Sonoma, CA

The City of Sonoma does not require all dogs to be spayed or neutered. Under Sonoma Municipal Code § 8.10.050, every dog license carries a 50 percent fee discount when the owner…

The City of Sonoma has no general microchipping law for pets. Under Sonoma Municipal Code § 8.12.050(A)(9), microchipping is required only as an abatement condition once a dog has been…

The City of Sonoma has no breed-specific dog law. Chapter 8.12 of the Municipal Code instead lets the city declare an individual dog potentially dangerous or vicious after an…

The City of Sonoma bans hunting, trapping, harming or harassing any wild animal, reptile or bird within city parks and recreation areas, and forbids taking eggs, nests or young…

A commercial pet grooming establishment in the City of Sonoma must provide one off-street parking space for every 500 square feet of gross floor area under the parking table in SMC…

The City of Sonoma caps household pets at three dogs or three cats over four months old per dwelling unit under Sonoma Municipal Code § 8.10.020. A resident who wants one more may…

In the City of Sonoma, dogs may not run at large on any public street, public place, or private property without the owner's or property owner's permission. Elsewhere in public, a dog…

The City of Sonoma bans keeping any exotic animal, defined as a wild animal the California Fish and Game Commission has declared a prohibited species, unless the owner can prove valid…

The City of Sonoma allows backyard hens under Sonoma Municipal Code § 8.08.030's Table 1: up to 16 hens on lots under 10,000 square feet, more on larger lots up to a citywide cap of…

The City of Sonoma permits residential beekeeping under Sonoma Municipal Code § 8.08.030(C)'s Table 3: up to two hives on lots of 10,000 square feet or less, up to four on larger lots…

The City of Sonoma's zoning code groups veterinarians, animal hospitals, kennels and boarding operations under a single "Kennel" land use category, which appears only in the Special…

Cat registration in unincorporated Sonoma County is voluntary, not mandatory like dog licensing: owners may register cats for a lifetime tag, but rabies vaccination is still required…

California law makes it illegal to knowingly feed big game mammals, deer, elk, pronghorn antelope, black bear, and Nelson bighorn sheep, anywhere in the state. The California…

In the City of Sonoma, a business next to a public street or sidewalk cannot aim amplified, transmitted or recorded sound at that right-of-way. SMC 9.56.080(B) bars the practice…

The City of Sonoma bans gas-powered leaf blowers outright, citywide, at any time. Electric leaf blowers are allowed only Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding…

The City of Sonoma bans launching or landing airplanes, helicopters, balloons, and similar aircraft anywhere within city limits that is not designated as an airport or landing pad…

The City of Sonoma sets numeric decibel ceilings by zone and time of day under Sonoma Municipal Code Section 9.56.040. Residential property is capped at 60 dBA intermittent/50 dBA…

The City of Sonoma restricts construction noise to set hours under Sonoma Municipal Code Section 9.56.050(A): 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturday, and…

Sonoma Municipal Code § 8.06.140 bars any animal owner from letting their pet interfere with a neighbor's reasonable use and enjoyment of residential property through continuous…

Vehicle noise in unincorporated Sonoma County is governed by California state law, not a County ordinance. Vehicle Code 27150 requires an adequate muffler at all times, and 27151 bans…

Unincorporated Sonoma County has no comprehensive noise-control ordinance setting fixed neighborhood quiet hours. Instead the General Plan Noise Element uses daytime (7 a.m.–10 p.m.)…

An accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit in the City of Sonoma cannot be rented for a term shorter than 30 days, which bars vacation-rental use of ADUs outright. An…

The City of Sonoma caps ADU-permit-track accessory dwelling units at 850 square feet for a studio or one bedroom and 1,000 square feet for two bedrooms, with a four-foot minimum side…

The City of Sonoma requires owner-occupancy for every junior accessory dwelling unit: the titleholder must live in either the primary home or the JADU as a legal domicile. Standard…

The City of Sonoma charges no impact fee on an ADU under 750 square feet. Larger ADUs pay a fee scaled to the ADU's share of the primary dwelling's floor area, and converted ADUs…

A single portable storage shed under 120 square feet and no taller than 8 feet needs no building permit or land use permit in a City of Sonoma residential zone, as long as it sits…

