cigarettes, by any licensed tobacco…

California prohibits sale of tobacco and vapor products to anyone under 21 statewide under Business and Professions Code 22958, enacted by SBX2-7 in 2016. The Tobacco 21 standard…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, placing anything in the road right-of-way, including a sidewalk, that obstructs or interferes with its normal use requires a written encroachment…

In unincorporated Santa Cruz County, you cannot build a sidewalk, driveway, fence, or any other private improvement in a county road right-of-way without a written encroachment permit…

Santa Cruz County's zoning code applies to every unincorporated parcel no matter what a subdivision's CC&Rs say, and County staff will not step in to enforce a homeowners association's…

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 Cruz County designates historic resources by Board of Supervisors resolution under SCCC § 16.42.050, ranking each NR-1 through NR-5. Once listed, exterior changes, new…

Mobile food units operating in unincorporated Santa Cruz County need a valid food facility permit from the County Health Officer before selling food, and county zoning treats food…

California's Safe Sidewalk Vending Act (SB 946) preempts most local bans on sidewalk vending, allowing only objective health, safety, and welfare regulations.

Homeowners in unincorporated Santa Cruz County can plant in the parkway strip between the sidewalk and the curb without an encroachment permit under SCCC § 9.70.050(A)(1)(c), as long…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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