Code Enforcement

Effective January 3, 2022, Code Enforcement will not be available for walk in customers. 
If you would like to schedule an appointment or submit a new complaint you can call our main office phone number at 650.522.7150. You can reach us via email codeenforcement@cityofsanmateo.org or submit an online complaint.

Our mission is to enhance the City of San Mateo's quality of life by ensuring and protecting the health, safety, and welfare of all residents and visitors.

Code Enforcement Officers are non-sworn officers / investigators, who posses specialized training in, and whose primary duties are the prevention, detection, investigation, and enforcement of laws regulating public nuisance, public health, safety, and welfare, public works, business activities, building standards, land-use, or municipal affairs.

Code Enforcement
  1. Citizen Self-Service (CSS)
  2. Landlord & Tenant Resources
  3. Mediation Services
  4. Emergency Housing

Plans, Permits and Inspections Go Online with Our Citizen Self-Service (CSS) Portal!

Customer Self-Service (CSS) PortalSkip the line…now you can track permits, planning applications, code enforcement cases, business tax records, and request inspections online from anywhere, at any time using a computer, tablet, or smartphone!

The Citizen Self-Service (CSS) Portal let’s you search records by address, date range, permit number, or parcel number – you can also use the interactive map search feature. You no longer need to call or come into City Hall during business hours to request inspections or look up current and past records – everything’s online and available to you 24/7 from any electronic device. 

Visit the Citizen Self-Service (CSS) Portal today!

Our Philosophy


The City’s policy is to achieve voluntary compliance with reported and discovered code violations. However, not all violations have the same degree of severity. As such, the City has established priority ranking and procedures. The intent is to allow the level of enforcement that best fits the type and circumstances of the code violation(s) within clear and objective criteria, consistent with the established priorities, and maximize available resources.
 

Priorities


It is the City's policy to investigate and attempt to resolve all reported and discovered code violations. There may be times when code violations cannot be given the same level of attention, or when the City may be unable to carry out proactive code enforcement activities. In such circumstances the most serious violations will be addressed before the less serious violations, regardless of the order in which the complaints are received.

Examples of the Departments established priorities:
  1. Violations that present an imminent threat to health and safety or the environment;
  2. Building code violations consisting of non-permitted construction or failure to obtain permits for construction
  3. Land Use and Zoning violations
Complaints alleging code violations that do not fall within the priority rankings above will be processed in the order in which the complaints are received, and as resources allow.

Confidentiality


Our policy is to maintain the confidentiality of Code Enforcement complaint files and computer records, including the identity of the complainant, to the extent legally possible.

Assisting Enforcement by Other Regulatory or Licensing Agencies


In some cases, City code violations also may constitute violations of federal and/or state statutes or administrative rule. For example, performing building construction without necessary permits may constitute violations of state laws and administrative rules governing the conduct of licensed contractors. Code Enforcement staff shall notify other agencies of known violations. 

Resolution of Code Complaints


It is the City’s policy to attempt to reach final, satisfactory resolutions of all code violation complaints. However, the City recognizes that not all complaints may be resolved successfully, due to factors outside the City’s control. Where the City determines that a code violation may not be successfully resolved within the established reasonable timelines, alternative methods of enforcement may be explored.

Non-Applicability to Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&R's) or Civil Disputes


Many subdivisions and planned communities are subject to private, recorded covenants, conditions, and restrictions (hereafter “CC & R’s”).

Neighbor disputes such as property line fences or trees are civil matters and a good referral source for more information on neighbor disputes is a book entitled “Neighbor Law” printed by Nolo Press.

The City does not enforce private CC & R’s; or civil disputes.