Union City, CA

Union City requires a permit before trimming or removing protected trees, generally those with a 35-inch trunk circumference on residential lots, or 12 inches when tied to a zoning or…

Union City lets residents pile leaves, grass clippings and similar yard debris for backyard composting or mulching, exempting that material from the citywide ban on storing solid waste…

Union City's Chapter 7.08 Weed Abatement Ordinance authorizes the City to abate hazardous weeds and rubbish on streets, sidewalks, and private property, with the Fire Chief enforcing…

Union City's landscape ordinance requires covered projects to pick at least one water-efficiency method, listing protection of native species and selection of local native plants as…

Covered new and rehabilitated landscapes in Union City must run overhead sprinklers only between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m., with the stricter of the City's or Alameda County Water District's…

Union City requires eight feet of branch clearance over sidewalks, twelve feet over residential streets, and fourteen feet over truck routes: anything less is declared a public…

Artificial turf is permitted in Alameda County as a water-saving lawn alternative. State AB 1572 restricts potable irrigation of non-functional natural turf starting 2027, boosting…

Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged in Alameda County under CA Rainwater Capture Act of 2012 (AB 1750). Rain barrels under 5,000 gallons for landscape irrigation generally…

Union City requires residential fences to be built of wood, masonry, or earth materials: metal and plastic are barred except as posts or other support elements.

Union City caps free-standing retaining walls in residential districts at three feet, requires architectural treatment on exposed faces, and lets a fence stack on top up to the…

Before Union City issues any permit touching a fence, the Community Development Director must confirm the project meets Title 18 zoning rules, including the height and material limits…

Union City limits residential fences to six feet in rear and interior side yards, three feet in front and street-side yards, with an eight-foot exception near flood channels, rail…

Under California Civil Code 841 (Good Neighbor Fence Act), adjoining landowners in Alameda County share equal responsibility for reasonable costs of shared boundary fences unless one…

Union City bars parking any vehicle longer than 20 feet or with a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more on any street, highway, or alley at any time…

In Union City, a curb painted red means no stopping, standing, or parking at any time under any circumstance, with the sole exception of a bus stopping in a curb zone marked or signed…

Union City declares abandoned, wrecked, dismantled or inoperative vehicles on private or public property a public nuisance; storing one is an infraction, and the City can order removal…

Union City lets residents petition the City Council to designate a street as permit-only parking, requiring vehicles to display a City-issued permit under state Vehicle Code authority.

Union City requires any vehicle parked on a front or side yard driveway or apron to sit on a stabilized permanent surface, caps the paved parking area at 60% of the required front yard…

Union City must use an expedited, streamlined permit process for electric vehicle charging stations under a dedicated city ordinance implementing state law.

Union City prohibits parking any vehicle on a street or alley for more than 72 consecutive hours, part of the City's Chapter 10.36 stopping, standing and parking rules.

Union City bars any 'large vehicle', over 6 feet tall, 20 feet long, or 8.5 feet wide, and any non-motorized vehicle from parking on a city street between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., with…

Union City allows residents to park mobilehomes, RVs, trailers, and boats in a rear yard, driveway, or approved paved apron, and in a side yard at least 12 feet wide with 10 feet of…

Union City marks loading zones with yellow curb paint restricting parking to 7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily except Sundays and holidays, allowing only three minutes for passenger loading or…

California doesn't ban private-property towing, but Vehicle Code Section 22658 controls how it happens. A posted sign at least 17 by 22 inches must warn drivers before a tow company…

Union City taxes short-term rentals two ways: an 8.5% transient occupancy tax on the nightly room rate under Chapter 3.18, plus an annual business tax under Category 4 (0.225% of gross…

Union City requires every operator renting lodging to transients, including short-term rental hosts, to register with the City within 30 days and obtain a posted Transient Occupancy…

STRs in unincorporated Alameda County must provide on-site parking consistent with the residential zoning standard and should limit guest vehicles to the number of on-site spaces to…

