Visalia, CA

Visalia prohibits three specific forms of vehicle noise: sounding a horn for any purpose not allowed by state law, operating a vehicle with an exhaust system loud enough to be…

Using amplified music or sound equipment in any Visalia city park is banned without a permit. Even with a permit, loudspeakers and music devices cannot exceed 60 decibels measured at…

Visalia sets tiered exterior dBA limits at the property line of any noise-sensitive land use: daytime limits range from 50 to 70 dBA depending on duration, with nighttime limits 5 dBA…

Construction equipment is prohibited near noise-sensitive land uses from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. on weekdays and from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends; routine residential property maintenance is…

Power-assisted leaf blowers, lawn mowers, and other property-maintenance power equipment cannot be used near homes, schools, hospitals, churches, or libraries on weekday evenings…

Visalia prohibits any 'disturbing or unreasonably loud noise' that disturbs the peace, quiet, and comfort of a neighborhood at any time: no specific quiet-hour window is defined in…

Excessive or untimely barking, howling, or other animal noise that disturbs neighbors is a public nuisance and can result in citations, but only after the owner has been made aware of…

Unincorporated Tulare County does not regulate aircraft noise. The County General Plan Noise Element states that aircraft operations are preempted by federal and state regulation and…

Cottage food operations in Visalia are treated as home occupations and require a city home occupation permit, but they get a few relaxed rules: including allowing one on-site employee…

Home businesses in Visalia require an administrative home occupation permit from the planning department, and no public hearing is required.

No customers are allowed to visit a Visalia home business for any business transaction: the prohibition is absolute.

Permanent commercial signs are banned in all residential zones, so home businesses cannot put up a permanent business sign. Temporary noncommercial signs up to 24 sq ft are allowed…

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…

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…

In Visalia's residential zones, all driveways must be paved, and any parking in the front yard setback area must be on an impervious surface such as pavement or concrete.

Visalia Municipal Code 10.16.210 prohibits parking commercial vehicles with an unladen weight over 5,000 pounds in residential districts, except briefly for loading or unloading.

Visalia has no blanket citywide overnight parking ban, but Visalia Municipal Code 10.16.190 authorizes the City Manager to post 'all-night parking prohibited' zones, and downtown…

Leaving an inoperative, abandoned, wrecked, or dismantled vehicle on private or public non-highway property for more than 10 days is a misdemeanor, unless the vehicle is fully enclosed…

Visalia prohibits parking any vehicle on a public street or alley for more than 72 consecutive hours, and recent 2024 amendments now require vehicles to be moved at least 1,000 feet to…

RVs, travel trailers, and boats cannot be stored on a Visalia public street under the 72-hour rule, and a December 2024 amendment added stiff penalties and a 1,000-foot relocation…

Tulare County runs an expedited, streamlined permit process for electric vehicle charging stations under Chapter 32, required by state law. Applications are reviewed only for health…

Curb colors in unincorporated Tulare County are set by County Code 3-03-1126: red = no stopping/standing/parking; yellow = freight or passenger loading; white = 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…

All short-term rentals in Visalia must collect and remit the city's transient occupancy tax, and owners must hold a valid City of Visalia business license.

Since December 6, 2023, every short-term rental in Visalia must hold a city-issued STR permit, a Business Tax Certificate, and operate only in the habitable interior of a primary…

Visalia caps overnight STR occupancy at two persons per bedroom plus one. A studio is limited to 3 guests; a 4-bedroom STR to 9; a 6-bedroom STR to 13. Weddings, parties, receptions…

STR guests in Visalia must park only in the property's driveway or garage, and the rental must have at least two off-street parking spaces.

Visalia STRs have mandatory quiet hours: no outdoor activity (pools, hot tubs, courts, play equipment) between 10 PM and 6 AM, and no amplified or reproduced sound audible from outside…

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…

Dogs must be on a leash of no more than 6 feet in all park areas outside of designated off-leash zones. Within off-leash areas, dogs still must wear a collar with ID tags at all times.

