Santa Monica Zoning, Planning & Building Codes

Last reviewed: July 3, 2026

Overview

Santa Monica’s land-use rules are codified in the City’s Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (organized within Article 9 of the Municipal Code) and implement the General Plan across the city’s distinct base and overlay districts. The Ordinance lays out the district map, permitted uses, and citywide development controls (height, floor‑area, setbacks, parking), plus the permit and review procedures (ministerial and discretionary) that apply to projects. This page explains how the code is organized, the major district families and standards you’ll run into in Santa Monica, where key rules live, and how state housing law (ADU/JADU rules and statewide ADU parking limits) interacts with local permitting. See the linked topic pages for deeper drill‑downs: Santa Monica Zoning, Santa Monica Development Standards, Santa Monica Parking, Santa Monica Design Review, Santa Monica Overlay Districts, and Santa Monica ADUs.

How Santa Monica's code is organized

• The local zoning ordinance is adopted as the City of Santa Monica Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance and sits in Article 9 of the Municipal Code; the Ordinance title and legal authority are at § 9.01.010.
• The Ordinance is arranged into five Divisions: Division 1: Introductory Provisions, Division 2: Base and Overlay Districts, Division 3: General Regulations, Division 4: Administration and Permits, and Division 5: Terms & Use Classifications; the structure is stated at § 9.01.030.
• The Ordinance uses four regulatory types: land‑use regulations, development standards, administrative regulations (procedures and findings), and definitions/use classifications; the breakdown appears in § 9.01.040.

Practical navigation: look up the base district in Division 2 to see permitted uses and the district’s development table (FAR, height, setbacks); consult Division 3 for cross‑cutting rules (parking, landscaping, nonconforming uses); and consult Division 4 (Common Procedures, permits and appeals) for application forms, filing, and timelines (see § 9.37.020 and § 9.37.030).

Zoning district families

Santa Monica establishes recognizable base district groups and named base districts. The ordinance groups and names them explicitly; the labels below are used in the code and on the Official Districting Map. See Division 2 for full tables.

• Residential district family: R District includes R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, and Ocean Park variants OP1, OPD, OP2, OP3, OP4, plus OF (Oceanfront) and special types such as RMH (mobile home park). The list and definitions are in § 9.02.010(B)(1).
• Nonresidential (employment/commercial) examples: IC (Industrial Commercial), OC (Office/Commercial), HMU (Home/Manufacturing/Urban mixed use) and other named employment districts — see the use and development tables in Division 2 and the development standard examples in Table 9.13.030.A. § 9.02.010(B)(2) and Table 9.13.030.A show the district mapping and structure.
• Special districts: OF (Oceanfront District) has its own table of standards (Table 9.14.030) and tailored FAR / height rules for parcels along the coast (see § 9.14.030).

All district boundaries are shown on the Official Districting Map maintained by the City Clerk; where boundaries are unclear the ordinance provides rules to determine them (§ 9.02.020, § 9.02.030).

Citywide development standards

Santa Monica separates “base” district tables (Division 2) from citywide and cross‑cutting development standards (Division 3). Important topics and where to look:

• How height and FAR are measured: the Ordinance contains measurement rules such as § 9.04.050, Measuring Height, and rules for determining floor area ratio in nonresidential districts at § 9.04.090. These sections are the starting point for any height/FAR calculation.
• Example district standards (illustrative): the Oceanfront District (Table 9.14.030) lists Tier 1 maximum FAR 1.5 (with lower values on certain fronting lots), a Tier 2 FAR 2.0 if community benefits are provided, and 2.25 for fully affordable projects; it also sets distinct height/story caps for the shoreline area (see Table 9.14.030 / § 9.14.030).
• Employment district example standards (Table 9.13.030.A) show base FARs and height tiers (e.g., IC and OC base FAR 1.0–1.5, base heights like 2 stories / 32'; HMU shows larger height tiers up to 5 stories / 70' where community benefits apply). These tables provide the common parcel size minima, setbacks (interior side/rear adjacencies to residential often 15'), and minimum ground floor heights for commercial uses. See Table 9.13.030.A and related notes.
• Setbacks, stepbacks, lot coverage and open‑space: district tables give minimum setbacks and required upper‑story stepbacks; the code also includes general site standards such as front set back paving limits (no more than 50% paved in front setback) and private open space minima for multi‑unit projects (e.g., 100 sf per unit for small projects), all reflected in the district tables and Division 3 rules. See the development‑standards tables and text (Table 9.13.030.A and related district tables).
• Parking design and location: parking standards and design are in Chapter 9.28 — see § 9.28.070 (location of parking) and § 9.28.120 (parking design and development standards). For the citywide approach to vehicle, bicycle, and access requirements, begin in Chapter 9.28.