Unincorporated Alameda County does not set an STR-specific occupancy cap but enforces building code, fire code, and nuisance rules that effectively limit total guests based on bedrooms…

California requires hosting platforms to warn hosts to check their lease and insurance before listing (Business and Professions Code 22592), and AB 537 requires short-term lodging…

Union City treats carports as accessory structures requiring specific yard setbacks, corner-lot clearance, and site development review once combined accessory square footage tops 450…

Union City must approve or deny a complete ADU or JADU permit application within 60 days and cannot require a hearing or discretionary review: miss the deadline and the application is…

Union City exempts ADUs from owner-occupancy under state law, but a junior ADU (JADU) still requires the owner to live in either the main house or the JADU itself.

Union City charges impact fees on accessory dwelling units of 750 square feet or larger, prorated to the ADU's share of the primary home's square footage; smaller ADUs are fee-exempt.

Union City bans renting an accessory dwelling unit for less than 30 days, closing the door on Airbnb-style short-term rentals for every ADU permitted under the city's zoning code.

Union City's ADU ordinance lets homeowners convert an attached or detached garage into an accessory dwelling unit, waiving replacement parking and combining the garage demolition…

Unincorporated Alameda County has formally adopted the state residential code's tiny house appendix, so a compliant tiny house is a recognized dwelling type here.

Union City limits home occupation signs to one and one-half square feet, requires natural illumination only, and mandates flat mounting against the dwelling's wall or window, with no…

Home occupations in Union City cannot generate excessive pedestrian, auto, or truck traffic, and are limited to one vehicle, which must be parked in a garage, carport, or approved…

Union City allows home occupations in RS and RM residential districts as a permitted use, but caps them at 20% of dwelling floor area and bars use of garages or accessory structures…

Union City permits large family day care homes (9-14 children) by right in residential districts but requires an administrative use permit and 100-foot neighbor notice in single-family…

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…

California lets home cooks sell meals from their own kitchen under a microenterprise home kitchen operation (MEHKO) permit, capped at 30 meals a day, 90 a week, and $100,000 in annual…

Union City allows veterinary offices and small animal hospitals in its Corridor Mixed Use Commercial district only with a discretionary use permit, and boarding must stay indoors.

Union City classifies chickens and other fowl as "exotic animals," so keeping them requires a City Manager permit; letting fowl stray onto a neighbor's property is a separate nuisance…

Inside Union City's parks and recreation areas, it's unlawful to hunt, harm, trap, or throw missiles at wild birds, or take their eggs, nests, or young, under Municipal Code §…

Union City bans keeping any household pets or animals, in whatever number, that cause damage or hazard to neighboring property or generate offensive noise, dust, or odor: no fixed head…

Union City requires a City Manager permit before owning big cats, wolves, primates, venomous animals, large reptiles, or birds of prey and other species listed as "exotic animals"…

Union City's leash mandate in Chapter 8.12 names only dogs; cats are simply "animals" under Section 8.04.020, so there's no cat license or leash rule, though strays can still be…

Dogs cannot run at large in Union City; off their owner's property, they must be on a leash no longer than six feet and under a competent handler's control at all times.

Dogs and cats over six months old adopted from Alameda County's own animal shelter must be spayed or neutered before the new owner takes possession, at the owner's cost.

Alameda County does not impose breed-specific bans. California Food and Agricultural Code 31683 preempts local breed discrimination in licensing and ownership, though mandatory…

Alameda County prohibits the intentional feeding of deer, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, bears, and other wildlife. Violations are a public nuisance and can trigger fines. Songbird feeders…

Beekeeping is permitted in most Alameda County zones with setback and hive-count limits. Keepers must register with the County Agricultural Commissioner under CA Food and Agricultural…

Union City's Weed Abatement Ordinance lets the Fire Chief order property owners to clear weeds that grow large enough to become a fire menace when dry, or enter and remove it…

Union City enforces smoke-detector and other fire-safety standards through the 2025 California Fire Code, formally adopted by reference under UCMC § 15.20.010, effective January 1…

Union City bans discharging even legal "safe and sane" fireworks anywhere east of Mission Boulevard, citing dry summer vegetation, wood-frame homes, wood shake roofs, and limited…

Union City bans burning, dumping or burying solid waste anywhere in the city, on public or private property, unless it's an approved disposal site or the City Manager grants a specific…

Union City bans possessing, selling, or discharging any fireworks without a fire code official's permit; only City Council-approved "safe and sane" fireworks may legally be sold and…

California uniformly applies the State Fire Marshal's propane storage standards through the California Fire Code, which all local jurisdictions must enforce as a minimum.

