Seaside Holiday Lights

No. The annual neighborhood coordinated light display in the Seaside Ranchos area of Torrance is not a city-sponsored nor city-sanctioned event. The City has no role in coordinating or planning the resident-led event, including dates or times, and cannot shut down or prevent the display from occurring.

• Temporary “No Stopping” signs placed on one side of the street (5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) to allow emergency access
• Twenty (20) additional trash bins and coordinated additional sanitation pick-ups as needed
• Two (2) illuminated light boards for traffic control and parking restriction notices
• Permanent stop signs at busy intersections to help reduce congestion

No. The display is not city-sponsored or city-sanctioned; the City does not provide restrooms for non-City events.

You may park and walk through the Holiday Lights Display. Temporary NO STOPPING signs are posted on some residential streets from 5:00–10:00 p.m. for the duration of the display; no stopping or parking is allowed where posted.

If available, you may park where NO STOPPING signs are not posted. There is no designated parking lot or drop-off/pick-up location. Please comply with all posted traffic signs and traffic laws.

You may drive a street-legal vehicle through the Seaside Ranchos neighborhood to view the lights. Non-street-legal vehicles, including golf carts, are not allowed.

All traffic laws must be followed and will be enforced, including car-seat use and seatbelts for all passengers.

Torrance Municipal Code (TMC) Section 61.2.3 regulates authority to place traffic control devices. Traffic cones fall under the City’s authority. Placing cones in the public right-of-way to prohibit parking is not allowed unless authorized by a permit via Public Works or Community Development. Cones placed in the public right-of-way may be confiscated by City staff.

Cottage Food Home Operations may take place inside the home only between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily and require during the period of December 1 - December 31:

1. City-issued Cottage Food Business License and Home Occupation Permit;
2. California-issued Seller's Permit;
3. One (1) of the following:

• A Class A cottage food operation registration from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health; or
• A Class B cottage food operation permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

• $100 — 1st Violation
• $200 — 2nd Violation
• $500 — 3rd and each Subsequent Violation

California has two classes of Cottage Food Operations (CFOs):

Class A CFOs

• Sell their products directly (in person) and online.
• May ship their products and use third-party delivery services (e.g., Postmates).

Class B CFOs

• Sell directly to the public or indirectly through stores, restaurants, and other wholesale venues.
• Require a home kitchen inspection and a more expensive permit.

Cottage Food Operations are not allowed from an attached garage, accessory residential structure, or any place outside of the residential home.

All Cottage Food products must be labeled per the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Minimum label requirements include:

• The Cottage Food Business Name and phone number
• The common name of the food product or an adequately descriptive name
• Ingredients listed in descending order of predominance by weight
• Allergen statement if the product contains any of the Big 8 allergens: Wheat, Milk, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Eggs, Soy, Fish, Shellfish
• The net quantity (count, weight, or volume), stated in pounds and grams
• The words “Made in a Home Kitchen” in 12-point font
• The Registration (Class A) or Permit (Class B) number
• The city, state, and zip where the CFO is located
• The words “Issued in Los Angeles County”

Yes. Every Cottage Food product must have its own label including all information specified in the previous FAQ.

The City has been issuing citations since December 2023.

Homeowners and all participants need a Cottage Food Permit. Per the County, if a resident is selling foods that originated from another kitchen, then each of those homes would need its own, respective Cottage Food Permit.

“Sidewalk vendor” includes “roaming sidewalk vendor” (moves from place to place, stopping only to complete a transaction) and “stationary sidewalk vendor” (vends from a fixed location).

A sidewalk vendor sells food or merchandise from a:

• Pushcart, stand, display, pedal-driven cart, wagon, showcase, rack, or other non-motorized conveyance
• Or upon a public sidewalk or other pedestrian path

• City-issued Sidewalk Vendor Business License
• County of Los Angeles Public Health Permit (if selling food/drinks)
• California-issued Seller’s Permit

• Roaming sidewalk vending is prohibited in areas with no sidewalks or with extremely narrow sidewalks (≤ 6 feet wide).
• Stationary sidewalk vending is prohibited in areas zoned residential.

Hours of Operation

• Non-Residential Neighborhoods: 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
• Residential Areas: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Vendors operating before or after daylight must have adequate lighting to ensure public and personal safety.

• No person may intentionally obstruct the free movement of anyone on a public right-of-way or public place. Upon request by a police officer to immediately move, failure to do so is a misdemeanor (Torrance Municipal Code Section 45.1.4).
• Sidewalk vendors may not vend within 500 feet of a permitted event during the event’s operating hours (e.g., farmer’s markets, swap meets, filming, parades, sporting events, festivals, carnivals, outdoor concerts).

• $250 — 1st Violation
• $500 — 2nd Violation
• $1,000 — 3rd and each Subsequent Violation

• $100 — 1st Violation
• $200 — 2nd Violation
• $500 — 3rd and each Subsequent Violation

The City has had the ability to write Administrative Citations since January 2023.

The City has provided education on Senate Bill (SB) 946, the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act, and AB 1616, the California Homemade Food Act, since 2021.

The City enforces and issues administrative citations citywide.

The ordinance was adopted on October 22, 2019 (Ordinance No. 3851).

Contact Code Enforcement at (310) 618-5990 or CDDInfo@TorranceCA.Gov. For complaints regarding unpermitted street food, contact the County’s Public Health Mobile Food Program at (626) 430-5500 or file a complaint online at this form.

Please include:

• Exact location of the food sales
• Day and times of operation
• Description of what the vendor is doing

View the City of Torrance Safe Sidewalk Vending Guide.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) maintains the Approved Cottage Foods List and may add or delete food categories. Notices and changes are posted on CDPH’s Cottage Food Operations webpage. All Cottage Food products must be properly labeled, per CDPH. Questions may be submitted to FDBRetail@cdph.ca.gov.