California vs Florida: Local Ordinance Comparison (2026)

Beekeeping

California law requires every beekeeper, apiary owner, broker, or person possessing an apiary in the state to register each colony's number and location by January 1 each year with the county agricultural commissioner, plus an annual fee up to $250.

Florida law requires every beekeeper to register their honeybee colonies with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, obtain inspection certificates, and renew annually. The state fully preempts local hive bans.

Exotic Pets

California prohibits importing, transporting, or possessing wild and exotic animals classified as restricted species, including ferrets, hedgehogs, monkeys, sugar gliders, and most big cats, unless you hold a revocable permit from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is not issued for ordinary pet keeping.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) regulates exotic and captive wildlife statewide. Possession of Class I, II, and III wildlife requires FWC permits, and state law preempts most local exotic animal regulations.

Wildlife Feeding

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 Department of Fish and Wildlife enforces this statewide prohibition, and there is no permit exception.

Florida law prohibits intentional feeding of black bears, alligators, crocodiles, sandhill cranes, foxes, raccoons, and pelicans. These FWC rules apply statewide regardless of local ordinances.

Tobacco Retail License

California requires statewide licensing of tobacco and vape retailers under the STAKE Act and the Cigarette and Tobacco Products Licensing Act. Business and Professions Code 22970 establishes uniform retailer licensing, while local governments may adopt stricter rules.

Florida Statute 569.315 expressly preempts the regulation of the marketing, sale, and delivery of nicotine products and dispensing devices to the state, voiding most municipal ordinances on electronic cigarettes and vape shops.

Home Cultivation

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 prohibiting indoor personal cultivation.

Florida prohibits home cultivation of cannabis for both recreational and medical use; only state-licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers may grow cannabis.

Minimum Wage Preemption

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 minimums; many cities exceed the state rate substantially.

Florida Statute 218.077 prohibits local governments from establishing a minimum wage other than the state or federal rate, preempting city and county living-wage ordinances except for direct local government employees.

Erosion Control

California requires anyone clearing, grading, or disturbing one acre or more of land to obtain coverage under the State Water Board's Construction General Permit, file a Notice of Intent through SMARTS, and implement erosion and sediment controls before ground disturbance begins.

Florida runs its own federally approved NPDES stormwater permit program under Fla. Stat. 403.0885, requiring construction sites that disturb one or more acres to obtain FDEP coverage and install erosion and sediment controls before clearing land.

Flood Zones

Government Code sections 65302 and 65962, together with Water Code section 8401 and the State Building Code Chapter 16, set uniform floodplain mapping, disclosure, and construction standards binding every California jurisdiction.

Florida adopts a single statewide building code that incorporates flood-resistant construction standards from FEMA and ASCE, applying uniformly to all jurisdictions.

Stormwater Management

California Water Code sections 13260 and 13383 implement the federal Clean Water Act through statewide MS4 NPDES permits issued by the State and Regional Water Boards, binding all municipal stormwater dischargers uniformly.

Florida law assigns the Department of Environmental Protection, the water management districts, and local governments joint responsibility for building compatible stormwater management programs, and requires statewide, consistent permitting of stormwater systems through the environmental resource permit rules.

Neighbor Fence Rules

California Civil Code Section 841, the Good Neighbor Fence Act, presumes adjoining landowners share equal benefit and equal cost responsibility for boundary fences, applying statewide regardless of city ordinance.

Florida's one statewide fence statute, §588.011, defines a legal fence as at least 3 feet high with three strands of wire on posts no more than 20 feet apart. Residential height, setback, and neighbor cost-sharing are set by local ordinance, not state law.

Fireworks

California uniformly prohibits possession, sale, and use of dangerous fireworks statewide, while permitting cities to further restrict or ban Safe and Sane fireworks locally.

Florida permits consumer fireworks use on July 4, December 31, and January 1 under Section 791.08, Florida Statutes, exempting those days from the state's general fireworks prohibition, though local regulations and recorded HOA covenants can still apply.

Concealed Carry

California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant standards, preempting local variations on issuance criteria and qualifications.

Florida allows permitless concealed carry of firearms by law-abiding adults under FS 790.01 and continues to issue concealed weapon licenses through FS 790.06, with both regimes preempting local concealed-carry restrictions.

Firearms in Vehicles

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 the vehicle's locked trunk; long guns must be unloaded but need not be locked.