Union City prohibits letting any dog, bird, fowl, or other animal disturb a neighbor's peace and quiet through barking or other noise, though a watchdog exception applies if the owner…

Union City requires an administrative use permit for amplified live music at restaurants and event venues, bans it outdoors entirely, and caps indoor hours by distance to housing.

Union City caps added noise at 10 dBA above ambient on residential land, 12 dBA on commercial and industrial property, and 15 dBA on public property, each measured outside the property…

Union City has no separate nighttime curfew ordinance: instead, a daytime exemption for noise under 70 dBA at 25 feet lapses at 8 p.m. (6 p.m. Sundays/holidays), leaving the stricter…

Union City bars driving motorcycles, scooters, or minibikes on any property that isn't a public or City-approved private street, a rule the Council adopted specifically to curb…

Union City caps each piece of permitted construction equipment at 83 dBA measured 25 feet away, or 86 dBA at the project's property line.

Alameda County unincorporated areas allow leaf blowers during general construction/maintenance hours. California AB 1346 has banned the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers statewide…

California sets statewide airport noise limits under Title 21 CCR, with the state preempting most local aviation noise control because federal FAA authority dominates aircraft…

In unincorporated Alameda County, only small prefabricated above-ground pools under 5,000 gallons and less than 24 inches deep skip the building permit: anything bigger, or in-ground…

Unincorporated Alameda County enforces the California Swimming Pool Safety Act (Health & Safety Code §§115920-115929). Pools deeper than 18 inches require an enclosure at least 60…

Union City enforces the Uniform Housing Code with California amendments as its local Housing Code, setting space, occupancy, structural, and mechanical standards for residential…

Union City requires every landlord to register each rental unit with the City and pay an administrative fee before the landlord may lawfully terminate any tenancy.

Union City has no binding rent-cap ordinance; instead a Rent Review Ordinance triggers City mediation once an increase tops 7%, alongside a separate just-cause eviction law.

Union City landlords may terminate a residential tenancy only for one of ten specific grounds listed in Chapter 5.50, and must hold a business license and register the unit first.

State law sets 30- or 60-day rent-increase notice periods, and Union City's Chapter 5.55 requires landlords to also notify tenants of the City's rent review procedure at the same time.

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…

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…

California sets no fixed dollar or percentage cap on rent late fees, but a late fee in a residential lease is treated as liquidated damages. Under Civil Code § 1671, such a fee is…

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…

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…

California adverse possession requires five years of continuous, open, hostile possession AND payment of all property taxes during that period under Code of Civil Procedure § 325. A…

Union City adopts the 2025 California Plumbing Code by reference, requiring a permit for plumbing system installation, alteration, or repair citywide.

Union City requires a permit for any building erected, altered, repaired, relocated, or added to under its adopted 2025 California Building Code.

Union City's locally amended 2025 California Fire Code requires an automatic sprinkler system in every Group R residential occupancy, including modular units.

Union City adopts the 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CalGreen) by reference as its local Green Building Standards Code, applying the state's mandatory green-building…

Union City adopts the 2025 California Electrical Code by reference, requiring a permit for any electrical system work performed within city limits.

Union City administers building permit inspections through its adopted Uniform Administrative Code, with disputed building official rulings decided by a City-appointed Board of Appeals.

Castro Valley limits one-family homes to a sliding floor-area-ratio cap, as low as 0.10 FAR on the largest lots, before extra square footage triggers site development review.

