Attachment A
Ordinance
ORDINANCE NO. 20 26-__
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING
SUBSECTION (B) (SAFETY ENHANCEMENT ZONE) OF
SECTION 1.04.010 (VIOLATIONS, PENALTIES AND
ENFORCEMENT) OF CHAPTER 1.04 (CODE
ENFORCEMENT) OF TITLE 1 (GENERAL PROVISIONS),
AMENDING CHAPTER 10.36 (MINOR’S CURFEW), AND
ADDING CHAPTER 10.80 (PUBLIC SAFETY ORDERS
AND REGULATION OF LARGE GATHERINGS ) TO TITLE
10 (OFFENSES AND NUISANCES) AND AMENDING
SECTION 11.03.020 ( GENERAL PROVISIONS ) OF
CHAPTER 11.03 (SPECIA L EVENTS) OF TITLE 11
(RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES) OF THE NEWPORT
BEACH MUNICIPAL CODE TO ADDRESS ILLEGAL
ACTIVITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY DURING HIGH- RISK
PERIODS AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT CROWD EVENTS
WHEREAS, Section 200 of the City Charter, of the City of Newport Beach (“City”), vests the City Council with the authority to make and enforce all laws, rules and regulations with respect to municipal affairs subject only to the restrictions and limitations contained in the City Charter and the State Constitution, and t he power to exercise, or act pursuant to any and all rights, powers, and privileges or procedures granted or prescribed by any law of the State of California;
WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes that certain periods of high public activity (“high-risk periods”) including, but not limited to, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day weekends, as well as spring break, have historically attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to the City's beaches, parks, commercial districts, and public rights-of-way, placing extraordinary demands upon public safety resources and municipal infrastructure; and increasing public safety risks, including noise disturbances, illegal fireworks, overcrowding, and other violations of the law;
WHEREAS, between August 30, 2025, and September 1, 2025 (Labor Day 2025), law enforcement officers made approximately 33 arrests and issued 63 citations;
WHEREAS, between May 22 and May 25, 2026 (Memorial Day 2026) , law enforcement officers made approximately 60 arrests and issued 287 citations;
WHEREAS, despite extensive planning, enhanced staffing, regional coordination, expanded enforcement, and comprehensive public safety preparations, Ordinance No. 2026-__
the events occurring on July 4, 2026, demonstrated vulnerabilities requiring additional regulatory tools;
WHEREAS, during the evening of July 4, 2026, social media postings intentionally promoted gatherings that rapidly attracted thousands of individuals to the Newport Pier area, causing crowded conditions that were substantially different from ordinary holiday activity;
WHEREAS, as the crowd expanded, individuals blocked public streets, obstructed emergency vehicle access, ignored repeated lawful orders to disperse, and launched fireworks, mortars, and other projectiles at police officers and members of the public, requiring the Newport Beach Police Department to activate its regional mutual aid plan;
WHEREAS, approximately 400 law enforcement officers from 17 law enforcement agencies were ultimately deployed to restore public order, clear streets and beaches, and reopen emergency access routes;
WHEREAS, between July 3 and July 5, 2026, law enforcement officers made approximately 439 arrests, including approximately 328 arrests arising from the mass incident occurring shortly after midnight on July 5;
WHEREAS, more than 97% of the individuals arrested during the mass incident resided outside Newport Beach, demonstrating that the unlawful gathering was not primarily a neighborhood event but rather a destination event drawing participants from throughout California and other states after online promotion; WHEREAS, approximately 20% of the individuals arrested during the mass incident were juveniles between the ages of 13 and 17, demonstrating that minors were significantly represented among those participating in the unlawful gathering; WHEREAS, the City Council finds that limited- duration curfews are an appropriate and narrowly tailored means of protecting persons and property on holidays, such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day given the large crowds and illegal activity, and at such other times when there is widespread disorder, violence, obstruction of emergency access, or substantial threats to public safety; WHEREAS, protecting minors from dangerous conditions, criminal activity, and victimization is among the City ’s most important governmental interests and constitutes a compelling public safety objective supporting narrowly tailored regulations governing access to designated public areas during extraordinary public safety events; Ordinance No. 2026-__
WHEREAS, temporary curfews applicable to minors during designated periods of extraordinary public safety concern encourage parental supervision, reduce opportunities for victimization and criminal conduct, and assist law enforcement officers in safely restoring public order while minimizing unnecessary contacts between minors and the criminal justice system;
