Redwood City, CA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Code § 31.15
- Who qualifies
- Existing restaurant tenants only
- Parking lot cap
- 30% of non-accessible spaces
- Accessible path required
- 6 feet along building frontage
- Public sidewalk dining
- Needs separate encroachment permit
- Fixtures
- Furniture must be portable, not fixed
Summary
Redwood City lets restaurants add sidewalk or patio dining as an accessory outdoor use under Zoning Code Section 31.15, but only for restaurants that are already tenants, capped at the business's normal hours, and limited to 30% of a shopping center's non-accessible parking if sited in the lot.
C.Applicability. These regulations apply to all permitted and conditionally permitted uses in commercial and mixed use zoning districts on private property. Uses in residential and industrial zoning districts are regulated individually in each zoning district. Accessory outdoor uses on public property must receive separate approval with an encroachment permit. Food trucks are not regulated by this Section.D.Accessory Outdoor Use Requirements. Accessory outdoor uses are permitted with the following requirements:1.Hours of Operation. Hours of operation for outdoor services shall not exceed the normal hours of operation of the business.2.Outdoor Dining and Bars. Outdoor dining shall be available only for existing restaurants that are current tenants of the shopping center or commercial building.3.Location. Accessory outdoor uses may be located on sidewalks or patio areas, or in parking areas with up to thirty percent (30%) of the total non-accessible spaces.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Code: Supplement 29 | City Code: Supplement 61 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
15 of the Zoning Code governs outdoor dining and other accessory outdoor commercial uses, defined as retail, restaurant, or personal-service activity that happens outside an enclosed structure but is incidental to an enclosed primary use on the same site. The rule reaches every permitted and conditionally permitted use in Redwood City's commercial and mixed-use zoning districts on private property; industrial and residential districts are handled use-by-use in their own articles, and food trucks are carved out entirely and not regulated by this Section. 2 restricts it to restaurants that are already current tenants of the shopping center or commercial building.
1). 3). Seating in a parking area also needs a safety barrier, such as a fence, water-filled K-rail, or landscape planter. 5). 6). 8). Outdoor dining that spills onto public sidewalks instead of private property needs a separate City encroachment permit rather than approval under this Section.
Violations & Fines
Under Section 31.15.E, the City can prohibit or shut down an outdoor dining setup that obstructs pedestrian or vehicle traffic, endangers public health or safety, or violates Section 31.15 or any applicable State or County health order, in addition to the general code-enforcement remedies in Article 50.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a brand-new pop-up restaurant get sidewalk dining approval in Redwood City?
How much of a shopping center's parking lot can a restaurant use for outdoor dining?
Do I need a separate City permit for sidewalk dining on the public sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redwood City
California rules heatmap·Compare Redwood City to another location·View the California special events & permits overview
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