Alameda County enforces California H&S Code 17920.10 treating deteriorated lead paint in pre-1978 housing as substandard. Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda have old housing stocks with…

Union City bans billboards and other off-premises advertising signs outright under § 18.30.050(H), so no illuminated billboard structure, lit or unlit, may legally go up anywhere…

Union City requires site lighting on qualifying new development to be shielded from adjacent residential windows and private outdoor areas, keeping glare off neighboring homes and…

Union City permits food trucks by right only in its General Industrial and Light Industrial zones, on private property, with the owner's permission, and limited to two hours per stop.

Anyone selling food or merchandise from a pushcart, stand, or similar unit on a sidewalk in unincorporated Alameda County must first get and display a sidewalk vendor permit from the…

Mobile food facilities operating in unincorporated Alameda County need a health permit from the county's Department of Environmental Health before serving the public.

Union City bans the sale of any flavored tobacco product, including flavored vape liquid and menthol, by every licensed tobacco retailer under Chapter 5.42 of the Municipal Code.

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…

Union City bars anyone under 18 from public places between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. under its Youth Protection Ordinance, with parents also liable.

Union City bans auto repair as a home occupation outright and limits at-home vehicle repair by residents to minor work only: no engine, transmission, frame, or paint work, and none in…

Union City requires every massage establishment's owners to obtain an operator permit from the Permit Administrator before opening, on top of state CAMTC certification for each…

Union City requires tow operators to hold a City franchise agreement before performing police-ordered towing; unauthorized towing without one is unlawful under Chapter 10.17.

Union City requires every smoke shop and tobacco retailer to hold a City-issued Tobacco Retailer's License before selling any tobacco or vape product, with annual renewal and…

Union City's zoning code excludes pawn shops from every general-merchandise use category and expressly bans them at Union Landing, leaving no zoning district where a pawn shop is a…

Union City classifies tattoo, piercing, and other body-art studios as a conditional use requiring Planning Commission approval in the Neighborhood Commercial (CN) and Community…

Union City confines adult businesses to the Community Commercial (CC) zoning district and requires a use permit plus a 1,000-foot buffer from any school, day care, or faith-based…

Junk dealers and secondhand dealers, including cash-for-gold shops, operating in unincorporated Alameda County must hold a sheriff-issued license before doing business; operating…

Union City administratively approves complete small residential rooftop solar applications and limits review to one consolidated inspection, implementing the state Solar Rights Act's…

Before filing a Union City rooftop solar permit application, homeowners must verify the roof structure can carry the system's loads and confirm the home's electrical panel and wiring…

Alameda County HOAs cannot prohibit solar under CA Civil Code 714 (Solar Rights Act). Only reasonable restrictions are allowed that do not significantly reduce efficiency or raise cost.

Union City exempts holiday lights and decorations from sign permit review entirely, as long as they carry no commercial message: no size, duration, or design review applies.

Union City allows one freestanding freeway-oriented sign per lot, but only in special industrial or commercial zones on parcels of at least three acres near Interstate 880, capped at…

Union City exempts temporary political signs from sign-plan review but bars them from rights-of-way, medians, and utility poles, requires natural illumination, and mandates removal…

Union City allows one garage/yard sale sign on the sale property, plus up to four directional signs on other private lots with permission, but only on weekends and holidays, capped at…

Union City exempts window signs from permit review only if they cover no more than 25% of the window's surface area and don't flash: exceed that and the sign becomes an outright…

Union City bans digital, animated, and changeable-copy signs citywide, and separately prohibits billboards and other off-premises advertising signs, with no permit path around either…

Union City doesn't protect trees by species, § 12.16.170(B)(2) sets protection by trunk size and property type, from a 12-inch threshold on commercial land up to 35 inches on…

Union City can individually designate a 'significant tree' a Landmark under § 18.106.110, triggering Chapter 18.106's overlay-zone protections against removal or alteration without…

Union City requires a Public Works Director permit before planting any tree in a street, parkway, park, or public place, under the City's adopted Tree Planting Policy.

