Los Angeles Municipal Code § 91.8203 Change of Occupancy Group or Group Division

(Readopted by Ord. No. 188,797, Eff. 12/31/25.)

Section

• 91.8201 General.

• 91.8202 Change of Rating Classification.

• 91.8203 Change of Occupancy Group or Group Division.

• 91.8204 Change of Use.

• 91.8205 Certificate of Building Compliance.

(Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

Every change of occupancy, use and rating classification in any existing building or structure shall conform to the construction requirements for the group occupancy to be housed in the building or structure or for the use to which the building or structure is to be put, as set forth in Article 1.2, Chapter IX of the LAMC and Division 82, Article 1, Chapter IX of the LAMC.

(Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

An existing building within the scope of Division 88, Article 1, Chapter IX of the LAMC shall not be changed from one rating classification, as described in LAMC Section 91.8804, to another higher risk rating classification unless the building meets or is altered to meet the requirements of CBC Appendix Chapter A1 for the proposed rating classification and the building meets or is altered to meet the other requirements of this Code for the use or occupancy change.

EXCEPTION: An existing building within the scope of Division 88, Article 1, Chapter IX of the LAMC shall not be changed from one risk category as defined in CBC Section 1604.5 to another higher risk category unless the building meets or is altered to meet the other requirements of this Code.

(Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

Every change of occupancy to one classified in a different group or a different division of the same group, as described in Division 3, Article 1, Chapter IX of the LAMC, shall require a new Certificate of Occupancy whether or not any alterations to the building are required by this Code. For the purpose of this division, the occupancy group and division of interconnected assembly rooms shall be based on the total occupant load in such rooms.

If the building or portion thereof does not conform to the requirements of this Code for the proposed occupancy group or division, the building or portion thereof shall be made to conform. The Department may issue a new Certificate of Occupancy without stating therein that all of the requirements of the Code have been met and without requiring compliance with all such requirements if it is found that the change in occupancy group or division will result in no overall increase in hazard to life, limb, health, property or public welfare.

(Amended by Ord. No. 171,175, Eff. 7/25/96.)

No change shall be made in the character of occupancies or use of any building that would place the building in a different division of the same group of occupancy or in a different group of occupancies, unless such building is made to comply with the requirements of this code for such division or group of occupancy. (Amended by Ord. No. 180,619, Eff. 5/12/09.)

Any assembly occupancy in a building constructed prior to October 6, 1933, shall not be expanded or arranged to accommodate a larger number of occupants than that for which it was previously authorized by the Department unless the entire building conforms to the provisions of Division 16, Article 1, Chapter IX of the LAMC. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

The Department may allow a change of use or increased occupant load within the same division of an occupancy group without requiring compliance with all the applicable requirements of the Code if it is found that the change in use or increased occupant load as well as any conditions established by the Department will not result in an overall increase in hazard to life, limb, health, property or public welfare.