Can California Cities Ban Artificial Turf on My Property?

This page is for California homeowners who want to know whether their city can stop a turf install, or force out turf they already have. We read the state statute and the code text in six cities; the table sets each city's rule, date and effect on existing turf side by side.

What did SB 676 change?

Government Code 53087.7 used to bar cities and counties from enforcing any ordinance that prohibits "the installation of drought-tolerant landscaping, synthetic grass, or artificial turf on residential property." That bar came from AB 1164, signed in 2015 during the drought.

SB 676 (Allen), approved October 8, 2023 as Chapter 498, rewrote the section. It now protects only "drought-tolerant landscaping using living plant material," and adds: "'drought-tolerant landscaping' shall not include the installation of synthetic grass or artificial turf." It took effect January 1, 2024, and applies to charter cities too.

Each city or county now decides whether to act. CalMatters reported at signing that Millbrae and San Marino had "already begun moving to prohibit fake lawns."

Which California cities restrict artificial turf on homes?

These are the six cities whose current rules we read. Two ban it; four allow it with front-yard conditions.

If your city is not listed, assume nothing. "Not listed" means we did not read its code, not that it allows turf.

Can my city make me remove turf I already have?

Yes, and two cities already do, by different routes. Millbrae lets turf "legally installed prior to January 1, 2024" stay under conditions, according to the city's summary and Chapter 8.65. It must follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule with no holes, tears, stains, discoloration, seam separations, lifted surfaces, loose netting, buckling, heat degradation or excessive wear. It must stay "taut and flush with subgrade" and permeable, nearby paving must stay free of blades and crumb rubber, and no one may park on it.

Damage "to the extent of thirty-five percent of their replacement cost new" requires removal and replacement "with water-efficient natural landscaping," as does turf that can no longer be maintained to that standard. Noncompliance is a nuisance the city may abate.

San Marino uses a date instead. The San Marino Tribune reported the council's 4-1 vote on September 27, 2024: turf is banned in residential areas except up to 200 sq ft in rear yards, and homeowners must remove anything beyond that "by 2030."

Run your own replacement figure through the turf cost calculator before you need it.

Is SB 676 a statewide ban on artificial turf?

No. The statute prohibits nothing; it only stops protecting turf from local bans, and Sacramento, Beverly Hills, Glendale and Garden Grove all still allow it. The opposite error, that turf is still protected because it saves water, was true against cities until 2024. Now Government Code 53087.7 protects only living plants.

Does SB 676 let my HOA ban artificial turf?

No. SB 676 amends a Government Code section that binds cities and counties; the bill never mentions homeowners associations or the Civil Code, whatever installer blogs suggest.

HOAs are governed by Civil Code 4735, which still voids association rules that prohibit, or have the effect of prohibiting, artificial turf. (see our HOA turf laws by state). But 4735 limits the association, not the city: in Millbrae your HOA cannot ban turf, and the city already has.

What do the cities that allow turf require?

Front-yard conditions: a coverage cap, living plants, clear tree driplines and drainage.

• Beverly Hills (10-3-2619.5) has the strictest spec: 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 inch pile, two blade colors plus thatch, sand or zeolite infill only, drainage of at least 30 inches per hour, an 8-year warranty, 3 inches of compacted base, and nothing within 18 inches of the front lot line or 3 feet of the house. Permits issue only while the council "has declared and implemented stage D water conservation measures," so ask whether Stage D is in force. A 2025 front-yard ban with a 15-year phase-out passed the Planning Commission 3-0, the Beverly Press reported, and the City Council rejected it on July 17, 2025, per the Beverly Hills Courier.
• Glendale (Chapter 30.31) requires plants to make up more than 50% of a street setback, and turf does not count as plants. It also requires 1 1/2 inch blades in three colors, natural infill such as sand or cork, and slopes under 25%.
• Garden Grove (Ordinance 2947) caps front-yard turf at 75% of the required landscape area, requires an 8-year "No Fade" warranty and bans rubber infill.
• Sacramento (17.612.010) is the loosest: turf "and its substrate" must be permeable, at least 1.25 inches tall, and outside tree driplines.

Sacramento's front-yard ban dated "in some form, since 1984," according to a 2016 CBS Sacramento report, and older articles still call it current. They are out of date: the code now allows turf under the three conditions above. The city's water rebate still excludes turf, its grass conversion FAQ says; see our rebates and water rules guide.

A product built to Beverly Hills' spec, with three blade colors, sand infill and an 8-year no-fade warranty, meets all four codes' material rules; our pile height guide explains the numbers.

Our rule of thumb before you install

1. Read your city's landscaping or front-yard section yourself. Search the code for "artificial turf" and "synthetic." If it bans turf, stop.
2. Ask the planning desk in writing whether a ban or a turf study is pending. San Marino ran a temporary ban before adopting its permanent one.
3. Where turf is allowed, build to the strictest spec above. It holds up if your city tightens later; front yards covers layouts that pass review.
4. Keep the warranty, invoice and spec sheet. Under a maintenance-based rule they prove legal installation and replacement cost; see our warranties guide.

This framework is ours, not a regulation. Fire codes are separate again: see Zone 0 and turf, and our California regional guide for build conditions.

When does this page stop applying?

It covers city ordinances on private residential property, not parks, schools, HOA rules, leases or rebate terms. A city that allows turf today can adopt a ban at any council meeting. This page reports code text; it is not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

Can a California county ban artificial turf, or only cities?

Both. Government Code 53087.7 names "a city, including a charter city, county, or city and county," so a county can regulate turf in unincorporated areas the way a city can within its limits. None of the six codes we read is a county's, so check your county zoning code if you live outside city limits.

Does SB 676 apply to turf in my backyard?

The state law covers "residential property" with no front or back distinction, so it depends on the city. Millbrae's ban is citywide; San Marino allows 200 sq ft in a rear yard. The four cities that allow turf mostly regulate front and street side yards and leave backyards alone.

Can I install turf now before my city adopts a ban?

Where turf is legal today, you can install it, and it will count as legally installed if a ban follows. That did not make Millbrae's existing lawns permanent: they stay only under maintenance conditions and the 35% damage trigger, and San Marino set a removal date. Pull any required permit, keep the paperwork, and assume a future ordinance could limit how long the lawn stays.

Why are cities banning artificial turf?

The ordinances give their own reasons. Millbrae's purpose section names plastic blades and crumb rubber in stormwater, absorption of stormwater, disposal waste and "potential environmental carcinogens." San Marino's council debate focused on PFAS and BPA, runoff, drainage and enforcement. Our safety and health guide covers what the research says about those concerns.