Code enforcement

The City of Menlo Park has adopted city codes (local laws) to keep your neighborhood safer, healthier, quieter and more attractive. The Police Department has primary responsibility for enforcing our city codes and ordinances. Any police officer can take a complaint of unsafe conditions or issue citations for violations. Most complaints are referred to our Code Enforcement Unit for follow-up. Code Enforcement officers also look for violations, coordinate clean-up or repair; and issue notices, warnings and citations.

Reporting a code violation (non-emergency)

ACT Menlo Park is mobile app and website that allows residents to report and view neighborhood concerns ranging from debris, graffiti, building code violations and unpermitted signs. Residents can includes photos of an issue or concern with their report through the application. A copy of the photo, the concern described by the reporting party, and the location, will then go directly to code enforcement for review.

To report an immediate health or safety hazard, please call 911.

Make a code enforcement report

Potential reasons to contact code enforcement

Code Enforcement handles calls involving any of the following:

• Health and sanitation violations, unsafe living conditions
• Abandoned homes, yards and vacant lots
• Abandoned vehicles, vehicle storage and lawn parking
• Illegal building modifications, conversions and structures
• Fences and walls
• Trees, hedges and weeds
• Signs, posters, handbills, commercial signs and graffiti
• Solicitors and sales without required licenses
• Debris, trash, refuse and illegal dumping (including storm drains, creek and reservoir)
• Animal health, welfare and sanitation
• Noise (including chronic barking)