Effective January 1, 2025, the minimum wage within Novato city limits increased in accordance with Novato’s local minimum wage ordinance. Please note that if the State of California sets a higher minimum wage than this ordinance, the State’s minimum wage will take precedence. 

In response to inquiries received from our business community, the City would like to provide a friendly reminder of the following minimum wage requirements based on business size:

• $17.27 per hour for very large businesses with 100 or more employees 
  (In accordance with Novato’s local ordinance)
• $17.00 per hour for large businesses with 26-99 employees
  (In accordance with Novato’s local ordinance)
• $16.50 per hour for small businesses with 1-25 employees
  (In accordance with the State of California’s minimum wage)

The Novato minimum wage applies to each employee who performs more than two hours of work in a particular week within city limits. 

Additionally, there may be minimum wage laws set by the State of California that are different and in addition to this ordinance, which also apply generally and to specific business types, such as fast food workers and healthcare workers. It is the responsibility of all employers to comply with prevailing wage laws set by the State of California and by this ordinance. 

The Official Novato Minimum Wage Notice is required to be posted in a location visible to employees. For more information or to download the Official Novato Minimum Wage Notice in both English and Spanish, please visit novato.org/minimumwage.