AB 2533 Legalization of Unpermitted ADUs & JADUs Built Before January 1, 2020 (Attachments A & B)

AB 2533 Legalization of Unpermitted ADUs & JADUs Built Before January 1, 2020 (Attachments A & B)

Have an Unpermitted ADU Built Before 2020? LA County Now Has a Legal Path Forward

If you live in unincorporated Los Angeles County and you've got a converted garage, a backyard cottage, or an in-law suite that was never permitted, you're not alone — and as of 2026 there's a real, structured way to make it legal. It's called AB 2533, and LA County Public Works has spelled out exactly how it works in a document called Administrative Manual AM 80.12.

Here's the plain-English version.

What AB 2533 actually does

California's Assembly Bill 2533 (effective January 1, 2025) created an amnesty pathway for unpermitted Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Junior ADUs (JADUs) that were built before January 1, 2020. The County's AM 80.12, approved February 19, 2026, is how that law gets applied here.

The headline protection: the County cannot deny your legalization permit unless it makes a final, conclusive determination that the violations or substandard conditions genuinely can't be fixed to allow safe occupancy. In other words, if your unit can be brought up to a reasonable safety standard, the County has to work with you.

And here's the part that saves people the most money: your unit only has to meet the minimum life-and-safety standards of the LA County Residential Code that were in effect on the date it was built — not today's full building code. The goal is safe occupancy, not a gut renovation.

Who qualifies

You qualify if all of these are true:

• The ADU or JADU is in unincorporated LA County (not the City of LA — the City runs its own separate program).
• It was built before January 1, 2020.
• It's either added square footage or a converted garage/room.

Important: anything you replaced or modified after January 1, 2020 — and any accessory structures like patio covers, porches, or carports — must meet the current code.

No penalties, restricted fees

For pre-2020 units actively seeking legalization, the law prohibits penalties and restricts impact fees, connection fees, and capacity charges except in specific situations. You'll still pay standard plan-review and inspection fees and the cost of any corrective work — but the punitive stuff is off the table while you're doing the right thing.

The two forms you can't skip: Attachments A and B

AM 80.12 requires two notarized affidavits at submittal:

• Attachment A — AB 2533 Application/Pre-Inspection Checklist
• Attachment B — AB 2533 Construction Checklist

Both must be completed, signed, AND notarized. (Attachment C is a helpful FAQ.) You can also hire a licensed contractor for a confidential third-party inspection before you apply — they document conditions on Attachment A, and you can fix what you can ahead of time. Just know that a private inspection does not replace the County's own plan review and field inspections.

How to file, step by step

1. (Optional but smart) Get a confidential third-party inspection and note what's already corrected.
2. Prepare your plan set per the County's Minimum Plan Submittal Guidelines, mark it "AB 2533," and list the applicable code year on the title page.
3. Get Attachments A and B completed, signed, and notarized.
4. Submit directly to the Building and Safety Division via EPIC-LA online or a district office counter, referencing any existing code-enforcement case.
5. Pay plan-review and inspection fees.
6. Schedule your pre-inspection with a County Building Inspector when the plan reviewer instructs you to.
7. Get any required agency approvals (Fire, Planning, Public Health, Geotech).
8. Fix deficiencies, pass final inspection, and receive your Certificate of Occupancy.

Timeline and the two-year clock

The Division has 30 calendar days to accept or deny your application, and 60 calendar days to complete its review once it's deemed complete — your first pre-inspection has to happen within that 60-day window. Resubmittals get another 30 days.

Then the big one: you have two years from permit issuance to finish all corrections, pass final inspection, and get your Certificate of Occupancy. Miss that deadline and you start over.

Watch out for these

The most common trip-ups are submitting unnotarized checklists, applying for a property that's actually inside a city, and not being able to prove the pre-2020 build date — so gather dated photos, old utility records, and satellite imagery now. Also remember that a third or later round of review or inspection costs extra.