When a City of Sonoma property owner converts or demolishes an existing garage, carport, or covered parking structure to build a second unit under the city's SB 9 two-unit residential…

A permanently sited tiny home on a foundation is typically permitted in unincorporated Sonoma County as an ADU under County Code Sec. 26-88-060 (max generally 1,200 sq ft), processed…

City of Sonoma fences and walls max out at 7 feet in rear and interior side setbacks, but only 3.5 feet in front and street-side setbacks. Fences at street or driveway intersections…

Retaining walls in the City of Sonoma cannot exceed 6 feet measured from finished grade, though the city planner can approve up to 1 extra foot for topography. A safety fence up to 42…

In the City of Sonoma, a residential fence, hedge or wall built within the height limits of Sonoma Municipal Code § 19.46.030 needs no land use permit at all, per § 19.03.030(B)(2). Go…

Barbed wire, electrified, and razor wire fences are banned across all residential zoning districts in the City of Sonoma, and on commercial properties adjoining a residential district…

Sonoma County's Zoning Code (Ch. 26) governs fence height and placement, but cost-sharing for a shared boundary fence is set by California Civil Code 841, the 'Good Neighbor Fence…

The City of Sonoma requires every driveway, parking area and other space built for vehicles to have a hard, all-weather surface, such as concrete, asphalt or pavers, for at least the…

Every electric vehicle charging stall in a City of Sonoma parking facility must be clearly marked, under the striping standard at SMC 19.48.070(F). The underlying infrastructure…

In the City of Sonoma, only the city itself may paint curbs or street surfaces to mark parking and traffic restrictions. Sonoma Municipal Code § 10.20.090 bars anyone else from…

In the City of Sonoma, curb loading zones are marked with yellow paint and reserved for loading or unloading between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on any day except Sundays and holidays…

The City of Sonoma does not ban overnight street parking outright; its old all-night parking prohibition was repealed in 2013. What remains in force is Sonoma Municipal Code §…

On a one-way street in the City of Sonoma, a vehicle must be stopped or parked within 18 inches of the left-hand curb and facing the direction of travel, per Sonoma Municipal Code §…

The City of Sonoma runs a preferential parking permit program under Sonoma Municipal Code § 10.48.260, giving residents and merchants near designated streets priority parking. The…

In residential districts within the City of Sonoma, it is unlawful to park or stand a commercial vehicle rated 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight or more under Sonoma Municipal Code §…

The City of Sonoma treats an abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicle left on private or public property, not including highways, as a public nuisance under Sonoma…

In unincorporated Sonoma County, RVs and boats may not be parked on a County road or right-of-way for more than six consecutive hours under Sonoma County Code Sec. 18-3.10, after which…

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…

The City of Sonoma bars home occupations from displaying any exterior sign, window advertisement, merchandise, or other identification visible from the street, allowing only one small…

In the City of Sonoma, a home occupation approved through the standard administrative permit may host only one client, patient, or pupil on site at any given time, per Municipal Code §…

A home business in the City of Sonoma must operate as a limited activity confined entirely inside the residence or an approved accessory structure, secondary to the home's residential…

The City of Sonoma's residential land use table requires a use permit for a "Small Family Day Care Home" (eight or fewer children) in the R-R, R-L, R-S, R-M and R-H residential…

California's Homemade Food Act (HSC 113758) lets residents make approved non-perishable foods at home. In Sonoma County, Class A operations self-register and Class B operations get an…

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…

The City of Sonoma caps every vacation rental at two complete residential units and 29 consecutive days per stay. Municipal Code § 19.50.110(A) requires a business license, a transient…

Sonoma Municipal Code § 19.50.110(A)(3) limits every vacation rental's overnight guest count to two people per sleeping or guest room, plus two additional people per unit, a cap the…

Vacation rentals in the City of Sonoma must follow the citywide noise ordinance and face an extra rule of their own: Municipal Code § 19.50.110(A)(4) bans outdoor amplified sound…

The City of Sonoma does not require an on-site host. Instead, Municipal Code § 19.50.110(A)(5) requires every vacation rental to have a property manager reachable 24 hours a day, seven…

