Active - Effective January 2022 · Last Amended 2026

SB 9SB 9 explained: California's lot split and two-unit law, and how it works in Los Angeles

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What is SB 9?

SB 9 is a California law, in effect since January 1, 2022, that lets the owner of a single-family lot build two homes on it, split it into two lots, or do both, for up to four homes in total. Cities must approve a qualifying project ministerially: no public hearing and no CEQA review, and a decision on a complete application within 60 days.

In the City of Los Angeles it applies to single-family zones such as R1, RS, RE and RA. Each parcel's SB 9 eligibility checklist is in ZIMAS, under the Planning and Zoning tab. The law is in Gov. Code §65852.21 (two homes on one lot) and §66411.7 (urban lot split), as amended by SB 450 (2024) and AB 1061 (2025), with AB 2601 taking effect January 1, 2027.

Two-unit development: up to two primary homes on one single-family lot.
Urban lot split: one lot into two, each at least 40% of the original and at least 1,200 sq ft.
Both together: up to four homes, two on each new lot.
Owner occupancy: a lot split requires a signed intent to live in one of the homes for three years.

Example: a 7,500 sq ft R1 lot in Los Angeles

An illustration of how the numbers work, not a specific parcel. Take an eligible 7,500 sq ft R1 lot with one existing house.

Split it. Each new lot must be at least 40% of 7,500 sq ft (3,000 sq ft) and at least 1,200 sq ft, so a 3,750 / 3,750 split or a 4,500 / 3,000 split both work.
Build two homes on each lot. The existing house can stay as one of the four. The city can require side and rear setbacks of up to 4 feet, and must allow each new home to reach at least 800 sq ft.
Parking. At most one space per home, and none if the lot is within a half-mile walk of a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor, or one block from a car-share vehicle.
The catch. You sign the three-year owner-occupancy affidavit, and on the split lots ADUs count toward the two-home limit. A lot created by an SB 9 split also can't later use SB 684 / SB 1123, so compare paths before you split. In Los Angeles, each new lot also needs 20 feet of street frontage or an access strip, and fire-department access within 150 feet.

Whether a real lot qualifies depends on its zone, overlays, fire and flood zones, tenancy history and historic status. That is what the free zoning check starts and the $250 Brick Work report finishes.

Key Benefits

Two-Unit Development

Build up to two primary units on a single-family lot — a duplex or a second home

Urban Lot Split

Split one single-family parcel into two — combine with two-unit development for up to 4 units total

Ministerial Approval

Ministerial review with no CEQA review, no public hearing, and no discretionary review. The city must decide a complete application within 60 days or it is deemed approved. In LA's Coastal Zone, a Coastal Development Permit with a public hearing is still required.

What SB 9 Lets You Build

Two-Unit Development

On an eligible single-family lot, SB 9 lets you build up to two primary units — a new duplex, or a second home added next to your existing house. Used on its own, this path keeps the lot whole and adds a second primary home, and ADUs or a JADU can still be added as ADU law allows.

Urban Lot Split

SB 9 also lets you divide one parcel into two of approximately equal size. Neither parcel can be smaller than 40% of the original lot, and each must be at least 1,200 square feet unless the city allows smaller by ordinance.

Combined: Up to 4 Units

Use both paths together and one single-family lot can yield up to four units total — two units on each of the two new parcels. ADUs and JADUs count toward that limit: a city need not allow more than two units of any kind on each new lot (Gov. Code §66411.7(j)), or any ADU or JADU on a parcel that uses both paths (§65852.21(f)).

Objective Standards & Eligibility

Standards a City May Impose

Side and rear setbacks of up to four feet (none for an existing structure or one rebuilt in the same location and to the same dimensions), and up to one parking space per unit — with no parking required at all within one-half mile walking distance of a high-quality transit corridor or major transit stop, or within one block of a car-share vehicle. A city can't apply any standard that would physically preclude two units or keep either unit under 800 square feet, and for a two-unit project any standard must also apply uniformly to other development in the same zone (more permissive standards are allowed). Rentals of units created under SB 9 must be for terms longer than 30 days.

Excluded and Restricted Parcels

Always excluded: prime farmland or farmland of statewide importance, wetlands, conservation-plan land, protected-species habitat, land under a conservation easement, and parcels individually listed as historic resources or designated as landmarks (in LA, Historic-Cultural Monuments). In a historic district such as an HPOZ, contributing structures are off-limits; since AB 1061 (January 1, 2026), a site with a non-contributing structure can qualify for a two-unit project, and a lot split can qualify if it doesn't demolish or alter a contributing structure or any existing exterior structural wall.

