Los Angeles — Land Use

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

Los Angeles regulates what may be done on a parcel primarily through a zone string that includes a Use District; the Use District Table assigns permission levels (for example P, *, CU1/CU2/CU3) to specific uses and use groups. See how to read the Use District in the zone string at § 5A.1.1 and the basic permission categories at § 5A.3.1–§ 5A.3.4. The Use District concept and the Use District Table are defined in the code glossary. See § 14.3.

Practical note: the zoning text does not bury permitted uses inside a single “land use table” file — each Use District has its own Use District table in Part 5B and permission symbols (P, *, CU1–3, S, A-/A+) control whether a use is by-right, requires standards, or is discretionary. See § 5A.1.2 and § 5A.3.2–§ 5A.3.5.

This page summarizes the Los Angeles (City) Use District framework and the principal zone categories. For dimensional standards (setbacks, FAR, lot coverage, height) you must consult the city's development standards; see the Los Angeles Development Standards link below and verify on a parcel-by-parcel basis. Also review local overlay maps such as historic overlays and Specific Plans that may modify permitted uses. For parking requirements consult the City’s parking rules. Links to the city menus used in this guide are embedded inline: Los Angeles Development Standards, Los Angeles Parking, Los Angeles Design Review, Los Angeles Overlay Districts, Los Angeles Historic Preservation, Los Angeles Nonconforming Uses, and Los Angeles ADUs. When building permits and technical compliance are relevant, consult the California Building Standards Code.

How Los Angeles structures “Land Use” in the Code (quick mechanics)

• Identify the base zone and the full zone string; the fourth component is the Use District that governs uses — § 5A.1.1 explains the zone string relationship.
• Read the Use District Table for that district (Part 5B). Permission symbols mean: P = permitted; * = permitted only when specific use standards apply; CU1/CU2/CU3 = conditional uses requiring a Class 1/2/3 conditional use permit; S = special use program; A- / A+ = dependent on adjoining zoning. See § 5A.3.2–§ 5A.3.6.
• If the Use District table shows a conditional permission (CU1/CU2/CU3), the applicable procedures are in the discretionary approvals article (see, e.g., § 13B.2.1 and § 13B.2.2).

District-by-district reference (purpose, typical permitted uses, key dimensional standards, where it applies)

The City code enumerates the official zones; the list below reflects the local district names used by the City of Los Angeles. The Use District Table for each district in Part 5B assigns exact permission levels — consult the applicable Use District Table for parcel-level determinations (see § 5A.1.2).

Note on sources used below: the code list of zone names is contained in the City zoning chapters (old and new code text). Where the specific Use District table or numeric standard for a district is not available in the retrieved materials, I note "Not found in retrieved materials" and point you to the Development Standards link.

OS (Open Space)

• Purpose: Preserve parks, natural open space and publicly accessible open areas.
• Typical permitted uses: parks, recreation, passive open space, limited supporting structures. Use permissions are shown in the Use District Table. See § 5A.1.2.
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials — verify in Los Angeles Development Standards.
• Where it applies: Public/open parcels citywide (map controlled).

A1 / A2 (Agricultural zones)

• Purpose: Low-intensity agriculture and related rural uses.
• Typical permitted uses: small-scale agriculture, animal-keeping (subject to standards), limited residential accessory uses. Specifics depend on Use District Table.
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials — verify with Development Standards.
• Where it applies: Outlying/edge areas designated for agricultural uses.

RA / RE / RS / R1 / RU / RZ / RW1 (Single-family / suburban residential family zones)

• Purpose: Single-family and low-density residential neighborhoods. R-1 commonly used for one-family lots.
• Typical permitted uses: single-family dwellings, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) under state/local ADU rules, neighborhood-serving uses where explicitly allowed in the Use District Table. See definitions and Use District rules § 14.3 and § 5A.3.2–§ 5A.3.4.
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials — see Los Angeles Development Standards for setbacks, height, lot coverage.
• Where it applies: Standard single-family neighborhoods citywide; consult the zone map for parcels.

R2 / RD / RMP / RW2 (Two-family, restricted-density multiples, mobilehome park, waterways residential)

• Purpose: Duplexes, restricted-density multiple dwellings, manufactured-home parks, and specific waterway residential types.
• Typical permitted uses: two-family dwellings, mobilehome parks (RMP), and controlled multi-family where allowed by the Use District Table.
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials — verify in Development Standards.
• Where it applies: Neighborhoods mapped for duplex or restricted-density multi-family housing.