Under Visalia Municipal Code section 17.12.020, livestock keeping (excluding pigs) is permitted in the R-1-20 zone subject to a cap of two cows, two horses, four sheep, or four goats…

Visalia's official Animal Services Licensing page requires every dog and cat over four months of age residing in the city to be licensed but does not publish a numeric per-household…

Visalia has no breed-specific dog ordinance because California Food and Agricultural Code section 31683 prohibits cities from regulating any specific dog breed under their…

Unlike dogs, cats that are spayed/neutered or currently licensed by the City of Visalia are allowed to roam freely off their owner's property. Unaltered, unlicensed cats that run at…

Beekeeping requires a conditional use permit in Visalia's Agricultural and Open Space zones and is not listed as a permitted or conditional use in residential zones.

Keeping wild or exotic animals as pets or for display is prohibited in Visalia. The only exceptions are licensed zoos, circuses, commercial animal establishments, and theatrical…

Every dog in unincorporated Tulare County must carry an implanted microchip under Ordinance Code § 4-07-3220, and owners must register the chip number with Animal Services and the…

Dogs in unincorporated Tulare County must be spayed or neutered by six months old under Ordinance Code § 4-07-3225, with exceptions for police dogs, dogs with a veterinarian's letter…

Tulare County bans hunting, killing, wounding, frightening, capturing, injuring or otherwise molesting any bird or animal inside a County Park or Recreation Area under Ordinance Code §…

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…

Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 8.56 (Property Maintenance) governs weeds, overgrowth, junk, and trash on private property. Complaints are taken by the Visalia Fire Department…

Under Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 12.20 (Street Tree Ordinance), the adjoining property owner is responsible for watering and trimming the street tree in front of their property and…

Visalia operates under a permanent Stage 2 Water Alert: sprinkler irrigation is allowed only twice a week (Wednesday/Sunday for even-numbered addresses, Tuesday/Saturday for odd)…

Under Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 12.24 - as amended August 4, 2025 by Ordinance No. 2025-06 - any person who wants to destroy or remove an oak tree on public property with a trunk…

Unincorporated Tulare County residents may compost yard trimmings and food scraps on their own property instead of subscribing to organic waste pickup, but a community composting…

Since SB 676 took effect in 2024, Government Code 53087.7 protects only drought-tolerant living landscaping from local bans, so cities may again prohibit artificial turf. Civil Code…

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…

The 2012 Rainwater Capture Act allows California residents to capture rainwater from rooftops for non-potable outdoor use without a state water-right permit, preempting most local…

Visalia Municipal Code section 15.40.020 requires a 'no fee' permit from the City Building Department before any fence is erected, altered, or moved. The Fence Ordinance applies to all…

Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.36 allows fences to be built of any generally acceptable material in residential zones, but barbed wire and electrically charged fences are…

Visalia requires commercial and mixed-use properties that border residential neighborhoods to build a 7-foot concrete block masonry wall on the shared property line. If the commercial…

Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.36 caps residential fences, walls, and hedges at 7 feet in height in side and rear yards. Within a required front yard or street-side yard on a corner…

Backyard recreational burning is constrained by VMC Chapter 8.44 (open burning) and the 2022 California Fire Code adopted at VMC 8.20.010. Wood-fueled recreational fires must comply…

Under VMC Chapter 8.56, Visalia Fire's Prevention Division enforces weed and debris abatement on vacant and developed parcels. Grass and weeds must be kept under 3 inches; failure to…

Dangerous fireworks are banned in Visalia; only 'safe and sane' fireworks may be used and must be sold only between 9am and 11pm daily from June 29 through July 4. Violations carry…

Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 8.44 prohibits most open burning. Burning of trash, plastic, demolition material, treated wood, and most cut vegetation is banned, and any allowed burn…

Tulare County has formally designated Moderate, High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones across the unincorporated Local Responsibility Area, matching the map CAL FIRE transmitted…

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.

Any pool, including above-ground pools, that is 18 inches or more deep must have a compliant childproof barrier at least 5 feet tall with self-closing, self-latching gates.

