Zoning Report
San Diego, CA Zoning
San Diego’s zoning framework is governed by the City of San Diego Municipal Code, especially Chapters 10 through 15, with zoning districts, general regulations, development procedures, and planned districts organized across those chapters. The source set also includes San Diego County materials, but those County rules apply only to unincorporated areas and not to property inside the City of San Diego. Based on the provided city sources, the city has a broad zoning system with multiple zone families, overlay regulations such as the Coastal Overlay Zone and historic review triggers, and a permit structure that includes preliminary review and Planning Commission hearings for some discretionary land use matters.
Last researched May 2026
Zoning Districts in San Diego, CA
City of San Diego zone families under Chapter 13
The City organizes zoning by chapter and zone groups rather than a single short district list in the provided materials. The municipal code page confirms Chapter 13 contains the city’s zones, and the ADU bulletin says ADUs are generally allowed in zones that permit residential uses.
Allowed uses: Residential uses in zones that permit residential uses, Accessory dwelling units as allowable limited uses in zones identified by the use regulation tables
Recent Zoning Changes
The clearest recent city zoning changes in the provided sources relate to ADU and JADU regulations. The January 2026 city bulletin states that Coastal Commission certification on Sept. 12, 2024 made Housing Action Package 1.0 ADU setback and landscape rules effective in the Coastal Overlay Zone, while later ordinances including Housing Action Package 2.0, the 2024 Land Development Code Update, and 2025 ADU/JADU amendments are not yet effective in the Coastal Overlay Zone until Coastal Commission certification occurs.
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