Local code · Los Angeles

Los Angeles — Zoning Code (Chapter 1A)

The Los Angeles Zoning Code (Chapter 1A), explained in plain English with the controlling citations.

Last reviewed: July 6, 2026

Overview

Los Angeles’ Zoning Code (Chapter 1A) is the City’s new zoning system being rolled out as Community Plans are updated, eventually replacing the legacy rules in Los Angeles Zoning Code (Chapter 1). Chapter 1A regulates projects only where its districts are mapped; its citywide administrative procedures apply everywhere. The code organizes every zoning map label into a two-bracket “zone string” that separates the built form from allowed activities, then layers density on top. Applicants should also consult related standards for Los Angeles Development Standards, Los Angeles Parking, Los Angeles Design Review, Los Angeles Overlay Districts, Los Angeles Nonconforming Uses, and Los Angeles Permits & Forms.

The most important rule: Your site’s Chapter 1A zoning appears as a two-bracket “zone string” — [Form–Frontage–Standards] [Use–Density] — and each bracket governs different things on the same lot (§ 1.5.2 ).

How Chapter 1A fits together (what it establishes)

Applicability and phasing. Chapter 1A applies to projects on lots with Chapter 1A districts; in areas not yet remapped, legacy Chapter 1 controls. However, Chapter 1A’s administration article applies citywide (§ 1.4.2.A–B, § 1.4.2.A.2–A.4, § 1.4.2.A.3 ).
Zone string components. The first bracket sets the built environment via Form, Frontage, and Development Standards districts; the second bracket sets the Use and Density districts (§ 1.5.2.A.1.a–e; § 1.3.1.4–5 ).
Maps. Find your applied Chapter 1A districts through ZIMAS and the Department’s Map Gallery (§ 1.5.1.2 ).
Administration and process. Chapter 1A defines legislative, quasi-judicial, and ministerial decision types, common process elements (application, notice, decision, appeals), and a summary of entitlements and decision-makers (§ 13A.2.1; § 13A.2.2.A–B ).
Non-zone-string articles. Chapter 1A also includes Articles on Alternate Typologies, Public Benefit Systems, Streets & Parks, Division of Land, Nonconformities, Administration, General Rules, and Fees (§ 1.3.2.A–H ).

Districts under Chapter 1A

Chapter 1A’s mapped zoning is intentionally modular. The first bracket governs physical form and development standards; the second bracket governs activities and the number of units. Use the district-by-district notes below with your parcel’s full zone string.

Form Districts (Part 2B) — regulate the building envelope and site plan

Form Districts establish lot parameters, bulk/mass, and upper-story controls. Category-wide ranges follow the code’s naming convention (§ 2A.1.4, cited within each family), and specific sections provide district metrics.

[Reserved families] The Rural, Estate, House, and several Very Low-Rise sub-families are currently marked “[Reserved]” (Div. 2B.1–2B.6; “Reserved Form Districts” page) (§ 2B.1–2B.6; “Reserved Form Districts” ).

Very Low-Rise Full 1 (VF1)

Purpose. Establishes a very low-rise “full” form with no maximum building width; regulates site-lot basics (interpreted from district metrics; verify pairing with Use/Density).
Typical permitted uses. Set by the applied Use District (Part 5B); see “Use Districts” below (§ 1.5.2.A.1.d ).
Key dimensional standards. FAR 1.5 (max); no height max; no minimum lot area; 20 ft minimum lot width; 25% building coverage (max); 0 ft setbacks on all sides except 10 ft from rivers (§ 2B.7.1 ).
Where it applies. Only where mapped in Chapter 1A; verify on ZIMAS (§ 1.5.1.2; § 1.4.2.A.2 ).

Low-Rise Full 2 (LF2)

Purpose. Low-rise, “full” building form with no building-width cap (interpreted from metrics).
Typical permitted uses. By applied Use District (§ 1.5.2.A.1.d ).
Key dimensional standards. FAR 3.0 (max); no additional metrics shown in retrieved table (§ 2B.11.2 — other metrics: Not found in retrieved materials ).
Where it applies. Where mapped in Chapter 1A (§ 1.5.1.2; § 1.4.2.A.2 ).

Mid-Rise Narrow 1 (MN1)

Purpose. Mid-rise “narrow” massing for fine-grain building widths.
Typical permitted uses. By applied Use District (§ 1.5.2.A.1.d ).
Key dimensional standards. Family-wide: FAR 4.1–6.0; building width 25–75 ft (max) (§ 2B.12; § 2B.12.1 ).
Where it applies. Where mapped in Chapter 1A (§ 1.5.1.2 ).

