About Us

The Code Enforcement Officer works closely with Building and Planning department staff to ensure compliance with our codes.  Once a complaint is received, we will review the allegations and schedule an inspection of the site if potential violations exist.  After the site visit, the inspectors submit a report to the Code Enforcement Officer for further review.  Planning staff may be consulted regarding violations of the zoning regulations.  When it is determined that a violation of our codes exists, we will notify the property owner of the violations and try to achieve voluntary compliance to correct the problems.  When the violations are not corrected in a voluntary manner, we have several actions we may take to resolve the violations:

1) Issue an Administrative Citation:  All persons with interest in the property will be subject to a daily fine starting at $100.00 and increasing up to $500.00 for each violation.

2) Seek an Injunction:  The City of San Luis Obispo may seek a court order which will require interested parties to comply with City laws, be liable for civil penalties of $250.00 per day and pay all costs including attorney fees to ensure the public nuisance is abated.

3) File a Criminal Complaint:  Each violation constitutes a misdemeanor and carries a maximum penalty of six (6) months in jail and a $1,000 fine for each day the violation exists.

Our "Request for Field Investigation" form should be used to begin a code enforcement action.  Please supply all the necessary information so we can determine if a violation exists.  Please feel free to contact the Code Enforcement Officer at 781-7179 prior to submitting your request so we can clarify issues and provide interpretations of the regulations if required.

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