Municipal code
Costa Mesa Zoning Code
The enacted municipal code of Costa Mesa, California, as published — every title, chapter, and section, verbatim and citable.
- Edition
- 2026-06
- Last updated
- 2026-07-25
- Contents
- 1 titles · 333 chapters
- Jurisdiction
- Costa Mesa
Contents
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▸ Title 13 — Planning, Zoning and Development
Overview-
▸ Chapter I — IN GENERAL
Overview-
▸ Article 1 — Title and Authority
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▸ Article 2 — Definitions
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▸ Chapter II — ZONING DISTRICTS ESTABLISHED
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▸ Chapter III — PLANNING APPLICATIONS
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▸ Chapter IV — CITYWIDE LAND USE MATRIX
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▸ Chapter V — DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Overview-
▸ Article 1 — Residential Districts
Overview- § 13-31. Purpose.
- § 13-32. Development standards.
- § 13-33. Accessory buildings and structures.
- § 13-34. Bluff-top development.
- § 13-35. Accessory dwelling units.
- § 13-36. Two-unit housing development.
- § 13-37. Large family day care homes.
- § 13-38. Additional property development standards for the multiple-family residential distric…
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▸ Article 2 — Residential Common Interest Developments
- Article 2.5 — Residential Small lot Subdivisions
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▸ Article 3 — Commercial Districts
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▸ Article 4 — Establishments Where Food or Beverages are Served
- Article 4.5 — Development Standards for Churches and Other Places of Religious Assembly
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▸ Article 5 — Industrial Districts
- Article 5.5 — Non-Residential Common Interest Developments
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▸ Article 6 — Planned Development
Overview- § 13-55. Purpose.
- § 13-56. Master plan required.
- § 13-57. Site design concept.
- § 13-58. Development standards.
- § 13-59. Maximum density criteria.
- § 13-60. Required open space criteria for planned development residential.
- § 13-61. Perimeter open space criteria.
- § 13-62. Additional development standards.
- § 13-63. Phased planned developments.
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▸ Article 7 — Institutional and Recreational, Institutional and Recreational School Districts, a…
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▸ Article 8 — Floor Area Ratios
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▸ Article 10 — Floodway and Floodplain Districts
Overview- § 13-77. Purpose.
- § 13-78. Definitions.
- § 13-79. Application.
- § 13-80. Uses permitted in the floodway areas.
- § 13-81. Uses permitted in the designated floodway fringe and special flood hazard areas indic…
- § 13-82. Procedures and development standards for floodway areas.
- § 13-83. Exceptions to designate flood hazard area.
- Article 11 — Mixed-Use Overlay District
- Article 12 — Residential Incentive Overlay District
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▸ Article 1 — Residential Districts
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▸ Article 2 — Non-Residential Districts
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▸ Article 3 — Development Standards
Overview- § 13-92. Purpose.
- § 13-93. General standards.
- § 13-94. Small car parking.
- § 13-95. Accessible parking for handicapped persons.
- § 13-96. Parking spaces permanently available for automobile parking.
- § 13-98. Declaration of land use restriction.
- § 13-99. Vehicle standing, loading and unloading.
- § 13-100. Transportation demand management requirements.
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▸ Chapter VII — LANDSCAPING STANDARDS
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▸ Chapter VIII — SIGNS
Overview-
▸ Article 1 — Purpose and Scope
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▸ Article 2 — General Provisions
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▸ Article 4 — Special Procedures
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▸ Article 5 — Nonconforming Signs
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▸ Article 6 — Portable Signs Within the Public Right-of-Way
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▸ Chapter IX — SPECIAL LAND USE REGULATIONS
Overview-
▸ Article 1 — Sexually-Oriented Businesses
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▸ Article 3 — Concurrent Sale of Alcoholic Beverages and Motor Vehicle Fuel
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▸ Article 4 — Density Bonuses and other Incentives
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▸ Article 5 — Electronic Game Machines
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▸ Article 7 — Mini-Warehouses
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▸ Article 9 — Off-Site Hazardous Waste Facilities
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▸ Article 10 — Temporary Trailers
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▸ Article 11 — Transitional Areas
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▸ Article 12 — Transportation Demand Management
- Article 13 — Water Quality
- Article 14 — Historic Preservation
- Article 15 — Reasonable Accommodations
- Article 16 — Liquor Stores, Convenience Stores, and Mini-Markets
- Article 17 — Orange County Fair and Event Center
- Article 18 — Emergency Shelters
- Article 19 — Smoking and Vaping Uses
- Article 20 — Marijuana and/or Medical Marijuana uses and Activities
- Article 21 — Location of Cannabis Distributing, Manufacturing, Research and Development, Testi…
- Article 22 — An Ordinance to give the People of Costa Mesa Control of Their Future
- Article 23 — Needle and Syringe Exchange Programs
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▸ Chapter X — NONCONFORMING USES, DEVELOPMENTS AND LOTS
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▸ Chapter XI — SUBDIVISIONS
Overview-
▸ Article 1 — Tentative Maps
Overview- § 13-208. Purpose.
- § 13-209. General.
- § 13-210. Consistency.
- § 13-211. Planning commission duties.
