Los Angeles Zoning Rules

Zoning in Los Angeles is informed by the goals and policies of the City’s General Plan. The Land Use Element of the General Plan establishes neighborhood-specific goals, and implements strategies aimed at bolstering local housing, economic growth, and job opportunities across the City.

Zoning translates the citywide vision and goals of the General Plan into targeted land use regulations, and determines the types of projects that can be constructed and the uses that are allowed.

The Land Use Element in Los Angeles comprises 34 Community Plans, each of which includes a policy document and land use map. Both items help inform the range of zones that are applied to individual properties. (Note: historically there have been 35 Community Plans, but the approval of the Downtown Community Plan combined previous Central City and Central City North Plans.)

General Plan
The General Plan establishes a set of policies and land use designations that outline how land should be used and resources allocated, and how a city should grow over time. Los Angeles's General Plan offers the vision for how the City will evolve, reflecting not only the values of its different communities but also the overarching priorities of the City.

Community Plans
Los Angeles’s 35 Community Plans comprise the Land Use Element of the General Plan. While the General Plan provides the overarching vision for the City, Los Angeles’s Community Plans specify the range of zones that are allowed at a given site based on the land use designation.

Zoning
Zoning is the primary tool for implementing the policy objectives and goals of a Community Plan. Through the use of zoning, Los Angeles is able to shape development, whether by regulating the size and scale of new projects or restricting certain onsite activities based on a site's location and proximity to other uses.

Image of Zones in Los Angeles
What is ZIMAS?
 

The Zone Information and Map Access System (ZIMAS) is a web-based mapping tool that provides zoning information for properties located in Los Angeles. The online mapping system is used to look up property information, including a parcel’s land use and zoning designations.

City Zoning Regulations
 

Los Angeles now publishes its two zoning ordinances in the Municipal Code--the Zoning Code is part of the Municipal Code. The Original Zoning Code (Chapter 1) is published online and can be accessed through our official publisher’s website. The New Zoning Code (Chapter 1A) is also available on our official publisher’s website, and a more interactive version of the code can be accessed from City Planning’s Interactive Web-Based Zoning Code.

 

Los Angeles Zoning Code History

1904

In 1904, Los Angeles adopted an ordinance that established the nation’s first land use restrictions—prohibiting industrial uses in residential districts. Four years later, the City enacted its first zoning ordinance and divided Los Angeles into industrial and residential districts.

1921

In 1921, the City established a zoning ordinance that separated Los Angeles into five zones, identified by the letters A to E. These letters designate the allowable uses onsite: A = Single-Family Homes, B = Non-Residential, C = Industrial, D = Heavy Industrial, and E = Unlimited.

1930

The next major shift in Los Angeles's zoning structure was the adoption of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance in 1930, when the City created three main zones to regulate existing land uses (R = Residential, C = Commercial, and M = Manufacturing), along with several sub-categories.

1946

The number of ordinances regulating land use in Los Angeles eventually grew to 11, resulting in the adoption of a new ordinance in 1946 that consolidated the existing regulations into. Over the next four decades, changes to the Zoning Code occurred incrementally.

2000

In 2000, the City’s Charter was amended to make changes to some decision-making authority and establish more localized representation in the form of Area Planning Commissions. This required a comprehensive revision of the Zoning Code to reflect those changes.

2013

In 2013, City Planning set out to create a modern zoning system, undertaking a comprehensive revision of the City’s Zoning Code. The project is intended to provide a more flexible range of zoning options that speak to the local architecture, history, and vision of the City's neighborhoods. Planning staff met with stakeholders to introduce the project, answer questions, and gather initial feedback.

2014

City Planning released its Zoning Code Evaluation Report, which outlined the direction and structure of the new Zoning Code and other long-range planning goals, based on community input.

2020

City Planning unveiled its new zoning framework for Los Angeles—a responsive, modern, and tailored system that will eventually be applied citywide.

2024

The Processes & Procedures Ordinance reorganizes and re-structures City Planning’s administrative regulations - reducing the number of processes for project review by almost half (from nearly 120 to about 60), simplifying requirements, and expands opportunities for public participation.

2025

The New Zoning Code goes into effect in Downtown Los Angeles, in conjunction with the Downtown Community Plan.