Florida Statute 790.25(5) allows any law-abiding person 18 or older to possess a concealed firearm in a private vehicle for self-defense, provided the firearm is securely encased or not readily accessible for immediate use, regardless of any concealed-carry license.

Open Carry

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 applies uniformly across all California cities and counties without local variation.

Florida's open carry ban (FS 790.053) was struck down by the First District Court of Appeal in McDaniels v. State on September 10, 2025. The Florida Attorney General issued guidance on September 15, 2025 instructing law enforcement that the ban is no longer enforceable. Eligible adults may now openly carry firearms statewide.

Food Truck Permits

California Retail Food Code (Health and Safety Code 113700-114437) sets uniform mobile food facility permit, equipment, and food safety standards enforced by counties statewide.

Since 2020, Florida statute 509.102 preempts municipal and county licensing, registration, and permitting of mobile food dispensing vehicles. Operators need only state DBPR licenses to operate statewide.

Charitable Bingo and Raffles

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 county ordinance. Prizes are capped at $500 per game, cities may charge up to a $50 annual license fee, minors cannot play, and every dollar of net proceeds must go to charity.

Florida lets charitable, nonprofit, and veterans' organizations run bingo without applying for any state gaming license: the statute itself sets the eligibility bar and the limits. A group must have operated for three years, donate every dollar of net proceeds to its charitable work, cap jackpots at $250 with no more than three per session, cap every other prize at $50, and hold games no more than two days a week, under Fla. Stat. § 849.0931.

Social Gambling Rules

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 definition of a "controlled game," so long as no one profits from operating it except as a player. Add a house rake or entry fee and the same game becomes an unlicensed "controlled game," a crime carrying up to a year in jail.

Florida law exempts small-stakes card and tile games from gambling crimes under Fla. Stat. § 849.085, but only under strict conditions: winnings per hand can't exceed $10, the game must happen in a private dwelling or qualifying common area, and no one may charge admission, take a cut, or advertise the game. Break any condition and the exemption disappears.

Sports Betting Law

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 contest, with first-offense penalties up to a year in county jail or state prison and a $5,000 fine. Voters killed the only paths to legalization, Propositions 26 and 27, in November 2022, leaving no licensed sportsbook and no regulator for sports wagers.

Sports wagering is legal in Florida only through the Seminole Tribe's Hard Rock Bet platform, authorized under the state's gaming compact codified at Fla. Stat. § 285.710(13)(b)7. Mobile and online bets are legally deemed to occur on tribal land where the wagering servers sit, so anyone 21 or older can bet statewide from their phone, but no other operator can legally take a sports bet.

Board Procedures

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 business days and records from the prior two fiscal years within 30 calendar days. Associations may charge only actual copying costs, plus up to $10 an hour, capped at $200, to redact enhanced records like invoices and bank statements.

Under Fla. Stat. § 720.303(2), Florida HOA board meetings must be open to members with notice posted at least 48 hours ahead. Section 720.306 governs member meetings and elections, § 720.303(4)-(5) gives members the right to inspect official records within 10 business days, and HB 1203 added website transparency rules for larger associations.

Clotheslines & Energy Devices

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 4753 lets an association still impose rules, but only ones that do not significantly raise the cost of drying laundry outdoors.

Florida Statute 163.04 bars homeowner association deed restrictions and local ordinances from prohibiting clotheslines, solar collectors, or other renewable-resource energy devices in owner-occupied communities, though the protection excludes patio railings in condominiums, cooperatives, and apartments. An HOA cannot deny a clothesline outright, and unlike solar panels, it holds no reserved power to dictate where a resident hangs one.

Flag Display Rights

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. The only carve-out is a restriction genuinely required for public health or safety. An HOA that violates the statute pays the prevailing party's attorney's fees and costs under subdivision (c).

Florida law bars homeowners associations from stopping owners from flying up to two flags, each no larger than 4 1/2 by 6 feet, including the U.S. flag, Florida's state flag, military branch flags, the POW-MIA flag, and first responder flags. Owners may also erect one freestanding flagpole up to 20 feet tall regardless of association covenants, subject to building codes, zoning setbacks, and sightline and easement restrictions.

HOA Fines & Enforcement

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 requires every board to adopt and distribute that schedule in its annual policy statement, and forbids any late charge or interest on a fine. Boards can exceed $100 only for health or safety violations, and only after a written finding at an open meeting.