Union City requires covered landscape irrigation systems to accommodate current or future recycled-water use and to meet state and local recycled-water standards, capping the water-use…

Union City's water-efficient landscape ordinance bars new turf in non-residential and multifamily projects except recreational areas, and caps it on steep slopes, applying to permitted…

It is unlawful to loiter, stand, or sit on any Union City street, alley, sidewalk, or crosswalk in a way that blocks pedestrians or vehicles, under Municipal Code § 9.36.020.

Union City bans aggressive panhandling in any public place, including approaching within three feet, blocking someone's path, or touching them without consent.

Union City makes it unlawful to drink alcohol on streets, sidewalks, parks, or any public or private property open to public view: private residences are the only exemption.

Union City's definition of 'smoke' in its public smoking law expressly includes marijuana smoke, so recreational marijuana smoking is banned wherever tobacco smoking is banned, though…

Union City fines hosts up to $1,000 for a loud or unruly gathering with underage drinking, plus cost recovery for police, fire, and EMS response.

Union City bans smoking in unenclosed public places, including parks and other recreational areas, service areas, dining areas and workplaces, unless a compliant designated smoking…

In Union City's central traffic district and business districts, pedestrians must cross roadways only in marked or unmarked crosswalks; crossing elsewhere there violates Municipal Code…

Unincorporated Alameda County bans skateboarding on roadways at unsafe speeds, on divided highways, near intersections, after dark, and anywhere in a business district's streets…

Union City limits building lot coverage to 50% of site area in all RS single-family zoning districts, rising to 70% in RM 3500/2500 and 80% in RM 1500 multifamily districts, under…

Union City sets a 20-foot minimum front yard in RS districts, 25 feet in the RS 10000 and RS 8000 districts, and 10 feet in RM districts under its residential zoning code.

Union City caps residential structures at 30 feet in RS districts, 45 feet in RM 2500 and RM 3500 districts, and 75 feet in the higher-density RM 1500 district.

Union City requires commercial, industrial and multifamily dumpster enclosures to sit outside required setbacks and circulation aisles, get reviewed by the hauler before permitting…

Dumping, burning, or burying solid waste anywhere in Union City is prohibited outright, with violations treated as a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

Union City's franchised hauler holds exclusive rights to collect yard waste citywide; hiring an unauthorized hauler is an infraction, and illegal collectors face escalating fines up to…

Union City requires every single-family household to subscribe to organics collection and sort food waste into the green compost cart under its SB 1383 implementing ordinance, enforced…

Union City requires every household and business to set out recyclable material for at least weekly collection and use the containers supplied by the city's franchised recycling hauler.

Union City requires every residential property to subscribe to weekly solid waste collection through the City's franchisee, and failing to do so is a punishable infraction.

Union City's franchised hauler must pick up residential trash weekly, organic waste every other week, recycling weekly, and commercial or industrial trash one to five times a week…

Union City's solid waste franchisee must pick up bulky items like appliances from single-family homes up to twice a year at no charge, on request.

Union City requires residential trash, recycling and organic waste carts to be screened from public right-of-way view, set out no earlier than sunset the night before collection, and…

Property owners fronting a public street in Union City must maintain and repair the abutting sidewalk so it does not endanger persons or property, and are liable to the public for…

Union City bans hedges, fences, and any other structure that blocks an existing sidewalk walkway or impedes pedestrian and vehicular sight lines within the public right-of-way.

Anyone wanting to build, place, or excavate anything within a Union City street right-of-way must first obtain a written encroachment permit from the City Engineer, backed by fees and…

Cannabis dispensaries and cultivation sites in Union City must stay 100 feet from schools, child care, parks, libraries, and youth centers, and off any residential parcel.

Commercial cannabis uses are banned in every Union City zoning district except the specific industrial and commercial zones expressly listed in Chapter 18.117, each requiring a…

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…

Using a Union City park building, picnic area, campsite, or plaza for an exclusive or group gathering requires a written permit from the City Manager or Leisure Services; using the…

Union City requires an administrative use permit for outdoor arts-and-crafts fairs and multiple-vendor events on developed commercial or industrial sites, capping them at five days…

Union City requires site plan review before a restaurant can operate a private sidewalk cafe, plus a five-foot clear pedestrian path and hour limits near housing.

