ARTICLE 2. Powers and Duties of Legislative Bodies [50020. - 50034.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 2.
in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50020. Section 50020.

When a statute requires a local agency to take legislative action by resolution and the local agency is required by its charter to take legislative action by ordinance, action by ordinance is compliance with the statute for all purposes.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50022.1. Section 50022.1.

(a) “Code,” as used in this article, means any statute, or any published compilation of rules, regulations or standards adopted by the federal government or the State of California, or by any agency of either of them. It shall include any codification or compilation of existing ordinances of the adopting local agency. It shall include any nationally recognized or approved published compilations of proposed rules, regulations or standards of any private organization or institution which has been in existence for a period of at least three years. (b) “Primary code,” as used in this article, means any code which is directly adopted by reference, in whole or in part, by any ordinance passed pursuant to this article. (c) “Secondary code,” as used in this article, means any code which is incorporated by reference, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in any primary code or in any secondary code. (d) “Published,” as used in this article, means issued in printed, lithographed, multigraphed, mimeographed or similar form. (e) “Approved,” as used in this article, means the approval of the legislative body of the local agency, as the result of investigation and tests conducted by such agency or by reason of the accepted principles or tests by recognized national or state authorities, technical, or scientific organizations.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50022.2. Section 50022.2.

Provided that all the procedures and requirements of this article are complied with, any local agency is hereby authorized to enact any ordinance which adopts any code by reference, in whole or in part; and such primary code, thus adopted, may in turn adopt by reference, in whole or in part, any secondary codes duly described therein. Every primary code which is incorporated in any such adopting ordinance shall be specified in the title of the ordinance. A local agency ordinance may adopt a code, the adoption of which is expressly required or permitted as a condition of compliance with a state statute, by reference without complying with the procedures and requirements of this article.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50022.3. Section 50022.3.

After the first reading of the title of the adopting ordinance and of the title of the code to be adopted thereby, and of the title of the secondary codes therein adopted by reference, the legislative body shall schedule a public hearing thereon. Notice of the hearing shall be published pursuant to Section 6066 in a newspaper of general circulation in or nearest to the adopting local agency. If there is no such newspaper in the county the notice shall be posted in the same manner as provided for the posting of a proposed ordinance. The notice shall state the time and place of the hearing. It shall also state that copies of the primary code and also copies of the secondary codes, if any, being considered for adoption, are on file with the clerk of the legislative body, and are open to public inspection. The notice shall also contain a description which the legislative body deems sufficient to give notice to interested persons of the purpose of the ordinance and the subject matter thereof.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50022.4. Section 50022.4.

After the hearing, the legislative body may amend, adopt or reject the adopting ordinance in the same manner in which it is empowered to act in the case of other ordinances; and, except as to the adoption of a code of existing ordinances of the adopting agency, nothing in this article shall be deemed to permit the adoption by reference of any penalty clauses which may appear in any code which is adopted by reference. Any such penalty clauses may be enacted only if set forth in full, and published, in the adopting ordinance. It is further provided that all changes or additions to any code made by the legislative body shall be published in the manner which is required for ordinances.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50022.5. Section 50022.5.

Nothing contained in this article shall be deemed to relieve any local agency from the requirement of publishing in full the ordinance that adopts any code, and all provisions applicable to the publication shall be fully carried out.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50022.6. Section 50022.6.

At least one copy of each primary code adopted by reference, and of each secondary code pertaining thereto, all certified to be true copies by the clerk of the legislative body, shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the legislative body at least 15 days preceding the hearing, and shall be kept there for public inspection while the ordinance is in force. However, after the adoption of the code by reference, one copy of the primary code and of each secondary code may be kept in the office of the chief enforcement officer instead of in the office of the clerk of the legislative body.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50022.7. Section 50022.7.

If at any time any code which any local agency has previously adopted by reference, shall be amended by the agency which originally promulgated or adopted it, then the legislative body may adopt such amendment or amended code by reference through the same procedure as required for the adoption of the original code; or an ordinance may be enacted in regular manner, setting forth the entire text of such amendment.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50022.8. Section 50022.8.

Copies of such codes in published form, duly certified by the clerk of the legislative body, shall be received without further proof as prima facie evidence of the provisions of such codes or public records in all courts and administrative tribunals of this State.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50022.9. Section 50022.9.

A city may enact ordinances which adopt by reference county ordinances, codes, or any parts thereof and any amendments thereto by complying with the requirements of this article.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50022.10. Section 50022.10.

A code adopted and fully published or adopted by reference as provided in this article, may be subsequently recodified or recompiled and thereafter adopted by reference in the same manner as prescribed by this article for the original adoption by reference of the code.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50023. Section 50023.

The legislative body of a local agency, directly or through a representative, may attend the Legislature and Congress, and any committees thereof, and present information to aid the passage of legislation which the legislative body deems beneficial to the local agency or to prevent the passage of legislation which the legislative body deems detrimental to the local agency. The legislative body of a local agency, directly or through a representative, may meet with representatives of executive or administrative agencies of state, federal, or local government to present information requesting action which the legislative body deems beneficial to, or opposing action deemed detrimental to, such local agency. The cost and expense incident thereto are proper charges against the local agency.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50024. Section 50024.