WHEREAS, parents and guardians of minors who knowingly permit a minor to violate curfews or fail to exercise reasonable supervision after having knowledge that the minor has violated curfew are contributing to juvenile crime and victimization; WHEREAS, the events occurring on July 4, 2026, demonstrated that social media platforms can rapidly attract large numbers of juveniles to Newport Beach without meaningful supervision or coordination with public safety agencies, substantially increasing risks to those juveniles and to the public;
WHEREAS, organized gatherings intentionally promoted through online or social media platforms and reasonably expected to attract large numbers of participants on City-owned or controlled property require advanced coordination with public safety agencies to ensure adequate staffing, emergency access, sanitation, traffic management, and public safety planning;
WHEREAS, requiring permits for intentionally promoted events that are reasonably expected to attract more than 100 participants on City owned or controlled property is a content -neutral time, place, and manner regulation designed to facilitate public safety planning and not to regulate protected speech based upon its content or viewpoint;
WHEREAS, the Fourth of July weekend this year also resulted in substantial increases in emergency medical responses (approximately 30% increase over 2025 and approximately a 75% percent increase over 2022) , with emergency personnel responding to numerous alcohol -related incidents, traumatic injuries, assaults, overdoses, and firework-related injuries;
WHEREAS, unrestricted vehicle access, curbside stopping, and unmanaged rideshare activity during periods of extraordinary congestion can impede emergency vehicle access, create unsafe traffic conditions, and interfere with the ability of police, fire, and lifeguard personnel to respond promptly to emergencies; WHEREAS, the City Council finds that temporary traffic controls, including the closure of public parking lots that have reached capacity, restriction of vehicle access to highly congested areas, establishment of one- way circulation routes, temporary closure Ordinance No. 2026-__
of streets, and designation of rideshare loading and unloading locations, are necessary tools to preserve emergency access and protect public safety during extraordinary crowd events;
WHEREAS, the City Council further finds that the City Manager and Chief of Police should have limited authority, based upon objective findings and specified criteria, to implement temporary traffic controls, temporarily close parking lots/ facilities or portions of public beaches , regulate vehicle access, establish one- way circulation routes, designate rideshare loadi ng and unloading areas, prohibit stopping by transportation network companies, taxicabs, or similar commercial passenger vehicles outside designated locations during specified periods, and declare temporary emergency curfews when necessary to protect life, maintain emergency access, and preserve public order; and
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that the regulations established by this ordinance are reasonable, content -neutral, narrowly tailored to address demonstrated public safety concerns, leave open ampl e alternative channels for lawful activity, and constitute a valid exercise of the City ’s police power , which is necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of residents, visitors, businesses, and public safety personnel.
NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Newport Beach ordains as follows:
Section 1: Subsection (B) (Safety Enhancement Zone) of Section 1.04.010 (Violations, Penalties, and Enforcement) of Chapter 1.04 (Code Enforcement) of Title 1 (General Provisions) of the Newport Beach Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
B. Safety Enhancement Zone and Public Safety Orders. For any violation of this Code that is committed within an area that has been designated by the City Council as a Safety Enhancement Zone pursuant to Section 1.04.060, during the time that designation is in effect, or any violation of a p ublic safety order pursuant to Section
10.80.030, during the time that order is in effect, the fine shall be treble the amount otherwise prescribed or wher e the violation is considered an infraction and no fine is specified, the fine shall be as follows:
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1. A fine not exceeding three hundred dollars ($300.00) for a first violation;
2. A fine not exceeding six hundred dollars ($600.00) for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year from the date of the prior violation; and
3. A fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one year from the date of the prior violation.
Section 2: Chapter 10.36 ( Minor’s Curfew ) of Title 10 (Offenses and Nuisances) of the Newport Beach Municipal Code is hereby amended to read as follows:
CHAPTER 10.36
MINOR’S CURFEW
Sections
10.36.010 Purpose and Intent.
10.36.020 Definitions.
10.36.030 Minor’s Curfew.
10.36.040 Enforcement.
Section 10.36.010 Purpose and Intent.
