Los Angeles, CA Accessory Structures: Garage Conversions (2026)
Garage conversion rules in Los Angeles, CA, sometimes called garage-to-ADU or accessory living unit conversions, govern permits, ceiling height, egress, and parking replacement.
Key Facts
- Replacement parking rule
- None required when garage/carport is demolished or converted to an ADU
- ADU parking waiver: transit
- No parking required if ADU is within 0.5 miles of public transit
- Tandem parking
- Allowed; ADU parking may be provided in any yard area or passageway
Summary
When a garage, carport, or covered parking structure is demolished or converted to create an ADU in Los Angeles, no replacement parking may be required for the lost spaces.
(12) Parking Requirements:
(i) ADU Parking. One parking space is required for an ADU, except that no parking is required for an ADU that is:
a. Located within one-half mile walking distance of a public transit. For this purpose, public transit means a location, including, but not limited to, a bus stop or train station, where the public may access buses, trains, subways, and other forms of transportation that charge set fares, run on fixed routes, and are available to the public; or
b. Located within one block of a designated pick-up and drop-off location of a car share vehicle; or
d. Part of the proposed or existing primary residence or an accessory structure.
(iii) Replacement Parking. No replacement parking shall be required when a garage, carport or covered parking structure is demolished in conjunction with the construction of an ADU or converted to an ADU.
Full Breakdown
LAMC § 12.22 A.33(c)(12)(iii) explicitly bars the City from requiring replacement off-street parking when an existing garage, carport, or covered parking structure is demolished in connection with ADU construction or converted into an ADU. This rule applies regardless of zone or proximity to transit, and complements the broader ADU parking exemptions at § 12.22 A.33(c)(12)(i), which waive the 1-space ADU parking requirement for ADUs within half a mile of public transit, within one block of a car-share vehicle, in a historic district, or located within the primary residence or an accessory structure. ADU parking is allowed in any yard area or passageway, and tandem parking on an existing driveway is permitted.
Violations & Fines
Conditioning an ADU permit on the provision of replacement parking spaces to offset a garage, carport, or covered parking structure that is demolished or converted for the ADU.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I convert my two-car garage into an ADU, do I have to build replacement parking?
Does the ADU itself need its own parking space?
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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Garage Conversions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle garage conversions.