Visalia pool owners may substitute a constantly present adult observer or a city-approved pool cover in place of a fence. Separately, the water conservation ordinance permanently…

Before getting a building permit for a junior ADU (JADU), owners must record a deed restriction requiring them to live on the property for at least three years: either in the main home…

A junior ADU (JADU) in Visalia cannot be sold separately from the primary dwelling: both must remain under the same ownership. This restriction is recorded in a deed restriction that…

ADUs under 750 square feet pay no impact fees at all in Visalia. Larger ADUs pay fees proportional to their size relative to the primary dwelling.

Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.14 (adopted by City Council on January 21, 2025) regulates ADUs ministerially under California Gov. Code 66310-66342, allowing attached or detached…

Visalia MC section 17.12.020 permits accessory structures on R-1 single-family lots, including storehouses, garden structures, greenhouses, recreation rooms, and hobby shops…

Visalia MC section 17.14.060(B) recognizes a stand-alone garage converted into an ADU as a Detached ADU, and 17.14.080(C)(1)(c) waives off-street parking for ADUs that are part of an…

Tulare County has formally adopted the 2022 California Residential Code, based on the 2021 International Residential Code, for all unincorporated area construction, and that adoption…

Permanent window signs in commercial zones may cover the full window area if made of durable materials (etching, electronic displays, etc.) and need no separate sign-area accounting…

Holiday and cultural decorations, including strings of lights, are fully exempt from Visalia's sign permit requirements. The only restriction is that decorations cannot include…

Political and other noncommercial signs may be placed wherever any permitted sign is allowed, without extra approval. In residential zones the aggregate limit is 8 sq ft for permanent…

Tulare County does not publish a dedicated garage-sale-sign ordinance. Temporary garage-sale and directional signs in unincorporated areas are limited by the County Zoning Ordinance…

Blocking pedestrian or vehicle traffic flow on any Visalia public sidewalk, street, or other public way is unlawful. Additional clearance rules prohibit sitting or camping within 10…

In Visalia, if a tree damages the curb, gutter, or sidewalk adjacent to your property, you, the adjoining property owner, are responsible for paying for the repair or replacement. Tree…

Minors under 18 cannot be in public places between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. without an adult, unless they qualify for one of several listed exceptions such as returning from an event…

County parks and recreation areas in unincorporated Tulare County are closed to the public during hours set by Board of Supervisors resolution, and it is unlawful to enter, loiter, or…

Home cannabis cultivation in Visalia is limited to 6 plants per residence, must occur in a fully enclosed and secured non-living accessory structure that meets all building and zoning…

Visalia only permits delivery-only medical marijuana retail businesses: no storefront dispensaries are allowed. These delivery-only operations must comply with city zoning requirements…

Visalia must issue solar permits the same day for complete over-the-counter applications, or within 1–3 business days for electronic applications, through a streamlined…

Visalia requires a building permit for any new small residential rooftop solar system, though routine maintenance and like-kind replacements are exempt from permitting.

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…

Skateboarding in Visalia is only permitted in the city's designated skate park at 345 North Jacob Street. Riders must wear a helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads while in the skate park.

Smoking is prohibited in virtually all indoor public places in Visalia, stores, restaurants, banks, workplaces, theaters, hospitals, and schools, as well as in the seating areas of…

Visalia can cite both party hosts and property owners for disturbances, fines start at $100 and reach $500 for repeat calls, and a social-host provision separately penalizes adults who…

Tulare County bans loitering, standing or sitting at the entrance to any church, hall, theater or other place of public assemblage anywhere it obstructs the entrance, under Ordinance…

Tulare County can declare any County Park or Recreation Area an 'Alcohol Free' zone by resolution once alcohol use there has forced staff to call law enforcement, and once declared it…

Backyard BBQs and grills at single-family and duplex homes do not require a permit; the fire must be constantly attended, kept away from structures and combustible materials, and have…

Outdoor fireplaces, fire bowls, and fire pits used for cooking or ambiance must burn only clean dry wood or charcoal, have a fire area no larger than 3 feet in diameter and 1 foot…

Visalia requires residential trash bins to be stored on the property, out of sight from the street, on all non-collection days: leaving bins visibly at the curb between pickups is an…

All Visalia properties are required to subscribe to city refuse service, with a minimum of one pickup per week for each container type, trash, recyclables, and organics, for…