(For a focused index of site-level controls use the Santa Monica Development Standards page linked above.)

Specific plans & overlays

• Specific Plans are a formal tool to implement the General Plan for geographic areas and must include land‑use diagrams, infrastructure, standards and implementation measures; the procedures and content requirements are at § 9.45.010–§ 9.45.130. Specific Plans may be adopted by resolution or ordinance and must be consistent with the General Plan.
• Overlay districts: Santa Monica uses Overlay Zoning Districts which layer additional or alternative rules on top of a base district. The ordinance lists overlays (for example AC (Activity Center), NC (Neighborhood Conservation), A (Off‑Street Parking), BCH (Beach), MHO (Moderate Income Housing Overlay)) in Table 9.02.010.B and explains that overlay regulations govern in addition to or instead of the underlying base district as specified where applied (§ 9.02.010(C)). See the Overlay Districts page for maps and application rules.

Building permits & review

• Who does what: the Community Development Director, Zoning Administrator, Planning Commission, Landmarks Commission and City Council have delegated roles. The Zoning Administrator’s powers (including issuing Zoning Conformance Permits, minor permits, and ministerial approvals) are spelled out in § 9.36.020.
• Application, fees and completeness: application forms, submittal materials and the Municipal Fee Schedule process are in § 9.37.020 and the review procedures for determining completeness and moving applications through environmental review are in § 9.37.030. Expect the City to require plans, renderings, and CEQA materials as needed.
• Typical permit paths:
  • Ministerial/administrative approvals (Chapter 9.39) for many small projects and state‑required ministerial actions; the Zoning Administrator may approve projects meeting ministerial standards (§ 9.36.020(L)).
  • Development Review Permits (discretionary design/consistency review) are processed under Chapter 9.40 (required findings are listed at § 9.40.050) and carry findings about consistency with the General Plan, public services, and neighborhood compatibility.
  • Minor Use Permits and Conditional Use Permits are handled via Chapter 9.41 and include findings and conditions (see § 9.41.010–§ 9.41.080).
  • Variances (relief from standards) are handled via Chapter 9.42; Modifications and Waivers (limited relief) via Chapter 9.43; Temporary Uses via Chapter 9.44. See each chapter for required findings and limits on relief (e.g., waivers cannot allow a use not permitted in the district).
• Design review: Santa Monica’s Architectural Review program is in Chapter 9.55 (including Architectural Review District boundaries at § 9.55.170) and the code makes clear projects are subject to architectural/design review as specified by district/area rules. See the Santa Monica Design Review page for the ARB/Landmarks procedures and thresholds.

State housing law in Santa Monica

State housing laws (ADU/JADU statutes, SB 9, density bonus law, etc.) interact with Santa Monica’s local rules in two ways: (1) the City’s ordinance recognizes and cross‑references applicable state law, and (2) where state statutes preempt or restrict local limits, the City must follow the state framework.

