Inglewood Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Inglewood’s land-use rules are codified in the Inglewood Municipal Code’s zoning chapters (Chapter 12) and implemented through zone articles, special plans and overlay articles that sit alongside citywide standards and permitting procedures — see the city’s zone list in § 12‑2 . The code groups uses by zone (residential, commercial, industrial, mixed‑use and specialized zones) and layers project-level controls (site plan review, design review, special use permits, planned-assembly and specific plan requirements) into discrete Articles such as Site Plan Review and Article 35 (ADUs) that developers must follow (for example § 12‑39.50 and § 12‑147–§ 12‑149) . Major projects and Transit‑Oriented Development areas are governed by their own specific-plan or overlay rules (e.g., Hollywood Park Specific Plan / HPSP) that supersede base-zone rules where stated § 12‑31.13 .

How Inglewood's code is organized

• Base zoning and definitions: zone listings and basic definitions are in Chapter 12 (e.g., § 12‑2 lists the city’s zone classifications) .
• Articles and Topics: the code is split into Articles that group topic areas (examples: Site Plan Review is Article 18.1 § 12‑39.50; ADUs are Article 35 § 12‑145–§ 12‑150) .
• Project-level procedures (Special Use Permits, Planned Assembly, Variances/Adjustments): procedures live in defined Articles (Special Use Permit procedures in § 12‑96; Planned Assembly in § 12‑39; Variances/Adjustments in § 12‑98 and related articles) .
• Overlays and Specific Plans: overlay rules and specific-plan zones are implemented as Articles that either add to or override base rules (examples: Hollywood Park Specific Plan (HPSP) in Article 10.1 § 12‑31.5–§ 12‑31.14; Transportation Corridor / T‑C overlay rules in Article 17 § 12‑38.50–§ 12‑38.107) .
• Where to find standards: development‑standards (setbacks, heights, lot coverage) are specified in each zone article (examples cited below), while citywide processes (site plan review, design review, appeals) appear in their dedicated Articles (Site Plan Review § 12‑39.50; Design Review / “D” Zone § 12‑35.1–§ 12‑35.4) .

For quick topic navigation on this page: the words zoning, development standards, parking, design review, overlay districts, ADUs, California Building Standards Code, and California housing laws are linked to the city/topic pages for deeper reading: see the linked resources inline.

Zoning district families (city‑wide)

Inglewood’s municipal code defines a detailed set of base and specialized zones in § 12‑2; the code uses these families as the organizing principle for permitted uses and standards . Key families (bolded here exactly as listed in the code) include:

• Residential: R‑1, R‑1Z, R‑1‑1/2, R‑2, R‑2A, R‑3, R‑4, R‑M .
• Commercial / Downtown / Historic: C‑1, C‑2, C‑2A, C‑3, C‑R, H‑C .
• Transit‑oriented / Mixed‑use: MU‑1, MU‑1A, MU‑2, MU‑2A, MU‑3, MU‑4, MU‑A, MU‑C, plus the T‑C (Transportation Corridor) Zone for transit infrastructure § 12‑38.50 .
• Special / Industrial / Campus: M‑1, M‑1L, M‑2, A‑C (Airport Campus), P / P‑1 (Parking), CC (Civic Center) .
• Specific Plan and overlays are implemented as distinct zones/Articles: HPSP (Hollywood Park Specific Plan), SOZ (Sign Overlay Zone), Medical Enterprise Overlay, SE (Sports & Entertainment) Overlay, Transportation Corridor Overlay, and others — each is given its own Article and standards § 12‑31.5, § 12‑38.70, § 12‑22.29, § 12‑38.95, § 12‑38.105 respectively .

