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Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE

Chapter 2.06 — OFFICIAL CITY SEAL AND LOGO

Palo Alto Municipal Code · 2026-09 edition · updated 2026-09-29 · Palo Alto

2.06.010 The City Seal and City Logo.

(a) The City Seal is described as follows: three concentric circles. The outermost circle is broadest with shading inside of it. Between the outermost and second circle the words "City of Palo Alto California" appear in capital letters. Between the second and third circles the words "Incorporated April 23, 1894" appear. In the center of the circle is a green tree.

(b) The City Logo is described as follows: two concentric circles. The outermost circle is broader and green without any shading inside of it. The inner circle is shaded in green and has a picture of a white tree in the center of the circle. Below or to the right the circles the words "City of Palo Alto" appear in capital letters.

(c) The City Manager is authorized to develop and approve other city logos and any logo so approved by the City Manager shall be retained on file with the City Manager.

(Ord. 5204 § 1 (part), 2013)

2.06.020 Use of City Seal and Logos.

(a) Use of Seal. The City Seal and City logos shall only be used for the official business of the City of Palo Alto, its City Council, boards and

commissions, officers or departments, except upon approval of the City Council by ordinance or resolution. Except as provided for in this Section, no person, other than the City of Palo Alto, shall reproduce, use, give away, sell, or distribute any seal or logo, or facsimile thereof, purporting to be or represented to be the City Seal or City Logo of the City of Palo Alto.

(b) Additional City Seals. The City of Palo Alto City Council retains the right to create variations of the City Seal and City Logo and to adopt and establish other official seals and logos. Such variations may include, but are not limited to, centennial seals, or other seals which mark anniversaries, events, and/or any other city occasion the City Council wishes to commemorate.

(c) Amendment of City Seal. The City Seal may be altered pursuant to resolution of the City Council.

(d) Custodian of City Seal and other Council-adopted Seals. The City Clerk shall be the official custodian of the City Seal, and any other city seals adopted by the City Council.

(e) Custodian of City Logos. The City Manager shall be the official custodian of City Logos.

(f) Use of City Seal or Logo by Employee Organization. A recognized employee organization may use the City Seal or Logo, or facsimile thereof, on stationery and printed materials used in the scope of its representation of city employees and on articles of clothing intended for use by city employees.

(g) Promotional Use of City Seal or Logo. The City Manager or his/her designee is empowered to authorize the use of the City Seal or Logo on items that are offered for sale by the City of Palo Alto for the purpose of promoting the City of Palo Alto. Prior to authorizing such use, the City Manager or his/her designee shall procure from the Director of Administrative Services a plan describing the items that would bear the City Seal or Logo. Such plan shall include the criteria used in determining the proposed items and an analysis of the marketability of each item. Only those items bearing the City seal or logo that have been authorized by the City Manager or his/her designee pursuant to this provision may be offered for sale by the City of Palo Alto.

(h) Penalty. Any person violating this chapter shall be guilty of an infraction. A violation of this chapter may be prosecuted by city authorities in the name of the people of the State of California, or redressed by civil action. Every violation of this chapter is punishable by (1) a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars ($100) for a first violation; (2) a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars ($200) for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year; (3) a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one year. The city reserves the right to take any other legal action it finds appropriate to enforce this chapter.

(Ord. 5204 § 1 (part), 2013)

