Report A Violation

Note: A complaint does not mean a violation has occurred

To Report a Possible Violation:

1. Fill out the Code Enforcement Investigation Request Form (PDF)
2. Email the completed pdf form to the Community Development Department at cduncan@cotaticity.org
3. Via regular mail to:
   • City of Cotati
     Code Enforcement Department
     201 W Sierra Avenue
     Cotati, CA 94931

Complaints that have imminent threat of public safety are immediately referred to and handled by the appropriate department; all other complaints are prioritized by severity of violation. If you believe you have a problem to report, please review the types of violations handled through this office on the main Code Enforcement page, before completing the form or contacting staff to report a complaint.

Please have the exact address of the property in question.

Anonymous complaints are not accepted and all complaints must be filed by a Cotati resident, property owner, or business owner. The City does not voluntarily share the name of complainants and will make all efforts to keep this information confidential; however, in certain circumstances, the City may be compelled by a court of law to disclose the name of a complainant.

What Is the Procedure for Following up on a Possible Code Violation?

City Staff prioritizes code enforcement complaints according to the severity of the violation on the community and individuals. Situations that appear to pose a serious risk to health and safety are given top priority; others are pursued in the order in which they are received, as resources are available.

In most cases for non-emergency complaints, a warning letter or courtesy notice is sent to the alleged violator to verify the status of the potential compliant and to obtain compliance. The purpose of this first step is to inform the alleged violator that there is a possible code violation on their property and to give them time to correct it. If the violation still exists after the correction date, the inspector will conduct a subsequent inspection and send a follow up notice or applicable citation with additional correction time.