The legislative bodies of local agencies may enter into associations and through a representative of the associations attend the Legislature and Congress, and any committees thereof, and present information to aid the passage of legislation which the association deems beneficial to the local agencies in the association, or to prevent the passage of legislation which the association deems detrimental to the local agencies in the association. The cost and expense incident thereto are proper charges against the local agencies comprising the association.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50026. Section 50026.

The legislative body of any local agency, chartered or general law, which is otherwise authorized by law or charter to impose any tax on the privilege of earning a livelihood by an employee or any other tax, fee or charge on or measured by the earnings, or any part thereof, of any employee, shall not impose any such tax, fee or charge on the earnings of any employee, when such employee is not a resident of the taxing jurisdiction, unless exactly the same tax, fee or charge at the same rate, with the same credits and deductions, is imposed on the earnings of all residents of the taxing jurisdiction who are employed therein. This section shall not be construed as authorizing any tax prohibited by Section 17041.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code or any other provision of law, nor shall it be construed so as to prohibit the levy or collection of any otherwise authorized tax upon a business measured by or according to gross receipts.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50026.5. Section 50026.5.

(a) The legislative body of any local agency, chartered or general law, which is otherwise authorized by law or charter to impose any tax, shall not impose any tax, fee, or charge on or measured by the sale of any stocks, bonds, or any other securities. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to prohibit any imposition of any local tax, fee, or charge, in connection with the sale of those securities, whether that imposition is imposed on the transaction itself, on the privilege of engaging in any transaction, or in any other form. (c) The Legislature finds and declares that the need for uniform statewide regulation and taxation of securities transactions is a matter of statewide concern, and it is the Legislature’s intent to regulate the subject matter of securities comprehensively and to occupy the field to the exclusion of local action.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50027. Section 50027.

Any city, county, or city and county in the State of California may, pursuant to such provisions as may be prescribed by its governing body, prohibit or regulate the practice of astrology for compensation. In connection therewith, the governing body may prescribe such rules and regulations as it deems advisable to protect users of such astrological services. The power granted cities, counties, and cities and counties pursuant to this section is in addition to any authority granted by Section 37101 or by charter provision or by Sections 16000 and 16100 of the Business and Professions Code.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50028. Section 50028.

(a) The legislative body of any county, city, or city and county, whether general law or chartered, may adopt, by ordinance, such rules and regulations as it deems necessary, which require any coin-operated viewing machine to have permanently attached thereto a tally counter that will count each coin, and accumulate that count or the accumulated amount of money, deposited in the coin-operated viewing machine. The tally counter shall be resistant to tampering, and shall not be capable of being reset to a lower number, and shall display the count in such a manner that the accumulated total is readily visible near the coin insertion slot or opening. For purposes of this section, “coin-operated viewing machine” means any projector, machine, television, or other device that displays for viewing motion pictures, projection slides, filmstrips, photographic pictures, video recordings, or drawings, and that is operated by the viewer, or for the viewer, by means of inserting a coin into the device, an attachment thereto, an enclosure surrounding the device, or any other device electrically or mechanically connected thereto. For purposes of this section, “coin” means any physical object, including, but not limited to, a piece of metal issued by the federal government as money. “Coin-operated viewing machine” does not include an electronic video game of skill wherein the image is created, generated, or synthesized electronically, or coin-operated television receivers that display commercial or public service broadcasts. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any county ordinance adopted pursuant to this section shall be enforceable within the incorporated, as well as the unincorporated, area of the county, whether general law or chartered, unless a city ordinance in direct conflict with that county ordinance has been adopted, in which case the county ordinance shall be enforceable in the area of the county outside the city. (c) (1) Any person who violates the provisions of the ordinance adopted pursuant to this section shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for each machine and each day in which a violation occurs. (2) In determining the amount of the penalty, the court shall take into consideration all relevant circumstances, including, but not limited to, the frequency of inspection, the cashflow through the machine, the amount of revenue derived by other machines in the vicinity, prior revenues generated, the nature and persistence of the violation, and prior violations by the same person or establishment. (d) No peace officer, as defined in Section 830 of the Penal Code, shall check tally counters, provided, however, that an ordinance adopted pursuant to this section may provide for checking of tally counters by a person or persons employed by the adopting county, city, or city and county, other than a peace officer, on a predetermined schedule. (e) The provisions of this section shall not be construed to limit, or otherwise affect, any other power of a county, city, or city and county to license, tax, or regulate business or commercial enterprises or property within their jurisdiction, but shall be in addition to those powers.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50029. Section 50029.

The board of supervisors of the County of Orange or the city council of any city in that county may, by resolution, establish a fee program requiring the payment of a fee as a condition of issuing a building permit for purposes of defraying the actual or estimated cost of constructing bridges over waterways, railways, freeways, and canyons, or constructing major thoroughfares pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 66484.3.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50030. Section 50030.