- § 13-212. Requirements and setbacks for tentative maps.
- § 13-213. Preparation, filing.
- § 13-214. Information to accompany tentative map.
- § 13-215. Review period; action by planning commission.
- § 13-216. Duration of approval, extension, appeal and abandonment.
- § 13-217. Filing prerequisite to sale, lease, financing, issuance of building permits, or comm…
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▸ Article 2 — Vesting Tentative Maps
Overview- § 13-218. Purpose.
- § 13-219. General.
- § 13-220. Consistency.
- § 13-221. Application.
- § 13-222. Conditions precedent to approval.
- § 13-223. Expiration.
- § 13-224. Vesting rights.
- § 13-225. Applications inconsistent with established policies.
- § 13-226. Subsequent permits, licenses and other entitlements or use.
- § 13-227. Amendments.
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▸ Article 3 — Final Maps
Overview- § 13-228. Purpose.
- § 13-229. Preparation, form and contents.
- § 13-230. Dedication and improvements.
- § 13-231. Fees.
- § 13-232. Soil tests.
- § 13-233. Corrective action on poor soil.
- § 13-234. Check and transmittal of final map.
- § 13-235. Violations.
- § 13-236. Filing prerequisite to sale, lease, financing, issuance of building permits, or comm…
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▸ Article 4 — Parcel Maps
Overview- § 13-237. Purpose.
- § 13-238. General.
- § 13-239. Contents of tentative map.
- § 13-240. Action by planning commission.
- § 13-241. Dedication and improvements.
- § 13-242. Duration of approval.
- § 13-243. Final parcel map and improvement agreements.
- § 13-244. Recording final parcel map.
- § 13-245. Filing prerequisite to sale, lease, financing, issuance of building permits, or comm…
- § 13-246. Legal description of lots.
- § 13-248. Violations.
- § 13-249. Waiver provisions.
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▸ Article 5 — Park and Recreation Dedications
Overview- § 13-250. Purpose.
- § 13-251. Requirement.
- § 13-252. Application.
- § 13-253. Relation of land required to population density.
- § 13-254. Population density.
- § 13-255. Amount of land to be dedicated.
- § 13-256. Amount of fee in lieu of land dedication.
- § 13-257. Combination of land and fee.
- § 13-258. Action of city.
- § 13-259. Procedures, credits.
- § 13-260. Statement of city responsibility.
- § 13-261. Park and recreation fee in lieu of land dedication notice.
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▸ Article 6 — Lot Line Adjustments
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▸ Chapter XII — SPECIAL FEE ASSESSMENTS
Overview-
▸ Article 1 — Major Thoroughfare and Bridge Fee
- Article 4 — Park and Recreation Impact Fees
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▸ Chapter XIII — NOISE CONTROL
Overview- § 13-277. Purpose.
- § 13-278. Definitions.
- § 13-279. Exceptions for construction.
- § 13-280. Exterior noise standards.
- § 13-281. Interior noise standards.
- § 13-282. Noise near schools, hospitals, churches.
- § 13-283. Loud, unnecessary noise.
- § 13-284. Noise level measurement.
- § 13-285. Variance procedure.
- § 13-286. Violations.
- § 13-287. Nuisance declared.
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▸ Chapter XIV — OIL DRILLING
Overview- § 13-288. Purpose of chapter.
- § 13-289. Where permitted.
- § 13-290. Drilling from outside city limits.
- § 13-291. Permit required for maintenance of existing wells and production equipment.
- § 13-292. Permit and inspection fees.
- § 13-293. Adoption of standard conditions.
- § 13-294. Existing wooden derricks.
- § 13-295. Use of earthen sumps prohibited.
- § 13-296. Abandonment of wells.
- § 13-297. Refineries, tank farms and commercial absorption plants prohibited.
- § 13-298. Enforcement.
- § 13-299. Penalties.
- § 13-300. Validity.
- § 13-301. Repeal of conflicting ordinance.
- § 13-302. Core holes and test holes prohibited.
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▸ Chapter XV — GROUP HOMES
Overview- § 13-310. Purpose.
- § 13-311. Special use permit required.
- § 13-312. Compliance.
- § 13-313. Severability.
- § 13-320. Purpose.
- § 13-321. Definitions.
- § 13-322. Group homes in the R2-MD, R2-HD and R3 residential zones and the PDRLD, PDR-MD, PDR-…
- § 13-323. Conditional use permit required for group homes, residential care facilities and dru…
- § 13-324. Compliance.
- § 13-325. Severability.
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▸ Chapter XVII — AFFORDABLE HOUSING ORDINANCE
Overview- § 13-326. Purpose.
- § 13-327. Applicability.
- § 13-328. Exemptions.
- § 13-329. Fairview Developmental Center Specific Plan.
- § 13-330. Definitions.
- § 13-331. Affordable housing requirements.
- § 13-332. Alternative compliance procedures.
- § 13-333. Affordable housing agreement and affordable housing plan.
- § 13-334. Affordable housing trust fund.
- § 13-335. Density bonus.
- § 13-336. Parking requirements.
- § 13-337. Concurrent processing.
- § 13-338. Compliance monitoring.
- § 13-339. Administrative procedures.
- § 13-340. Enforcement.
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