Lancaster, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Zoning & Siting (2026)
Key Facts
- Dedicated ordinance
- None
- Zones
- LI, HI, BP industrial
- Use category
- None named in code
- Permit
- Site plan review required
- Moratorium
- None adopted
Summary
Lancaster has no data-center ordinance and no "data center" use in its Industrial Zones Uses Matrix. Server farms land in the LI, HI, or BP zones, where the planning director interprets the use and site plan review applies.
Uses which do not fall into any other category, and are not temporary uses, uses subject to director's review, or uses subject to permit in these zones, shall be subject to interpretation of the director.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 10 - 2025).
Full Breakdown
Lancaster Municipal Code Title 17 defines industrial zones as LI, HI, and BP (Section 17.16.010). The Section 17.16.040 Uses Matrix names no data center. Section 17.16.040 states that uses outside every listed category are subject to interpretation of the director, and Section 17.16.080 gives the director the final call. Staff match a server farm to the closest listed use: Research and Development - General, Warehousing, or Public Utilities - General, each permitted by right in LI and HI. Every new industrial building needs site plan review under Section 17.16.120. Discretionary approvals trigger CEQA. Unlike Los Angeles County, Lancaster ran no data-center study.
Violations & Fines
Building a data center without approved site plan review, or outside the LI, HI, or BP zones, violates Title 17 and is abated by Lancaster code enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can a data center be built in Lancaster, CA?
Does Lancaster have a data-center ordinance?
What permit does a Lancaster data center need?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lancaster
California rules heatmap·Compare Lancaster to another location·View the California data centers & crypto mining overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Data Center Zoning & Siting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle data center zoning & siting.