Any parade or procession of more than ten vehicles or twenty people on an unincorporated Alameda County roadway needs a sheriff-issued permit filed 20 to 30 days in advance.

Union City law makes overgrown yard vegetation likely to harbor rats or vermin a public nuisance when it's visible from the street, and Code Enforcement can order it abated under the…

Alameda County health inspectors can order food facility workers to attend a food safety class after repeated violations or if staff lack basic food-safety knowledge.

Alameda County's Department of Environmental Health scores unincorporated-area food facilities and posts a green, yellow, or red placard after each inspection.

Chapter 6.54 makes pharmaceutical manufacturers fund a take-back program for used needles, syringes, and lancets across all of Alameda County, incorporated cities included, so…

Union City requires a development permit before any construction, filling, or grading in a mapped special flood hazard area, and violations of the floodplain chapter are a misdemeanor…

Union City requires a permit before any grading, filling, excavation or land-disturbing activity, with drainage facilities reviewed as part of the site map and grading plan under Title…

Union City requires new construction and substantial improvements in flood hazard areas to elevate the lowest floor to or above the base flood elevation, certified by a licensed…

Union City bans discharging anything but stormwater into the city storm sewer system under its Storm Water Management and Discharge Control Ordinance, covering runoff from parking…

The California Coastal Act, Public Resources Code sections 30000 through 30900, requires Coastal Development Permits for nearly all work in the coastal zone and gives the Coastal…

Union City bars any machine, including a generator, from causing a 'noise disturbance,' and caps added sound on residential lots at 10 dBA above the ambient level measured at the…

Union City bars using a vehicle horn or car alarm when the vehicle is parked unless there is an actual, imminent threat to life, health, or property.

Unincorporated Alameda County bars loading and unloading of crates, containers, or trash cans between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. if it disturbs a neighbor's residential property.

Unincorporated Alameda County caps residential air conditioning and refrigeration equipment noise at 55 dB(A) for units installed before July 1980, and 50 dB(A) for newer units.

Unincorporated Alameda County bans stereo, TV and instrument sound plainly audible at 50 feet at any hour, and defines audible bass alone as enough to prove a violation.

Bars and nightclubs in unincorporated Alameda County must keep exterior noise at or under the county's decibel table, day and night.

Union City's code has no ordinance branded 'downtown design guide'; instead its Civic Center Design Control District (CCDCD) mandates high-quality architecture, site planning, and…

Union City may approve extra dwelling units above the normal zoning cap under its density bonus rule, when the increase matches California's State Density Bonus Law and the project…

Union City's water-efficient landscape ordinance bars installing any species on the California Invasive Plant Council's 'Don't Plant a Pest' list and strongly discourages other…

Alameda County does not have a specific bamboo ban, but running bamboo that spreads onto neighboring properties can be addressed as a nuisance under county ordinances and California…

Union City's Agricultural (A) zoning district exists to shield land suited for farming from incompatible development and prevent premature building until streets, drainage, and…

Alameda County Code shields lawful commercial agricultural operations from private and public nuisance lawsuits triggered only by changed conditions on neighboring land, protecting…

Union City's weed abatement chapter requires owners of any parcel of land, improved or unimproved, to keep it free of weeds, dirt, dead trees and rubbish or face Fire Chief-ordered…

Union City adopts the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, giving the city authority to require repair, vacation, or demolition of structures dangerous to health and…

Alameda County, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, has no snow sidewalk clearing ordinance because measurable snowfall is extremely rare in unincorporated lowlands.

Union City taxes hotel and short-term rental stays at 8.5% of the daily room rate under its Transient Occupancy Tax ordinance, adjusted annually to the consumer price index.

