New to Santa Barbara?

Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria are separate cities, and Montecito and Isla Vista are run by the county, so a lot of the answers depend on which side of a line you live on. Where they differ, we say so.

Power and water

Electricity. Southern California Edison still runs the lines everywhere on the South Coast, but who supplies the power depends on where you live.

Where you live	Power supplier	Water
City of Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara Clean Energy, the city's own provider	City Utility Billing, (805) 564-5343. Starting service costs $65 (details).
Goleta, west to El Capitan	Central Coast Community Energy	Goleta Water District, online form. Some neighborhoods are on La Cumbre Mutual instead.
Montecito and Summerland	Central Coast Community Energy	Montecito Water District
Carpinteria	Central Coast Community Energy	Carpinteria Valley Water District, (805) 684-2816

Trash and recycling

• City of Santa Barbara: MarBorg hauls. You get four free bulky-item pickups a year, up to five items each, mattresses included. Call MarBorg at (805) 963-1852 to book, and put things at the curb only on the morning of pickup. (City guide)
• Carpinteria: E.J. Harrison hauls, (805) 647-1414. Single-family homes get two free bulky pickups a year. (City page)
• Goleta and Montecito: ask your city or the county which hauler serves your street and what bulky pickups you get. We haven't confirmed them yet.
• Isla Vista: MarBorg picks up bulky items free every Wednesday. (IVCSD guide)
• Batteries, in the city: bag them and set the bag on top of your blue cart. In Carpinteria, drop them at the library or City Hall.
• Paint, chemicals and old electronics: the hazardous waste center at UCSB (Bldg 565, Henry T. Yang Dr) is open Saturday 9 to 3 and Sunday 11 to 3, and Carpinteria residents can use it too. Electronics go to the transfer station at 4430 Calle Real, Monday to Saturday 7 to 5.

Parking

• Downtown lots: the first 75 minutes are free in the city's gated lots, once per car every 24 hours. After that it's $3 an hour, $33 a day at most. (Lot map)
• Locals' Weekender permit: $80 covers Friday to Sunday parking in the gated lots for six months, with proof you live here. (Permits)
• Residential permits: nine city neighborhoods have them. You apply online, and the permit is tied to your plate. (Apply)
• Street sweeping: look up your street's day on the city's sweeping map. Sweeping and its tickets are off on listed holidays and in steady rain, with no make-up day.

Beaches and dogs

• Off-leash beach: dogs can run off-leash from the Shoreline Park stairs west to the Arroyo Burro estuary at Hendry's. Douglas Family Preserve, Elings Park and Hale Park have off-leash areas too. (City rules)
• No dogs on East, West or Leadbetter beaches.
• Alcohol is banned on every city beach, and smoking or vaping is banned in every city park. (Park rules)
• Water quality: busy beaches are tested weekly from April through October. Santa Barbara Channelkeeper posts the results on the free Swim Guide app (how it works). Our Sunset Score page has the evening outlook.

Emergency alerts

Sign up for ReadySBC Alerts first. It's the county's alert system for fires, debris flows and evacuations, and it only reaches people who sign up. The ReadySBC maps show your evacuation zone, which is the name officials use in an emergency. Look yours up now so you know it before you need it.

Getting around

• MTD bus: $2.50 a ride, $1.25 for youth and seniors, $6 for a day pass. Tap a bank card or bring exact change. (Fares)
• Downtown-Waterfront Shuttle: runs in summer only.
• BCycle e-bikes: still running and growing, with 22 new stations this year. (Stations)
• Train: the Pacific Surfliner stops in Santa Barbara, Goleta and Carpinteria. Riders can park in city Lot 13 at 209 State St for $15 a day.
• Airport: SBA has nonstops on Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest and United. (Destinations)

DMV, voting, library

• DMV: 535 Castillo St in Santa Barbara and 7127 Hollister Ave in Goleta. Check each office's page for hours before you go.
• Voting: register or update your address at registertovote.ca.gov.
• Library card: bring ID and proof of address to any Santa Barbara Public Library branch. If you live in Goleta, Isla Vista or Carpinteria, apply in person and renew once a year. (Card rules)

House rules worth knowing

• Construction noise in the city is allowed 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Noise guide)
• Burning trash is banned countywide, and burning yard trimmings needs a permit in the few areas where it's allowed. (Air district)
• Pets: our lost pet guide has the shelters, phone numbers and first steps.

Checked against each official page on October 30, 2026. Rules and fees change, so follow the links before you rely on a detail. Spot something out of date? Tell us at hello@sbsavvy.com.