San Francisco — Use Districts

Last reviewed: July 6, 2026

Overview

San Francisco’s Use Districts are the backbone of what can be built and operated on each parcel. Article 2 of the San Francisco Planning Code groups districts into Residential (RH, RM, RTO), Residential-Commercial (RC), Commercial (C-2 and the downtown C-3 family), Industrial (M), Production/Distribution/Repair (PDR), and Public (P), with each district’s permitted and conditional uses set in a Zoning Control Table. The Code makes clear that land and structures may be used only for the purposes listed as permitted in that district, and per that district’s regulations (§171) .

Plain-English anchor rule: Only the uses listed for your mapped district are allowed, as permitted or conditionally permitted in that district’s table; everything else is not allowed unless the Code says otherwise (§171; Article 2 tables) .

How to read Article 2 tables. The Planning Code organizes Zoning Control Tables for R and RC districts in §§209.1–209.4 and for C, M, and PDR in §210 (with P districts in §211). Symbols matter: P = principally permitted; C = conditional use under Conditional Use procedures (§303); DR = mandatory discretionary review; NP/blank = not permitted; R = required; 1st/2nd/3rd+ indicate story limits (Article 2 table legend) .

Residential and Residential-Commercial Districts (Article 2)

The City organizes residential-purpose districts in §209, with uses and standards shown in the tables for §§209.1–209.4. Refer to Setbacks & Yards and Height & Bulk for the mapped dimensional layers referenced by these tables (§209(b)) .

RH-1(D) — Residential, House: One-Family (Detached)

• Purpose/character: Larger lots, detached single-family homes with side yards; structures rarely exceed neighborhood house-scale heights (§209.1) .
• Typical permitted uses: Residential dwellings per the §209.1 Zoning Control Table; limited neighborhood-serving activity may occur only under specific provisions like limited corner commercial (§231) .
• Key standards: Front setbacks and yards controlled by the R-district standards referenced in each table; see Code cross-references in district tables and §132/§134 (Article 2 tables; §132, §134) .
• Where it applies: Citywide mapped RH-1(D) pockets of detached house fabric (verify on the Zoning Map referenced by Article 2 tables) .

RH-1 — Residential, House: One-Family

• Purpose/character: Predominantly 25-foot lots with attached or closely spaced rowhouse forms; open space at front and rear is common (§209.1) .
• Typical permitted uses: Residential dwellings per §209.1 table; limited corner-commercial only per §231 (ground-floor corner space, capped hours, no accessory parking) .
• Notes: An official interpretation under §209.1 describes RH-1 density as one dwelling per lot, with an alternative of one dwelling per 3,000 sq ft by conditional use in certain circumstances (interpretation, §209.1) — verify with the jurisdiction for site-specific application .

RH-1(S) — Residential, House: One-Family with Minor Second Unit

• Purpose/character: Same as RH-1 but many structures have a subordinate minor second unit within a single-family building (§209.1) .
• Typical permitted uses: Residential uses per §209.1 table; limited ground-floor corner uses per §231 where eligible (RH districts) .
• Related programs: Accessory Dwelling Units are addressed elsewhere in the Code; see San Francisco ADUs for separate standards.

RH-2 — Residential, House: Two-Family

• Purpose/character: House-form areas typically accommodating two units in small-scale buildings (§209.1) .
• Uses/standards: See §209.1 Zoning Control Table and general R-district setback/open-space cross-references (Article 2 tables) .

RH-3 — Residential, House: Three-Family

• Purpose/character: House-scale buildings with up to three units; similar small-lot grain (§209.1) .
• Uses/standards: See §209.1 table; front setbacks/yards per Code cross-references noted in the tables and §132/§134 (Article 2 tables; §132, §134) .

RM-1 — Residential, Mixed: Low Density

• Purpose/character: Mix of houses and small apartments; moderate scales; outdoor space common; some nearby services (§209.2) .
• Uses: Residential uses per §209.2 table; limited corner commercial where eligible under §231 (RM-1 is included) .

RM-2 — Residential, Mixed: Moderate Density

• Purpose/character: Similar to RM-1 but greater unit density and building variety (§209.2) .
• Uses: Residential per table; neighborhood-serving non-residential limited by district controls and §231 at corners .

RM-3 — Residential, Mixed: Medium Density

• Purpose/character: Predominantly apartment buildings (6–10+ units), often near downtown; many buildings exceed 40 ft (§209.2) .
• Uses: Per §209.2 table; corner commercial may extend deeper on RM-3 corners (up to 100 ft from the corner) under §231(b)(5) .

RM-4 — Residential, Mixed: High Density

• Purpose/character: High-density apartment districts with smaller average units (§209.2) .
• Uses: Per §209.2 table; §231 allows up to 2,500 sq ft of commercial on corners in RM-4 when over ¼ mile from an NC/SUD, with restricted hours and no accessory parking (§231(c)–(g)) .

