Los Angeles, CA Earthquake Safety: Soft-Story Retrofit (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- Wood-frame buildings with permit before January 1, 1978, having ground-floor parking or open space below upper stories
- Exception
- Buildings with 3 or fewer dwelling units used solely for residential purposes
- Priority I
- 16 or more dwelling units (highest priority)
- Priority II
- 3 or more stories with fewer than 16 dwelling units
- Plan submittal deadline
- 2 years after service of order
- Permit deadline
- 3.5 years after service of order
- Construction completion
- 7 years after service of order
Summary
Los Angeles mandates seismic retrofit of wood-frame buildings built before January 1, 1978 where the ground floor contains parking or other open space below one or more upper stories (soft-story / tuck-under buildings). Owners must submit retrofit plans within 2 years, obtain permits within 3.5 years, and complete work within 7 years of receiving a Department order.
SEC. 91.9302. SCOPE. The provisions of this division shall apply to all existing buildings of wood-frame construction, or wood-frame portions thereof, where:
1. A permit for construction of a new building was applied for before January 1, 1978, or, if no permit can be located, the structure is determined by the Department to have been built under building code standards enacted before January 1, 1978; and
2. The ground floor portion of the structure contains parking or other similar open floor space that causes soft, weak or open-front wall lines, and there exists one or more stories above. EXCEPTIONS: This division shall not apply to any building containing three dwelling units or less if the building is used solely for residential purposes.
91.9305.2. Time Limits for Compliance.
1. Within two (2) years after service of the order, submit to the Department...structural analysis and plans...
2. Within three and a half (3.5) years after service of the order, obtain all necessary permits for rehabilitation or demolition.
3. Within seven (7) years after service of the order, complete construction or demolition work under all necessary permits.
Full Breakdown
Division 93 was amended in entirety by Ord. No. 183,893 (effective November 22, 2015) after the Northridge Earthquake exposed severe collapse risk in tuck-under parking structures. Buildings with three or fewer dwelling units used solely for residential purposes are exempt. The Department prioritizes enforcement: Priority I is 16 or more dwelling units, Priority II is three or more stories with fewer than 16 units, and Priority III covers all other covered buildings. Transfer of title does not reset compliance deadlines. Non-compliance can result in a misdemeanor charge under LAMC § 91.9311.
Violations & Fines
LAMC § 91.9311 makes it unlawful to maintain, use, or occupy a covered building that does not meet minimum seismic standards. Owners, lessors, sublettors, managers, and persons in control may be charged with a misdemeanor. The Department may order the building vacated and subsequently demolished under LAMC § 91.8903 for continued non-compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
My building has tuck-under parking and was built in 1975 – does this apply?
If I sell the building, do the retrofit deadlines transfer to the new owner?
What is a 'soft wall line' or 'weak wall line' in this context?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Angeles to another location·View the California earthquake safety overview
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