Amended by Stats. 1985, Ch. 985, Sec. 2.5.
The enacting clause of all ordinances of the board of supervisors shall be as follows: “The Board of Supervisors of the County of ____ ordains as follows.”
Article 7 - Ordinances
California Government Code — §§ 25120-25132
Sections (14)
Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 242, Sec. 4. (SB 858) Effective January 1, 2026.
(a)Every ordinance shall be signed by the chairperson of the board and attested by the clerk. When attesting to an electronic or digital signature, the clerk may presume that the signature is genuine and attributable to the signatory if the electronic or digital signature complies with the requirement set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 16.5.
(b)The amendments made to this section by the act that added this subdivision shall not be construed to affect the
validity of a clerk’s attestation to any other digital or electronic signature.
Added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.
On the passage of all ordinances the votes of the several members of the board shall be entered on the minutes, and all ordinances shall be entered at length in the ordinance book.
Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 91, Sec. 1. Effective June 15, 1983.
All ordinances shall become effective 30 days from the date of final passage, except the following ordinances, which shall take effect immediately:
(a)Those calling or otherwise relating to an election.
(b)Those specifically required by this code or by any other law to take immediate effect.
(c)Those fixing the amount of money to be raised by taxation, or the rate of taxes to be levied.
(d)Those for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, which shall contain a declaration of the facts constituting the urgency, and shall be passed by a four-fifths vote of the board of supervisors.
(e)Those specifically relating to the adoption or implementation of a memorandum of understanding with an employee organization.
(f)Those relating to salaries and other compensation of officers, other than elected officers, and employees.
Added by Stats. 1971, Ch. 556.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 25123, that portion of any ordinance which changes supervisorial salaries shall become effective 60 days after its adoption.
Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 615, Sec. 188. (AB 474) Effective January 1, 2022. Operative January 1, 2023, pursuant to Sec. 463 of Stats. 2021, Ch. 615.
(a)Except as provided in subdivision (c), within 15 days after the passage of an ordinance it shall be published once, with the names of the members voting for and against the ordinance, in a newspaper published in the county if there is one, and if there is no newspaper published in the county, the ordinance shall be posted in a prominent location at the board of supervisors’ chambers within the 15-day period and remain posted thereafter for at least one week. The local agency, at its option, may include in an ordinance reclassifying land either a brief description accompanied by a map of the boundaries of the property, as recited in the notice of hearing, or a complete metes and bounds description accompanied by a map depicting the reclassified property
and adjacent properties. Except for maps, any exhibit attached to and incorporated by reference in an ordinance need not be published in its entirety if the publication lists all those exhibits by title or description and includes a notation that a complete copy of each exhibit is on file with the clerk of the board of supervisors and is available for public inspection and copying in that office in accordance with the California Public Records Act, Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1. A certificate of the clerk of the board of supervisors or order entered in the minutes of the board that the ordinance has been duly published or posted is prima facie proof of the publication or posting.
(b)The publication or posting of ordinances, as required by subdivision (a), may be satisfied by either of the following actions:
(1)The county board of supervisors may publish a summary of a proposed ordinance or proposed amendment to an existing ordinance. The summary shall be prepared by an official designated by the board of supervisors. A summary shall be published and a certified copy of the full text of the proposed ordinance or proposed amendment shall be made available to the public upon request by the clerk of the legislative body at least five days prior to the board of supervisors meeting at which the proposed ordinance or amendment or alteration thereto is to be adopted. The clerk also shall either post a copy of the full text of the ordinance or amendment on the county’s internet website or post a certified copy of the full text in the office of the clerk five days prior to the board of supervisors meeting at which the proposed ordinance or amendment
or alteration is to be adopted. Within 15 days after adoption of the ordinance or amendment, the board of supervisors shall publish a summary of the ordinance or amendment with the names of those supervisors voting for and against the matter and the clerk shall make available to the public, upon request, a certified copy of the full text of the adopted ordinance or amendment along with the names of those supervisors voting for and against the ordinance or amendment. The clerk of the board of supervisors shall also either post a copy of the full text of the ordinance or amendment and the names of those supervisors voting for and against the ordinance or amendment on the county’s internet website or shall post in the office of the clerk of the board of supervisors a certified copy of the full text of the ordinance or amendment along with the vote information specified in this paragraph.
(2)If the county official designated by the board of supervisors determines that it is not feasible to prepare a fair and adequate summary of the proposed or adopted ordinance or amendment, and if the board of supervisors so orders, a display advertisement of at least one-quarter of a page in a newspaper of general circulation in the county shall be published at least five days prior to the board of supervisors meeting at which the proposed ordinance or amendment or alteration thereto is to be adopted. Within 15 days after adoption of the ordinance or amendment, a display advertisement of at least one-quarter of a page shall be published. The advertisement shall indicate the general nature of, and provide information about, the proposed or adopted ordinance or amendment, including information sufficient to enable the public to obtain
copies of the complete text of the ordinance or amendment, and the names of those supervisors voting for and against the ordinance or amendment.
(c)If the clerk of the board of supervisors fails to publish an ordinance within 15 days after the date of adoption, the ordinance shall not take effect until 30 days after the date of publication.
Added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.
No county ordinance passed prior to September 13, 1941, is void solely by reason of the fact that it was not published for a full week within 15 days after its passage, if the first actual publication of the ordinance was within the 15-day period, and thereafter actual publication was made for a full week.
Added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.
Any or all ordinances of any county which have been enacted and published in accordance with the provisions of its charter or this article, and which have not been repealed, may be compiled, consolidated, revised, indexed, including such restatement and substantive change as is necessary in the interest of clarity, and arranged as a comprehensive ordinance code.
Added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.