Union City requires administrative or Planning Commission approval before altering, adding to, or reconfiguring a structure designated a cultural resource or landmark in its Landmark…

Union City's Finance Collector decides which of the seven business tax categories a company falls into, an administrative determination businesses can appeal to the Collector and then…

Unincorporated Alameda County caps garage sales at two per property every 12 months, with each sale limited to two consecutive days under the county's real property nuisance ordinance.

Alameda County HOAs enforce CC&Rs under Civil Code 5850-5865. Before imposing fines, associations must provide written notice, an opportunity to be heard, and a published schedule of…

Alameda County HOAs must offer Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) under Civil Code 5900-5920 and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) before filing most lawsuits. Both processes are…

Alameda County HOAs follow Civil Code 5600-5740 for assessments. Regular assessments cannot increase more than 20 percent annually, and special assessments over 5 percent of budget…

Alameda County HOAs conduct architectural review under Civil Code 4765. Associations must provide fair, reasonable procedures with written decisions within a defined timeframe and a…

HOAs in Alameda County operate under California Davis-Stirling (Civil Code 4000+). Board meetings require 4-day notice, open session participation, and minutes available within 30 days.

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…

Civil Code section 4735 voids any HOA rule that bans low-water plants, turf replacement, or artificial turf, and bars fines for cutting back watering during a declared drought…

Civil Code § 4745 voids any HOA covenant or governing-document rule that prohibits or unreasonably restricts installing an EV charging station in an owner's unit or designated parking…

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…

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…

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…

Civil Code § 4741 bars every California homeowners association from adopting or enforcing a rule that prohibits, or unreasonably restricts, renting out a separate interest, and sets a…

Tenants in unincorporated Alameda County can request county-arranged mediation within 45 days of giving a landlord written notice of untenantable conditions, before other remedies.

Anyone peddling goods on foot, by stand, or by vehicle in unincorporated Alameda County must hold a business license, with a fee schedule set by what's being sold and how it's peddled.

Unincorporated Alameda County bars driving or parking a vehicle in a marked bicycle lane except to turn, enter a driveway, load passengers, or park where parking adjacent to the lane…

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…

Alameda County has no dedicated data-center ordinance. A data center is regulated only through general industrial zoning, the M-1, M-2, and M-P districts, plus Site Development Review…

California is a two-party (all-party) consent state. Recording any confidential communication without all parties' consent is a crime under Penal Code 632. This applies to phone calls…

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…

California's Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act under Labor Code 245-249 mandates paid sick leave for nearly all employees statewide. SB 616 (2023) raised the minimum to 40 hours…

California regulates concealed carry weapons licenses statewide under Penal Code 26150 through 26225. Senate Bill 2 (2023) imposes uniform sensitive-place restrictions and applicant…

California preempts most local firearm regulation under Government Code 53071 and Penal Code 25605, reserving licensing, registration, and manufacture authority to the state. However…

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…

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…

California's Gambling Control Act bars any city or county from issuing a gambling license to a cardroom unless a local ordinance authorizes it first: one adopted by voters after…

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…

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…

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…

Sobriety checkpoints are lawful in California and stopping at one is a statutory obligation, not a courtesy. Vehicle Code § 2814.2(a) requires a driver to stop and submit to a sobriety…

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…

California has no general stop-and-identify statute. The old Penal Code § 647(e), which required a person lawfully detained to give "credible and reliable" identification, was held…

California has no statute that requires you to consent to a search of your car, and none that requires an officer to warn you that you may refuse. What the Legislature and the voters…

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…

California restricts expanded polystyrene food containers statewide through SB 54 (2022) packaging requirements under Public Resources Code 42040-42081. The law mandates that…

California Public Resources Code 42270-42273, enacted by AB 1884 (2018), prohibits full-service restaurants from providing single-use plastic straws unless requested by the customer…

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…

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…

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…

California does not let you put a cover over your license plate. Vehicle Code section 5201(c) allows exactly two things: a full car cover on a lawfully parked vehicle, and a license…

No section of the California Vehicle Code makes it an offense for a private motorist to own, carry or use a radar detector. The prohibition in Vehicle Code section 28150 reaches only…

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…

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…