Every vacation rental in the City of Sonoma must register for and pay the transient occupancy tax under Municipal Code § 19.50.110(A)(8), a tax set at 12 percent of rent under Chapter…

A licensed vacation rental in the City of Sonoma must provide one off-street parking space per bedroom, set in the Table 4-4 parking schedule at SMC 19.48.040. The requirement applies…

Renting out a single bedroom while you live in the home is a 'hosted rental' under Sonoma County's zoning code: capped at one guest bedroom, it needs a zoning permit and follows strict…

Sonoma County vacation rental licensees must disclose if a booking platform is registered as an online host and remain personally liable for any TOT or BIA the platform fails to…

Repeat vacation rental violations in unincorporated Sonoma County trigger an escalating enforcement ladder, from a warning letter to suspensions of one to six months and license…

Sonoma County's hosted rental and bed-and-breakfast permit only applies to homes where a household or person keeps permanent residence; the permit expires automatically once the…

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…

The City of Sonoma bans possessing, selling or discharging any fireworks within city limits, allowing only permitted public displays and special effects approved in advance by the fire…

The City of Sonoma adopts the 2025 California Wildland-Urban Interface Code and maps its own Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones under Sonoma Municipal Code § 14.10.035. The city…

The City of Sonoma's fire chief can order combustible vegetation cleared from private property, do the abatement work if an owner won't, and bill the cost, per Sonoma Municipal Code §…

The City of Sonoma Fire Code requires an operational permit from the Bureau of Fire Prevention before anyone kindles or maintains a bonfire or rubbish fire within city limits, per…

Within areas the City of Sonoma has designated for restricted LP-gas storage, no single installation may hold more than 2,000 gallons of aggregate water capacity, and every permanently…

Backyard burning of vegetation in unincorporated Sonoma County is allowed only with a valid Permit Sonoma burn permit on a permissive burn day, with piles capped at 4 feet, a 10-foot…

The City of Sonoma requires a building permit for in-ground pools and most above-ground pools. Only small prefabricated pools under 18 inches deep and 5,000 gallons are exempt under…

The City of Sonoma requires swimming pools, spas, and similar features to be fenced under the city's adopted Building Code (SMC 19.46.060(A)). The city separately adopted Appendix…

The City of Sonoma exempts small rainwater catchment tanks from a plumbing permit: up to 5,000 gallons for non-spray irrigation and up to 360 gallons for spray irrigation, under Sonoma…

The City of Sonoma limits irrigation days and hours once the city council declares a water shortage stage under SMC 13.10.070, with restrictions tightening from voluntary guidance to a…

The City of Sonoma bans burning or burying solid waste citywide, but Sonoma Municipal Code § 7.08.160 carves out one exception: burying organic waste for garden compost purposes. The…

The City of Sonoma requires a written tree removal permit before anyone alters, removes, or relocates a significant tree, on private or public property inside city limits. Sonoma…

City of Sonoma property owners and occupants must keep trees, hedges, and other plants on their lot trimmed if they overhang or abut a public street or sidewalk, so passage is not…

The City of Sonoma orders weed and brush abatement through its Fire Code amendments rather than a simple mowing height limit. Under SMC 14.10.040 (Fire Code Section 304.1.3.1), the…

The City of Sonoma's water-efficient landscaping ordinance credits native and Mediterranean-climate plants as the preferred way to meet its water budget for new and rehabilitated…

As of late 2025 there is no ban on artificial turf in unincorporated Sonoma County, but the County has raised environmental and health concerns and directed staff to develop a model…

In the City of Sonoma, a commercial vehicle parked within 100 feet of a residential zoning district cannot idle its engine for more than five consecutive minutes. Loading and unloading…

The City of Sonoma bans illicit discharges and connections into its stormwater conveyance system under SMC 13.32.050, requires businesses and construction sites to use best management…

The City of Sonoma requires anyone owning, leasing, or controlling property in areas that require defensible space to maintain at least 30 feet of clearance from any neighboring…

The City of Sonoma requires an erosion and sediment control plan for every grading permit application, prepared by a civil engineer, covering vegetative measures, drainage controls…