Every Visalia household and business must source-separate recyclables and organic waste into designated containers; mixing waste types is an infraction and the contaminated container…

Visalia prohibits burying refuse, depositing trash into someone else's bins, hauling refuse through city streets without authorization, and burning garbage: all are misdemeanors or…

Yard waste, grass clippings, leaves, prunings, branches, and stumps, must be source-separated into a dedicated organics container for weekly collection, or composted on-site; mixing it…

Unincorporated Tulare County residents get large discarded items like furniture, mattresses and big appliances hauled away by calling their Franchise Hauler for an on-call bulk pickup…

Commercial businesses and multifamily properties of five or more units in unincorporated Tulare County must enroll in the county's three-container collection service under Ordinance…

State-mandated SB 1383 organics recycling is enforced locally in unincorporated Tulare County: every single-family generator must subscribe to the county's organic waste collection…

Every occupied home or business in a designated unincorporated Tulare County service area must subscribe to regularly scheduled collection with the County's Franchise Hauler, a…

Garage sales in Visalia must run between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and cannot last longer than three consecutive days.

Adjoining property owners in Visalia are responsible for watering and trimming street trees in the parkway strip in front of their property, and must keep branches at least 14 feet…

Visalia formally recognizes 'landmark trees', any native or non-native tree designated by city council resolution for its age, size, outstanding habitat value, beauty, or historical or…

The Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) is a protected species throughout all of Visalia. It is a crime to willfully remove, destroy, damage, mutilate, poison, or attempt to kill any Valley…

Anyone who wants to go door-to-door selling or soliciting in Visalia must first be fingerprinted, pass a Department of Justice background check, and obtain a city business tax…

Single-family homes in Visalia's R-1 zone need at least 15 feet of front setback for living space and 22 feet for garages or carports. Side yards are 5 feet interior and 10 feet on…

The maximum building height in Visalia's single-family residential zones (R-1, R-1-12.5, R-1-20) is 35 feet. Accessory structures in the rear yard are capped at 12 feet.

Camping in public parks, streets, and vacant fields is prohibited as a public nuisance in Visalia; camping on private property is only allowed in the rear yard of a single-family home…

Sitting, sleeping, lying down, or camping on public sidewalks in Visalia's commercial and downtown zones is prohibited. Camping on public ways, near schools, or on levees, ditch banks…

Flying recreational drones (remote-controlled aerial vehicles) is not permitted in Visalia city parks and recreation areas. City Manager authorization is required for any designated RC…

Remote-controlled recreational devices, including flying drones and wheeled RC vehicles, are prohibited in all Visalia city parks and recreation areas without specific City Manager…

Massage establishments in Visalia must obtain a city business tax certificate (the massage establishment permit), and every massage therapist on staff must hold a current CAMTC…

Smoke shops and tobacco stores in Visalia require a conditional use permit and are restricted to mixed-use commercial zones, with mandatory buffer distances from schools and other…

Anyone buying, selling, or collecting junk for profit in unincorporated Tulare County, fixed-location or itinerant, must hold a County license under Ordinance Code Chapter 6-19…

Tulare County requires anyone operating an adult-oriented bookstore, cabaret, theater, motel or novelty shop in the unincorporated area to hold a license from the license collector…

Mobile food vendors operating in Visalia's designated overlay districts must obtain an annual registration permit and show proof of county health certification, a city business tax…

Food trucks in Visalia's overlay districts must stay at least 300 feet from any restaurant entrance and 300 feet from residential properties, and must operate only during defined meal…

Any parade, festival, assembly, or other special event using Visalia city parks or public rights-of-way requires prior authorization from the City Manager. Applications must be…

Closing a public street for a block party in Visalia requires a special event permit from the City Manager. Because block parties use a public right-of-way, the application must be…

Any outdoor music festival in unincorporated Tulare County drawing more than 500 people needs a County license filed at least 60 days in advance, with detailed security, sanitation…

Tulare County requires a written Board of Supervisors permit before anyone may hold a parade, march or procession, or play a wind or stringed instrument, on a public highway in the…

