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City notesLos Angeles County, California

ADU rules in the City of Los Angeles

Los Angeles still runs on a 2019 ADU ordinance, read through a joint Planning and Building memo from the end of 2024. A replacement ordinance is in draft. Until it lands, three points in that memo sit behind the state law that took effect in 2026.

At a glance

800 sq ft
for a detached State ADU despite floor area limits1
500 sq ft
above this, school district fees apply1
Dec 2024
the date of the memo the city works from1

Key points

  • Every ADU is either a State ADU or an Ordinance ADU, and the two sets of rules are applied separately.1
  • The working memo dates from December 2024, before the 2026 state changes.1
  • A new ADU ordinance was in its second draft in September 2026.2
  • School fees apply to ADUs over 500 sq ft; park and linkage fees don't apply.1

State rule and Los Angeles practice, side by side

Where the two say the same thing, and where they differ.

How ADU size is measured

California statute

Local limits such as lot coverage, floor area ratio, open space and front setbacks cannot be applied in a way that prevents an ADU of at least 800 square feet of interior livable space with four-foot side and rear setbacks.3

Los Angeles

The memo measures the square footage of a State ADU or JADU as building-code gross floor area, taken within the inside perimeter of the exterior walls.1

The statute now expresses size limits as interior livable space. The memo, written a year earlier, uses building-code gross floor area. Ask the plan checker which measure is being applied if your design is close to a limit.

Impact fee threshold

California statute

No impact fee may be charged on an ADU with 750 square feet of interior livable space or less, or on a junior ADU with 500 square feet or less.4

Los Angeles

The memo describes impact fees as removed for ADUs and JADUs smaller than 750 square feet and proportional for ADUs of 750 square feet or larger.1

The statute's wording covers a unit of exactly 750 square feet; the memo's wording, smaller than 750, would not.

JADU owner-occupancy

California statute

Owner-occupancy is not required for a junior ADU that has its own separate sanitation facilities.5

Los Angeles

The memo states that the single-family residence containing a JADU must be owner occupied, unless the owner is a governmental agency, land trust or housing organization.1

The state rule was amended with effect from January 1, 2026. The memo's statement predates that change.

Which rules apply right now

The city's ADU Ordinance No. 186,481 took effect in December 2019 and created Municipal Code Section 12.22 A.33.1 Because state law kept changing afterwards, City Planning and the Department of Building and Safety issue a joint memo telling staff how to apply the two together. The current one, ZA Memorandum No. 143, is dated December 30, 2024.1 It describes itself as consistent with state law as effective on January 1, 2025.1

A new ordinance is on the way. City Planning released draft code amendments in June 2026 and a second draft in September 2026.2 The stated aim is to bring the 2019 regulations into line with current state law.2 We haven't confirmed whether it has been adopted, so ask the Department which text is in force when you apply.

This page covers the City of Los Angeles. Unincorporated areas are on our Los Angeles County page.

Two tracks: State ADUs and Ordinance ADUs

This is the idea that makes the Los Angeles rules readable. The memo sorts every unit into one of two groups:

  • State ADUs are the units state law requires a city to approve under Government Code § 66323(a).
  • Ordinance ADUs are units approved under the city's own ordinance.

The two sets of provisions have to be enforced separately.1 State ADUs and JADUs aren't subject to local zoning, design or development standards beyond those the memo sets out, though building code and health and safety requirements still apply.1

The tracks can also be mixed. A detached State ADU can be combined with an attached Ordinance ADU, or the other way round, where the criteria are met.1

Size and height

The memo calculates State ADU and JADU square footage as building-code gross floor area.1 Height is measured as for any other structure under the Municipal Code, according to the zone, height district, hillside area, specific plan or overlay.1 At the small end, an efficiency unit needs 150 square feet of living space plus a closet and bathroom.1

Fees

The memo is specific about which city charges are affected:

  • Impact fees are described as removed for units smaller than 750 square feet and proportional above that.1 The Residential Development Fee and the Dwelling Unit Construction Tax are the fees in question.1
  • ADUs and JADUs are exempt from Park Fees and the Affordable Housing Linkage Fee.1
  • LAUSD school fees are required for ADUs larger than 500 square feet.1