Where a City of Sonoma property's FIRM does not show a base flood elevation, the floodplain administrator can require an engineer-prepared study or, absent contrary evidence, set the…

The City of Sonoma requires a floodplain development permit before any grading, building, or site work begins in a mapped flood hazard area. The city's building official serves as…

The California Coastal Act, Public Resources Code sections 30000 through 30900, requires Coastal Development Permits for nearly all work in the coastal zone and gives the Coastal…

In City of Sonoma mobilehome parks, the city manager must calculate the year's allowable rent increase and post it by February 15th each year, at City Hall, on the city website, and on…

The City of Sonoma runs a rent stabilization program under SMC Chapter 9.80, but it covers only mobilehome park space rent, not apartments or houses. Space rent cannot exceed the…

On September 17, 2024, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 6496, the Residential Tenancy Protections Ordinance, which applies to rental units in unincorporated…

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 landlords must keep rentals fit to live in. Civil Code §§ 1941 and 1941.1, reinforced by Green v. Superior Court, imply a warranty of habitability covering plumbing, heat…

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…

In the City of Sonoma, minors under 18 cannot loiter, wander, or play in public streets, parks, or other unsupervised public places between 11:00 p.m. and daylight. Exceptions cover…

City of Sonoma parks, buildings, plazas and recreation areas close to loitering between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. from April through October, and between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. from…

In the City of Sonoma, multifamily residential projects must keep trash, yard-waste, compost and recycling bins, carts and dumpsters inside covered refuse enclosures with an opaque…

Dumping trash, garbage or debris anywhere in a City of Sonoma park or recreation area outside the receptacles provided is unlawful under Sonoma Municipal Code § 9.12.120, and a…

The City of Sonoma requires every household and business to keep yard trimmings and other organic waste out of the trash and recycling. Under Chapter 7.10 of the Sonoma Municipal Code…

The City of Sonoma requires every single-family household to subscribe to the city's organic waste collection service and sort food scraps and food-soiled paper into the green cart…

Recycling in the City of Sonoma runs through one franchised hauler under Chapter 7.08 of the municipal code, and Sonoma Municipal Code § 7.08.113 requires recyclables and organic waste…

Once a City of Sonoma resident sets recyclables at the curb, they legally belong to the city's authorized recycling contractor, and Sonoma Municipal Code § 7.12.032 makes it unlawful…

The City of Sonoma tells residents exactly when carts can sit at the curb: no earlier than the day before pickup, and removed by midnight on collection day. Sonoma Municipal Code §…

The City of Sonoma will not let trash pile up between pickups: Sonoma Municipal Code § 7.08.150 requires businesses to have solid waste removed at least once each calendar week, and…

The City of Sonoma does not fix pickup days in the municipal code itself. Sonoma Municipal Code § 7.08.070 instead has the city council set collection frequency and maximum rates by…

Bulky items, discarded appliances and furniture cannot go out with the City of Sonoma's regular cart pickup. Sonoma Municipal Code § 7.08.111 keeps them out of regular collection, and…

The City of Sonoma requires developments of five or more parcels or units to make at least 25 percent of them affordable, or pay an in-lieu fee if the project has four or fewer units…

New construction, storefront remodels, and building alterations within the City of Sonoma's Downtown district, the eight-acre Plaza area designated a National Historic Landmark, must…

The City of Sonoma's development code makes clear that homeowners association CC&Rs are a private contract, not a city rule. Under Sonoma Municipal Code § 19.02.020(G)(3), the…

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…

In the City of Sonoma's Northeast Planning Area, a home's required yard setbacks depend on its zoning district: R-M (Residential Medium Density) properties get a 15-foot front setback…

The City of Sonoma caps building height by zoning district and measures it from finished grade to a parallel plane rather than to the roof ridge in most cases. SMC 19.40.040 sets the…

In the City of Sonoma's Downtown district, SMC 19.34.020's dimensional table caps site coverage from 40 percent in the Residential-Low zone up to 100 percent in the Commercial zone…

The City of Sonoma flatly prohibits vehicle repair, storage, detailing, painting, or upholstery work as a home occupation. Municipal Code § 19.50.040(I)(2)(g) lists vehicle repair or…

The City of Sonoma classifies a tattoo parlor as a "personal service" use under its zoning code, the same category as barbershops and tanning salons, and permits that use by right…

In the City of Sonoma, an adult business, defined by the zoning code as any fixed-location business specializing in sexually oriented sales, services or performances, needs a…

The City of Sonoma requires a tobacco retailer's license for every location that sells tobacco, and Sonoma Municipal Code Section 7.25.030 caps eligible locations to a fixed list of 15…

Sonoma County requires a Secondhand Dealer License through the Sheriff's Office, costing $366 to apply plus state fingerprint and DOJ fees, with a $301 renewal fee due every other year.

