Pasadena Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Pasadena’s land-use rules are codified in Title 17 — Zoning Code, which implements the General Plan and organizes the city into primary zoning districts, overlay districts, and specific plan areas. The code sets citywide development standards (setbacks, height, FAR, lot coverage), project-level rules (parking, landscaping, signs), and the procedural framework for permits and discretionary review. For everyday navigation of what you can build where, start with the city’s zoning map and then check the applicable chapter of Title 17 for standards and permit triggers. The Zoning Code makes clear that building and grading permits may be issued only after land‑use approvals required by Title 17 are satisfied (§ 17.10.030) .

How Pasadena's code is organized

• The Zoning Code is published as Title 17 of the Pasadena Municipal Code; Article 1 states the code purpose and applicability, including the requirement that projects comply with land‑use approval procedures before building permits may issue (§ 17.10.010; § 17.10.030) .
• The City adopts a formal Zoning Map (kept on file in the Planning Department) and identifies the primary zoning districts, overlay districts, and specific‑plan districts to appear on that map (§ 17.20.020) .
• The code is arranged into topical chapters: District chapters (Article 2: e.g., Chapters 17.22–17.26), Specific Plans (Article 3: Chapters 17.30–17.39), Site planning and general standards (Article 4: Chapter 17.40 and related chapters such as landscaping and parking), Use‑specific standards (Article 5: Chapter 17.50), Administrative/review rules (Article 6: review tables and Chapter 17.61), and administration (Article 7: Chapter 17.70) (see § 17.20.020; § 17.40.060; Table 6‑1) .
• Decision‑making roles (Director / Zoning Administrator / Hearing Officer / Commissions / City Council) and who hears what are summarized in the code’s review authority table (Table 6‑1) (§ 17.70.020; Table 6‑1) .

Zoning district families

Pasadena uses a conventional set of primary district families. The Zoning Map and Chapter 17.20 describe the map and the primary districts; the district chapters then contain the standards that apply to each family (§ 17.20.020) . Common families you will encounter in the code include (examples in bold — check the cited chapter for the full tables and numeric suffix varieties):

• RS (Single‑Family Residential) — standards and yard rules are found in the RS district chapter(s) (see Article 2 / Chapter 17.22 references) (§ 17.22.040) .
• RM (Multi‑Family Residential) — specific RM subtypes (e.g., RM‑16, RM‑32, RM‑48) and their City‑of‑Gardens urban standards are set in Chapter 17.22 and Table 2‑4 (development standards: setbacks, densities, lot size) (§ 17.22.060; Table 2‑4) .
• CO / CL / CG (Commercial—Office; Limited Commercial; General Commercial) — commercial and industrial district rules live in Chapter 17.24 and are used directly or as modified inside specific‑plan areas (§ 17.24.040 referenced in specific plan chapters) .
• IG (General Industrial) — industrial district rules are in Article 2 and get modified by applicable specific plans (see EPSP applicability to CO/CL/CG/IG) (§ 17.32.030) .
• OS / PS (Open Space / Public‑Semi‑Public) — special‑purpose districts with master‑plan or conditional use requirements are covered in Chapter 17.26 (§ 17.26.040) .
• PD (Planned Development) — site‑specific PD overlays and planned development ordinances appear throughout the code and list project‑specific development standards (see multiple PD examples in Title 17; e.g., PD‑5, PD‑34) (§ 17.26.020 et seq.; PD ordinances) .

Every primary district can appear with suffixes (density or specific‑plan subdistrict identifiers); Chapter 17.20 explains suffix usage and how district chapters and specific plans interact (§ 17.20.020) .

