Monterey, CA Solar Energy: Expedited Solar Permitting (2026)

Chapter 9, Article 9 of the Monterey City Code implements the state Solar Rights Act and AB 2188 (§ 9-87) with a mandatory expedited process for small residential rooftop solar. Under § 9-90, the Permits and Inspections Office must post all required application documents on the City's website and accept electronic submittal (email, facsimile, or other authorized means) plus electronic signatures in lieu of a wet signature, and it must adopt a standard plan and checklist that tells an applicant exactly what qualifies for expedited handling.

Once an application is complete and matches that checklist, § 9-91(a) requires the Permits and Inspections Office to have a building permit or other nondiscretionary permit ready within three business days. Review under § 9-91(b) is limited to whether the application meets local, state and federal health and safety requirements, nothing more. The Chief Building Official can pull an application out of the expedited track and require a use permit only on substantial evidence of a specific, adverse impact on public health or safety, and any conditions imposed must mitigate that impact at the lowest possible cost (§ 9-91(d)).

The City cannot condition approval on approval from a homeowners' association (§ 9-91(f)). If an application is incomplete, § 9-91(g) requires a written correction notice detailing every deficiency so the applicant can resubmit rather than start over. Only one inspection is required for an eligible system, with a separate fire inspection possible, and inspections must be timely and consolidated where feasible (§ 9-91(h)-(i)). Systems that predate the ordinance are grandfathered under § 9-88(b) unless physically modified in a way that changes size, type or components; routine maintenance or like-kind replacement never triggers new permitting.

Properties on the City's historic resources list can still be pulled into use-permit or architectural review at the discretion of the Chief of Planning, Engineering, and Environmental Compliance (§ 9-88(c)).