Public and private groups need a permit from the Sonoma Parks and Recreation Commission to use any city park, park building or park facility, sell or distribute merchandise there, or…

The City of Sonoma requires an operational fire permit for any organized procession or assemblage of 50 or more people that could affect traffic or safety, per Sonoma Municipal Code §…

Anyone wanting to run a flea market or bazaar-type vendor event in the City of Sonoma must get a permit from the city council under SMC 5.08.203, which can be conditioned to control…

The City of Sonoma requires a sidewalk seating permit from the community development director before a restaurant, wine tasting facility, wine bar or tap room can put tables and chairs…

The City of Sonoma flatly bans outdoor heaters at permitted sidewalk seating areas along with music and speakers. The rule sits in the same sidewalk seating chapter that requires…

Block parties in unincorporated Sonoma County are regulated as public right-of-way special events. A permit is required whenever a street gathering draws more than 50 participants…

The City of Sonoma bans operating or using premises as a gambling house under Sonoma Municipal Code § 9.32.010, but exempts a cardroom already lawfully operating in territory annexed…

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…

Urinating, expectorating or defecating on public property, or on private property open to the public or visible from public property, is an infraction in the City of Sonoma, with fines…

The City of Sonoma bans drinking alcohol on public streets, sidewalks, parks and other public places between sunset and 11:30 a.m., and bans carrying an open alcohol container in those…

The City of Sonoma holds property owners, tenants, and event organizers civilly and criminally liable when they knowingly host or permit a gathering where a minor consumes alcohol…

The City of Sonoma bans camping, lodging, or staying overnight in a vacant lot, hay or straw storage area, or building without the owner's permission, and separately bars loitering…

In the City of Sonoma, pedestrians must cross a roadway inside a marked crosswalk if one exists within 100 feet in any direction, under Sonoma Municipal Code Chapter 10.44. Crossing…

The City of Sonoma allows skateboarding on public sidewalks and paths under Sonoma Municipal Code Section 10.74.010, but bans it outright on the sidewalks ringing the downtown Plaza…

The City of Sonoma bans smoking and vaping in the unenclosed areas of recreational areas, service areas, public places, dining areas, and city-maintained streets and sidewalks. A…

The City of Sonoma adopts the 2025 California Electrical Code by reference and requires a permit for virtually all electrical work. Sonoma Municipal Code § 14.10.010's amended Section…

The City of Sonoma adopts the 2025 California Plumbing Code by reference under Sonoma Municipal Code § 14.10.005(E), with local amendments in § 14.10.030 addressing sewer connections…

The California Building Code, as adopted by the City of Sonoma, applies to nearly all construction, alteration, and repair of buildings and structures. Sonoma Municipal Code §…

The City of Sonoma requires an automatic fire sprinkler system in every new one- and two-family dwelling under Sonoma Municipal Code § 14.10.020(D). Existing homes without sprinklers…

The City of Sonoma requires an operational fire permit for any care facility, including a day care with an occupant load over eight persons, under Sonoma Municipal Code § 14.10.040…

New buildings in the City of Sonoma must meet Tier 1 status under CALGreen's voluntary measures, minus the energy-efficiency elective, while additions and alterations only need base…

In the City of Sonoma, scaffolding placed on or over any public right-of-way counts as an "encroachment" under SMC § 12.20.020(E)(2) and cannot go up without an encroachment permit…

Unincorporated Sonoma County charges a reinspection fee whenever a call for inspection finds work incomplete, uncorrected, or the site inaccessible, and the Permit and Resource…