Allowed only if a condition is met: very high fire hazard zones (fire-hazard mitigation under existing building standards or state fire rules), earthquake fault zones (seismic building code compliance), listed hazardous waste sites (cleared for residential use), and flood zones (a FEMA map revision, flood-insurance-program compliance, or a no-rise certification in a floodway). SB 9 also can't require demolishing or altering rent-restricted, rent-controlled, or recently tenant-occupied (last 3 years) housing, and a two-unit project is barred on a parcel with an Ellis Act withdrawal in the last 15 years.

As of October 12, 2026: the City of Los Angeles does not accept SB 9 applications in the very high fire hazard severity zone inside the Palisades Fire area (Mayor's Emergency Executive Order No. 9, issued under the Governor's Executive Order N-32-25).

Frequently Asked Questions

Who in LA can help me with SB 9?

Brick Work specializes in SB 9 feasibility analysis for Los Angeles single-family homeowners. We've completed 3,000+ development feasibility reports that analyze two-unit development and urban lot splits under SB 9. Our $250 Brick Work report tells you exactly how many units your single-family parcel yields under SB 9 versus an ADU, SB 684, or by-right path.

What is SB 9 and how does it work in California?

SB 9 (Stats. 2021, ch. 162), known as the California HOME Act, added Gov. Code §65852.21 and §66411.7, effective January 1, 2022. Both sections have since been amended, including by SB 450 (2024) and AB 1061 (2025). SB 9 applies to parcels in single-family residential zones; in the City of Los Angeles that means the A, RA, RE, RS, R1, RU, RZ and RW1 zones and the Chapter 1A 1L Density District. It creates two entitlements that can be combined: a two-unit development (up to two primary units on a single-family lot) and an urban lot split (dividing one parcel into two). Combined, one single-family lot can yield up to four units total. Qualifying projects must be reviewed ministerially, with no CEQA review, no public hearing and no discretionary review. Two Los Angeles exceptions: SB 9 doesn't override the Coastal Act (§65852.21(k); §66411.7(n)), and in the Coastal Zone LA City Planning still requires a Coastal Development Permit, which involves a discretionary filing and a public hearing; and the City does not accept SB 9 applications in the very high fire hazard severity zone inside the Palisades Fire area.

Which zones qualify for SB 9 in the City of Los Angeles?

LA City Planning applies SB 9 to parcels zoned for single-family (one-family) residential use: the A, RA, RE, RS, R1, RU, RZ and RW1 zones in Chapter 1 of the Zoning Code, and 1L Density Districts in Chapter 1A. Each parcel's SB 9 Eligibility Criteria Checklist is under the “Planning and Zoning” tab in ZIMAS (zimas.lacity.org). Source: LA City Planning's updated SB 9 implementation memo, which covers SB 9, SB 450 and AB 1061.

How many units can I build on my lot under SB 9?

On its own, the SB 9 two-unit path lets you build up to two primary units on a single-family lot (for example, a duplex, or a second home added to an existing house). If you also use the SB 9 urban lot split to divide the parcel in two, each new parcel can hold up to two units, for up to four units total on the original lot. ADUs and JADUs work differently on each path. On a lot that wasn't created by an SB 9 lot split, ADU law applies on top of SB 9: HCD's April 2026 SB 9 fact sheet gives the example of two SB 9 units plus an ADU and a JADU. On a lot created by a lot split, a city need not allow more than two units of any kind, ADUs and JADUs included (Gov. Code §66411.7(j)), and it need not allow any ADU or JADU on a parcel that uses both SB 9 paths (§65852.21(f)). LA City Planning's SB 9 memo does not permit ADUs or JADUs on parcels that use both paths, together or at different times.

What properties are excluded from SB 9?

