Outdoor Heater Rules
Special Events & Permits
Permit and propane-storage requirements for outdoor patio heaters at restaurants and bars, including LAFC §61 propane limits and CARB emissions rules.
How Outdoor Heater Rules Rules Differ by Place
Santa Rosa, CA: Sidewalk Café Heaters Banned in Santa Rosa
Heavy RestrictionsSanta Rosa's sidewalk café ordinance flatly bans outdoor heaters at any café operating on the public sidewalk. City Code Section 20-42.160(D)(4)(g) groups heaters with music and…
Sonoma, CA: Outdoor Heaters Banned at Sidewalk Seating
Heavy RestrictionsThe 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…
Trenton, NJ: Trenton Bans Outdoor Heaters at Sidewalk Cafes
Heavy RestrictionsTrenton's sidewalk cafe ordinance bans outdoor heaters outright: no permitted cafe may operate or use a heater within its footprint for any reason. The same section bars outside…
Bakersfield, CA: Bakersfield Outdoor Heaters Need Encroachment Permit
Some RestrictionsBakersfield's mixed-use zoning code doesn't ban patio heaters: it lets MX-1 businesses place them, along with tables, chairs and umbrellas, in the street-setback area for outdoor…
Bellflower, CA: Bellflower Outdoor Heaters Must Be Removable
Some RestrictionsPatio heaters and other heating improvements added for Bellflower outdoor dining count as removable "outdoor structure/facilities": they must be installable and removable within seven…
Davis, CA: Davis Outdoor Dining Propane Heater Rule
Some RestrictionsDavis bans open fires in city parks and civic spaces, but carves out a specific exception for propane heaters and fire-top tables used under the Downtown Outdoor Dining Program…
Cities & Counties with Outdoor Heater Rules Rules
34 locations
California
New Jersey
Other Special Events & Permits Topics
Block Party Permits
How to get a permit to close your street for a block party, including application timelines, neighbor consent requirements, and insurance needs.
Park Event Permits
Permits required for organized events in public parks, including group size thresholds, amplified sound rules, and reservation procedures.
Parade Permits
How parades and processions are permitted, including route approval, traffic-control requirements, insurance, and First Amendment carve-outs for political marches.
Street Fair Rules
Permits and operating standards for street fairs and farmers markets, including vendor sourcing, alcohol handling, and street closure procedures.
Commercial Filming on Public Right-of-Way
How filming permits intersect with special-event permits when productions take over streets or parks, including FilmLA coordination and resident notification.
Parklets
Curbside parklets converting parking spaces into outdoor dining or public seating, including LADOT People St guidelines, ADA, and seasonal-removal rules.
Sidewalk Dining & Cafés
Permits for tables and seating in the public right-of-way, café and al-fresco programs, clearance widths, barriers, and the operating conditions attached to a sidewalk-dining permit.