Under Fla. Stat. § 720.305, a Florida HOA may fine up to $100 per violation and $1,000 in the aggregate unless the governing documents allow more. The association must give at least 14 days' written notice and a hearing before a committee of at least three members, who must approve the fine by majority vote.

Lien & Foreclosure Limits

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 lien are more than 12 months delinquent. Civil Code section 5720(b) deliberately strips accelerated assessments, late charges, collection fees and costs, attorney’s fees and interest out of that $1,800 count, so an association cannot pad a small balance with penalties to reach the foreclosure line. Below the threshold the association may still record a lien, sue in small claims court, or collect any other way short of foreclosure. Disciplinary fines are further out of reach entirely: Civil Code section 5725(b) forbids treating a penalty for breaking the CC&Rs as an assessment that can become a lien enforceable by sale.

A Florida association can foreclose an assessment lien in the same manner a mortgage is foreclosed, but only after two separate 45-day notices, and fines are largely off limits: a condominium fine may never become a lien under Fla. Stat. § 718.303(3), and a homeowners' association fine of less than $1,000 may not become a lien under § 720.305(2). The sharpest Florida-specific limit protects lenders instead of owners. Under § 718.116(1)(b) and § 720.3085(2)(c), a first mortgagee that takes title by foreclosure or deed in lieu owes the association only the lesser of 12 months of back assessments or 1 percent of the original mortgage debt. A recorded condominium claim of lien also dies one year after recording unless the association sues within that year.

Cottage Food Operations

Government Code section 51035 forbids any California city, county, or city and county from prohibiting a cottage food operation in a residential dwelling. The local agency must pick one of three routes: classify the operation as a permitted residential use for zoning purposes, grant a nondiscretionary permit, or require a use permit that must be granted if the operation meets reasonable local standards, and those standards may reach only spacing and concentration, traffic control, parking and noise control. What the state does control is scale. Health and Safety Code section 113758 still prints $75,000 for a Class A operation and $150,000 for a Class B, but the same subdivision requires an annual CPI adjustment, and the California Department of Public Health puts the ceiling in force from January 1, 2026 at $88,878 and $177,756.

Florida's Cottage Food Operations Act preempts local regulation, allowing home production of non-potentially hazardous foods up to a statewide gross sales limit.

Home Daycare

Health and Safety Code sections 1597.40 through 1597.465 require all California cities and counties to treat licensed family daycare homes as permitted residential uses, preempting any local prohibition or restrictive zoning.

Florida regulates family and large family child care homes uniformly under Chapter 402, setting capacity limits, training, and inspection requirements applicable statewide.

Recording Police

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 public officer or peace officer, while the officer is in a public place or while you are somewhere you have the right to be, does not by itself violate the resisting, delaying, or obstructing offense in § 148(a), and does not give reasonable suspicion to detain you or probable cause to arrest you. The subdivision was added by SB 411 (Stats. 2015, Ch. 177) and took effect on January 1, 2016. California’s all-party consent recording law, Penal Code § 632, does not reach a street encounter with police, because § 632(c) excludes communications made where the parties may reasonably expect they may be overheard or recorded.

Florida is an all-party consent state, but that rule reaches less far than it sounds. Fla. Stat. § 934.03(2)(d) makes interception lawful only when every party consents, while § 934.02(2) limits the whole chapter to an "oral communication" uttered with an expectation of non-interception "under circumstances justifying such expectation." Florida has enacted no express right-to-record statute of the kind California and New York have, so the protection for a bystander recording comes from that definition rather than from a grant of permission. The concrete Florida limit is distance: since chapter 2024-85, § 843.31 makes it a second degree misdemeanor to approach or remain within 25 feet of a first responder after a verbal warning with intent to impede, threaten, or harass.

Native Plants

AB-1572 prohibits using potable water to irrigate non-functional turf at commercial, institutional, and HOA-common areas, accelerating native and low-water landscape conversions statewide.

Florida Statute 373.185 declares Florida-friendly landscaping a matter of state policy and prohibits any deed restriction, covenant, or local ordinance from preventing property owners from installing native, drought-tolerant plant landscapes.

