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…
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…
Fremont, CA: Fremont Allows Patio Heaters, Bars Grills
Some RestrictionsFremont permits portable outdoor heaters on licensed outdoor commercial patios year-round, the one heat source the code allows there, while grills, stoves and barbeques stay banned in…
Fresno, CA: Outdoor Dining Heaters at Reviewer's Discretion
Some RestrictionsFresno doesn't set a blanket rule for patio heaters. FMC 15-2744(A)(3) leaves misters and heaters at outdoor dining areas up to the Review Authority's discretion, approved case by case…
Glendale, CA: Glendale Sidewalk Dining Outdoor Heater Rule
Some RestrictionsAn outdoor heater on a Glendale sidewalk cafe is not just furniture; Municipal Code Sec. 12.08.035(D)(8) singles it out for fire department sign-off. A heater can rise above the…
Orange, CA: Orange Portable Heating Units in Outdoor Dining Zones
Some RestrictionsRestaurants in Old Towne Orange's plaza area may run portable patio heaters outdoors, but only inside a City-approved plaza dining zone under an active Outdoor Dining Permit, and only…
Cities & Counties with Outdoor Heater Rules Rules
20 locations
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.