Citywide development standards (high‑level)

• Where standards live: dimensional rules (yards/setbacks, height, lot coverage, parking) are specified in the individual zone Articles (examples below) and in overlay/specific‑plan Articles when applicable § 12‑22.22; § 12‑32.13; § 12‑27.4 .
• Examples of standard numeric limits from the code (representative, zone‑specific):
  • R‑M (Residential & Medical) — maximum six stories / seventy‑five feet for most structures; specific front/side/rear yards apply (front 15 ft or 20 ft when R‑3 standards apply; side 10 ft; rear 20 ft) § 12‑22. series (see § 12‑22.22–§ 12‑22.24) .
  • M‑1L (Limited Manufacturing) — lot area and setbacks: arterial‑fronting sites require 60,000 sq ft and 100 ft frontage; otherwise 15,000 sq ft and 50 ft frontage; building height up to 200 ft authorized § 12‑32.13 .
  • Medical Enterprise Overlay — pedestrian ground‑floor transparency, maximum 6 stories / 75 ft, minimum setbacks (e.g., 3 ft adjacent to parking, 8 ft adjacent to building face, 10 ft side, 20 ft rear), and max 70% lot coverage for alterations/additions § 12‑22.29; § 12‑22.26–§ 12‑22.29 .
• Parking: required parking numbers are set in the code’s parking Article and then referenced by each zone; many overlays or plan areas can modify or supersede parking rules (for instance the Medical Enterprise Overlay refers to Article 19 rules for parking § 12‑22.29(G) and the Transportation Corridor Overlay delegates design/parking rules to the ITC Design Guidelines) § 12‑22.29; § 12‑38.105 . See the city’s parking topic for details on vehicle, bicycle and shared‑parking rules.
• Design and objective standards: multifamily and mixed‑use new construction and additions must meet the city’s Objective Design Standards and Guidelines unless inside a Specific Plan area § 12‑21.9; design review triggers and standards are in “D” Zone and other Articles § 12‑35.1 and § 12‑31.47 .

(First time topics above linked for deeper reading: see development standards, parking, and design review.)

Specific plans & overlays (how they alter base rules)

• Hollywood Park Specific Plan (HPSP) is incorporated as a zoning designation; where it applies its specific plan rules govern in place of or in addition to base zones — see implementation and development standards § 12‑31.13–§ 12‑31.15 .
• Transportation Corridor Overlay / Transit‑oriented overlays (T‑C, ITC Design Guidelines): station and corridor development follow detailed design standards adopted by Council resolution and may supersede conflicting IMC provisions (e.g., site plan review, parking, setbacks) § 12‑38.105–§ 12‑38.107 .
• Sports & Entertainment (SE) Overlay and Sign Overlay (SOZ) contain their own design, signage and infrastructure rules and waive or modify some subdivision and lot‑size rules for SEC projects — see § 12‑38.95 and § 12‑38.70–§ 12‑38.74 .
• Takeaway: specific plans/overlays are codified as Articles and explicitly state how they relate to the IMC (they will say which IMC provisions they supersede) — e.g., HPSP explicitly states that where a conflict exists, the Specific Plan governs § 12‑31.14.2 . (See overlay districts link above for the main overlay Articles.)

Building permits & review (typical permit path)

• Pre‑application & submittal requirements: site plans, landscaping, elevations, parking and signage drawings are required for site plan and design review submittals § 12‑35.2; § 12‑39.52 lists detailed submission requirements for Site Plan Review .
• Site Plan Review: required before building permits in many cases — triggers include new structures or improvements over $20,000 (or specified GFA thresholds) and new nonresidential GFA of 25,000 sq ft or more § 12‑39.50 .
• Design Review & Planning Commission: projects in “D” supplemental design review areas, HPSP, Downtown and other plan areas require Planning Commission review per the standards in § 12‑35.3 and related Articles; the Commission issues approvals, conditional approvals, or disapprovals and orders notices/appeals per the code § 12‑35.3–§ 12‑35.6 .
• Special Use Permits & Planned Assembly: uses specifically noted in the IMC as requiring a Special Use Permit follow the procedure in § 12‑96 and § 12‑96.1; planned assembly developments use the Planned Assembly Article and typically submit a Special Use Permit for the conceptual plan followed by phased final plans § 12‑39.3–§ 12‑39.9; approvals normally include conditions and covenant recordation where required § 12‑39.4; appeals handled per Article 25 § 12‑39.9; § 12‑96 .
• Building permits & CEQA: building permits and related ministerial permits are handled by Building & Safety; some projects require environmental review per the city’s CEQA Article (see exempt project list § 12‑102 and CEQA incorporation § 12‑100) .
• Timing: ministerial ADU/JADU reviews are acted on within 60 days for complete applications (see Article 35 review timeframe) § 12‑147(e) .