The City Council declares its purpose and intent in enacting this chapter is as follows:
A. The hours between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. present unique public safety concerns because lawful recreational activities, youth programs, and commercial activities serving minors are substantially diminished during those hours, while opportunities for criminal activity, alcohol and drug use, vandalism, assaults, reckless conduct, and victimization increase.
B. Minors, because of their age and development al maturity, generally possess a reduced ability to recognize dangerous circumstances, resist peer pressure, assess long-term consequences, and remove themselves from potentially hazardous situat ions during late-night hours without adult supervision.
C. Based on the Newport Beach Police Department’s experience, together with the experience of numerous California jurisdictions that have juvenile curfew ordinances, having reasonable nighttime curfews contributes to reductions in juvenile victimization, Ordinance No. 2026-__
vandalism, disorderly conduct, and other late- night public safety problems while encouraging parental involvement.
D. Juveniles present in public places during late- night hours are disproportionat ely vulnerable to becoming victims of violent crime, property crime, exploitation, alcohol - related offenses, drug activity, traffic collisions and other dangerous conditions.
E. Encouraging parental supervision during nighttime hours promotes the health, safety, and welfare of minors, reduces opportunities for juvenile crime and victimization, and strengthens parental responsibility without unreasonably interfering with legitimate nighttime activities, which are excluded from the curfew.
F. During designated high-risk periods including Memorial Day, the Fourth of July , and Labor Day , an earlier curfew is necessary in the West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone because the City ex periences: (1) an extraordinary increase in visitors, traffic congestion, alcohol consumption, and large unsupervised gatherings that substantially elevate the risk of crime, disorderly conduct, fireworks violations, assaults, and juvenile victimization; and (2) crowd conditions that are fundamentally different from ordinary days, with rapidly increasing attendance beginning in the late afternoon and continuing into the evening, placing a severe demand on public safety personnel, which would be reduced if unsupervised juvenile attendance was restricted before dangerous crowd conditions develop.
G. The earlier West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone curfew is intended to prevent dangerous crowd formation before conditions become unmanageable.
H. The earlier West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone curfew is the least restrictive means to protect emergency access and juvenile safety because it is temporary, geographically limited, and applies only during recurring periods of demonstrated public safety risk.
I. The curfews established by this ordinance are narrowly tailored because they apply only to those times when public safety risks are greatest, apply only to minors, contain reasonable exceptions for employment, emergencies, travel, religious activities, school functions, constitutional activities, and parental supervision, leaving open ample opportunities for lawful activity.
J. Protecting minors from harm, reducing juvenile victimization, encouraging parental supervision, preventing juvenile crime, and promoting the safe use of public spaces Ordinance No. 2026-__
constitute compelling governmental interests supporting reasonable time, place and manner regulations applicable to minors.
Section 10.36.020 Definitions.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words, terms, phrases, and their derivations have the meanings given herein.
“Beach” or “beaches” means any public ocean front or bay front beach within the City, including ocean or bay public piers, public floats, public wharves, or public strands adjoining public ocean front or bay front beach areas.
“Minor” means any person under the age of eighteen (18) years who is not an emancipated minor, as provided in California Family Code Section 7002.
“Public plaza” means an open public area that is owned or controlled by the State, the County, the City, or other public entity that has been phy sically improved, which allows access to the beach, a boardwalk, or public pier, and where people can gather.
“Public property” means all property owned or controlled by the State, the County, the City, or other public entity including, but not limited to, any publicly owned or controlled building, structure, restroom, bridges, beach, parking garage, parking lot, passageway, pier, public right -of-way, public plaza, driveway, landscaped area, parkway, median, greenbelt, open space, public park, or park facility.