For the proportional fee, County Tax Assessor records may be used to establish the size of the main house.1 If the Assessor's figure understates your house, the proportion moves against you, so check it. On multifamily lots the fee is proportional to the average unit size, and you can pay the full fee if you'd rather not supply floor plans of every unit.1

Junior ADUs

A JADU in Los Angeles comes with paperwork. The owner records a deed restriction, approved by LADBS, as a condition of the building permit.1 The kitchen needs a cooking facility with at least two appliances, and small plug-in appliances count.1 The Fire Department requires a separate address for every separate unit, JADUs included, and that can bring separate trash fees.1

On owner-occupancy, the memo says the home containing a JADU must be owner occupied.1 State law changed after the memo was written: AB 1154 amended the JADU section from January 1, 20265, and owner-occupancy is no longer required where the JADU has its own separate sanitation facilities.5 If your JADU has its own bathroom, raise this with LADBS before the deed restriction is drafted.

Parking near transit

Where the parking exemption depends on walking distance to transit, the memo measures the shortest walk on public streets and sidewalks from the transit stop to the closest point of your lot, using ordinary mapping tools such as Google Maps.1 Print the route and include it with your application.

What this page doesn't cover

We could not open the Department of Building and Safety's website, so this page has nothing from LADBS's own submittal checklists or its ADU correction sheet. The memo also contains two summary tables and further questions that aren't summarized here.

Our read

In Los Angeles, the first decision is which track your unit is on, because it determines which standards can be applied to it. The second is to keep the dates in mind: the memo is from 2024, state law moved in 2026, and a new city ordinance is pending. Where they disagree, ask the plan checker in writing which one is being applied.

Common questions

What is the difference between a State ADU and an Ordinance ADU?

A State ADU is one that state law requires the city to approve under Government Code § 66323(a); an Ordinance ADU is approved under the city's own ordinance, and the two sets of rules are enforced separately.1 State ADUs are not subject to most local zoning, design or development standards.1

Do I pay school fees on an ADU in Los Angeles?

LAUSD school district fees are required for ADUs larger than 500 square feet.1 The separate impact fee rule is explained under the 750 square foot rule.

Does a junior ADU in Los Angeles have to be owner occupied?

The city's 2024 memo says the home must be owner occupied.1 State law has since changed: owner-occupancy is not required where the junior ADU has separate sanitation facilities.5 Los Angeles County has already applied that change; see its covenant guidance.

Keep reading

About this page

Written by
The Lotline Editorial Team. Editorial policy
Where it comes from
We wrote this from material published by City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles City Planning and California Legislative Information. You'll find each document, and the part we used, under References below.
How it was checked
Before publishing, we checked each statement against the original wording of its source. How we work
Last reviewed
. Rules and city procedures change, so confirm current requirements with your permitting agency.
Corrections
Email support@lotlinepermits.com. We check every report against the document and fix what is wrong.

References

  1. 1ZA Memorandum No. 143: Implementation of 2019 Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance and State ADU LawCity of Los Angeles, Department of City Planning and Department of Building and Safety. Dated December 30, 2024. Read on November 10, 2026.Cited: page 3; page 1; page 9, Impact Fees; page 10, Q.3; page 8, Impact Fees; page 7; page 6; pages 5-6; page 3, Combinations of ADUs and JADUs; page 11, Q.5; page 11, Q.9; pages 8-9, Impact Fees; page 11, Q.6; page 11, Q.7; page 8; page 12, Q.12.
  2. 2Missing Middle LA fact sheet (draft code amendments)Los Angeles City Planning. Read on November 10, 2026.Cited: introduction; ADU Ordinance Update.
  3. 3California Government Code, Title 7, Division 1, Chapter 13, Article 2 (Sections 66314 to 66331)California Legislative Information. Read on November 10, 2026.Cited: § 66321(b)(3).
  4. 4California Government Code, Title 7, Division 1, Chapter 13, Article 1 (Sections 66310 to 66313.5)California Legislative Information. Read on November 10, 2026.Cited: § 66311.5(c)(1).
  5. 5California Government Code, Title 7, Division 1, Chapter 13, Article 3 (Sections 66333 to 66339.5)California Legislative Information. Read on November 10, 2026.Cited: § 66333(b); § 66333, amendment note.

General information, not legal advice. Read the disclaimer.