Golf Carts & Low-Speed Vehicles

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 crossing begins and ends on a road posted 35 miles per hour or less and meets it at approximately 90 degrees, and never at an uncontrolled intersection with a state highway unless the agency with primary traffic enforcement responsibility has approved that crossing. A golf cart is a separate and smaller class under section 345, and it reaches public streets only through a local combined-use ordinance under section 21115 or a crossing-zone ordinance under section 21115.1. The broader neighborhood electric vehicle plans that lift the 35 mile per hour ceiling exist in only three parts of California.

Florida flips the usual assumption: a golf cart is barred from public roads unless a county, a municipality, or a water control district has affirmatively designated that road for cart use and posted signs saying so. Low-speed vehicles are treated as real motor vehicles and may be driven on any street posted at 35 miles per hour or less anywhere in the state, but they must be titled, registered, insured and driven by a licensed driver. Since the 2023 amendment, a golf cart driver under 18 must hold a valid learner's or driver license, and a driver 18 or older must carry government-issued photo identification. Golf carts themselves are exempt from registration and license plates under Fla. Stat. section 320.105.

EV Charging

California Civil Code sections 4745 and 1947.6, plus Government Code 65850.7, create statewide rights for residents to install EV charging stations and require expedited local permitting that supersedes restrictive local rules.

Florida law protects condominium unit owners' rights to install electric vehicle charging stations in their designated parking areas under Fla. Stat. 718.113(8), while commercial installations follow uniform Florida Building Code permitting statewide.

Eviction Notice & Process

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 holidays), and lease violations require a 3-day notice to cure or quit. No-fault terminations of covered tenancies require 30, 60, or 90 days. Self-help lockouts are illegal.

Fla. Stat. § 83.56 requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or vacate for nonpayment, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays from the count. For lease violations, the landlord serves a 7-day notice to cure (or a 7-day unconditional notice for repeat or non-curable violations). Only a court may order eviction through Florida's summary procedure.

Just Cause Eviction

Civil Code 1946.2 requires landlords statewide to have just cause to terminate tenancies of qualifying tenants who have lived in a covered unit at least 12 months.

Florida's Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Chapter 83 Part II, exclusively defines lawful eviction grounds and procedures statewide, preempting cities from adding just-cause requirements that restrict when a landlord may terminate a tenancy.

Landlord Entry & Notice

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 notice (24 hours is presumed reasonable) and may enter only during normal business hours, for specific permitted reasons such as repairs, inspections, or showings.

Under Fla. Stat. § 83.53, a Florida landlord must give at least 24 hours' notice to enter for repairs and may enter only at reasonable times, defined as between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. No notice is required in an emergency or to preserve the premises, and access may not be used to harass the tenant.

Lease Termination & Notice to Vacate

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, under Civ. Code § 1946.1. AB 1482 requires just cause after 12 months; military and DV tenants may exit early.

For a month-to-month tenancy, Fla. Stat. § 83.57 now requires 30 days' written notice (raised from 15 days by 2023's HB 1417). Breaking a fixed-term lease triggers landlord remedies under § 83.595, including a pre-agreed early-termination fee capped at two months' rent. Servicemembers may terminate early under § 83.682.

Rent Control

California limits annual rent increases statewide to 5% plus the local change in the cost of living, capped at 10%, under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB-1482). It also lets cities and counties enact their own stricter rent-control ordinances, subject to the limits of the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.

Florida effectively bans local rent control. State law bars any city or county from imposing controls on rents, and the 2023 Live Local Act removed the old narrow exception that had allowed a one-year emergency referendum riddled with exemptions. There is no statewide rent cap, so landlords set increases freely by lease terms.

Rent Increase Notice

California requires written notice before raising a month-to-month tenant's rent. Under Civ. Code § 827, increases of 10% or less in 12 months need 30 days' notice; increases above 10% need 90 days' notice. AB 1482 separately caps yearly increases on covered units.

Florida has no rent control and no statute setting a maximum rent increase or a dedicated advance-notice period. On a month-to-month tenancy, a new rent takes effect only through the termination/change notice in Fla. Stat. § 83.57, which 2023's HB 1417 (ch. 2023-314) lengthened from 15 to 30 days.

Repairs & Habitability

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, water, electricity, and sanitation. If repairs fail after notice, a tenant may repair and deduct up to one month's rent under § 1942 or withhold rent.

Fla. Stat. § 83.51 requires landlords to comply with applicable building, housing, and health codes or keep the structure, plumbing, and (for most multi-unit buildings) heat, running water, hot water, and pest control in working order. Tenants enforce these duties through the § 83.56 seven-day written notice to cure before withholding rent or terminating.

