Palm Springs Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Palm Springs organizes land use and development rules in a single consolidated Zoning Code divided into Chapters 91—94 (Introduction/Definitions, Zoning Regulations, General Conditions, and Procedures). The code establishes the city’s zoning districts (residential, commercial, industrial, special-purpose and overlays), citywide standards (setbacks, height, landscaping, parking) and a procedures chapter that controls permits, design review and appeals. Specific plans and combining/overlay zones (for environmentally sensitive areas, historic resources, noise, watercourses, etc.) layer on top of base zones and — where adopted — supersede conflicting local standards. The Zoning Code is codified in the Palm Springs Municipal Code; the structure and chapter headings are set out in § 91.00.00.

How Palm Springs's code is organized

• The Zoning Code is presented as Chapters 91.00 (Introduction & Definitions), 92.00 (Zoning Regulations—districts), 93.00 (General Conditions / standards / special regulations) and 94.00 (Procedures / permits / hearings); the organizing purpose and scope are stated in § 91.00.00.
• The procedures and approval paths — ministerial reviews, land use permits, conditional use permits, development permits, planned development, variances, appeals and modifications — live in Chapter 94.00 (notably §§ 94.01.00—94.12.00) and set notice, hearing and appeal rules. See § 94.00.00 and the more detailed permit and appeal procedures throughout Chapter 94.
• Definitions and the official zone map are part of Chapter 91.00, and many zone-specific standards and permitted uses live in Chapter 92.00 while cross-cutting standards (parking, signage, solar, landscaping, nonconforming uses, public notice, etc.) are in Chapter 93.00. See § 91.00.00 and the body of Chapters 92 and 93.

Note: for quick navigation of city topics you’ll frequently want the Palm Springs zoning menu and, when checking dimensional rules, the city’s development standards page.

Zoning district families

Palm Springs uses classic base zones and several special/overlay types. Below are the main families as written in the code (bolded names are the code labels):

• Residential families

  • R-1 (single-family variants R-1-AH, R-1-A, R-1-B, R-1-C, R-1-D, R-1-E) — purpose and lot/yard tables and dimensional standards are in § 92.01.00—§ 92.01.03 (including minimum lot sizes, front-yard requirements, side-yard/corner-lot rules).
  • R-2 (limited multiple-family) — uses and development standards at § 92.03.00—§ 92.03.03.
  • R-3, R-4, R-4-VP (higher-density / hotel / mixed residential-hotel designations) — each zone has its own property development standards (height limits, yards, density) in the R-3/R-4 articles (e.g., § 92.04.03; § 92.05.01).

• Commercial and mixed-use families

  • C-1, C-1AA, C-2, C-B-D and other commercial zones — permitted uses, conditional uses and limits on size/frontage are set in the C-series sections (see § 92.09.01 for the CBD/C-1AA framing and related conditional uses).

• Industrial / service families

  • M-1, M-2, C-M etc. — manufacturing, service, and special industrial standards are in their respective 92.xx sections (examples appear across the code, including references to M zones in the planned development discussion).

• Open / special-purpose families

  • O, O-5, O-20 (open land / parks / scenic) — uses and limitations in § 92.21.00—§ 92.21.01.
  • ESA‑SP (Environmentally Sensitive Area Specific Plan zone) — a specific-plan-required overlay with its own planning areas and mandatory specific-plan conformity; see § 92.21.1.00—§ 92.21.1.07 (the ESA‑SP provisions expressly supersede conflicting Zoning Code provisions).

• Combining/overlay zones and prefixes

  • H (historic preservation combining zone) — may be applied as a suffix/prefix to other zones; objectives, compatibility findings, and that uses remain those of the underlying zone are in § 92.24.00. See the city’s historic preservation menu for local overlay topics.
  • N (noise impact and nonsuit covenant combining zone) and W (watercourse prefix) — combining symbols with special conditions (e.g., avigation easements in the N zone; flood-related requirements in W) appear at § 92.01.01 and § 92.20.00 respectively.
  • Planned Development (PD) procedures and the city’s planned-development rules are in § 94.03.00 and referenced throughout; PDs are implemented by ordinance and allow site-specific standards where approved.

(When you need to confirm whether a parcel is in one of these zones consult the official city zoning map and the base zone articles in Chapter 92. For overlay mapping and policy context consult the overlay districts page.)

