Los Angeles Zoning Code — LAMC Chapter 1A Div. 5D.7 Heavy Commercial Uses

Heavy commercial uses are defined as uses that involve the servicing and sale of motor vehicles, and businesses dedicated primarily to storage.

Motor vehicle services are defined as a use involving the diagnosing of malfunctions, repair, or maintenance of motor vehicles.

A. Light

Motor vehicle services: light is defined as any motor vehicle services use involving the mechanical or electrical repair, diagnosis, maintenance or servicing of standard motor vehicles. This use includes automotive emissions testing; electrical diagnostic, battery testing, and charging; tire removal, replacement, and repair; mechanical adjustment; oil change; lubrication; sound system or alarm service and installation; and window repair. This use does not include uses defined in the following Sections: Sec. 5D.7.1.B. (Motor Vehicle Services: Heavy), Sec. 5D.7.1.C. (Motor Vehicle Services: Large Vehicle), or Sec. 5D.7.1.D. (Motor Vehicle Services: Car Wash).

B. Heavy

Motor vehicle services: heavy is defined as any motor vehicle services use involving auto body repair or rebuilding, painting, or servicing of standard motor vehicles. This use includes the repair or rebuilding of a vehicle’s frame, roof, doors, fenders, bumpers, hood, trunk, automobile painting, and electric vehicle battery reconditioning and replacement.

c. Large Vehicle

Motor vehicle services: large vehicle is defined as any motor vehicle services use performed for large vehicles, classified for this purpose as a vehicle having three or more axles, such as trailer trucks, construction vehicles, motor homes, and recreational vehicles.

D. Car Wash

Motor vehicle services: car wash is defined as any motor vehicle services use engaged in cleaning, washing, or waxing of motor vehicles, such as passenger cars, trucks, vans, and trailers. This use does not include wash facilities for large vehicles, for such uses see Sec. 5D.7.1.C. (Motor Vehicle Services: Large Vehicle).

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Div. 5D.7. (Heavy Commercial Uses) Last amended by Ord. 189,007, Eff. 08/20/2026

[ FOrM - FrONtAGe - StANDArDS ] [ USE - DeNSitY ] Div. 5D.7. (Heavy Commercial Uses)

City of Los Angeles Zoning Code Chapter 1A

A fueling station is defined as any use dedicated to the sale and dispensing of vehicle fuel, including alternative fuels such as electricity.

A. Gas Station, Standard Vehicle

Fueling station: gas station, standard vehicle is defined as any fueling station dedicated to dispensing liquid or gas vehicle fuel for standard vehicles. Liquid or gas vehicle fuels include gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, and hydrogen. Standard vehicles include vehicles possessing two or fewer axles, such as cars, motorcycles, sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans.

B. Gas Station, Large Vehicle

Fueling station: gas station, large vehicle is defined as any fueling station dedicated to dispensing liquid or gas vehicle fuel for large vehicles. Liquid or gas vehicle fuels include gasoline, diesel, biodiesel, and hydrogen. Large vehicles include vehicles possessing three or more axles, which may include trailer trucks, construction vehicles, motor homes, and recreational vehicles, if they have three or more axles.

c. Electric Vehicle Charging Facility, Standard Vehicle

Fueling station: electric vehicle charging facility, standard vehicle is defined as any fueling station that is the primary use on the lot dedicated to providing electric vehicle charging for standard vehicles. Standard vehicles include vehicles possessing two or fewer axles, such as cars, motorcycles, sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans. This use does not include electric vehicle charging stalls within a parking area serving another use or uses. For a parking area serving another use, that includes electric vehicle parking stalls, see Sec. 5D.3.6. (Parking). This use is limited to the motor vehicle use area and charging equipment that facilitates the charging of electric vehicles in electric vehicle parking stalls and any required use standards of the applied Use District (Part 5B.) for electric vehicle charging facilities.

D. Electric Vehicle Charging Facility, Large Vehicle

Fueling station: electric vehicle charging facility, large vehicle is defined as any fueling station that is the primary use on the lot dedicated to providing electric vehicle charging for large vehicles. Large vehicles include vehicles possessing three or more axles, which may include trailer trucks, construction vehicles, motor homes, and recreational vehicles, if they have three or more axles. This use does not include electric vehicle charging stalls within a parking area serving another use or uses. For a parking area serving another use, that includes electric vehicle parking stalls, see Sec. 5D.3.6. (Parking). This use is limited to the motor vehicle use area and charging equipment that facilitates the charging of electric vehicles in electric vehicle parking stalls and any required use standards of the applied Use District (Part 5B.) for electric vehicle charging facilities.

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Div. 5D.7. (Heavy Commercial Uses) Last amended by Ord. 189,007, Eff. 08/20/2026

[ FOrM - FrONtAGe - StANDArDS ] [ USE - DeNSitY ] Div. 5D.7. (Heavy Commercial Uses)

City of Los Angeles Zoning Code Chapter 1A

Motor vehicle sales & rental is defined as any heavy commercial use that sells, rents, or leases motor vehicles.

A. Standard Vehicle

Motor vehicle sales & rental: standard vehicle is defined as any motor vehicle sales & rental use involving indoor or outdoor display of three or more new or used standard vehicles for sale, rental, or lease. Standard vehicles include vehicles possessing two or fewer axles, such as cars, motorcycles, sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans. This use does not include the outdoor storage of vehicles that do not comprise an establishment's sale or rental inventory, for such uses see, Sec. 5D.7.5.B. (Storage, Outdoor: Standard Vehicle).