• ADUs/JADUs: Accessory Dwelling Units are recognized as permitted uses in residential and several multi‑unit districts (ADUs are explicitly listed among permitted uses in district use tables, e.g., in the multi‑unit residential parcel example). The local code therefore allows ADUs where the base district permits them; however, state ADU law limits local regulation on height, parking, and some setback issues. For state ADU requirements (height caps, parking prohibitions, protections for unpermitted ADUs, and permitting agency definitions), consult the statewide ADU guidance and statutes summarized in the California ADU handbook. Relevant local recognition of ADUs in district uses and the state ADU rules are in the local use tables and in the state ADU guidance. See the local district uses (where Accessory Dwelling Unit appears) and the state ADU summary for statutory constraints such as parking and height limits. § 9.08 district use tables (example entries) and the California ADU handbook summarize the interaction (state law references such as Gov. Code § 66321, § 66322, § 66323 are discussed in the ADU handbook).
• SB 9 (ministerial lot splits and duplexes): The City’s ordinance contains provisions for duplexes and lot splits in single‑unit zones (see references to administrative approvals and § 9.31.125 for duplexes/lot splits), and the Zoning Administrator may process ministerial projects where state law requires ministerial approval. However, explicit references to SB 9 by name or to the detailed local SB 9 implementing rules were Not found in retrieved materials; verify with the City’s Planning Division for the up‑to‑date local SB 9 implementation. Not found in retrieved materials — verify with the jurisdiction.
• Density bonus and affordable‑housing incentives: the Ordinance cross‑references state density and affordable‑housing programs in places (for example, district tables and FAR tiers often state higher FAR allowed when community benefits or affordable housing is provided; see Chapter 9.23, Community Benefits, and the Affordable Housing Production Program in Chapter 9.64). The code also explicitly ties certain FAR/bonus tiers to affordable housing outcomes (e.g., Oceanfront Tier 2 / 100% affordable tiers). For the local inclusionary/affordable unit recording and eligibility rules see Chapter 9.64.

Practical note: Because state law and local ordinances both change, always check current City Planning staff guidance (and the City’s Zoning Administrator) on how a specific state law (SB 9, density bonus, ADU rules) has been implemented locally.

Information Gaps

• Local implementing rules that explicitly reference SB 9 and the exact local ministerial procedures for SB 9 lot splits/ministerial duplex approvals were Not found in the retrieved materials; confirm current SB 9 implementation with the City.
• Some specific district tables and the Official Districting Map graphics are held as tables and maps in Division 2 (Table references like Table 9.08.020, 9.13.030.A, 9.14.030); the full printed tables and interactive map are best consulted on the City’s zoning map or planning counter for parcel‑specific rules (see the Official Districting Map reference § 9.02.020).

Source References

• City of Santa Monica Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance (Article 9): Title, structure, purposes and organization — § 9.01.010, § 9.01.030, § 9.01.040.
• Division 2 district lists and overlay table (Official District Map and Overlay Districts) — § 9.02.010(B) and Table 9.02.010.B.
• Development standard examples and district tables (Employment Districts Table 9.13.030.A; Oceanfront Table 9.14.030) — Table 9.13.030.A; Table 9.14.030; measurement rules § 9.04.050, § 9.04.090.
• Zoning administration and roles, Zoning Administrator duties — § 9.36.020.
• Application and permit procedures — § 9.37.020, § 9.37.030 (Common Procedures).
• Discretionary permits and findings: Development Review Permit findings § 9.40.050; Minor/Conditional Use Permits Chapter 9.41.
• Modifications/Waivers and limits on relief — Chapter 9.43 (major and minor modifications) and waiver limits (e.g., cannot change permitted use).
• Design/Architectural Review — Chapter 9.55 and Architectural Review District boundaries § 9.55.170.
• Parking rules — Chapter 9.28 (see § 9.28.070, § 9.28.120).
• Affordable housing program and relation to the Rent Control Board — Chapter 9.64 (see § 9.64.120 regarding relation to Rent Control Board).
• State ADU guidance and statutes summarized in the California ADU handbook (state law limits on parking, height, permitting definitions) — California ADU handbook (2025); see Gov. Code references summarized in that handbook.