Security Deposit Rules

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 deductions, must be returned with an itemized statement within 21 days after move-out, or the landlord risks penalties of up to twice the deposit.

Florida places no dollar limit on residential security deposits, but it enforces tight deadlines. If the landlord makes no claim, the deposit must be returned within 15 days of move-out. If the landlord intends to keep any part, written certified-mail notice is due within 30 days, and the tenant then has 15 days to object.

Agricultural Zoning Protection

The California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (Williamson Act), Government Code 51200-51297.4, allows landowners to enter contracts with counties restricting land to agricultural use for ten-year minimum terms in exchange for reduced property tax assessment based on farming income.

Florida Statutes 823.14 and 163.3162 restrict local governments from adopting zoning rules that inhibit established farms on agriculturally classified land, preserving agricultural uses against incompatible local regulation.

Farm Nuisance Protection

The California Right to Farm Act under Civil Code 3482.5 protects established agricultural operations from nuisance lawsuits brought by neighbors who moved in after farming began. The law applies statewide and limits both private and local government nuisance actions.

Florida Statute 823.14, the Florida Right to Farm Act, protects established bona fide farm operations from nuisance suits and local ordinances that would inhibit standard agricultural practices conducted in good faith.

Political Signs

California Civil Code Section 4710 universally prohibits homeowner associations from banning noncommercial political signs on owner-occupied separate interest property, overriding any local HOA covenant.

Florida has no statewide statute that fully preempts municipal regulation of political signs on private property, but F.S. 720.304(2) protects homeowners' rights to display one portable, removable U.S. flag and certain other displays despite HOA covenants. Cities still set time, place, and manner rules.

Plastic Bag Rules

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 as Proposition 67 in 2016. Recycled paper or reusable bags require a 10-cent minimum charge.

Florida Statute 403.7033 preempts the regulation of disposable plastic bags by local governments, prohibiting cities and counties from enacting bans or fees on retailers pending a legislative review that has not occurred.

Polystyrene Foam Rules

California restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that polystyrene foodware achieve 25 percent recycling by 2025 or face statewide sales prohibition.

Florida Statute 500.90 preempts the regulation of polystyrene products by local governments, blocking cities and counties from banning expanded polystyrene foam food containers, cups, and similar items.

HOA Restrictions

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 unenforceable. Associations may impose only reasonable restrictions that do not significantly raise cost or cut efficiency. An application not denied in writing within 45 days is automatically deemed approved. Violators face damages, a $1,000 civil penalty, and the losing side pays attorney's fees.

Florida law voids any deed restriction, covenant, or HOA agreement that bans or effectively blocks solar collectors on homes or condo units, and boards cannot deny installation outright. The only power an HOA keeps is fixing where on the roof a system sits, within due south or 45 degrees either side, and only if that placement will not cut into how well the panels work. The rule does not reach patio railings in condos, co-ops, or apartments.

Panel Permits

California's Solar Rights Act and the SolarAPP+ mandate (SB 379) require expedited permit review of small residential solar systems, preempting restrictive local processes.

Florida statute 163.04 prohibits any ordinance, deed restriction, or covenant from preventing installation of solar collectors. Local building permits are required but cannot effectively ban rooftop solar.

Tobacco Age Restrictions

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 applies uniformly across all California jurisdictions.

Florida Statute 569.101 prohibits the sale or delivery of tobacco and nicotine products to persons under 21, aligning with federal law and applying uniformly statewide under the preemption in FS 569.0025 and 569.315.

Dash Cam & Windshield Mounting

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 farthest from the driver, a five-inch square in the lower corner nearest the driver and outside an airbag deployment zone, or a five-inch square mounted to the center uppermost portion of the interior of the windshield. Outside those three zones section 26708(a)(1) applies and the camera is an unlawful windshield obstruction. The exemption also carries conditions: a posted notice that a passenger conversation may be recorded, and no more than 30 seconds of storage before and after a triggering event.