B. Large Vehicle

Motor vehicle sales & rental: large vehicle is defined as any motor vehicle sales & rental use involving indoor or outdoor display of three or more new or used large vehicles for sale, rental, or lease. Large vehicles include vehicles possessing three or more axles, such as trailer trucks, construction vehicles, motor homes, and recreational vehicles, in addition to recreational boats and watercraft. This use does not include the outdoor storage of vehicles that do not comprise an establishment's sale or rental inventory, for such uses see, Sec. 5D.7.5.C. (Storage, Outdoor: Large Vehicle).

c. Household Moving Truck Rental

Motor vehicle sales & rental: household moving truck rental is defined as any motor vehicle sales & rental use involving the rental of household moving rental trucks or utility trailers. This use does not include the outdoor storage of vehicles that do not comprise an establishment's rental inventory, for such uses see, Sec. 5D.7.5.C. (Storage, Outdoor: Large Vehicle).

Storage, indoor is defined as the indoor holding of goods, merchandise, supplies, material, machinery, equipment, or other items for future use.

A. General

Storage, indoor: general is defined as any storage, indoor use that is incidental to another use. This use does not include storage, indoor: self-service for such uses see Sec. 5D.7.4.B. (Storage, Indoor: Self-Service). This use does not include indoor storage that functions as the primary use on a lot and is not incidental to another use, for such uses see Sec. 5D.8.6. (Wholesale Trade & Warehousing).

B. Self-Service

Storage, indoor: self-service is defined as any storage, indoor use that offers secure self-storage for household goods in individual rooms, compartments, lockers, or containers, to which clients bring goods for storage and retrieve them at any time during normal business hours.

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Div. 5D.7. (Heavy Commercial Uses) Last amended by Ord. 189,007, Eff. 08/20/2026

[ FOrM - FrONtAGe - StANDArDS ] [ USE - DeNSitY ] Div. 5D.7. (Heavy Commercial Uses)

City of Los Angeles Zoning Code Chapter 1A

Storage, outdoor is defined as the outdoor holding of goods, merchandise, supplies, material, machinery, equipment, vehicles, or other items for future use. Includes contractors' equipment storage yards and lumber yards.

A. General

Storage, outdoor: general is defined as any storage, outdoor use that is in conjunction with another use. This use does not include the keeping of empty cargo containers, for such uses see Sec. 5D.7.5.E. (Storage, Outdoor: Cargo Container). This use does not include inactive large vehicles, for such uses see Sec. 5D.7.5.C. (Storage, Outdoor: Large Vehicle). This use does not include towing and storage for official motor vehicle impound, for such uses see Sec. 5D.7.5.F. (Storage, Outdoor: Official Motor Vehicle Impound). This use does not include inactive standard vehicles, for such uses see Sec. 5D.7.5.B. (Storage, Outdoor: Standard Vehicle).

B. Standard Vehicle

Storage, outdoor: standard vehicle is defined as the outdoor storage of standard vehicles that are not actively used by the site's occupants, employees, or visitors. Standard vehicles include vehicles possessing two or fewer axles, such as cars, motorcycles, sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and vans. Includes storage of inoperable vehicles. This use does not include uses where vehicles are actively used by the site's occupants, employees, or visitors; for such uses see Sec. 5D.3.6. (Parking).

c. Large Vehicle

Storage, outdoor: large vehicle is defined as the outdoor storage of large vehicles that are not actively used by the site's occupants, employees, or visitors. Large vehicles include vehicles possessing three or more axles, such as trailer trucks, construction vehicles, motor homes, and recreational vehicles as well as recreational boats and watercraft. This use includes storage of inoperable vehicles. This use does not include uses where vehicles are actively used by the site's occupants, employees, or visitors; for such uses see Sec. 5D.3.6. (Parking).

D. Donation Bin

Storage, outdoor: donation bin is defined as any storage, outdoor use involving a box, canister, receptacle, or other container that can be opened and closed, and is used for collecting salvageable personal property, including, but not limited to, clothing, shoes, books, and household items for periodic off-site processing or redistribution. For purposes of this definition, salvageable personal property shall not include recyclable materials not intended for re-use, including, but not limited to, newspapers, plastic, glass, aluminum, electronics, toxic or hazardous materials, and solid waste. For purposes of this definition, donation bins are limited dimensionally to 82-inches in height, 50-inches in depth, and 60-inches in width. For bins that are larger in size, see Sec. 5D.9.4.A. (Recycling Facility: Collection).

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Div. 5D.7. (Heavy Commercial Uses) Last amended by Ord. 189,007, Eff. 08/20/2026

[ FOrM - FrONtAGe - StANDArDS ] [ USE - DeNSitY ] Div. 5D.7. (Heavy Commercial Uses)

City of Los Angeles Zoning Code Chapter 1A

e. Cargo Container

Storage, outdoor: cargo container is defined as any storage, outdoor use involving the keeping of empty cargo containers. Storage, outdoor: cargo container may include storage of container chassis and commercial truck cabs, repair facilities, warehouses, and offices, incidental to the movement or storage of cargo containers. This use does not include the storage of cargo containers that are not empty, or uses which are part of any freight transfer, for such uses see Sec. 5D.5.3. (Freight Transfer Facility).

F. Official Motor Vehicle Impound

Storage, outdoor: official motor vehicle impound is defined as any vehicle towing and storage service that involves City-approved vendors that support the public safety mission of the Los Angeles Police Department and Department of Transportation.

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Div. 5D.7. (Heavy Commercial Uses) Last amended by Ord. 189,007, Eff. 08/20/2026

[ FOrM - FrONtAGe - StANDArDS ] [ USE - DeNSitY ] Div. 5D.8. (Light Industrial Uses)

City of Los Angeles Zoning Code Chapter 1A