Outdoor personal cannabis cultivation in the City of Sonoma may not occur within 600 feet of any school, church, park, library, fairgrounds, child care center, youth-oriented facility…

The City of Sonoma caps commercial cannabis permits at two dispensary/retailer businesses, one non-storefront retailer, one testing lab and one manufacturer citywide, and confines each…

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…

Sonoma Municipal Code Section 9.56.020(D) singles out air conditioners as an example of 'constant noise,' the category subject to the strictest limits in the city's noise chapter. On…

The City of Sonoma lets backup emergency generators run louder than the general noise limits during an outage or scheduled test, up to five decibels over, under Sonoma Municipal Code…

The City of Sonoma limits commercial-vehicle idling near homes under Sonoma Municipal Code Section 9.56.080(A): a driver parked within 100 feet of a residential zone cannot idle the…

The City of Sonoma bars sitting or lying on any street, sidewalk, or public way when it unreasonably blocks other people's passage, under Sonoma Municipal Code Section 9.48.030. The…

The City of Sonoma bans camping, lodging and outdoor sleeping on any city-owned or city-controlled ground, building or structure unless the city council has specifically designated the…

In the City of Sonoma, a customer notified in writing of leakage on their side of the water meter must take reasonable steps to fix it or the city can shut off service, and a leak so…

The City of Sonoma requires recycled water for landscape water features whenever it is available on site, under its Water-Efficient Landscaping ordinance. SMC 14.32.040(B)(3) mandates…

Unincorporated Sonoma County bans replanting turf on slopes over 10%, strips 8 feet wide or less, and any median or traffic island under the county's water-efficient landscape law.

Sonoma Municipal Code § 14.30.020 makes it a public nuisance to store junk, debris, unused fixtures, or vehicle parts on a property in a way that creates a harborage for rodents or…

Anyone involved with a microenterprise home kitchen operation in unincorporated Sonoma County must obtain a Food Handler Certification under the county's MEHKO ordinance, on top of the…

Sonoma County posts a color-coded pass, conditional-pass, or closed placard at every inspected food facility after each routine inspection, visible to patrons from the entrance.

The City of Sonoma does not use the term cultural monument; instead, SMC 19.42.020 lets the historic preservation commission designate a site, structure, or district as a local…

SMC 19.40.030 requires every exterior lighting fixture in a City of Sonoma development to be energy efficient, shielded, and capped at 15 feet, and mandates timers that cut lighting…

SMC 19.40.030(D) bars any exterior light source or its reflected glare from being directly visible from five feet or more beyond a City of Sonoma property line, though the shielding…

The City of Sonoma bans planting exotic, nonnative, or nonriparian vegetation inside the required setback along Sonoma Creek, Nathanson Creek, and Fryer Creek. SMC 19.40.020(D) sets…

The City of Sonoma lets residents put up political, ideological, or religious signs without a sign permit for the 90 days before a valid election, but each sign is capped at 8 square…

The City of Sonoma's sign code does not single out holiday lights, but it does regulate decorative holiday banners and flags: businesses may fly them for up to 45 total days a year for…

The City of Sonoma caps window signs at 20 percent of each window facing a public right-of-way, requires DRHPC review for permanent window signs, and limits any temporary window…

The City of Sonoma bans moving, flashing, and light-based sign effects outright: § 18.28.026 prohibits moving sign structures, moving lights, and flashing lights, which reaches digital…

Billboards and other outdoor advertising structures facing Highway 101 or any other freeway in unincorporated Sonoma County need a use permit and must sit at least 1,000 feet from the…

The City of Sonoma taxes transient occupancy in hotels, motels and similar lodging at 12 percent of rent under SMC 3.16.030, with authority for the city council to raise the rate to 13…

The City of Sonoma prohibits taking off or landing a drone within visual line of sight of any permitted public event, and separately bars an operator from even being within sight of a…

The City of Sonoma bars anyone from taking off or landing a drone within 1,500 horizontal feet of any aircraft. Sonoma Municipal Code § 7.42.030(E) sets a flat distance measured from…

In the City of Sonoma, anyone using a drone for a commercial filming activity must first obtain a film permit under Chapter 7.40 SMC. Sonoma Municipal Code § 7.42.060 folds drone…