“Public rights -of-way” or “public right -of-way” means the area or areas on, below, or above a public roadway, public highway, public street, public sidewalk, public path, public trail, public plaza, public bike lane or path, public boardwalk, public alleyway, or a utility easement in which the City has an interest
“West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone” means the area that has been designated by the City Council as the West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone pursuant to Section
1.04.060 and during the time that designation is in effect.
Section 10.36.030 Minor’s Curfew.
A. It shall be unlawful for any minor to be in or upon any public property, including but not limited to any beach, public plaza, public rights-of-way, or public park, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the following day.
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B. Notwithstanding the restrictions in subsection A, it shall be unlawful for any minor to be in or upon any public property, including but not limited to any beach, public plaza, public rights-of-way, or public park, in the area designated as the West Newport Safety Enhancement Zone between the hours of 6:00 p.m. on Memorial Day, July 4 th, and
Labor Day, and 6:00 a.m. the following day.
C. It shall be unlawful for a parent or guardian of a minor to knowingly permit a minor to violate subsections A or B, or after obtaining knowledge of a curfew violation, fail to exercise reasonable supervision to prevent continued violations by the minor of subsections A or B.
D. The curfew set forth in subsections A and B shall not apply to the following:
1. A minor accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or adult over the age of 25 whom the minor’s parent or legal guardian has authorized to care for the minor;
2. A minor engaged in interstate or intr astate travel through the City or to destinations within the City;
3. A minor traveling directly to or from the minor’s residence by the most direct and reasonably expeditious route, without unnecessary delay;
4. A minor responding to an emergency including obtaining medic al assistance or responding to the direction of emergency personnel;
5. A minor traveling to or from lawful employment or while engaged in lawful employment;
6. A minor who is delayed because of transportation failure or vehicle breakdown;
7. A minor on the property where the minor resides, including the immediately adjacent public sidewalk, if any;
8. A minor attending organized associational activity, such as school meetings, classes or sporting events, religious meetings, dances, concerts, theatri cal performances, or similar events;
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9. A minor engaged in reasonable and direct travel , by the most reasonably expeditious route, to and from those activities described in subsection D (8) of this subsection; or
10. A minor exercising rights protected by the United States Constitution or California Constitution, provided the activity is conducted in a lawful manner.
Section 10.36.040 Enforcement.
Every police officer is hereby authorized and empowered to request from any person, whom the officer has r easonable suspicion to believe is in violation of Section
10.36.030, that such person give his or her name, address, proof of age, the name of the minor’s parent, guardian or adult over the age of 25 authorized by the parent or legal guardian to care for the minor , and other information reasonably necessary to determine whether such violation exists.
Section 3: Chapter 10. 80 (Public Safety Orders ) of Title 10 (Offenses and Nuisances) of the Newport Beach Municipal Code is hereby added to read as follows:
Chapter 10.80
PUBLIC SAFETY ORDERS AND REGULATION OF LARGE GATHERINGS
Sections
10.80.010 Findings and Purpose.
10.80.020 Definitions.
10.80.030 Public Safety Order.
10.80.040 Regulation of Large Gatherings.
10.80.010 Findings and Purpose.
The City Council declares its purpose and intent in enacting this chapter is as follows:
A. Newport Beach experiences extraordinary visitor volumes during certain holidays, special events, and other periods of increased public activity.
B. Large crowds may rapidly develop because of social media promotion or other circumstances without adequate planning or coordination with public safety personnel.
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C. Large uncontrolled crowds may obstruct emergency vehicle access, impede evacuation, create dangerous crowd densities, increase the likelihood of assaults, riots, vandalism, illegal fireworks, alcohol -related offenses, and other threats to public health and safety.
D. During such events, immediate operational flexibility is necessary to preserve life, protect public pr operty, maintain emergency access, facilitate evacuation, and allow police, fire, emergency medical, and lifeguard personnel to safely perform their duties.