Any permit fee imposed by a city, including a chartered city, a county, or a city and county, for the placement, installation, repair, or upgrading of telecommunications facilities such as lines, poles, or antennas by a telephone corporation that has obtained all required authorizations to provide telecommunications services from the Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Communications Commission, shall not exceed the reasonable costs of providing the service for which the fee is charged and shall not be levied for general revenue purposes.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50031. Section 50031.

(a) A city, including a charter city, county, including a charter county, or city and county, including a charter city and county, that approves a building permit for the construction of an electrified security fence shall notify the local fire department and fire marshal and provide them with a copy of the approved permit. (b) For purposes of this section, the term “electrified security fence” has the same meaning as that term is defined in Section 835 of the Civil Code.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50032. Section 50032.

(a) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish minimum crowd safety standards to guide local authorities when permitting large outdoor events throughout the state. (b) It is the intent of the Legislature to ensure that the minimum crowd safety standards, as established pursuant to this section, inform the event permitting processes administered by cities, counties, and local public safety agencies to ensure public health and safety at large outdoor events by outlining best practices for the permitting process. (c) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Large outdoor event” means an organized outdoor event that is held in a nonpermanent venue featuring performances on one or more stages that has an estimated attendance level of more than 10,000 participants per day. (2) “Local authority” means any city, including a charter city, county, including a charter county, city and county, including a charter city and county, or any applicable local public agency, including a local fire, police, or sheriff’s department. (3) “Nonpermanent venue” means a location not designed to host concerts or festivals on a regular basis, such as a green field or parking lot, that may erect temporary structures for a concert or festival, including, but not limited to, stages, seating, security barriers, or concession services and other event tents. (4) “Promoter” means an individual, association, corporation, partnership, or other organization that arranges, holds, organizes, or otherwise conducts a large outdoor event. (d) (1) A local authority shall adopt the minimum crowd safety standards set forth in subdivision (e). (2) A local authority that has preexisting special events protocols that substantially address crowd safety in accordance with the minimum standards set forth in subdivision (e) is exempt from this section. (e) (1) Under the direction and at the discretion of local authorities, a promoter that seeks to hold a large outdoor event shall prepare an event operations plan that addresses all potential risks of the event. The plan shall include all of the following: (A) Event overview. (B) Site plan, to scale, depicting the event perimeter, all structures onsite, points of ingress and egress, including emergency exits, and crowd circulation areas. (C) Festival management structure. (D) Incident command post operations. (E) Security plan. (F) Crowd management for ingress, venue circulation, egress, and front-of-stage management. (G) Medical plan. (H) Emergency action plan that includes, but is not limited to, response to a severe weather natural disaster, a person presenting a substantial threat, response to injury, an emergency show stop procedure, and communications plans for both internal and public-facing communication. (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the event is a performance that by its nature places the performers at risk, including, but not limited to, rodeos and monster truck rallies, the event operations plan need not address that risk. (f) A local authority may approve a large outdoor event upon satisfactory review of the event operations plan, as described in subdivision (e). (g) A local authority may charge the promoter a fee, which may not exceed the reasonable costs to the local authority for the review and approval of the event operations plan. (h) This section does not apply to the permitting of any of the following types of events: (1) An event held at a fair that has adopted the Department of Food and Agriculture’s “Contract Policy and Recommended Best Practices for Contracting by California Fairs.” (2) An event regulated pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 27200) of Division 6 of Title 4 of Part 6 of the Penal Code. (3) An event that is part of an annual fair within the network of California fairs, as described in Division 3 (commencing with Section 3001) of the Food and Agricultural Code, if the primary purpose of the event is to exhibit or promote the state’s agriculture, livestock, or industrial or natural resources through exhibits, vendors, or other educational programming. (4) This section does not prevent or otherwise limit the ability of a local authority to adopt additional or more stringent requirements applicable to large outdoor events than the requirements of this section.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50033. Section 50033.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law: (1) The legislative body of a city, county, or city and county shall not grant credit for service to an elective officer for service that the elective officer has not performed. (2) The legislative body of a city, county, or city and county shall not pay contributions for credit for service if an elective officer has not performed the service, regardless of the fact that the elected officer may personally elect to contribute for additional credit for service. (b) The prohibition provided by this section does not preclude an elective officer from choosing to receive credit for service in a retirement system by paying his or her own contributions for that purpose pursuant to the applicable provisions of the retirement system.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 50034. Section 50034.

(a) (1) No later than January 1, 2029, a local agency that maintains an internet website for use by the public shall ensure that the internet website utilizes a “.gov” top-level domain or a “.ca.gov” second-level domain. (2) If a local agency that is subject to paragraph (1) maintains an internet website for use by the public that is noncompliant with paragraph (1) by January 1, 2029, that local agency shall redirect that internet website to a domain name that does comply with paragraph (1). (b) No later than January 1, 2029, a local agency that maintains public email addresses for its employees shall ensure that each email address provided to its employees utilizes a “.gov” domain name or a “.ca.gov” domain name. (c) For purposes of this section, “local agency” means a city, county, or city and county.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026

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