Chino, CA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Chino Municipal Code § 20.21.190(A)
- Frontage cap
- 25% of building lineal frontage
- Minimum building size
- 50,000 sq ft freestanding building
- Stack height limit
- 15 feet for bulk items
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. 2010-05, amended 2011, 2016
Summary
Chino limits permanent open-air retail displays outside a store front to plant material, garden tools and patio furniture, capping display area at 25 percent of building frontage and requiring screening for larger stores.
A.Permanent open-air sales. Permanent open-air sales, displays and activities shall only be permitted in conjunction with a permitted commercial use and shall be subject to the following standards:1.Outdoor display along a store front shall be limited to plant material, garden tools and patio furniture (including outdoor tables and chairs, barbecues, lighting fixtures, umbrellas, hammocks, and other similar items)...4.The aggregate display area along the store front shall not exceed twenty-five percent of the lineal frontage of the building, except that there shall be no maximum outdoor display area for the display or living plant material in conjunction with an outdoor nursery or garden center.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38).
Full Breakdown
Chino Municipal Code § 20.21.190(A) permits permanent open-air sales and displays only alongside a lawful commercial use. Store-front display is limited to plant material, garden tools and patio furniture such as tables, chairs, barbecues, umbrellas and hammocks; any other item must be screened from public view unless the approving authority allows bulk retail display capped at ten percent of the building's lineal frontage and stacked no higher than fifteen feet. General outdoor display is allowed only at freestanding buildings over fifty thousand square feet, may not exceed twenty-five percent of the building's frontage (except living plant material at a nursery or garden center), and must be moved indoors when the business closes. Adopted by Ord. 2010-05, amended by Ord. 2011-06 and Ord. 2016-005.
Violations & Fines
Permanent outdoor product display beyond the permitted item types, frontage percentage, or stacking height, or left out after closing hours, violates § 20.21.190(A) and is enforceable as a zoning code violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Chino store permanently display merchandise outside?
Is there a size limit on Chino's outdoor retail displays?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino
California rules heatmap·Compare Chino to another location·View the California special events & permits overview
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