Note: the Planning & Building Department Director is the usual first approver for ministerial site plan reviews; appeals of Director actions go to the Planning Commission or City Council per the code § 12‑39.56 and related appeal sections .

State housing law in Inglewood (how state rules interact)

• ADUs & JADUs: Inglewood implements accessory dwellings in Article 35; the Article expressly cites state ADU law (Government Code 65852.2 and 65852.22) and sets ministerial review timelines, limits on size/height/setbacks and other local requirements while preserving state minimums (e.g., ministerial approval within 60 days, impact fee exemptions for ADUs under 750 sq ft, JADU owner‑occupancy rules with state exceptions) § 12‑145–§ 12‑150 . See the local ADU rules at the city ADU Article and the linked California ADU law for state context.
• Density bonus and affordable housing: the code references affordable‑housing incentives (e.g., planned assembly may allow increased density where affordable housing is provided, with specific reference to Article 33) § 12‑39.2(4)(b) . Article 33 (affordable housing) provides the local implementation of affordability incentives (see Article 33 reference in the planned assembly rules) .
• SB‑9 / ministerial lot splits and other state laws: the municipal code text in the retrieved materials does not include a distinct SB‑9 implementation section; where state law applies it is typically implemented by amendments or administrative rules. If you need SB‑9 or other recent state‑law implementation specifics for Inglewood, confirm with the Planning Division (not found in retrieved materials).
• Building code: construction standards are enforced under the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) through the Building & Safety division; IMC cross‑references Building Code compliance in project approval steps § 12‑39.5 and Planned Assembly report requirements § 12‑39.5 . (See the linked California Building Standards Code resource for the statewide code.)

Practical orientation / takeaways for applicants

• Start at the base zone: confirm the property’s base zone in § 12‑2 to see permitted uses and then check any applicable Specific Plan or Overlay (HPSP, T‑C, Medical Enterprise, SE, SOZ, etc.) that may change standards § 12‑2; § 12‑31.13; § 12‑22.29 .
• Expect site plan or design review if your project exceeds the monetary or area thresholds (Site Plan Review triggers § 12‑39.50) .
• For ADUs: the city’s Article 35 sets objective rules and a 60‑day ministerial review for complete applications — follow § 12‑147–§ 12‑149 to size and setback requirements and permit exemptions § 12‑147(e) .
• For major projects: planned assembly and Sports & Entertainment Complex projects are governed by tailored guidelines that can waive certain subdivision rules (see SEC overlay and Planned Assembly Articles) § 12‑38.95; § 12‑39.2 .
• Use the Adjustment / Zone Adjustment process for limited departures (minor setback/parking reductions and other small adjustments) using § 12‑98 rather than a full variance in many cases .

Source References

• Inglewood Municipal Code (Zoning / Chapter 12) — zone list and base rules: § 12‑2 .
• Site Plan Review rules: § 12‑39.50 et seq. (Article 18.1) .
• ADUs (Article 35): § 12‑145 through § 12‑150 (ADU/JADU standards and 60‑day review) .
• Hollywood Park Specific Plan (HPSP) Article and standards: § 12‑31.5–§ 12‑31.15 .
• Medical Enterprise Overlay standards (setbacks, height, lot coverage): § 12‑22.26–§ 12‑22.29 .
• Transportation Corridor Overlay / ITC Design Guidelines: § 12‑38.105–§ 12‑38.107 .
• Site plan submission & design standards: § 12‑39.52; Objective Design Standards § 12‑21.9 .
• Adjustment / Variance provisions: Article 26.1 and § 12‑98 (Zone Adjustments) .
• For statewide construction rules referenced in approvals: see California Building Standards Code (Title 24) link; for state housing/ADU laws see California housing laws and California ADU law links.