Citywide development standards

Palm Springs centralizes many cross-cutting standards in Chapter 93.00 while zone-specific dimensional tables live in each 92.xx zone article.

• Setbacks, yards, lot dimensions and lot-area minima: R-1 yards and the full dimensional tables are in § 92.01.03 (front yards for local/collector streets: 25 ft for many R-1 subzones; corner-lot side-yard formulas are also in the same table), R-2 and R-3/R-4 standards in § 92.03.03 and § 92.04.03/§ 92.05.01 respectively. Example numeric standards: the R-1 table lists front yards of 25 ft (local/collector) and rear yards of 20 ft in many R-1 subzones — see § 92.01.03.
• Height limits and exceptions: height caps (for example many multi-family/commercial zones limit buildings to 24–30 ft or two stories with special exceptions and transition limits adjacent to R-1) are set in the individual zone articles (e.g., § 92.04.03(D); § 92.13.04(D)).
• Lot coverage / landscaping / open space: performance standards require minimum landscaped/open-space percentages in several zones — for instance § 92.02.04 requires 50% of the site area to be landscaped for certain districts and §§ 92.04.04/92.05.04 set 45% landscaping in other zones (see the zone-specific performance standards).
• Parking and loading: off-street parking standards and the process for reductions or shared-parking (including required parking studies for PDs) are handled in § 93.06.00 and related rules referenced in the zone articles (and there are special rules forTahquitz Canyon Way/CBD frontage). See the city parking page for common references; the zoning code ties parking rules back to § 93.06.00 in each zone.
• Special standards (solar, EV, hillside): the city has a Solar Zoning Ordinance (Sections 93.16.00—93.16.09) clarifying permitted solar locations and protections for solar access, and a Hillside Development article (§ 93.13.00) that prescribes stepped review and noticing. See § 93.16.00 and § 93.13.00.

(If you need quick access to specific dimensional tables use the zone article for that district; the city’s development standards page is the natural companion landing.)

Specific plans & overlays

• Specific plans: the Zoning Code recognizes specific plans as the vehicle to implement area-level rules and requires development to be consistent with any adopted specific plan. Where a specific plan applies it can displace or supersede some Code rules (e.g., the ESA‑SP zone requires that “all development will be required to be consistent with the adopted specific plan”). See § 92.21.1.00—§ 92.21.1.07 for the ESA‑SP approach.
• Overlays and combining zones: overlays such as the H historic-preservation combining zone, the N noise combining zone and the W watercourse prefix are defined as overlays that modify procedure or require specific covenants/findings (see §§ 92.24.00, 92.01.02 and § 92.20.00). The code requires compatibility findings for uses in an H overlay and establishes special requirements for noise-impacted parcels under N.
• Special-area program examples: the code includes special rules for time-share / condominium hotel projects, solar facilities, commercial WECS, and the conversion of golf courses — these are in the 92.x/93.x sections referenced throughout the code (e.g., §§ 93.23.11—93.23.20 and § 93.16.00).

When an overlay or specific plan exists, the specific-plan/overlay text will usually specify that it “supersedes any conflicting provisions of the Palm Springs Zoning Code” — read the overlay’s own ordinance language first (for ESA‑SP see § 92.21.1.00).

Building permits & review

• Permit paths and ministerial vs discretionary review: the Zoning Code makes clear that you cannot get a building permit inconsistent with an approved Development Permit or Conditional Use Permit (CUP). No building permit may be issued that conflicts with the Zoning Code or an approved land-use entitlement; see § 93.10.00 and § 93.03.00 references about permits and certificates of occupancy.
• Architectural and design review: architectural review (minor and major) and Major Development Permit procedures are in Chapter 94.00 (see the Major Development Permit pre-submittal, submittal package and Planning Commission review requirements in § 94.04.01 and related procedural subsections). The city’s design review page is the natural place to start for design application checklists; the code lists required drawing sets, public-notice rules and appeal timelines in § 94.04.01 and § 94.09.00.
• Development Permits / Major Development Permits / Conditional Use Permits / Variances: discretionary entitlements are processed in Chapter 94 — for example, conditional uses are governed by § 94.02.00, variances by § 94.06.00, and planned development procedures are called out in § 94.03.00. Each discretionary approval includes specific findings and appeal rights (appeals governed by Chapter 2.05 procedures and local appeal timelines).
• Certificates of occupancy and final inspections: a certificate of occupancy is required before a new building or changed use can operate; the code requires the certificate be applied for with the building permit and be contingent on compliance with the Zoning Code and any approved Development Permit — see § 93.10.00.