Mid-Rise Medium 1 (MM1)

Purpose. Mid-rise “medium” massing for broader plates than “Narrow.”
Typical permitted uses. By applied Use District.
Key dimensional standards. Family-wide: FAR 4.1–6.0; building width 100–210 ft (max) (§ 2B.13; § 2B.13.1 ).
Where it applies. Where mapped in Chapter 1A.

Mid-Rise Broad 1 (MB1) and Mid-Rise Broad 2 (MB2)

Purpose. Mid-rise “broad” massing for large floorplates.
Typical permitted uses. By applied Use District.
Key dimensional standards. Family-wide: FAR 4.1–6.0; building width 280–490 ft (max) (§ 2B.14; § 2B.14.1; § 2B.14.2 ).
Where it applies. Where mapped in Chapter 1A.

Moderate-Rise Medium (DM1–DM5)

Purpose. Moderate-rise “medium” massing — taller and bulkier than mid-rise families.
Typical permitted uses. By applied Use District.
Key dimensional standards. Family-wide: FAR 6.1–8.5; building width 100–210 ft (max) (§ 2B.16; § 2B.16.1–.5 ).
Where it applies. Where mapped in Chapter 1A.

Moderate-Rise Full 1 (DF1)

Purpose. Moderate-rise “full” massing — no maximum building width.
Typical permitted uses. By applied Use District.
Key dimensional standards. Family-wide: FAR 6.1–8.5; no maximum building width (§ 2B.18; § 2B.18.1 ).
Where it applies. Where mapped in Chapter 1A.

High-Rise Medium 1–2 (HM1–HM2)

Purpose. High-rise “medium” plates with bounded width.
Typical permitted uses. By applied Use District.
Key dimensional standards. Family-wide: FAR 8.6–13.0; building width 100–210 ft (max) (§ 2B.19; § 2B.19.1–.2 ).
Where it applies. Where mapped in Chapter 1A.

High-Rise Broad 2–6 (HB2–HB6)

Purpose. High-rise “broad” plates for very large floorplates.
Typical permitted uses. By applied Use District.
Key dimensional standards. Family-wide: FAR 8.6–13.0; building width 280–490 ft (max) (§ 2B.20; § 2B.20.2–.6 ).
Where it applies. Where mapped in Chapter 1A.

High-Rise Full Districts

Status. Reserved at publication (§ 2B.21 ).

Use Districts (Part 5B) — control activities on the lot

Use Districts determine which activities (e.g., dwelling, retail, industrial) may occur on the site (§ 1.5.2.A.1.d; § 5, Part 5B–5D overview in § 1.3.1.4 ). Examples from retrieved materials:

Industrial 1 (I1). Intent is to allow heavy commercial and light industrial, with some commercial; household dwellings and several residential/live-work formats are not permitted (table shows “--”) (§ 5B.7.1.B; key shows “-- = Use Not Permitted” in § 5B.6.4 key ).
Industrial-Mixed 4 (IX4). Use matrix key provided; full allowances not in retrieved excerpt (Not found in retrieved materials) (§ 5B.6.4 ).

Density Districts (Article 6) — cap unit count

Density Districts are a separate, fifth component that regulates the number of household or efficiency dwelling units on a lot, independent from Form and Use (§ 6A.1.1; § 6A.2.1 ). Density applies to all projects filed after the effective date (vested/continuance exceptions noted) and relates to Use Districts and public benefit programs (§ 6A.2.2–6A.2.5 ). Example reference:

FA (Lot Area-Based) Density District. Used by Opportunity Corridors typologies; density is set per Div. 6B.2 (standards not in retrieved excerpt) (§ 7B.6.2.H; Div. 6B.2 cited therein ).

Alternate Typologies (Article 7) — targeted overrides where form must follow use

Alternate Typologies provide optional, eligibility-based packages that supersede parts of the applied districts to enable specific building/use outcomes (§ 1.3.2.A; § 1.5.2.A.2 ). The adopted “Opportunity Corridors” sets exemplify this:

Opportunity Corridors 1B (OC-1B). Establishes form tables (lot parameters, FAR/height, massing) and allows bonuses; crucially, it states: “No automobile parking shall be required for residential uses” — pair with your site’s form and use districts (§ 7B.6.2.D–H; parking in § 7B.6.2.F.2 ). Projects follow review in § 9.2.3.D (§ 7B.6.2.C ).
Opportunity Corridors 2A (OC-2A). Eligibility: on lots mapped “OC-2” on the Mixed Income Housing Incentive Map (§ 1.5.17) and using § 9.2.3; establishes baseline form and references process and standards in Articles 2, 5, 6 (§ 7B.6.3.A–D ).

