Alan Wong is sworn in as the new Supervisor for the Sunset District at Lincoln High School in San Francisco on Monday, December 1, 2025. (Photo by Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - It’s illegal to cremate a body in San Francisco, unless the cremation facility is in a part of the" city and county belonging to or under the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States."
That’s one of any number of laws on the books that, when enacted, was necessary for the health and safety of San Francisco residents, but may be less necessary now. It may also be the kind of law San Francisco’s District 4 Supervisor, Alan Wong, wants to get the public talking about.
Wong on Wednesday announced the launch of a "Dumb Laws" Contest, inviting residents and small businesses to submit examples of outdated, burdensome, or unnecessary city laws, regulations, permit requirements, and administrative processes, with the goal of sparking conversation about modernizing policies that create unnecessary burdens for residents.
What they're saying:
"As a supervisor, part of my responsibility is making sure our city’s laws reflect the needs of our residents and merchants. When rules become outdated or unnecessarily burdensome, it is important that we take a closer look," Wong said in a press release. "Over time, every city accumulates regulations that may have been created with good intentions. But as the city evolves, some of those rules become outdated, overly complicated, or simply unnecessary. When that happens, they can create real frustrations for residents, small businesses, and community members who are just trying to navigate everyday life."
Wong pointed to laws like San Francisco Health Code 407, which prohibits carrying bread or pastries through public streets in an uncovered basket, and Health Code 27, which allows families to keep two female goats without a stable permit.
The backstory:
The city has made progress in recent years — small businesses used to have to navigate a complicated permitting process to put tables and chairs outside their storefronts. The Shared Spaces Program, enacted in June 2021, streamlined that process. The city also worked to simplify the rules around storefront security gates and other improvements to help businesses protect their property.
"After our family business was vandalized, what should have been a simple fix, replacing the glass and installing a protective gate, turned into a bureaucratic nightmare. We spent weeks navigating permits, design requirements, and approvals," Cyn Wang, the owner of Wang Insurance Agency, and the vice president of the Entertainment Commission, said in a press release. "In the end it took many days of work and nearly $30,000 just to protect our storefront. Small business owners who are already victims of crime should not have to fight through layers of bureaucracy just to secure their property."
What you can do:
Participants can submit "dumb laws" here through March 30. Winners will be announced in April, and those selected laws will be considered for potential reform.
"While we cannot promise any specific outcome, submissions may help inform future policy discussions or legislative review our office may consider. Winners submitting the dumbest laws will be recognized by the Supervisor’s Office," the contest submission form states.