Los Angeles County, CA Code Violation Reporting: Common Violations (2026)
Key Facts
- First infraction fine
- $100
- Second infraction fine
- $200 within 12 months
- Third infraction fine
- $500 within 12 months
- Fourth violation
- Charged as a misdemeanor
- Noncompliance fee
- $1,707 after missed 15-day deadline
- Second-notice penalty
- $4,268 fee plus 2x penalty
- Appeal deadline
- 15 days to Hearing Officer
Summary
In unincorporated Los Angeles County, violating any Title 22 zoning provision, permit, or approval is a misdemeanor by default under County Code § 22.242.030, with each day of the violation a separate offense. Five listed conditions are downgraded to infractions carrying $100, $200, and $500 fines for the first three offenses in 12 months; a fourth becomes a misdemeanor.
A.Every person violating any condition or provision either of this Title 22, permit, or approval thereto, is guilty of a misdemeanor, unless such violation is otherwise declared to be an infraction in Section 22.242.050 (Infractions). Each violation is a separate offense for each and every day during any portion of which the violation is committed.B.Each violation determined to be an infraction by this Title 22 shall be punishable by a fine of $100 for the first violation. Subsequent violations of the same provision of this Title 22 shall be punishable by a fine of $200 for the second violation and $500 for the third violation in a 12-month period as provided by applicable law. The fourth and any further violations of the same provision of this Title 22 which are committed at any time within a 12-month period from the date of the commission of the first violation shall be deemed misdemeanors.
Full Breakdown
Title 22 governs only the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County; incorporated cities, including the City of Los Angeles, enforce their own separate municipal codes. 050. 040. Infractions carry escalating fines under the same provision: $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third within a 12-month period. A fourth violation of the same provision within that window is charged as a misdemeanor, and the three prior infractions may be brought and tried together with it. 060. 070: the owner or occupant has 15 days after the compliance date to fix the violation or file a written appeal with the Hearing Officer, who must decide within 45 days.
Missing the 15-day window triggers a noncompliance fee of $1,707 per the current Filing Fee Schedule; an unpaid second notice adds a $4,268 fee, a penalty equal to twice the noncompliance fee, and a 50 percent collection fee, and the County withholds any building permit until it is paid.
Violations & Fines
A first zoning infraction in unincorporated LA County costs $100, the second $200, and the third $500 within 12 months; a fourth offense of the same provision becomes a misdemeanor, chargeable together with the earlier infractions. Ignoring a Final Zoning Enforcement Order past its 15-day compliance deadline adds a $1,707 noncompliance fee, and an unpaid second notice brings a $4,268 fee plus a penalty equal to double that fee and a 50 percent collection charge, with building permits withheld until paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a zoning violation in unincorporated LA County a misdemeanor or an infraction?
Can I appeal a Final Zoning Enforcement Order?
What happens if I don't pay the noncompliance fee?
Does this Title 22 enforcement scheme apply inside the City of Los Angeles?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles County
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Angeles County to another location·View the California code violation reporting overview
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