City · California
ADU rules in Long Beach
These are the primary sources for accessory dwelling unit regulations in Long Beach: the city's own zoning code, planning department pages, and permit guides. Start here before talking to anyone: the rules below are what your permit reviewer will apply.
Rules at a glance
Single-family lots: one detached new-construction ADU allowed (in addition to a possible conversion ADU and a JADU). Multifamily lots: detached ADUs allowed up to 8 or the number of existing permitted units, whichever is less (2 detached ADUs with a proposed multifamily dwelling); detached ADUs may be new construction or conversions of accessory buildings.
IB-PZ-001, Table 1 (Number, Type, and Size of ADUs Permitted) and Unit Type CombinationsAttached new construction (addition to the existing primary dwelling) allowed at up to 50% of the primary dwelling size or 800 sq ft, whichever is more; attached ADU with a proposed single-family dwelling has no size limit; conversions of existing primary-dwelling space or attached accessory buildings allowed with no size cap. Multifamily lots: conversion of existing attached non-habitable space allowed (1 ADU or 25% of existing units, whichever is more; no additions).
IB-PZ-001, Table 1ADU living area is measured to interior walls; no lot coverage, open space, or floor area ratio standards apply to bulletin project types. The bulletin cites Cal. Gov. Code 66323(a)(1) for the no-limit conversion rule and 66323(a)(2)(A) for the 800 sq ft detached figure.
IB-PZ-001, Table 1, Minimum Unit Size, Floor Area Measurement, and Lot Coverage sectionsNo owner-occupancy requirement for ADUs; state law, which the city applies directly, bars imposing one (Cal. Gov. Code 66315, read at leginfo). JADU distinction: owner occupancy of the single-family dwelling or the JADU is required only if the JADU shares a bathroom with the primary dwelling (bulletin), mirroring the shared-sanitation-facilities rule in Cal. Gov. Code 66333(b).
IB-PZ-001, JADU Access and Owner Occupancy Requirements; Cal. Gov. Code 66315 and 66333(b)The exemption list is stated in the bulletin (with city maps for the transit and parking-exempt areas); the 1-space cap, tandem allowance, and no-replacement-parking rules are Cal. Gov. Code 66314 provisions read at leginfo, applied because the city reviews ADUs strictly under state law. Exemptions in Gov. Code 66322 apply whether or not a local ordinance exists.
IB-PZ-001, Parking section; Cal. Gov. Code 66314 and 66322Ministerial: with no local ordinance, applications are reviewed directly under state ADU law, which requires approval ministerially without discretionary review or a hearing; completeness must be determined within 15 business days and the application approved or denied within 60 days of a complete application, else it is deemed approved (Cal. Gov. Code 66317(a), read at leginfo). Coastal Zone projects need an Administrative Local Coastal Development Permit and historic district/landmark projects need a Certificate of Appropriateness, both filed with the building permit application and neither requiring a public hearing (IB-PZ-001). City pre-approved PAADU plans can be approved over the counter with same-day building permit issuance.
Cal. Gov. Code 66317(a); IB-PZ-001, Coastal Zone Procedures and Historic ProceduresRead at leginfo; the city applies state ADU law directly. Long Beach also operates a separate citywide Short-Term Rental Ordinance program (listed on the city site); its interaction with ADUs was not stated in the ADU sources read, so confirm STR eligibility with the city.
Cal. Gov. Code 66314 and 66323(e); IB-PZ-001 (silent on rental terms)The fine print: 8 caveats that can change the picture
- Ordinance transition: Long Beach has no adopted local ADU ordinance; ADU and JADU applications are reviewed directly under state ADU law (Cal. Gov. Code 66310-66342) using interim Information Bulletin IB-PZ-001. New ADU and SB 9 ordinances are in progress (public comment closed November 23, 2025; Planning Commission and City Council hearings still upcoming as of July 29, 2026), and the bulletin becomes ineffective once a local ordinance is adopted, so these standards may change.
- LBMC 21.51.276 still appears in the codified Municipal Code (Supp. 52 Update 1, codified through May 25, 2026) but it is the obsolete pre-2020 ordinance (Limited/Conforming ADU categories, 120-day review); the city states it no longer applies, so do not rely on the codified section.
- Coastal Zone: any ADU or JADU project in the Coastal Zone requires an Administrative Local Coastal Development Permit filed concurrently with the building permit application; no public hearing.
- Historic areas: projects in a historic district or at a designated landmark require a Certificate of Appropriateness (no public hearing); historic-district ADUs are exempt from parking.
- The 800 sq ft detached new-construction cap is the bulletin's application of the Cal. Gov. Code 66323(a)(2)(A) category; conversions of existing space have no size cap. For a detached unit larger than 800 sq ft, confirm current practice with city staff, since the city has no local ordinance and Gov. Code 66321 constrains the caps an adopted ordinance could set.
- JADUs are allowed only on single-family lots (max 1, 500 sq ft, conversion of existing space only); no JADU on any lot with a multifamily dwelling.
- Height and setbacks vary by project type: detached ADUs 16 ft base height, 18 ft near a major transit stop or high-quality transit corridor or on a lot with an existing multi-story multifamily dwelling (plus up to 2 ft to match a sloped roof); attached new construction up to 25 ft or 2 stories; new construction takes 4 ft side and rear setbacks (rear measured to alley centerline) with front setback per the zoning district, though an ADU up to 800 sq ft may encroach into the front setback if it cannot otherwise fit.
- Pre-Approved ADU Program (PAADU): city pre-approved plans may be approved over the counter at the Permit Center with a building permit issued the same day (see Building and Safety bulletin IB-068).
Summarized from Long Beach's ordinance text, read July 2026; every row links the code section it came from. Rules often vary by zone and lot, so treat this as orientation, not a permit determination, and confirm with the planning department before you commit to a design.
ADU regulations
California statewide law also applies
California sets baseline ADU rights at the state level. Where local rules are stricter than state law allows, state law usually wins, so both are worth reading.
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