E. During rapidly evolving events, conditions may deteriorate within minutes, requiring immediate operational decisions that cannot await further legislative action. These circumstances may not rise to the level of a declared local emergency but nevertheless require prompt action to ensure the safe use of public streets, sidewalks, parks, and other public facilities.
F. The City owns and manages beaches, piers, boardwalks, parks, parking facilities, public rights -of-way, and other public property for the benefit of the public and possesses authority to establish reasonable time, place, and manner regulations governing access to and use of such property.
G. The purpose of this chapter is to provide narrowly tailored authority to temporarily regulate access to public property and implement necessary operational measures whenever objectively verifiable public safety conditions require immediate action.
H. Nothing in this chapter authorizes regulation based upon the content or viewpoint of expressive activity, or the restriction on public access to coastal resources , except to the minimum extent and duration reasonably necessary to protect public safety, preserve emergency access, or respond to objectively identified hazardous conditions.
10.80.020 Definitions.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words, terms, phrases, and their derivations have the meanings given herein.
“Beach” or “beaches” means any public ocean front or bay front beach within the City, including ocean or bay public piers, public floats, public wharves, or public strands adjoining public ocean front or bay front beach areas.
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“Dangerous crowd density” means crowd conditions that reasonably create a substantial risk of crushing, trampling, inability to freely move, delay emergency evacuation, or which could lead to serious bodily injury.
“Emergency access corridor” means any roadway, alley, beach access, sidewalk, fire lane, pathway, or other area designated by police, fire, or lifeguards for emergency vehicle or emergency personnel access.
“Public plaza” means an open public area that is owned or controlled by the State, the County, the City, or other public entity that has been physically improved, which allows access to the beach, a boardwalk, or public pier, and where people can gather.
“Public property” means all property owned or controlled by the State, the County, the City, or other public entity including, but not limited to, any publicly owned or controlled building, structure, restroom, bridges, beach, parking garage, parking lot, passageway , pier, public right -of-way, public plaza, driveway, landscaped area, parkway, median, greenbelt, open space, public park, or park facility.
“Public safety order” means a written administrative order issued by the City Manager or Police Chief pursuant to this chapter establishing temporary operational measures within a designated geographic area to protect public health, safety, welfare or property.
“Public safety area” means the geographic area identified in a public safety order.
“Public safety inciden t” means an occurrence involving dangerous crowd density , criminal activity, civil disorder, fire hazards, medical emergencies, hazardous conditions, or other circumstances creating an imminent threat to public safety requiring coordinated emergency response.
“Public rights -of-way” or “public right -of-way” means the area or areas on, below, or above a public roadway, public highway, public street, public sidewalk, public path, public trail, public plaza, public bike lane or path, public boardwalk, public alleyway, or a utility easement in which the City has interest.
“Safety Enhancement Zone” means the area that has been designated by the City Council as a Safety Enhancement Zone pursuant to Section 1.04.060 and during the time that designation is in effect.
“Shade covering” means any umbrella, canopy, or other shade structure.
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10.80.030 Public Safety Order.
A. Authority. The City Manager and Police Chief are authorized to issue a public safety order whenever the City Manager or Police Chief determines, based upon substantial evidence, that extraordinary circumstances exist creating a significant risk to public safety or property that requires temporary operational measures to protect life, the public health, safety, welfare, or property.
B. Required Findings. Before issuing a public safety order, the City Manager or Police Chief shall make written findings that one or more of the following circumstances exist:
1. There is a public safety incident;
2. Credible information indicates a substantial risk of violence, vandalism, looting, or other criminal activity;
3. A planned or spontaneous gathering is reasonably expected to significantly exceed the capacity of available public infrastructure or public safety resources;
4. Prior events involving substantially similar circumstances have resulted in significant threats to people or property;
5. Public infrastructure or critical facilities require temporary protective measures;
6. Persons are blocking public streets, sidewalks, alleys, bridges, beach access points, public plaza entry points, or emergency access corridors;
7. Illegal fireworks, incendiary devices, explosives, or other hazardous materials present an unreasonable risk of injury or fire;
8. Public safety personnel are unable to safely perform operations because of dangerous crowd conditions;
9. Medical incidents or fire hazards exceed available public safety capability; or
10. Any other objectively identifiable condition comparable in nature and severity to those listed above that cr eates a threat to life, public health, safety, or welfare or property.