Florida does not give dash cameras a windshield carve-out. Fla. Stat. § 316.2952(2) is written as a closed list of exactly four things that may be attached to, or located in or upon, a windshield: a certificate or paper required to be displayed by law, transparent sunscreening along a strip above the AS/1 line, an electronic toll payment device issued by a governmental entity, and a GPS or similar satellite receiver device. A camera appears nowhere on that list, so suction-cupping one to the glass is a noncriminal traffic infraction carrying the $30 nonmoving penalty in § 318.18(2). Mounting the same camera on the dash top or the A-pillar puts it outside § 316.2952 entirely, leaving only the general obstruction rule in § 316.2004.

Lane Splitting & Filtering

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 of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane, on divided and undivided roads alike, and no section of the Vehicle Code prohibits the maneuver. The statute fixes no maximum speed, no speed differential and no penalty, and it lets the California Highway Patrol publish educational guidelines rather than enforceable rules. A rider who splits lanes recklessly can still be cited under the basic speed law or the unsafe lane change statute.

Florida bans lane splitting in so many words. Fla. Stat. section 316.209(3) states that no person shall operate a motorcycle between lanes of traffic or between adjacent lines or rows of vehicles, and subsection (2) separately forbids a rider from overtaking and passing in the same lane occupied by the vehicle being overtaken. There is no exception for stopped or slow traffic, no speed differential allowance and no local opt-out; the only carve-out is for police officers and firefighters performing official duties. A violation is a noncriminal traffic infraction punishable as a moving violation, which under Fla. Stat. section 318.18(3)(a) means a $60 penalty and 3 points under section 322.27(3)(d).

Studded Tire & Chain Rules

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 never exceeds 3 percent of the tire area in contact with the roadway. Outside that window Vehicle Code section 27454 bans any stud, block, flange, cleat, ridge or bead projecting beyond the tread. Tires whose studs retract pneumatically or mechanically may stay on the vehicle all year provided the studs are retracted from May 1 through October 31. Chains are a separate requirement: section 27459 makes it an infraction to drive past a posted traction-device sign without them.

Florida does not ban studded tires and does not restrict them to a winter season. The one wheel-surface provision in the traffic code, Fla. Stat. section 316.299, prohibits driving on paved or graded public roads with wheels having sharpened or roughened surfaces, but it carves out by name roughened pneumatic rubber tires having studs designed to improve traction without materially injuring the surface of the highway. The real target of that section is cleated tractor and construction equipment, which must carry filler blocks between the cleats to form a smooth surface. Florida sets no stud count, no protrusion limit, no permit and no seasonal window, and chapter 316 contains no tire section at all.

Underglow & Auxiliary Lighting

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 is lawful only if a section names it. Underglow is named. Section 25400 lets any vehicle carry an exterior diffused nonglaring light of not more than 0.05 candela per square inch, in any color except red showing to the front, limited to 720 square inches and kept at least 12 inches clear of required lamps. Auxiliary driving lamps, passing lamps, foglamps and spotlamps are each permitted two at a time with their own mounting heights, and blue warning lights belong to peace officer emergency vehicles alone.

Florida is one of the states that says yes to underbody lighting in so many words. Fla. Stat. § 316.235(3) provides that any motor vehicle may be equipped with one or more lamps or devices underneath the vehicle, and then attaches three conditions by cross-reference. Those conditions are the real rule: § 316.2397(1) forbids any lamp showing red, red and white, or blue visible from directly in front, § 316.2397(7) bans flashing lights outside a short list of turn, hazard and low-visibility uses, and § 316.238 requires you to dim within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle. Blue is reserved statewide to police, certain heavy government fire vehicles and corrections vehicles on emergency calls.

Window Tint Limits

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, colorless, transparent film with a minimum visible light transmittance of 88 percent beside the front seat, and the glass with that film applied must still meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 205 at 70 percent. The windshield may carry transparent material only above a line 29 inches above the undepressed driver seat, while side windows behind the driver and the rear window sit outside the rule and may be tinted to any darkness.

Florida sets a separate light transmittance floor for each piece of glass rather than one statewide number. Side wings and side windows forward of or next to the driver must pass at least 28 percent of visible light and reflect no more than 25 percent (Fla. Stat. § 316.2953), while windows behind the driver must pass at least 15 percent and reflect no more than 35 percent, dropping to a 6 percent floor on a multipurpose passenger vehicle such as an SUV, pickup or van (§ 316.2954). The windshield may carry no percentage tint at all, only a transparent strip above the AS/1 line. Every one of those percentages is read subject to a plus or minus 3 percent tolerance under § 316.2955(2).