CEQA & environmental
Local coastal program (LCP)
A locality's Coastal Commission–certified land use plan and implementing ordinances — once certified, the city issues CDPs, with appeals in mapped zones.
Definition
A local coastal program is a coastal city's or county's plan for implementing the California Coastal Act, in two parts: a land use plan and an implementation plan of coastal zoning ordinances, both certified by the Coastal Commission. Certification hands most coastal development permit issuance to the local government, while the Commission keeps appeal jurisdiction in mapped zones and original jurisdiction over tidelands and public trust lands. The LCP overlays the jurisdiction's general plan, and amendments require Commission certification.
Why it matters in an underwrite
In the coastal zone the LCP controls over ordinary planning documents: a housing-element rezone or upzoning has no coastal effect until a corresponding LCP amendment is certified, and that Commission-paced process is often measured in years — a hidden dependency in coastal housing underwrites. Check certification status first: where a jurisdiction or segment is uncertified, every CDP goes to the Commission directly, changing both the decisionmaker and the timeline.
Sources & related guides
See also
See the term in the law itself
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Last reviewed 2026-07-29. General information, not legal advice.