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C. Scope of Order. Any public safety order shall be in writing and shall:
1. Describe the factual basis supporting the order;
2. Identify the geographic boundaries of the public safety area;
3. Specify the date and time the order becomes effective; and
4. Identify the temporary operational regulations set forth in subsection D being implemented, which shall be t he least restrictive available to address the specific conditions identified in the written findings.
D. Temporary Public Safety Order. Upon making the findings required by Section
10.80.030(B), the City Manager or Police Chief may issue a public safety order containing temporary operational regulations implementing one or more of the following measures:
1. Restrict pedestrian access;
2. Restrict or prohibit vehicle entry on to designated public streets or public property by means of temporary traffic control devices or law enforcement personnel;
3. Close public parking lots or parking structures;
4. Close piers, parks, boardwalks, greenbelts, alleys, portions of beaches or other public property;
5. Establish one-way pedestrian routes;
6. Establish temporary one-way vehicle circulation routes;
7. Establish emergency access corridors;
8. Suspend additional entry into designated public areas;
9. Establish designated rideshare pickup and drop-off locations;
10. Reserve public areas for emergency operations;
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11. Issue evacuation orders requiring people to leave a designated area;
12. Establish temporary hours of access or temporary curfews applicable to designated public property;
13. Establish regulations to prohibit intentionally organized events reasonably expected to overwhelm available public infrastructure or materially interfere with emergency access, public safety operations, or lawful public use; or
14. Implement any other temporary traffic control measure, authorized by law, o r any comparable pedestrian or access control measure tha t is necessary and is the least restrictive available means to protect life, emergency access, or property.
E. Duration. Any public safety order implemented pursuant to this section shall remain in effect only for so long as the conditions justifying the public safety order continue to exist and shall be terminated immediately when those conditions cease. In no event shall any public safety order remain in effect for more than 24 hours, unless the City Manager or Police Chief makes a subs equent public safety order upon the making of new findings satisfying the requirements set forth in this section.
F. Geographic Scope. Any public safety order shall be limited to the smallest geographic area, which is reasonably necessary to address the public safety conditions.
G. Notice. When reasonably practicable, efforts should be made to provide public notice of the public safety order through signage, posting on the City’s website, public address systems, social media, emergency alerts, or other similar measures designed to provide notice.
H. It shall be unlawful for any person to violate any public safety order issued pursuant to this section.
I. The City Manager or Police Chief shall provide an informational report to the City Council regarding any public safety order issued pursuant to this section within thirty (30) calendar days of the issuance of the order . The report shall include the findings made, measures implemented, duration, arrests, and what other less restrictive measures were considered.
10.80.040 Regulation of Large Gatherings.
A. Removal of Items and Obstructions.
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Any personal property, equipment, furniture, tent, shade covering, canopy, cooler, barricade, sign, or any similar object placed, left, or maintained within a Safety Enhancement Zone while the Safety Enhancement Zone is in effect , or in a geographic area designated in a public safety order while the public safety order is in effect, that blocks emergency access, interferes with public safety operations, creates a fire hazard, or creates an immediate safety hazard, may be temporarily moved or repositioned by the City to the nearest reasonably safe location necessary to maintai n emergency access or protect the public health, safety or welfare . If any item cannot be safely relocated or relocation would not adequately maintain emergency access or protect public health, safety or welfare, the City may remove and impound the property for later retrieval in accordance with applicable law.