The City of Sonoma restricts where anyone, including recreational flyers, can take off or land a drone citywide. Sonoma Municipal Code Chapter 7.42 sets buffers around bystanders…

Every business operating inside the City of Sonoma must pay an annual license tax under one of five classifications, A through E, set by Chapter 5.08 of the Sonoma Municipal Code…

The City of Sonoma limits patio, garage and yard sales at any residence to once every six months, capped at two consecutive days, and requires a $3.00 license for each sale. Sales are…

The City of Sonoma charges $90.00 per year for a license to solicit retail orders door-to-door, and the same $90.00 fee for peddlers who sell or distribute merchandise from a truck or…

The City of Sonoma runs a mandatory expedited, nondiscretionary permit process for small residential rooftop solar systems under SMC Chapter 14.27, adopted to comply with the state…

Sonoma County must administratively approve small rooftop solar systems under an expedited checklist process, with only one inspection required and no discretionary zoning review…

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…

The City of Sonoma has no ordinance naming rideshare pickups specifically, but Sonoma Municipal Code § 10.52.010 lets the public works superintendent mark "passenger loading zones,"…

The City of Sonoma has no separate on-street bike lane ordinance; instead, Sonoma Municipal Code § 10.74.010 regulates how bicycles and similar conveyances may be ridden on the city's…

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…

The City of Sonoma bars licensed tobacco retailers from selling flavored tobacco, including fruit, dessert and spice flavors, under Sonoma Municipal Code Section 7.25.020(H). Narrow…

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…

Student filmmakers in the City of Sonoma still need a location filming permit like any commercial production, but Sonoma Municipal Code Section 7.40.070 lets the city council set a…

The City of Sonoma requires anyone shooting motion pictures, television, digital media or commercial still photography on public or private property to get a location permit from the…

In the City of Sonoma, SMC § 12.04.030 bars leaving crates, cases, barrels, boxes or tanks on a public sidewalk in a way that restricts public use, with a narrow delivery exception if…

The City of Sonoma requires an encroachment permit from the city engineer before anyone builds, places, or maintains anything in a public right-of-way, from a fence or mailbox to a…

In the City of Sonoma, the owner of any building, lot or premises fronting a public sidewalk is legally responsible for keeping it in repair, including damage caused by tree roots. An…

The City of Sonoma's Heritage Tree Ordinance lets the parks and recreation commission designate a tree at least 50 inches in diameter, or one of unusual historical or horticultural…

In the City of Sonoma, only the public works director or an authorized representative may plant, trim, prune or brace a tree in a public street, right-of-way or public property, and…

Unincorporated Sonoma County requires a zoning permit before removing a protected tree, redwoods, oaks, and other native hardwoods, and a discretionary use permit with mitigation for…

The City of Sonoma's 2025 Building Code amendments define an 'unsafe structure' broadly enough to cover collapse hazards, fire-damaged buildings, and property left vacant and…

The City of Sonoma treats an unmaintained vacant lot the same as any other property under its general nuisance ordinance. SMC 14.30.020(B) makes it unlawful for anyone owning, renting…

Sonoma County bans mobile food and merchandise vending within 500 feet of any K-12 school on weekdays, covering vendors on foot, at tables or stalls, or selling from carts, bikes, or…

Unincorporated Sonoma County allows outdoor vendors only with a use permit, set back 20 feet from the property line and road right-of-way, in commercial zones.

Every food truck operating in Sonoma County, including inside its nine incorporated cities, needs a valid health department permit that the driver must carry at all times.

Properly conducted agricultural operations on designated agricultural land in unincorporated Sonoma County cannot be ruled a nuisance under county code if the operation wasn't a…

Sonoma County shields properly conducted farms and ranches on agricultural land from nuisance lawsuits and requires sellers to disclose the Right to Farm Ordinance before selling…

Unincorporated Sonoma County has no dedicated data-center ordinance, and Permit Sonoma's official position is that AI data centers are not allowed in any zoning district.

Sonoma County caps new stationary-source noise at 50 dBA L50 daytime and 45 dBA L50 at night, measured at the property line of any noise-sensitive use. Data-center cooling and…

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…