Stockton, CA Accessory Structures: ADU Permits (2026)

SMC §16.80.310 implements Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2 in Stockton. Property owners submit a building permit application — including a scaled site plan showing setbacks and easements — to the Building & Life Safety Department, which routes the application to Planning for zoning review. State law (Cal. Gov. Code §65852.2(b)(1)) requires the city to act on a complete ADU application within 60 days; if not acted upon, the application is deemed approved. Stockton allows attached ADUs up to 1,200 sf (or 50% of the primary unit's living area, whichever is less) and detached ADUs up to 1,200 sf, with a 4-foot maximum required side and rear setback for new construction. JADUs are capped at 500 sf and must be entirely within the walls of the existing single-family dwelling. SB 9 (Cal. Gov. Code §§65852.21 and 66411.7) provides a separate ministerial pathway for two-unit development and urban lot splits on single-family lots. AB 1033 (Cal. Gov. Code §65852.26) allows but does not require Stockton to authorize separate condominium conveyance of ADUs; Stockton has not adopted that opt-in ordinance to date. The California HCD reviewed and provided technical assistance on Stockton's ADU ordinance most recently in December 2025.