RTO and RTO-M — Residential Transit Oriented

• Purpose/character: Mixed house-and-apartment neighborhoods within a short walk (generally <¼ mile) of transit and neighborhood commercial; small corner retail allowed; otherwise residential (§209.4) .
• Typical permitted uses: Residential uses per §209.4 table; limited corner retail/services only on Corner Lots, with no off-street accessory parking and limited hours (§231; §209.4) .
• Key standards: The RTO Zoning Control Table references front building setbacks and height/bulk via §132 and mapped Height/Bulk districts; when averaged from neighbors, front setbacks are capped at 15 ft in RTO (§209.4 table) .
• Where it applies: Areas formerly RM and RH-3 near frequent transit and NC areas; RTO-M is the Mission-focused variant (§209.4) .

RC-3 and RC-4 — Residential-Commercial

• Purpose/character: Mixed-use districts preserving predominant residential while allowing neighborhood-supporting commercial; no off-street parking requirement reflects transit-oriented character (§209.3) .
• Typical permitted uses: Residential per RC tables; commercial support uses per table and story/location controls (§209.3 table) .
• Key standards: No front/side yard setback; rear yard required from the first residential level upward at 25% of lot depth (min 15 ft) (§209.3 table) .

Commercial, Industrial, PDR, and Public Districts (Article 2)

C-2 — Community Business

• Purpose/character: Convenience goods/services for neighborhoods and, in some corridors, comparison shopping that complements downtown; auto-oriented uses have broader latitude than NC areas (§210.1) .
• Typical permitted uses: A wide range of retail and services per C-2 table; see symbol legend for whether ground-floor, upper-story, or conditional (§210.1 table; Article 2 legend) .
• Key standards: Height generally 40-X; base FAR 3.6:1, rising to 4.8:1 if the lot is nearer to an RM-4/RC-4, and up to 10:1 if nearer to a C-3 district (§210.1 table) .
• Where it applies: Community business corridors and shopping centers outside the C-3 core (verify on the Zoning Map; see San Francisco zoning & planning overview).

C-3 Family — Downtown Commercial (C-3-O, C-3-O(SD), C-3-R, C-3-G, C-3-S)

• Purpose/character:
  • C-3-O(SD): Downtown Office Special Development; highest intensities and tallest city height limits around the Transbay Transit Center (§210.2) .
  • C-3-R: Downtown Retail core; emphasizes continuous pedestrian retail with parking at periphery (§210.2) .
  • C-3-G: Downtown General Commercial; offices, hotels, entertainment, high-density residential; “no off-street parking” required for individual commercial buildings (§210.2) .
  • C-3-S: Downtown Support; Yerba Buena cultural, convention, retail, offices, housing (§210.2) .
• Uses/standards: See Table 210.2 for downtown use controls and cross-referenced standards (§210.2 table) .

PDR — Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR-1-B, PDR-1-D, PDR-1-G, PDR-2)

• Purpose/character: Protect and intensify industrial and maker space; separate from housing and large office/retail (§210.3) .
  • PDR-1-B Light Industrial Buffer: Often in Bayview Hunters Point; prohibits residential; limits office/retail/institutional; small-scale retail/office may buffer neighborhoods (§210.3) .
  • PDR-1-D Design: Retains design-related PDR clusters; prohibits residential and office; limits retail/institutional (§210.3) .
  • PDR-1-G General: Retains/encourages PDR; prohibits residential and office; allows more intensive PDR than 1-B/1-D (§210.3) .
  • PDR-2 Core PDR: Encourages the broadest range of light/contemporary industry; prohibits new housing, large offices, and large-scale retail (§210.3) .
• Key standards: Setbacks generally not required; FAR ranges by height district (e.g., 3:1 at 40–48 ft to 7.5:1 over 85 ft) per Table 210.3; see Height/Bulk Map and FAR sections listed in the table (§210.3 table; §§123–124) .
• Special provisions: In limited areas north of 20th St, projects may mix in some office/institutional/Gym to subsidize new PDR floor area, with at least one-third PDR and specific loading/elevator requirements (§210.3C) .

M — Industrial (M-1, M-2)

• Purpose/character:
  • M-1 Light Industrial: Permits most industries but excludes noxious uses; enclosure/screening and separation from Residential often required (§210.4) .
  • M-2 Heavy Industrial: Least restricted; east-side waterfront/rail-adjacent locations; many heavy uses permitted (often conditionally) and set back from residential (§210.4) .
• Standards/uses: See Table 210.4 for use permissions and references to mapped height/bulk; verify per lot (§210.4 table) .

P — Public

• What it is: Land owned by government in public use, including open space, designated as P to align zoning with actual public uses (§211) .
• Principal uses: Government agency uses (some exempt), City/other public structures, Neighborhood Agriculture, and certain accessory nonpublic uses if they meet strict criteria (e.g., area limits and proximity rules) (§211.1) .
• Conditional uses: Schools, religious institutions, community facilities, open recreation, and more may require Conditional Use in P districts; commercial within highway ROW is tightly constrained (§211.2) .

Limited Commercial in Residential Areas (corner stores)

In RH, RM, RTO, and RTO-M, small neighborhood-serving retail/services are permitted only on Corner Lots at or below the ground story, with tight limits on size, hours, and no accessory parking. Formula retail is barred in RH/RM and allowed only by Conditional Use in RTO/RTO-M (§231(c)–(g)) .