The ordinance code may be adopted by reference by the passage of an ordinance for the purpose, which shall be adopted and approved in the manner provided by charter or this article for the passage of ordinances for the county.
Added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.
The ordinance code itself need not be published in the manner required for other ordinances, but not less than three copies of the code shall be filed for use and examination by the public in the office of the clerk of the county prior to the adoption thereof.
Amended by Stats. 1986, Ch. 320, Sec. 1.
After the code has been adopted all ordinances thereafter adopted pertaining to the subjects in the code shall be amendatory or revisory of the code. No section or subsection of the code shall be revised or amended by reference. The ordinance section or subsection revised or amended shall be adopted and published in the manner prescribed in Section 25124. Nothing in this section shall preclude repealing or rendering inoperative by reference any section or subsection if language in the ordinance fairly identifies the subject matter of the sections or subsections which would be repealed or rendered inoperative by the ordinance.
Added by Stats. 1961, Ch. 287.
An ordinance code adopted and fully published, or adopted by reference as provided in this article, may be subsequently recompiled, recodified and indexed, including such restatement and substantive change as is necessary in the interest of clarity, in the same manner as prescribed by this article for the original adoption by reference of an ordinance code.
Amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 371, Sec. 15. (SB 1473) Effective January 1, 2021.
Ordinances shall not be passed within five days of their introduction, nor at other than a regular meeting or at an adjourned regular meeting. However, an urgency ordinance may be passed immediately upon introduction and either at a regular or special meeting. Except when, after reading the title, further reading is waived by regular motion adopted by majority vote, all ordinances shall be read in full either at the time of introduction or passage; provided, however, that a reading of the title or ordinance shall not be required if the title is included on the published agenda and a copy of the full ordinance is made available to the public online and in print at the meeting before the introduction or passage. When ordinances,
other than urgency ordinances, are altered after introduction, they shall be passed only at a regular or at an adjourned regular meeting held at least five days after alteration. Corrections of typographical or clerical errors are not alterations within the meaning of this section. This section shall not apply to ordinances which by statute can be passed only after notice and a public hearing.
Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 307, Sec. 1. (SB 60) Effective September 24, 2021.
(a)Violation of a county ordinance is a misdemeanor unless by ordinance it is made an infraction. The violation of a county ordinance may be prosecuted by county authorities in the name of the people of the State of California, or redressed by civil action.
(b)Every violation that is an infraction is punishable by the following:
(1)A fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) for a first violation.
(2)A fine not exceeding two hundred dollars ($200) for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year of the first violation.
(3)A fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one year of the first violation.
(c)Notwithstanding any other law, a violation of local building and safety codes that is an infraction is punishable by the following:
(1)A fine not exceeding one hundred thirty dollars ($130) for a first violation.
(2)A fine not exceeding seven hundred dollars ($700) for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year of the first violation.
(3)(A) A fine not exceeding one thousand three hundred dollars ($1,300) for each
additional violation of the same ordinance within one year of the first violation.
(B)A fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for each additional violation of the same ordinance within two years of the first violation if the property is a commercial property that has an existing building at the time of the violation and the violation is due to failure by the owner to remove visible refuse or failure to prohibit unauthorized use of the property.
(d)(1) Notwithstanding any other law, including subdivisions (b), (c), and (e), a violation of an event permit requirement that is an infraction is punishable by the following:
(A) A fine not exceeding one hundred fifty dollars ($150) for the
first violation of an event permit requirement.
(B) A fine not exceeding seven hundred dollars ($700) for a second occurrence of the same violation of an event permit requirement by the same owner or operator within three years of the first violation.
(C) A fine not exceeding two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) for each additional occurrence of the same violation of an event permit requirement by the same owner or operator within three years of the first violation.
(2)(A) For purposes of this subdivision, “violation of an event permit requirement” means failure to obtain a permit required for a professionally organized special event on private property that is commercial in nature, or from which
the owner or operator derives a commercial benefit.
(B)For purposes of this paragraph, the following definitions apply:
(i)“Commercial in nature” means that a primary purpose of the special event is to derive an economic benefit resulting from the holding of the event through admission charges or sales of merchandise that occur as part of the event.
(ii) “Commercial benefit” means any remuneration received in exchange for allowing the property upon which the event occurs to be used for the event, including any remuneration that results
from the rental of the property for a term of less than 31 consecutive days.
(e)(1) Notwithstanding any other law, including subdivisions (b), (c), and (d), the violation of a short-term rental ordinance that is an infraction is punishable by the following:
(A) A fine not exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) for a first violation.
(B) A fine not exceeding three thousand dollars ($3,000) for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year.
(C) A fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one year of the first violation.
(2)For purposes of this section, “short-term rental” means a residential dwelling, or any portion of a residential dwelling, that is rented to a person or persons for 30 consecutive days or less.
(3)For purposes of this section, “residential dwelling” means a private structure designed and available, pursuant to applicable law, for use and occupancy as a residence by one or more individuals. “Residential dwelling” does not include a commercially operated hotel, motel, bed and breakfast inn, or time-share property as defined by subdivision (aa) of Section 11212 of the Business and Professions Code.
(4)The fine limits set by this subdivision apply only to infractions that pose a threat to public health or safety. The fines described
in this subdivision shall not apply to a first time offense of failure to register or pay a business license fee. Nothing in this subdivision limits the authority of a county, or city and county, to establish lower fines for specific violations by ordinance.
(f)A county levying a fine pursuant to paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivisions (b) and (c), and paragraph (1) of subdivision (e), shall establish a process for granting a hardship waiver to reduce the amount of the fine upon a showing by a responsible party that the responsible party has made a bona fide effort to comply after the first violation, and that payment of the full amount of the fine would impose an undue financial burden on the responsible party.