R3 / RAS3 / R4 / RAS4 / R5 (Multiple dwelling / residential + accessory services)

• Purpose: Medium-to-high density apartment zones and residential zones allowing accessory services. RAS3 and RAS4 designate residential plus accessory services.
• Typical permitted uses: Multi-family dwellings, subject to density rules (see the Density District rules in Part 6); accessory community services where the Use District Table allows.
• Key dimensional standards (density, height, setbacks): Not found in retrieved materials — density regulation resides in Part 6 (Density Districts) and development standards pages; verify with Los Angeles Development Standards.
• Where it applies: Mapped multi-family corridors and centers.

CR / C1 / C1.5 / C2 / C4 / C5 / CM (Commercial zones)

• Purpose: Local retail and services (CR, C1), neighborhood/secondary commercial (C1.5/C2/C4), larger commercial and commercial-manufacturing (C5, CM).
• Typical permitted uses: Retail, restaurants (subject to outdoor dining rules), offices, personal services, and some entertainment uses depending on zone and Use District Table. Specific commercial uses such as mortuaries, pawnshops, nightclubs, and drive-throughs receive special conditional-use rules in certain C zones (see examples in the code).
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials — check Los Angeles Development Standards for setbacks, parking (see Los Angeles Parking), signage rules, and floor area ratios.
• Where it applies: Commercial corridors and nodes citywide. Some commercial uses are limited or conditioned when adjacent to residential zones (see conditional use rules).

MR1 / M1 / MR2 / M2 / M3 (Industrial / manufacturing)

• Purpose: Light manufacturing, industrial services, and heavy industrial uses.
• Typical permitted uses: Warehouses, manufacturing, service facilities; certain industrial uses are only permitted when a CU or additional findings are made (see text examples).
• Key dimensional standards: Not found in retrieved materials — verify through development standards and specific M-zone rules.
• Where it applies: Industrial parks and manufacturing corridors.

P / PB (Parking and Parking Building)

• Purpose: Dedicated automobile parking areas and parking structures.
• Typical permitted uses: Automobile parking (primary), parking buildings, accessory parking for other uses. Development and internal parking standards are governed by specific code sections and the Department of Transportation – consult the parking rules.
• Where it applies: Where mapped for public or structured parking. See Los Angeles Parking.

PF (Public Facilities)

• Purpose: Public and quasi-public uses: schools, utilities, municipal buildings.
• Typical permitted uses: Public facilities and service structures; many public uses are permitted or conditioned by Use District rules.

SL (Ocean — Submerged Land)

• Purpose: Regulates seacoast, offshore and submerged lands — special rules apply. See § 8.3.3 for intent of Ocean — Submerged Land special zone.

Quick decision table — how permission levels work (sample)

For the authoritative list of what is permitted in a particular Use District, consult the Use District Table in Part 5B for that district (see § 5A.1.2).

Checklist (what an applicant must do for a land-use determination)

• Determine the full zone string and identify the Use District (Use District is the fourth component of the zone string) — § 5A.1.1.
• Look up the relevant Use District Table (Part 5B) and confirm the permission symbol (P, *, CU1–3, S, A-/A+) for your proposed use — § 5A.1.2, § 5A.3.1–§ 5A.3.4.
• If a conditional use (CU1/2/3), prepare the findings and application per § 13B.2.1 / § 13B.2.2 / § 13B.2.3 and expect public notice and discretionary review.
• Check overlays and Specific Plans (they can change permitted uses and standards) — see Los Angeles Overlay Districts.
• Check parking requirements and potential reductions or exceptions (including special rules for senior housing cited in the code) — see Los Angeles Parking and Code examples § 12.21 A.4 references in the zoning text.
• Confirm dimensional and development standards (setbacks, height, FAR, lot coverage) at Los Angeles Development Standards. If relying on density incentives (state density bonus), check vesting rules — § 1.4.5.
• If the site has an existing lawful use that is now conditional, review the nonconforming and continuation rules — see Los Angeles Nonconforming Uses.
• If historic resources are implicated, consult Los Angeles Historic Preservation.
• If proposing an ADU, follow both the City ADU rules and state ADU law — see Los Angeles ADUs and California ADU law.
• For construction/permit-level compliance, coordinate with LADBS and the California Building Standards Code.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

Los Angeles assigns a local zone string to each parcel; the Use District (the fourth part of that string) determines what uses are allowed by a small set of permission symbols (by‑right, conditional, special). To know whether a use is allowed you must read the Use District Table for the parcel and then confirm development standards, overlays, and parking — the code’s Use District rules are in § 5A.1.1–§ 5A.3.5.