For practical steps: schedule the city’s required pre‑submittal conference for Major Development Permit projects, assemble the required plan sets as listed in § 94.04.01, and expect public-notice and potential Planning Commission hearings for discretionary entitlements.

State housing law in Palm Springs

California state housing law (ADU/JADU rules, SB 9, density bonus statutes, and ADU ministerial streamlining) interacts with Palm Springs’s local code in two ways: (1) the local code references city ADU sections and (2) state law preempts or constrains local ADU, parking, setback and other standards to the extent state statutes require.

ADUs / JADUs

• Local ADU references: several base zones list accessory dwelling units as permitted (e.g., R-1 and R-2 list ADUs as permitted subject to local ADU rules in § 93.23.14). See § 92.01.01 (R‑1 uses) and § 92.03.01 (R‑2 uses) which point to Section 93.23.14 for ADU rules.
• State ADU law constraints: statewide ADU reforms limit what local rules can require (size, setbacks, parking, demolition of garages, and ministerial timelines). The city’s code was updated in recent years (the code history notes revisions to § 93.23.14 and urban-lot/two‑unit rules), but for the state’s required ADU floor-area/setback minimums and ministerial rules consult the California ADU law summaries (see California ADU law watchers such as the included ADU handbook). The state ADU requirements (for example the 800 sq ft floor-area/minimum setback protections and certain parking exemptions) are summarized in the California ADU handbook.

SB 9 / Two-unit and lot-split rules

• Palm Springs added/modified urban lot split and two‑unit project provisions in recent ordinance history (references to §§ 9.62.055 and 93.23.21 in the ordinance table), indicating the city’s code contains urban-lot-split and two‑unit project rules updated to track state law. The code’s amendment history shows additions for urban lot splits and two‑unit projects (see the ordinance index entries referencing §§ 9.62.055 and 93.23.21). Verify the current operational standards in § 93.23.21 and related local ordinances before applying.

Density bonus & rent-control

• Density bonus: a local density-bonus ordinance text is not explicitly visible in the extracted zoning snippets; search the Code for “density bonus” or consult the Planning Department for an ordinance implementing state density-bonus statutes. Not found in retrieved materials — verify with the jurisdiction.
• Rent control / eviction control: the Zoning Code does not establish rent-control rules; such tenant protections are normally codified elsewhere (municipal rent/tenant ordinances or state law). Not found in retrieved zoning materials — verify with the city clerk or housing department.

State housing law links and advice: review the state California ADU law and consult the local ADU section via the city’s ADUs guidance (the code points to § 93.23.14 for local ADU rules).

Practical orientation / checklist

• Start at Chapter 91.00 to confirm definitions and the zone map (§ 91.00.00).
• Determine the parcel’s base zone and any overlays (R‑1, R‑2, C‑1, ESA‑SP, H, N, W, etc.) in Chapter 92.00 and the zoning map; then pull the zone article for numeric setbacks, lot sizes and height caps (§ 92.01.03 for R‑1; § 92.03.03 for R‑2; others as needed).
• For parking calculations and exemptions, consult § 93.06.00; for signage § 93.20.00; for landscaping § 92.02.04 or zone-specific performance standards. The code refers each zone back to these general condition chapters.
• For discretionary projects, follow the Major Development Permit and architectural-review steps in Chapter 94.00 (pre‑submittal conference, formal submittal, Planning Commission hearing and appeal options). See § 94.04.01 for Major Development Permit submission requirements and § 94.05.00 et seq. for nonconforming rules.

Source References

• Palm Springs Zoning Code (Ch. 91—94), PalmSprings_ZoningCode.md — see § 91.00.00, § 92.01.03, § 92.03.03, § 92.21.1.00—.
• Zoning Code procedure references (Chapter 94 — permits, hearings, appeals) — see § 94.00.00, § 94.04.01, § 94.02.00.
• Solar Zoning Ordinance and Hillside/other special standards — see §§ 93.16.00—93.16.09 and § 93.13.00.
• California ADU law summary (handbook) — state ADU rules summary relevant to local ADU implementation and limits.