Accessory Structures in Newport Beach, CA (2026)
4 verified accessory structures rules for Newport Beach, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
ADU Rules
Newport Beach approves ADUs and junior ADUs ministerially within 60 days under Municipal Code Section 20.48.200, capping detached units at 16 feet and limiting size to 850 or 1,000 square feet depending on bedroom count.
Newport Beach Accessory Dwelling Unit Rules
Some RestrictionsNewport Beach, CA, Municipal Code § 20.48.200 (Accessory Dwelling Units)
The building permit shall be considered and approved ministerially, without discretionary review or a hearing, within sixty (60) days from the date that the City determines an application to be complete... Detached accessory dwelling units shall not exceed a height of sixteen (16) feet except as noted below... The maximum size of a detached or attached accessory dwelling unit is eight hundred f...
ADU Owner Occupancy
Newport Beach does not require an owner to live on site for a standard accessory dwelling unit, but it does for a junior ADU. Municipal Code Section 20.48.200(H)(3) requires a natural person holding title to the lot to live in either the main house or the junior unit as a permanent residence, recorded by deed restriction.
Newport Beach ADU Owner-Occupancy Rules
Light RestrictionsNewport Beach, CA, Municipal Code § 20.48.200(H)(3) & (I) (Owner-Occupancy for Junior Accessory Dwelling Units)
3. Owner-Occupancy for Junior Accessory Dwelling Units. A natural person with legal or equitable title to the lot must reside in either the principal single-unit dwelling unit or the junior accessory dwelling unit as the person's legal domicile and permanent residence. However, this owner-occupancy requirement shall not apply to any junior accessory dwelling unit owned by a governmental agency,...
ADU Rental Restrictions
Newport Beach lets owners rent out an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or junior ADU, but bans renting either one for 30 days or less and bars selling or conveying the unit separately from the main lot. Municipal Code Section 20.48.200(H) sets the rule.
Newport Beach ADU Rental Restrictions
Some RestrictionsNewport Beach, CA, Municipal Code § 20.48.200(H)
1. No Separate Conveyance. Except as authorized in California Government Code 66341, an accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit may be rented, but no accessory dwelling unit or junior accessory dwelling unit may be sold or otherwise conveyed separately from the lot and the principal dwelling (in the case of a single-unit dwelling) or from the lot and all of the dwellings (in t...
Shed & Carport Rules
Newport Beach lets small accessory structures, including sheds and mechanical equipment housings, sit inside the required side or rear yard setback if they stay six feet tall or less and no larger than 150 square feet per structure. Sheds cannot use this setback exception in a rear yard that backs onto an alley, per NBMC § 20.30.110(D)(2)(a).
Newport Beach Shed and Accessory Structure Limits
Some RestrictionsNewport Beach, CA, Municipal Code § 20.30.110(D)(2)(a) (Setback Regulations and Exceptions - Accessory Structures)
Accessory structures, including housings for mechanical equipment, not more than six feet in height and totaling no more than one hundred fifty (150) square feet per structure, may be located within a required side or rear setback area other than a rear setback area abutting an alley.
Looking for Orange County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Newport Beach city rules.
Accessory Structures in Orange County →