Quick Standards & Process References

Topic	What Chapter 1A Establishes	Code Reference
Zone string structure	Two-bracket system: [Form–Frontage–Standards] [Use–Density]	§ 1.5.2.A.1
Where 1A applies	Applies only where 1A districts are mapped; Article 13 applies citywide	§ 1.4.2.A–B; § 1.4.2.A.3
Find your zoning	Use ZIMAS / Map Gallery to see Chapter 1A districts	§ 1.5.1.2
Decision types	Legislative, quasi-judicial, ministerial, with common workflow elements	§ 13A.2.1; § 13A.2.2.A
Form: Mid-Rise Narrow	FAR 4.1–6.0; building width 25–75 ft	§ 2B.12; § 2B.12.1
Form: Moderate-Rise Medium	FAR 6.1–8.5; width 100–210 ft	§ 2B.16; § 2B.16.1–.5
Form: High-Rise Broad	FAR 8.6–13.0; width 280–490 ft	§ 2B.20; § 2B.20.2–.6
Use example: I1	Industrial 1 allows heavy commercial/light industrial; dwellings “--” (not permitted)	§ 5B.7.1; table key in § 5B.6.4
Alt. Typology: OC-1B	No residential auto parking required; FA density applies	§ 7B.6.2.F.2; § 7B.6.2.H

Checklist

Confirm your site is mapped under Chapter 1A (ZIMAS/Map Gallery) and note the full zone string [Form–Frontage–Standards] [Use–Density] (§ 1.5.1.2; § 1.5.2.A.1 ).
From the Form District, extract FAR/height/width and lot/yard controls; then pull any applied Los Angeles Development Standards district rules (§ 1.5.2.A.1.a–c ).
From the Use District, confirm allowed activities and any use-specific standards (§ 1.3.1.4; Part 5B–5D overview ).
From the Density District, determine maximum units and whether any public benefit program changes that cap (§ 6A.1.1; § 6A.2.2–6A.2.5 ).
Check if an Alternate Typology (e.g., Opportunity Corridors) is available and eligible; note any overrides (e.g., no required residential auto parking) (§ 7B.6.2; § 7B.6.3 ).
Identify the correct procedure type (ministerial/quasi-judicial/legislative), notice, decision-maker, and appeal path (§ 13A.2.1–13A.2.2 ). If design review applies, see Los Angeles Design Review.
If your building/use is existing and doesn’t conform, review Article 12 and the City’s Los Angeles Nonconforming Uses guidance (§ 1.3.2.E; Article 12 reference ).
Prepare and submit your application via City Planning/Building per the applicable entitlement and Los Angeles Permits & Forms.

Risks & Ambiguities

Issue	Why it matters	What to verify
Not remapped yet	Chapter 1A doesn’t apply unless your lot is mapped in 1A; otherwise Chapter 1 rules govern.	Confirm mapping on ZIMAS; Chapter 1A applicability in § 1.4.2.A.2–A.4 .
Interpreting the zone string	Misreading a bracket (Form vs Use) leads to wrong conclusions about setbacks vs permitted uses.	Use the two-bracket framework in § 1.5.2.A.1 and pull all five districts .
Use vs Form conflicts	A form can fit housing, but the Use District may prohibit dwellings (e.g., I1).	Check the Use matrix; I1 table shows dwellings not permitted (§ 5B.7.1; § 5B.6.4 key) .
Density layer	Units are capped by Density Districts even if building envelope allows more.	See § 6A.1.1; § 6A.2.1–6A.2.5; public benefits may alter caps (§ 9, referenced) .
Alternate Typology eligibility	Opportunity Corridors bonuses/waivers apply only where mapped (OC-1B/OC-2A).	Confirm OC mapping and program use (§ 7B.6.2; § 7B.6.3; § 1.5.17) .
Parking assumptions	Some typologies waive required residential parking; don’t over- or under-supply.	OC-1B states no required residential auto parking (§ 7B.6.2.F.2) ; also check Los Angeles Parking.

Plain-English Summary

Chapter 1A is Los Angeles’ new zoning system. Find your site’s two-bracket zone string, read the Form/Standards to learn the building envelope, then read the Use/Density to see what activities and how many units are allowed. If an Alternate Typology like Opportunity Corridors applies, it can override some rules (including required residential parking) to enable more housing (§ 7B.6.2; § 7B.6.3 ). If your area hasn’t been remapped yet, you’re still under the legacy code while Chapter 1A’s procedures already apply citywide (§ 1.4.2.A–B ).