Information Gaps

• Parcel-level Use District Tables and the numeric dimensional standards (setbacks, FAR, lot coverage, exact densities tied to Density Districts) were not included in the retrieved file excerpts. Verify those at the Use District table for the parcel (Part 5B) and the Development Standards pages. Not found in retrieved materials.
• Exact mapping of specific common uses to individual Use Districts (the full land use matrix) was not present in the retrieved snippets. Consult the Use District Table for the relevant district. Not found in retrieved materials.

Source References

• Use Districts, zone-string relationship, and how to use the use tables: § 5A.1.1 and § 5A.1.2.
• Use permission definitions (Permitted, Use Standard applies, Conditional Uses CU1/CU2/CU3, Special Use Program): § 5A.3.1 – § 5A.3.6.
• Definitions (Use; Use District; Use District Table): § 14.3 (glossary).
• Examples and historic excerpts on specific uses and conditional use examples (commercial/industrial/residential examples): LA original planning & zoning excerpts. (See use lists throughout Chapter 1).
• Freeway special zone intent and special standards (screening): § 8.3.2.
• Conditional-use procedures, supplemental findings and vesting references: § 13B.2.1 / § 13B.2.2 / § 13B.2.3 and § 1.4.5 (Vested Rights).

Also use these site menu pages for operational checks (internal links used above):

• Los Angeles Zoning
• Los Angeles Development Standards
• Los Angeles Parking
• Los Angeles Design Review
• Los Angeles Overlay Districts
• Los Angeles Historic Preservation
• Los Angeles Nonconforming Uses
• Los Angeles ADUs
• California Building Standards Code

Retrieved passages

• Los Angeles Zoning Code (Chapter 1A) High relevance show source text
• Los Angeles Zoning Code (Chapter 1A) High relevance show source text
• Los Angeles Zoning Code (Section 12.21) High relevance show source text
• Los Angeles Zoning Code (ARTICLE 8) Medium relevance show source text
• Los Angeles Zoning Code (ARTICLE 14) Medium relevance show source text
• Los Angeles Zoning Code (Chapter 1A) Medium relevance show source text
• Los Angeles Zoning Code (Article 7) Medium relevance show source text
• Los Angeles Zoning Code (Chapter 1A) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Use Districts, zone-string relationship, and how to use the use tables: **§ 5A.1.1** and **§ 5A.1.2**. (§ 5A.1.1)
• Use permission definitions (Permitted, Use Standard applies, Conditional Uses CU1/CU2/CU3, Special Use Program): **§ 5A.3.1 – § 5A.3.6**. (§ 5A.3.1)
• Definitions (Use; Use District; Use District Table): **§ 14.3** (glossary). (§ 14.3)
• Examples and historic excerpts on specific uses and conditional use examples (commercial/industrial/residential examples): LA original planning & zoning excerpts. (See use lists throughout Chapter 1). fileciteturn0file5 (Chapter 1)
• Freeway special zone intent and special standards (screening): **§ 8.3.2**. (§ 8.3.2)
• Conditional-use procedures, supplemental findings and vesting references: **§ 13B.2.1 / § 13B.2.2 / § 13B.2.3** and **§ 1.4.5** (Vested Rights). fileciteturn0file1 (§ 13B.2.1)
• Los Angeles Zoning
• Los Angeles Development Standards
• Los Angeles Parking
• Los Angeles Design Review
• Los Angeles Overlay Districts
• Los Angeles Historic Preservation
• Los Angeles Nonconforming Uses
• Los Angeles ADUs
• California Building Standards Code
• LA City Zoning Code Chapter 1A.md
• LA City Original Planning and Zoning code Chapter 1.md

• Official Los Angeles code library