Shopping carts are increasingly abandoned all over the City and require staff to act as a cart retrieval service; this diverts important resources to the shopping cart removal efforts instead of to the City's core programs and services.

Yes. The City of San Luis Obispo is offering $5,000 grants for the first 12 businesses that submit their completed plan. Please note that documentation of security/containment expenditures is required for plans to be considered 'complete.'

More information regarding documentation requirements can be found in the Plan template.

Yes. Existing businesses that fail to submit a complete Abandoned Shopping Cart Prevention and Retrieval Plan by the deadline of August 19, 2022 will incur a monthly noncompliance penalty of $100.

Additionally, any owner failing to retrieve their shopping cart(s) within three (3) days after being notified about their shopping cart(s) being off the owner's premises may be punished with an administrative fine of $50 for each occurrence in excess of three during a six-month period, and is required to pay the City's actual costs for retrieving and storing the owner's shopping carts. These fines/penalties are waived if the cart(s) is/are picked up within three (3) days.

Current businesses have 60 days (until August 19, 2022) to complete and submit their Abandoned Shopping Cart Prevention and Retrieval Plan outlining their compliance. The main elements of this Plan are identified below:

The City of San Luis Obispo has developed a template for business owners to complete and submit to remain in compliance. Appropriate documentation is required in the template. An internal City team will review completed plans for all elements and house them in Energov. New businesses that fall within in this ordinance will be prompted to complete a Plan through business license or planning applications through the Community Development Department.

Click here to download the Abandoned Shopping Cart Prevention and Retrieval Plan Template.

The purpose of the ordinance is to get businesses to comply with state law to manage their shopping carts, to retrieve and contain them when left unattended, discarded, or abandoned on public or private property and create a nuisance. Chapter 19 of the California Business and Professions Code (Sections 22435 to 22435.13) permits cities to develop an ordinance with regulations to eliminate the accumulation of abandoned shopping carts within city limits, and it has guided the content of this ordinance.

All shopping carts have owner identification information, including a phone number, that you can use to notify an owner of their abandoned cart(s). Please contact the shopping cart owner directly.

However, if the cart is not picked up within three (3) days, please call (805) 781-7220, or email streetmaint@slocity.com.