SB 9 applies the site rules in Gov. Code §65913.4(a)(6)(B)–(K) as that section read on September 16, 2021 (§65852.21(a)(2); §66411.7(a)(3)(C)). Always excluded: prime farmland or farmland of statewide importance (or land protected for agriculture by a local ballot measure), wetlands, land identified for conservation in an adopted natural community conservation plan, habitat conservation plan or other natural resource protection plan, habitat for protected species, and land under a conservation easement. Allowed only if a condition is met: a very high fire hazard severity zone (or a high or very high zone on CAL FIRE's state responsibility area maps) qualifies if the local agency excluded the site from the zone under Gov. Code §51179(b), or if the site has adopted fire hazard mitigation measures under existing building standards or state fire mitigation measures; a delineated earthquake fault zone qualifies if the development complies with applicable seismic building code standards; a listed hazardous waste site qualifies if DTSC, the State Water Resources Control Board or the State Department of Public Health has cleared it for residential use; a FEMA 100-year flood zone qualifies with a FEMA Letter of Map Revision or if the site meets the National Flood Insurance Program's floodplain management criteria; and a regulatory floodway qualifies with a no-rise certification. Historic resources (since AB 1061, January 1, 2026): a two-unit project can't be located in a contributing structure in a historic district, or on a parcel individually listed on the State Historic Resources Inventory or designated as a city or county landmark (in LA, a Historic-Cultural Monument); a lot split can't be on a landmark parcel, or require demolishing or altering a contributing structure or any existing exterior structural wall of a structure in a historic district such as an LA HPOZ (§65852.21(a)(5); §66411.7(a)(3)(E)–(F)). SB 9 also can't be used where the project would require demolishing or altering housing that is rent-restricted for moderate-, low- or very low-income households, subject to rent or price control, or occupied by a tenant in the last three years. The Ellis Act limit differs by path: a two-unit project can't use SB 9 on a parcel where an owner withdrew rental units under the Ellis Act within 15 years before the application (§65852.21(a)(4)); for a lot split, the statute lists Ellis Act parcels among the housing the split can't require demolishing or altering (§66411.7(a)(3)(D)(iii)), and LA City Planning's SB 9 memo allows a lot split on such a property if the withdrawn units aren't demolished or altered. Separate emergency orders apply in the Palisades and Eaton fire areas.

Can I use SB 9 in the Palisades or Eaton fire burn areas?

Not everywhere. Governor's Executive Order N-32-25 (July 30, 2025) suspends Gov. Code §65852.21 and §66411.7, to the extent they limit local discretion, in very high fire hazard severity zones identified by the State Fire Marshal inside the Palisades and Eaton fire boundaries, and lets local agencies decide where SB 9 projects may be permitted in those zones. Under Mayor Bass's Emergency Executive Order No. 9 (July 30, 2025), the City of Los Angeles does not accept or process SB 9 two-unit or lot-split applications for any project in the very high fire hazard severity zone inside the Palisades Fire area; complete plan-check applications that were vested and accepted before the Governor's order are not affected. A lawsuit filed December 10, 2025 (Yes In My Back Yard v. Newsom, L.A. Superior Court No. 25STCP04761) challenges the Governor's order and local orders adopted under it. The Mayor's office still listed Order No. 9 among its emergency orders as of October 12, 2026.

What objective standards apply to SB 9 projects?

A city may require side and rear setbacks of up to four feet, but no setback for an existing structure or a structure rebuilt in the same location and to the same dimensions (Gov. Code §65852.21(b)(2)(B); §66411.7(c)(3)). It can't apply any zoning, subdivision or design standard that would physically preclude two units, or keep either unit from reaching 800 square feet of floor area (§65852.21(b)(2)(A); §66411.7(c)(2)). The 800 square feet is a size the city must allow each unit to reach; SB 9 itself doesn't require units to be that large. A city may require up to one off-street parking space per unit, but it can't require any parking if the parcel is within one-half mile walking distance of a high-quality transit corridor or major transit stop, or within one block of a car-share vehicle (§65852.21(c)(1); §66411.7(e)(3)). For a two-unit project, any standard must also apply uniformly to other development in the same zone, though more permissive standards are allowed (§65852.21(b)(3), added by SB 450). For a lot split, standards must relate to the design or improvement of the parcel, and the city can't require right-of-way dedications or off-site improvements (§66411.7(b)(3), (c)(1)). Because these are objective standards, the city applies them ministerially rather than through discretionary review.

How does an SB 9 urban lot split work?