Bottom line: if your unit was built before 2020 and is in unincorporated LA County, AB 2533 is the most owner-friendly path you'll get. Read AM 80.12, line up Attachments A and B, and get that pre-2020 proof in order before you file.

This post is informational, not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with LA County Public Works Building and Safety Division.

Reference card

• Official number: Administrative Manual AM 80.12 (Building Code Manual, Article I) — implements Assembly Bill 2533 (Chapter 834, Statutes of 2024). Required forms: Attachment A (AB 2533 Application/Pre-Inspection Checklist) and Attachment B (AB 2533 Construction Checklist); Attachment C is an FAQ.
• Issuing body: Los Angeles County Public Works, Building and Safety Division (BSD). AM 80.12 approved 02/19/2026.
• What it is: A retroactive legalization (amnesty) permit pathway for unpermitted ADUs and JADUs built before January 1, 2020 in unincorporated LA County — the County's implementation of California AB 2533 (Gov. Code section 66332). See full entry above.
• Who needs it: Applies to: owners (or their authorized agents) of an unpermitted ADU or JADU built before January 1, 2020 located in UNINCORPORATED Los Angeles County. Qualifying units include new square footage added to create a dwelling unit, or a garage/area of the house converted into a separate living unit. Skip it / it does NOT apply if: the property is inside an incorporated city (e.g., the City of Los Angeles, which runs its own LADBS Unpermitted Dwelling Unit program — confirm your jurisdiction first); the unit was built on or after January 1, 2020 (those follow standard ADU permitting); or any component/system was replaced or modified after January 1, 2020 (those portions must meet the CURRENT LACRC). Note: an existing code-enforcement or rehabilitation case does not bar you from applying, but the permit application must reference that case.
• Fees: Penalties are prohibited for pre-2020 unpermitted ADUs/JADUs that are actively seeking legalization, and impact fees, connection fees, and other capacity charges are restricted except under specifically defined circumstances. You do still pay standard plan-review and inspection fees, plus additional inspection/certificate fees and the cost of any corrective construction work. A third or subsequent plan review or inspection incurs extra permitting fees based on staff time. Inaccurate or incomplete information can result in additional fees or permit denial. (AM 80.12 does not publish a flat dollar amount — fees follow LA County BSD's standard fee schedule based on valuation and staff time.)
• Timeline: BSD has 30 calendar days to accept or deny an application after submittal (incomplete applications get a written deficiency list). Once deemed complete and acceptable, BSD completes its review within 60 calendar days, and the first pre-inspection with a County Building Inspector must occur within that initial 60-day period. Resubmittals get a 30-calendar-day approval/denial window, with reinspection in the same period. These windows run concurrently with outside-agency approvals and exclude applicant-caused delays. After permit issuance, the applicant has TWO YEARS to correct all outstanding violations, pass final inspection, and obtain the Certificate of Occupancy — miss that and you must restart the permitting process.

Requirements

• Minimum plan submittal package for ADUs/JADUs per LA County BSD's published Minimum Plan Submittal Guidelines (site plan, floor plans, etc.), with the project scope stated on the title page and the applicable LACRC edition/code year noted on the title block
• Plans must carry an 'AB 2533' title-block notation
• Completed, signed, and NOTARIZED Affidavit of Attachment A — AB 2533 Application/Pre-Inspection Checklist (signed by owner, owner's agent, and the inspector, with contact info, and the inspector's license number and expiration date)
• Completed, signed, and NOTARIZED Affidavit of Attachment B — AB 2533 Construction Checklist
• Documentation establishing the date of construction was prior to January 1, 2020 (the County inspector must be able to verify this)
• If a third-party inspection was done, the completed checklist must clearly identify corrections already made and any remaining deficiencies
• Reference to any existing code-enforcement or rehabilitation case on the property/parcel
• Permits for any exterior attached/detached accessory structures (patio covers, porches, carports) under the current building code
• Payment of all plan-review and inspection fees
• Required outside-agency approvals as applicable: Fire, Regional Planning/Zoning, Public Health/Environmental Programs Division, and Land Development/Geotechnical