Citywide development standards

Pasadena separates site‑planning rules (dimensional controls, encroachment planes, stepbacks) and technical standards (parking, landscaping, signs, refuse):

• Where the major layout and dimensional rules live: the General Property Development Standards (setbacks/encroachment planes, allowed projections, measurement conventions) and height measurement rules are in Chapter 17.40 (see § 17.40.060 for height measurement and § 17.40.160 for setback/encroachment rules) (§ 17.40.060; § 17.40.160) .
• Typical district tables list front/side/rear setbacks, maximum heights, FAR or coverage limits per district (examples: RM Table 2‑4; RS tables in district chapters) (§ 17.22.060; Table 2‑4) .
• Parking and loading rules are consolidated in Chapter 17.46; Pasadena’s site standards repeatedly cross‑reference Chapter 17.46 for parking requirements and for special shared‑parking approvals (§ 17.46; e.g., shared parking § 17.46.050 referenced in PD conditions) . (See the city’s parking guidance for practice.)
• Landscaping standards are in Chapter 17.44 (referenced in the district development tables and specific plans) (§ 17.44) .
• Signs are regulated in Chapter 17.48; refuse and mechanical equipment screening in Chapter 17.64 (referenced in PD and project conditions) (§ 17.48; § 17.64) .
• Public art requirements and certain project mitigation conditions are referenced in Title 17 (e.g., § 17.40.100 public art) (§ 17.40.100) .

If you want the citywide numeric standards for your lot (exact front setback, lot coverage, allowed FAR), find the applicable district table (e.g., Table 2‑4 for RM or the RS table in Chapter 17.22) and then confirm encroachment‑plane and measurement rules in § 17.40.060 and § 17.40.160 (§ 17.22.060; § 17.40.060; § 17.40.160) .

Specific plans & overlays

• Specific plans are implemented as their own chapters in Title 17 (Article 3). Key Pasadena specific plans include the Central District Specific Plan (CDSP) — Chapter 17.30, the East Pasadena Specific Plan (EPSP) — Chapter 17.32, the Fair Oaks/Orange Grove Specific Plan (FGSP) — Chapter 17.33, the West Gateway Specific Plan (WGSP) — Chapter 17.36, and the East Colorado Specific Plan (ECSP) — Chapter 17.39; each plan sets allowable uses, subdistrict rules, and project‑level design standards (§ 17.30.010; § 17.32.030; § 17.33.010; § 17.36.010; § 17.39.030) .
• Overlay districts (hillside, parkway, historic overlays, etc.) are created and described in Chapter 17.28 and then applied on the Zoning Map; overlays modify the underlying primary district’s standards (§ 17.28.010; § 17.20.020(2)) . (See the overlay districts summary for maps and local names.)
• Historic resources and the Historic Preservation Commission are embedded in the administrative structure and specific‑use/regulatory chapters (certificate of appropriateness and historic‑district controls are referenced in Table 6‑1 and Chapter 17.62) (§ 17.70.020; § 17.62.090; Table 6‑1) .

Building permits & review — practical path

• The code requires that buildings and land uses comply with Title 17 before the Building Division issues permits; building permits therefore follow an initial land‑use determination and any required discretionary approvals (§ 17.10.030) .
• Many routine approvals are ministerial: ADU permits that meet the ADU rules are reviewed ministerially and must be decided within the state time limits (17.50.275 explicitly requires the Director or designee to review ministerially; see § 17.50.275) (§ 17.50.275) .
• Discretionary approvals (Conditional Use Permits, Minor CUPs, Variances, Planned Development approvals, Specific Plan approvals, Design Review) are handled according to the review table (Table 6‑1) — that table shows who decides and where appeals go (§ 17.61.x procedures summarized in Table 6‑1) (§ 17.61.*; Table 6‑1) .
• Design review (city discretionary review of form and exterior changes) is triggered per the design review chapter and by many specific‑plan and PD conditions; new construction and substantial exterior changes commonly require Design Review (§ 17.61.030; design review references in many plan chapters) . (See the design review summary for who to contact.)
• Technical reviews (Public Works, Fire, Transportation) are required before occupancy; Title 17 project conditions repeatedly reference the need to obtain departmental approvals prior to permit issuance (§ 17.30.* project conditions; § 17.40.* cross‑references) .