Visalia declares a wide range of property conditions public nuisances: including abandoned vehicles, broken-down equipment, dilapidated structures, unsecured buildings, and any…

Visalia implements California state density bonus law, granting additional units and regulatory incentives to housing developments that include affordable housing or housing for…

Any construction or development in Visalia's designated flood hazard areas requires a development permit, and new residential buildings in AE flood zones must elevate their lowest…

Tulare County requires a grading permit before excavation, fill, or dredging on unincorporated land, under Ordinance Code § 7-15-1360, adopted specifically to control erosion and stop…

Tulare County bans dumping refuse, animal waste or any non-storm-water pollutant into its storm drain system (MS4) in the unincorporated area. The Storm Water Quality and Regulation…

New construction and substantial improvements in unincorporated Tulare County flood zones must have the lowest floor elevated to the minimum set by the California Building Code and…

Tulare County caps diesel-fueled commercial vehicle idling at 5.0 minutes at any location under Ordinance Code § 3-04-1020, mirroring the state's Title 13 CCR § 2485 rule. It applies…

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…

Tulare County has no dedicated data center ordinance. In unincorporated areas a data center is an industrial use, sited in the M-1 or M-2 manufacturing zone under Zoning Ordinance No…

Tulare County has no standalone noise ordinance. Its General Plan Noise Element bars new industrial noise sources from exceeding 60 dB Ldn/CNEL at the boundary of a residential zone…

Unincorporated Tulare County controls light trespass through General Plan policies and nuisance enforcement rather than a numeric light-trespass ordinance. Policy LU-7.18 requires park…

Unincorporated Tulare County does not have a standalone dark-sky ordinance, but its General Plan 2030 sets outdoor-lighting policy. Policy LU-7.19 requires lighting in residential…

Tulare County adopts the 2022 California Electrical Code for all unincorporated territory under Ordinance Code § 7-15-1485. A permit is required for electrical work on buildings…

Tulare County adopts the 2022 California Plumbing Code, based on the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code, for all unincorporated territory under Ordinance Code § 7-15-1565. Well-location rules…

Tulare County requires a building permit for construction, alteration, or repair in the unincorporated area under the 2022 California Building Standards Code, adopted whole by…

Unincorporated Tulare County builds under the 2022 California Green Building Standards Code, Title 24 Part 11, adopted wholesale by county ordinance for every covered project. The…

New construction in unincorporated Tulare County must meet the rodent-proofing standards of Appendix F of the California Building Code, adopted into the county's own building…

Since April 1, 2014, throwing used needles and other home-generated sharps in the trash or recycling has been illegal in Tulare County, and every sharps retailer must run a free…

In unincorporated Tulare County, no card room or gaming club can open without both a State of California gambling license and a separate County gambling establishment license filed…

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…

In unincorporated Tulare County, every hotel, motel, and short-term residential rental must charge transients a 10% tax on rent. Operators collect it at time of payment and remit it to…

Customers on Tulare County-run Water Service Areas must fix plumbing breaks, leaks or malfunctions within 72 hours of discovery under Stage 2 water conservation rules, tightening to 48…

When someone reports a suspected substandard housing nuisance on unincorporated Tulare County property, the Resource Management Agency's enforcement officer can inspect it with the…

A commercial agricultural operation in unincorporated Tulare County cannot be declared a nuisance over a changed condition in the surrounding area once it has run for more than three…

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…

When a Tulare County enforcement officer finds a rental structure in the unincorporated area to be both substandard and a public nuisance, § 7-15-3570 lets the county order repair…

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…

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.

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…

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…

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%…

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…

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 HOAs may levy regular and special assessments, charge late fees and interest, record liens, and ultimately foreclose on delinquent owners under the Davis-Stirling Act. State…

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…

California overrides HOA governing documents on several owner protections. The Davis-Stirling Act and related Civil Code sections bar HOAs from prohibiting solar systems, U.S. flag…

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…

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…

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…

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 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…

California bans retail sale of most flavored tobacco products statewide under Health and Safety Code 104559.5, enacted by SB 793 (2020) and upheld by voters via Proposition 31 in…

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…