How to file

1. (Optional, recommended) Hire a licensed contractor or similarly qualified professional for a confidential third-party code inspection at your own expense, before applying. They document existing conditions on the AB 2533 Application/Pre-Inspection Checklist (Attachment A); you may correct deficiencies first and note what remains.
2. Prepare the ADU/JADU plan set per the County's Minimum Plan Submittal Guidelines, add the 'AB 2533' title-block notation, and identify the applicable LACRC code year on the title page.
3. Get Attachment A (Application/Pre-Inspection Checklist) and Attachment B (Construction Checklist) completed, signed, and NOTARIZED.
4. Submit the full package directly to the Building and Safety Division — through EPIC-LA online or at a district office public counter — referencing any existing code-enforcement case.
5. Pay required plan-review and inspection fees at submittal.
6. BSD reviews completeness: within 30 calendar days it accepts or denies the application; if incomplete you get a written list of missing items (per Gov. Code 65943) to fix before resubmittal.
7. Once deemed complete, the assigned plan reviewer instructs you to schedule a pre-inspection field visit with a County Building Inspector (must occur within the initial 60-day review period); schedule it via EPIC-LA or the district office.
8. Obtain all required outside-agency approvals (Fire, Planning, Public Health, Geotech) — these run concurrently with the County's review windows.
9. At the field inspection the County verifies the pre-2020 construction date, that the documents match field conditions, and that corrective actions meet the minimum codes for the year of construction. Disagreements route back to the plan reviewer, who may re-evaluate eligibility or issue a deficiency checklist for resubmittal.
10. Resolve any deficiencies and resubmit; the Division has 30 calendar days to approve or issue further corrections (a third or later review/inspection triggers additional fees).
11. Once the project qualifies, the Office Manager (or designee) issues a written notice concluding the review with supporting evidence; approved plans are stamped 'AB 2533' plus the LACBC code year.
12. Correct all outstanding violations/substandard conditions, provide photo evidence and/or schedule the final inspection, and the Office Manager issues the Certificate of Occupancy once both the inspector and owner confirm all requirements are met.

Common pitfalls

• Wrong jurisdiction: AM 80.12 covers UNINCORPORATED LA County only. If your property is in the City of LA or another incorporated city, you use that city's program (e.g., LADBS), not this one.
• Forgetting notarization: BOTH Attachment A and Attachment B must be notarized affidavits — an unnotarized checklist will not be accepted.
• Assuming current code applies: the unit only needs the minimum life-safety standards of the LACRC in effect on the construction date — but anything modified/replaced after Jan 1, 2020 must meet the CURRENT code, as must accessory structures like patio covers and carports.
• Can't prove the pre-2020 build date: if the County inspector can't verify construction was completed before January 1, 2020, the project loses eligibility — keep dated photos, permits for the main house, utility records, satellite imagery, etc.
• Treating the third-party inspection as a substitute: a third-party inspection does NOT replace the required County plan review, inspections, or verification for occupancy.
• Inaccurate documents: if plans/checklists don't match field conditions, the inspector kicks it back; repeated reviews/inspections (third and beyond) cost extra fees, and misleading info can mean denial.
• Missing the two-year clock: failing to finish corrections, final inspection, and the Certificate of Occupancy within two years of permit issuance forces a full restart.
• Not referencing an open enforcement case: if a code-enforcement or rehab case exists on the parcel, the application must reference it.

Sources

• https://pw.lacounty.gov/bsd/lib/fp/Administrative%20Manuals/AM%2080.12%20-%20AB%202533%20-%20Permitting%20Unpermitted%20ADUs%20and%20JADUs%20Built%20Before%20January%201,%202020%20(02-19-26).pdf
• https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2533
• https://www.ladu.co/articles/what-ab-2533-means-for-unpermitted-adus-in-la
• https://pwds.oc.gov/service-areas/oc-development-services/planning-development/ab-2533-safe-adujadu-legalization
• https://pw.lacounty.gov/bsd/