California Civil Code 714 (Solar Rights Act) prohibits HOAs in San Bernardino County from banning solar panels, limiting restrictions to reasonable placement that does not significantly reduce efficiency or raise cost.
California Civil Code section 714 (the Solar Rights Act) and Civil Code 4600 make unenforceable any HOA provision that effectively prohibits or unreasonably restricts installation of solar energy systems. This applies to all master-planned HOAs in San Bernardino County including Chino Hills, Etiwanda, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, and Victorville communities. HOAs may impose reasonable restrictions only if they do not significantly increase cost (defined as more than $1,000 over system cost) or significantly decrease efficiency (more than 10 percent reduction in output). Architectural review must be completed within 45 days or approval is automatic under Civil Code 714(e)(2)(B). HOAs cannot require screening, relocation to less efficient areas, or use of specific aesthetic shingles that reduce output. Civil Code 4746 extends these protections to common area rooftops in multifamily condominiums, giving individual owners the right to install solar on their exclusive-use common area roof with reasonable allocation of roof area. HOAs may set reasonable aesthetic standards like color-matched conduit, ground-mount setbacks, and screening of ground-mount equipment from street view if such measures do not significantly impair system performance or increase cost. Violations may result in civil penalties up to $1,000 per Civil Code 714(f).
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Rialto, CA
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Rialto, CA
Barbed wire and razor wire are prohibited in all Rialto residential zones, and no sharp points may top any fence under six feet. City design standards also r...
Rialto, CA
Rialto caps household pets at four weaned dogs and cats combined, and no more than three of them may be dogs. The limit appears in Rialto Municipal Code Sect...
Rialto, CA
Backyard fires in Rialto are legal only as contained cooking or warming fires burning clean fuels such as propane, natural gas, charcoal, or untreated wood. ...
Rialto, CA
Removing a street or parkway tree requires prior written permission from the public services director, and the city's published criteria allow removal only o...
Rialto, CA
Rialto has no cryptocurrency-mining ordinance and no energy cap. A commercial mining facility is treated as an industrial use in the M-1 or M-2 manufacturing...
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