Los Angeles, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Impact Fees (2026)
Key Facts
- Fee exemption
- ADUs and JADUs are fully exempt from the park fee under LAMC § 12.33 C.3.(e)
- Standard fee basis (non-ADU)
- Quimby fee for subdivisions >50 units; park mitigation fee for all others
- Affordable housing exemption
- Units affordable to households ≤50% AMI also exempt
- Effective date of ADU exemption
- Amended by Ord. No. 186,481, Eff. 12/19/19
Summary
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior ADUs are explicitly exempt from the City of Los Angeles park fee, the primary residential impact fee assessed on new dwelling units, under LAMC § 12.33.
C. Subject Properties. All new residential dwelling units and joint living and work quarters shall be required to dedicate land, pay a fee or provide a combination of land dedication and fee payment for the purpose of acquiring, expanding and improving park and recreational facilities for new residents. For the purposes of this subsection, dwelling units, Accessory Dwelling Units, Junior Accessory Dwelling Units, and joint living and work quarters shall be referred to as "dwelling units" or "residential dwelling units".
3. Exemptions. The following types of development shall not be required to pay a park fee: ...
(e) Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units. (Amended by Ord. No. 186,481, Eff. 12/19/19.) ...
4. Any Accessory Dwelling Unit or Junior Accessory Dwelling Unit project where the park fee has not yet been paid and a Certificate of Occupancy has not been issued by the Department of Building and Safety prior to the effective date of this ordinance shall not be subject to a park fee.
Full Breakdown
LAMC § 12.33 requires most new residential dwelling units to pay a park fee (either a Quimby in-lieu fee for subdivisions over 50 units or a park mitigation fee for others) to fund acquisition and improvement of park and recreational facilities. Section 12.33 C.3.(e) carves out a complete exemption for Accessory Dwelling Units and Junior Accessory Dwelling Units, codifying the state-law policy of reducing barriers to ADU construction. This exemption applies regardless of the size or number of ADUs added to a lot. A related provision (§ 12.33 K.4) confirms that any ADU/JADU project where the fee had not yet been paid and a certificate of occupancy had not been issued as of the ordinance's effective date is also not subject to the fee.
Violations & Fines
No fee is owed; an applicant who incorrectly pays a park fee for an ADU/JADU is entitled to a refund under § 12.33 J. (refund provisions apply if funds are not committed within three years).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay a park fee when I build a backyard ADU?
Does the ADU park-fee exemption apply even if I'm building multiple ADUs?
Are there other impact fees that might apply to my ADU?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Angeles to another location·View the California accessory structures overview
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ADU Impact Fees in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle adu impact fees.