Turf Check · California law
Does AB 1572 apply to my house?
Verified on the statute September 27, 2026
No. Your home is outside the state ban on watering ornamental lawn.
The ban names commercial, industrial and institutional property, the property of homeowners associations and other common interest developments, and public property. A private home is not named, so it is not covered, and neither is the exclusive-use area around a home inside an HOA.
Water Code §10608.14 · Verified September 27, 2026 · SourceIn an HOA or an apartment
- Your own lot is outside the state ban on watering ornamental lawn, even inside an HOA.
- Apartments are not named in the state ban on watering ornamental lawn; your water supplier may have rules of its own.
Can my city ban a drought-tolerant yard?
A city or county may not prohibit a drought-tolerant landscape of living plants on residential property. Since SB 676 (2023) it may ban new artificial turf.
Government Code §53087.7 · Verified October 19, 2026 · SourceCan my HOA ban low-water plants?
An HOA may not prohibit low-water-using plants or artificial turf, and may not fine an owner for cutting back watering during a declared drought.
Civil Code §4735 · Verified October 19, 2026 · SourceWhat can still apply to your yard
Your water supplier and your city can have rules of their own, such as watering days or a landscape plan review. Your address check lists the ones on file for your supplier, each with its source.
Check your address
Type your address to see what your water supplier pays to replace a lawn, and the rules on file for it.
Free · Any California address · No sign-up · You apply to your water supplier yourself