An urban lot split divides one single-family parcel into two parcels of approximately equal size. Neither new parcel can be smaller than 40% of the original lot, and each must be at least 1,200 square feet unless the city allows smaller by ordinance (Gov. Code §66411.7(a)(1)–(2)). The lot can't itself have been created by an SB 9 lot split, and you can't split if you, or anyone acting in concert with you, already split an adjacent parcel under SB 9 (§66411.7(a)(3)(G)–(H)). The applicant must sign an affidavit of intent to occupy one of the units as their principal residence for at least three years from approval of the lot split; community land trusts and qualified nonprofit corporations are exempt, and the city can't add other owner-occupancy rules (§66411.7(g)). LA City Planning's SB 9 memo counts the three years from recordation of the parcel map. Lots created by a split are limited to residential uses (§66411.7(f)).

Can I use an SB 9 unit as a short-term rental like Airbnb?

No. State law requires every city and county to limit rentals of any unit created under SB 9 to terms longer than 30 days, on both the two-unit path and the lot-split path, so even a 30-day stay is not allowed (Gov. Code §65852.21(e); §66411.7(h)). In the City of Los Angeles, City Planning's SB 9 memo allows stays shorter than 30 days only for residents living in these units who take part in the City's Home-Sharing Program.

How long does SB 9 approval take?

Under SB 450 (2024), a city must approve or deny a complete SB 9 application, for a two-unit project or an urban lot split, within 60 days of receiving it. If it doesn't act in time, the application is deemed approved (Gov. Code §65852.21(h)(1); §66411.7(b)(1)(B)). If the city denies the application, it must give you, within those 60 days, a written list of every defective or deficient item and how to fix it (§65852.21(h)(2); §66411.7(b)(1)(C)). Separately, under the Permit Streamlining Act the city has 30 days to tell you whether your application is complete. A project that meets every SB 9 requirement can be denied only if the building official makes a written finding, based on a preponderance of the evidence, of a specific, adverse impact on public health and safety that can't feasibly be mitigated or avoided (§65852.21(d); §66411.7(d)). In the City of Los Angeles, most two-unit projects go straight to LADBS plan check, and lot splits are filed with City Planning; LADBS can review building plans while a lot split is in process, but no building permit issues until the final parcel map records (LA City Planning SB 9 memo). From January 1, 2027, AB 2601 (Stats. 2026, ch. 955) makes a two-unit application eligible for concurrent processing with a lot-split parcel map under state law, and lets a city hold building permits until the parcel map records.

How does SB 9 compare to an ADU, SB 684, or building by-right?

SB 9 is the main state tool for single-family lot owners who want to add primary units or split their lot, yielding up to four units with a lot split. ADUs and JADUs are separate from SB 9: on a lot not created by an SB 9 split, they can be added on top of the two SB 9 units; on a split lot, they count toward the two-unit limit a city may set for each new lot. SB 684 (Gov. Code §66499.41) began as a tool for multifamily-zoned lots; SB 1123 extended it to vacant single-family-zoned lots of up to 1.5 acres that are substantially surrounded by urban uses. “Vacant” means no permanent structure unless it is abandoned and uninhabitable, and housing occupied by tenants in the five years before the application doesn't count as vacant. A qualifying lot can be split into up to 10 parcels (each at least 1,200 square feet in a single-family zone unless the city allows smaller) with up to 10 homes averaging no more than 1,750 net habitable square feet; ADUs and JADUs a city chooses to allow don't count toward the 10. A lot created by an SB 9 lot split can't use SB 684, so compare both before you split. SB 1090 (2026) bars SB 684 for applications in Altadena ZIP codes 91001 and 91003 submitted on or after October 1, 2026, with limited exceptions. A by-right analysis shows what base zoning already permits without any state program. The best path depends entirely on your parcel, which is why Brick Work's feasibility report compares all of them side by side.

How much does SB 9 analysis cost?

SB 9 analysis is included in the $250 Brick Work report. It covers eligibility and exclusion screening, two-unit and urban lot split scenarios, objective-standard and parking analysis, a comparison against ADU, SB 684, and by-right paths, and actionable next steps for your Los Angeles property, and where an SB 9 lot split applies it includes a massing diagram. A Brick Work report is $250 and covers every California housing law that applies to up to 10 adjoining parcels under one base zone, delivered in 2 business days. Sites with more than one base zone, multiple overlays, or other advanced land-use diligence take the $500 Advanced report. Pro is $250 a month and includes 2 reports a month plus priority turnaround.

Sources

Last reviewed October 23, 2026.

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This page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. SB 9 eligibility and outcomes depend on your specific parcel and local ordinances; verify jurisdiction and consult a qualified professional before making development decisions.