Santa Clara County Ordinance NS-1100, adopted in 2008 as the first county-level bag ban in the nation, prohibits single-use plastic carryout bags in unincorporated areas and requires a paper-bag charge. California SB-270 and AB-1162 (2024) now mirror the rule statewide.
Santa Clara County Ordinance NS-1100, codified in Division B33 of the County Ordinance Code, was the first county-level ban on single-use plastic carryout bags in the United States when adopted in 2008. It bars supermarkets, pharmacies, convenience stores, and other retailers in unincorporated areas from distributing single-use plastic carryout bags. Stores must sell paper bags with at least forty percent post-consumer content or reusable bags meeting state durability standards, charging a per-bag fee retained by the store. CalFresh and WIC customers are exempt from the charge. The county ordinance directly influenced California SB-270 (Public Resources Code section 42281). AB-1162 (2024) phases out remaining thicker reusable plastic bags by 2026 statewide.
Distributing banned plastic bags or failing to charge for paper bags violates SCC Ord. NS-1100 and PRC section 42281, with administrative fines starting around one hundred dollars per day after a written warning.
See how Sunnyvale's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.