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▸Contents — Palo Alto Municipal Code
Palo Alto Municipal Code
  1. Article VIII — A. Board of Education
  2. Title 1 — GENERAL PROVISIONS
  3. ▸Title 2 — ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
    Overview
    1. 2.04 Council Organization and Procedure
    2. 2.06 Official City Seal and Logo
    3. 2.07 Post-Government Employment Regulations
    4. 2.08 Officers and Departments
    5. 2.09 Conflict of Interest Code for Designated Positions
    6. 2.10 Cable Television and Open Video Systems - Award of Franch…
    7. 2.11 VIDEO SERVICE PROVIDERS - APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS
    8. 2.12 Emergency Organization and Functions
    9. 2.16 Boards and Commissions Generally
    10. 2.18 Public Art Commission
    11. 2.21 Architectural Review Board
    12. 2.22 Human Relations Commission
    13. 2.23 Utilities Advisory Commission
    14. 2.24 Library Advisory Commission
    15. 2.25 Parks and Recreation Commission
    16. 2.26 Visual Art in Public Places
    17. 2.27 Historic Resources Board
    18. 2.28 Fiscal Procedures
    19. 2.30 Contracts and Purchasing Procedures
    20. 2.31 Property Control
    21. 2.32 Sales and Use Tax
    22. 2.33 Transient Occupancy Tax
    23. 2.34 Real Property Transfer Tax
    24. 2.35 Utility Users Tax
    25. 2.36 Personnel Procedures
    26. 2.37 Business Tax
    27. 2.40 Municipal Elections
    28. 2.44 Official Newspaper
    29. 2.48 Solar Tax Credit
    30. 2.49 Electronic Signatures
    31. Chapter 2.04 — COUNCIL ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURE
    32. Chapter 2.06 — OFFICIAL CITY SEAL AND LOGO
    33. Chapter 2.07 — POST-GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT REGULATIONS
    34. Chapter 2.08 — OFFICERS AND DEPARTMENTS
    35. Chapter 2.09 — CONFLICT OF INTEREST CODE FOR DESIGNATED POSITI…
    36. Chapter 2.10 — CABLE TELEVISION AND OPEN VIDEO SYSTEMS - AWARD…
    37. Chapter 2.11 — VIDEO SERVICE PROVIDERS - APPLICABLE REQUIREMENTS
    38. Chapter 2.12 — EMERGENCY ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS
    39. Chapter 2.16 — BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS GENERALLY
    40. Chapter 2.18 — PUBLIC ART COMMISSION
    41. Chapter 2.20 — PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
    42. Chapter 2.21 — ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD
    43. Chapter 2.22 — HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION
    44. Chapter 2.23 — UTILITIES ADVISORY COMMISSION
    45. Chapter 2.24 — LIBRARY ADVISORY COMMISSION
    46. Chapter 2.25 — PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION
    47. Chapter 2.26 — VISUAL ART IN PUBLIC PLACES
    48. Chapter 2.27 — HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD
    49. Chapter 2.28 — FISCAL PROCEDURES
    50. Chapter 2.30 — CONTRACTS AND PURCHASING PROCEDURES
    51. Part 6A — SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY PROTECTIONS
    52. Part 1 — GENERAL
    53. Part 2 — CONTRACT TYPES
    54. Part 3 — CONTRACTING AUTHORITY
    55. Part 4 — COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION REQUIREMENTS
    56. Part 5 — COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION PROCEDURES
    57. Part 6 — CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS
    58. Part 7 — ETHICS IN CONTRACTING
    59. Part 6A — SURVEILLANCE AND PRIVACY PROTECTIONS
    60. Part 8 — RECORDS AND REPORTS
    61. Part 9 — REWARDS
    62. Part 10 — STANDARDIZATION
    63. Chapter 2.31 — PROPERTY CONTROL
    64. Chapter 2.32 — SALES AND USE TAX
    65. Chapter 2.33 — TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY TAX
    66. Chapter 2.34 — REAL PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX
    67. Chapter 2.35 — UTILITY USERS TAX
    68. Chapter 2.36 — PERSONNEL PROCEDURES
    69. Chapter 2.37 — BUSINESS TAX
    70. Chapter 2.40 — MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
    71. Chapter 2.44 — OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER
    72. Chapter 2.48 — SOLAR TAX CREDIT
    73. Chapter 2.49 — ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES
  4. Title 4 — BUSINESS LICENSES AND REGULATIONS
  5. Title 5 — HEALTH AND SANITATION
  6. Title 6 — ANIMALS
  7. Title 8 — TREES AND VEGETATION
  8. Title 9 — PUBLIC PEACE, MORALS AND SAFETY
  9. Title 10 — VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
  10. Title 11 — ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCEDURE
  11. Title 12 — PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES
  12. Title 13 — IMPROVEMENT PROCEDURE
  13. Title 15 — FIRE PREVENTION
  14. Title 16 — BUILDING REGULATIONS
  15. Title 17 — HAZARDOUS MATERIALS STORAGE
  16. Title 18 — ZONING
  17. Title 19 — MASTER PLAN
  18. Article 7 — AUTHORITY FOR AND SCOPE OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLANS.
  19. Article 8 — PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION OF MASTER OR GENERAL PLAN.
  20. Chapter 19.06 — SPECIFIC PLANS
  21. Chapter 19.10 — COORDINATED AREA PLANS
  22. Title 20 — PRECISE PLANS
  23. Title 21 — SUBDIVISIONS AND OTHER DIVISIONS OF LAND
  24. Title 22 — PARKS

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