B. Large Gatherings. No person shall knowingly organize, sponsor, coordinate, or conduct an intentionally planned event reasonably expected to attract 100 or more participants within a Safety Enhancement Zone, when the Safety Enhancement Zone is in effect, or in a geographic area designated in a public safety order while the public safety order is in effect, without obtaining a special event permit pursuant to Chapter
11.03. Section 4. Section 11.03.020 (General Provisions) of Chapter 11.03 ( Special Events) of Title 11 (Recreational Activities) is hereby amended to read as follows:
11.03.020 General Provisions.
A. Permit Required. No person shall sponsor, conduct, coordinate, promote, operate, maintain, or organize any special event regulated by this chapter and no person shall allow the use of their premises for such a special event without first obtaining a special event permit in accordance with this chapter and paying the required fee.
B. Applicability. These regulations shall apply to the following special events:
1. Outdoor concerts and other entertainment, public or semi -public dance, recreation, or sporting events.
2. Circuses, carnivals, fairs and festivals.
3. Swap meets.
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4. Walks, runs, athletic events, bicycle and vehicle races not exempted under subsection (C) of this section.
5. Organized/sponsored vehicle and boat shows.
6. Sales events outside the normal sales area of a business, such as sidewalk and parking lot sales and other special promotions.
7. Auto dealer sales events involving promotional attractions such as barbecues, tents, canopies, special signage, and similar facilities.
8. Fireworks displays.
9. Outdoor weddings and picnics with attendance of one hundred fifty (150) or more people, within guidelines established by City Council Policy B-16.
10. Assemblies, conferences or meetings in a designated reserved area outdoors, with attendance of one hundred fifty (150) or more people.
11. Street fair or craft show on a residential or commercial right-of-way which is likely to obstruct or delay or interfere with normal flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
12. Other events with potential attendance of one hundred fifty (150) or more people, as determined by the Director , which are not exempted by subsection (C) of this section.
13. Car washes whereby the public is encouraged/invited to attend.
14. Parades or motorcades.
15. Fastening of a vessel pursuant to Section 17.25.010.
16. Any event that is reasonably expected to attract 100 or more participants within a Safety Enhancement Zone, when the Safety Enhancement Zone is in effect or in a geographic area designated in a public safety order while the public safety order is in effect.
C. Exempt Activities. The following activities are exempt from the provisions of this chapter:
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1. Normal promotional/sale activities conducted within the approved display area of a business establishment as provided for in Title 20.
2. Commercial filming regulated by Chapter 5.46.
3. Live entertainment at an established place of business, such as a restaurant or tavern, regulated by Title 20 and Chapter 10.26.
4. Temporary land uses regulated by Title 20 of this Code.
5. Yard, garage, or other personal property sales in residential districts regulated by Title 20 of this Code.
6. Activities or events held or conducted by or on behalf of the City, a public school, or the State conducted on property owned or leased by such entity or its sponsor.
7. Events conducted by homeowners’ associations on common area property within the association’s boundaries.
8. Any other special event specifically exempted in this Code from the provisions of this chapter.
9. Activities or events authorized under a conditional use permit under Title 20.
Section 5: The recitals provided in this ordinance are true and correct and are incorporated into the operative portion of this ordinance.
Section 6: If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portions of this o rdinance. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this ordinance and each section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase hereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
Section 7: The City Council finds the introduction and adoption of this ordinance is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable Ordinance No. 2026-__
indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly.
Section 8: Except as expressly modified in this ordinance, all other s ections, subsections, terms, clauses and phrases set forth in the Newport Beach Municipal Code shall remain unchanged and shall be in full force and effect.
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Section 9: The Mayor shall sign and the City Clerk shall attest to the passage of this ordinance . The City Clerk shall cause the ordinance, or a summary thereof , to be published pursuant to City Charter Section 414. This ordinance shall be effective thirty (30) calendar days after its adoption.
This ordinance was introduced at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach held on the 8th day of September, 2026, and adopted on the 22nd day of September , 2026, by the following vote, to-wit:
AYES : -----------------------
NAYS: -----------------------
ABSENT : ----------------------
Lauren Kleiman, Mayor
ATTEST:
Lena Shumway, City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Cl, : Nc S OR C:_
Aaron C. Harp, City Attorney