Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety issues residential rooftop solar permits through the SolarAPP+ portal under California Government Code §65850.5 and SB-379, granting automated approval for code-compliant systems within minutes during business hours.
California Government Code §65850.5 directs every city to adopt an expedited, electronic permitting process for small residential solar PV systems. SB-379 (effective 2024) further mandates instant online permitting for systems up to 38.4 kW DC. LADBS implements this through SolarAPP+, the federally developed automated review tool, branded locally as Solar Express. Eligible homeowners or licensed C-46 contractors upload plans, the system runs an automated code check, and an approved permit is issued instantly with no plan-check fee discount review. Inspection is still required after installation. Battery storage and roof-mounted systems on detached single-family homes qualify; ground-mounts and commercial arrays follow regular plan-check.
Installing solar without a permit, even when SolarAPP+ would have approved it, draws double-fee penalties and a stop-work notice. Net-metering interconnection with LADWP is denied until the permit and final inspection are recorded.
Los Angeles, CA
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See how Los Angeles's expedited solar permitting rules stack up against other locations.
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