Reading the Tables: Key cross-references you will see

• Heights/bulk reference the mapped districts and Code sections like §§250–252, 260, 270–271; see Height & Bulk for how those maps work (R/RC/C/M/PDR tables) .
• Front setbacks and yards reference §132 (front) and §134 (rear) in residential and many mixed-use districts; see Setbacks & Yards (RTO/RC tables) .
• Density and dwelling unit provisions live in Article 2 and Article 2.1; see Density & Dwelling Units for the citywide programs and bonus tools (Article 2 index; §209(b)) .

Decision-Driver Table (selected districts)

Practical notes and comparisons

• Neighborhood Commercial (NC) districts are governed by Article 7, not Article 2. For example, NC-1 is a small neighborhood-serving district with 3,000 sq ft typical use-size limits at the first story, and height often 40‑X; those rules live in §710 and its table (Article 7) . Use this page to understand how Article 2 residential/commercial/pdr/public zones interact with NC edges (e.g., RTO/RM corner-store permissions reference nearby NC limits, or default to NC-1) (§231(c)) .
• Many tables call out ground-floor frontage and transparency controls by referencing §145.1. If your project changes ground-floor use, expect those to apply (Article 2 table references) .
• Conditional uses are project- and site-specific; check your district’s table symbol “C” and proceed under Conditional Use procedures if flagged (Article 2 legend) .
• Building safety and occupancy are regulated separately by the Department of Building Inspection; permit issuance confirms compliance with zoning use permissions (§171; see Permits & Inspections) .

Checklist

• Confirm your mapped district(s) and any split zoning on the official Zoning Map; then open the correct Article 2 Zoning Control Table for that district family (R/RC §209.1–§209.4; C/M/PDR §210; P §211) .
• Identify if your intended use is “P” (permitted), “C” (conditional), “DR,” or “NP/blank” in the table’s use rows (Article 2 legend) .
• For residential districts (RH/RM/RTO/RC), confirm front and rear yard/open space references to §§132 and 134 and any neighborhood-specific guidelines (tables; §132, §134) .
• For any corner retail proposal in RH/RM/RTO, verify eligibility: Corner Lot, ground floor only, size limits tied to nearby NC/SUD or NC‑1, hours 6am–10pm, no accessory parking, and formula retail limits (§231(c)–(g)) .
• If in PDR, confirm residential/office/retail limitations and any FAR/setback basics in Table 210.3; if north of 20th St, check if §210.3C applies (subsidy mix for new PDR space) .
• Check mapped height/bulk and FAR references and apply the stricter of overlapping controls as required (§§250–252; Article 2 note on conflicts) .
• Coordinate zoning approvals with DBI permit steps and applicable building/fire codes (see San Francisco Building Inspection Commission Code and Fire Code).

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English Summary

San Francisco maps every parcel into a Use District, and each district has a table that tells you what uses are allowed by right, which need a hearing, and which are not allowed. House and apartment districts are mostly residential, with tiny corner stores allowed under strict rules; downtown and community business districts allow broader retail/office mixes; PDR and M districts protect industrial space and largely prohibit housing; and public parcels follow special P rules. Start by finding your district and reading its table, then check setbacks, height/bulk, and whether your use is permitted or conditional.

Source References

• §171 Compliance of uses; occupancy permits
• §209; §§209.1–209.4 (RH, RM, RC, RTO purpose and tables)
• §210; §210.1 (C-2), §210.2 (C-3 family), §210.3 (PDR), §210.4 (M)
• §210.3C (PDR subsidy mix north of 20th St)
• §211; §211.1; §211.2 (Public Districts principal/conditional uses)
• §231 (Limited Corner Commercial in RH/RM/RTO)
• Article 2 table organization and legend (P/C/DR symbols; cross-references)
• §710 (NC-1 example; Article 7 NC rules)

Retrieved passages

• San Francisco Zoning Code (section must) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 710) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section recognizes) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section and) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (§ References) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 201) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 249.9) Medium relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 781.6) Medium relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (section header) Medium relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 102) Medium relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (§ References) Medium relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 101) Medium relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section amended) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 101) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 211.1) High relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (Section 101) Medium relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (section by) Medium relevance show source text
• San Francisco Zoning Code (§ References_) Medium relevance show source text

Cited sections

• §171 Compliance of uses; occupancy permits (§171)
• §209; §§209.1–209.4 (RH, RM, RC, RTO purpose and tables) (§209)
• §210; §210.1 (C-2), §210.2 (C-3 family), §210.3 (PDR), §210.4 (M) (§210)
• §210.3C (PDR subsidy mix north of 20th St) (§210.3C)
• §211; §211.1; §211.2 (Public Districts principal/conditional uses) (§211)
• §231 (Limited Corner Commercial in RH/RM/RTO) (§231)
• Article 2 table organization and legend (P/C/DR symbols; cross-references) (Article 2)
• §710 (NC-1 example; Article 7 NC rules) (§710)
• SF Planning Code.md