Source References

§ 1.4.2 (Applicability of this Zoning Code) — citywide administration; mapping prerequisites for 1A applicability
§ 1.5.1–1.5.2 (Zoning Code Maps; Zoning Map) — zone string components and map access (ZIMAS/Map Gallery)
§ 1.3.1–1.3.2 (Orientation; Non-Zone String Articles) — overview of Articles 2–15 and zone-string separation
Article 2 (Form), including §§ 2B.7.1 (VF1), 2B.11.2 (LF2), 2B.12.1 (MN1), 2B.13.1 (MM1), 2B.14.1–.2 (MB1–MB2), 2B.16.1–.5 (DM1–DM5), 2B.18.1 (DF1), 2B.19.1–.2 (HM1–HM2), 2B.20.2–.6 (HB2–HB6)
Article 5 (Use), including § 5B.7.1 (Industrial 1), § 5B.6.4 (Industrial-Mixed 4 key)
Article 6 (Density), §§ 6A.1.1–6A.1.2; 6A.2.1–6A.2.5 — density-layer rules and relationships
Article 7 (Alternate Typologies), §§ 7B.6.2–7B.6.3 — Opportunity Corridors 1B/2A
Article 13 (Administration), §§ 13A.2.1–13A.2.2 — process categories and elements
LAMC Chapter I (General Provisions and Zoning) — legacy code referenced throughout 1A (official code site URL noted in Chapter 1A text)

Sources

Retrieved passages

Los Angeles Zoning Code (ARTICLE 1) High relevance
Los Angeles Zoning Code (Chapter 1A) High relevance
Los Angeles Zoning Code (Chapter 1A) High relevance
Los Angeles Zoning Code (Article 14.) High relevance
Los Angeles Zoning Code (Chapter 1A) High relevance
Los Angeles Zoning Code (ARTICLE 1) High relevance
Los Angeles Zoning Code (Chapter 1A) High relevance
Los Angeles Zoning Code (ARTICLE 7) High relevance

Cited sections

Official Los Angeles code library

Frequently asked questions

How do I read my Chapter 1A zoning in Los Angeles?

Look up your parcel in ZIMAS; your label will show two brackets: [Form–Frontage–Standards] [Use–Density]. The first controls the building envelope; the second controls allowed activities and unit counts (§ 1.5.2.A.1 ).

Does Chapter 1A apply to my property yet?

Only if your lot has been remapped into Chapter 1A districts. If not, you’re still under the legacy code; however, the Chapter 1A Administration article (processes) applies citywide (§ 1.4.2.A.2–A.4; § 1.4.2.A.3 ).

What can I build under a “Moderate-Rise Medium” form district?

That family sets the building scale — generally FAR 6.1–8.5 and max width 100–210 ft. Actual uses (housing, office, etc.) depend on the Use District paired with the form in your zone string (§ 2B.16; § 1.5.2.A.1.d ).

Are residential units allowed in an Industrial 1 (I1) Use District?

No. The I1 matrix shows household dwellings and several residential/live-work formats as not permitted (“--”). I1 is intended for heavy commercial and light industrial activities (§ 5B.7.1; key in § 5B.6.4 ).

Can Opportunity Corridors let me reduce parking or build taller?

Yes, where eligible and mapped. OC-1B states no automobile parking is required for residential uses and provides FAR/height bonuses via defined tables; OC-2A provides a mixed-income program baseline. Check § 7B.6.2–7B.6.3 and your map eligibility (§ 7B.6.2.F.2; § 7B.6.3.A–D ).

Who decides my entitlement — staff, a Zoning Administrator, or the Commission?

It depends on the process category. Chapter 1A defines legislative, quasi-judicial, and ministerial procedures, with common elements (application, notice, decision, appeal) and a decision-maker summary (§ 13A.2.1–13A.2.2 ).

Do Form Districts set how many dwelling units I can build?

No. Form controls the envelope; the unit count is in the Density District layer. Public benefit systems can modify density in exchange for affordability (§ 6A.1.1; § 6A.2.3–6A.2.5 ).

Where do I find the exact setbacks for my lot?

Start with your Form District’s lot-parameter table (e.g., VF1 shows 0 ft setbacks except 10 ft from rivers), then check any Development Standards district applied in your first bracket (§ 2B.7.1; § 1.5.2.A.1.c ).

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