State housing law in Pasadena

Summary table — how common state laws appear in Pasadena’s code:

• ADUs and JADUs: Pasadena has a comprehensive ADU/JADU chapter, § 17.50.275, that implements state ADU rules, allows ADUs in all zones permitting single‑family or multifamily uses, sets unit size limits and setback rules, prohibits short‑term rentals for ADUs/JADUs created after 2017, and states that when local code conflicts with state law the state controls (§ 17.50.275.A; § 17.50.275.B‑E) . See the city's ADUs guidance and the state ADU law for ministerial timelines.
• Density bonus / concessions and waivers: Pasadena addresses density bonus and incentives in its code (referenced around 17.43 with procedures for concessions, waivers, and related hearing authority) (§ 17.43.050; § 17.43.060 referenced in Table 6‑1) .
• SB 9 (lot splits / objective‑standard ministerial approvals): Not found in the retrieved Title 17 material. Pasadena’s Title 17 contains ADU rules and many specific‑plan and ministerial rules, but a local implementing ordinance for SB 9 or urban lot splits was not located in the provided file excerpts — verify with the Planning Department for current SB 9 procedures (Not found in retrieved materials).
• Rent control and local rent stabilization: Not found in the retrieved Title 17 material. The Zoning Code does not appear to be the place for rent‑control ordinances; check other chapters of the Municipal Code or the Housing Division for rent‑stabilization rules (Not found in retrieved materials).
• Building code (construction standards): All new construction and upgrades must comply with the California Building Code / Title 24 and California Fire Code as adopted by the City; Title 17 project conditions explicitly require compliance with state building and fire codes (§ 41 reference to Building and Fire Codes in PD conditions) (§ 41 / Title 24 reference in project conditions) . (See California Building Standards Code.)

Practical orientation / quick checklist for a Pasadena project

1. Confirm the parcel's zoning on the City Zoning Map and note any overlay or specific‑plan designation (§ 17.20.020) .
2. Read the district table for your zoning district (Chapter 17.22 or 17.24 or your specific‑plan chapter) to get numeric setbacks, height, and FAR limits (§ 17.22.060; Table 2‑4) .
3. Check Chapter 17.40 for measurement rules (height, encroachment planes) (§ 17.40.060; § 17.40.160) .
4. Confirm parking counts and design in Chapter 17.46; if you plan shared parking, consult the shared‑parking rules (§ 17.46.050 referenced in multiple plan conditions) .
5. Determine whether your project is ministerial (e.g., qualifying ADU under § 17.50.275) or discretionary (CUP, Design Review) by checking Table 6‑1 and the applicable use tables (§ 17.50.275; Table 6‑1) .
6. If discretionary, study the applicable specific plan/design guidelines and prepare for Design Review/Planning Commission as required by the review authority table (§ 17.30; § 17.61; Table 6‑1) .

Information Gaps / Verify with the City

• Local implementation of SB 9 / ministerial lot splits is not present in the retrieved Title 17 excerpts — confirm current practice with Pasadena Planning staff (Not found in retrieved materials).
• Local rent‑stabilization rules (if any) are not located in the provided Title 17 materials — check other Municipal Code titles or Housing Department pages (Not found in retrieved materials).

Source References

• Pasadena Zoning Code — Title 17 (print export): Article 1 (purpose/applicability) § 17.10.010; § 17.10.030
• Zoning Map and district structure: § 17.20.010–020 (Zoning Map; primary districts and overlays)
• Residential district tables and RM standards: § 17.22.060; Table 2‑4 (RM multi‑family standards)
• General property development standards: § 17.40.060 (height) and § 17.40.160 (setback/encroachment rules)
• Parking/chapter reference: Chapter 17.46 (Parking and Loading; shared parking § 17.46.050 referenced in plan conditions)
• ADUs / Junior ADUs: § 17.50.275 (full ADU rules, unit sizes, ministerial review, owner‑occupancy and rental restrictions)
• Review authority and permit paths: Table 6‑1 (Review Authority), Chapter 17.61 (procedures)
• Specific Plans: Central District (Ch. 17.30) § 17.30.010; East Pasadena (Ch. 17.32) § 17.32.030; Fair Oaks/Orange Grove (Ch. 17.33) § 17.33.010; West Gateway (Ch. 17.36) § 17.36.010; East Colorado (Ch. 17.39) § 17.39.030
• Administration and staffing/authority (Director, ZA, Hearing Officer): § 17.70.020—§ 17.70.050