San Diego Land Use, Entitlements,
and Permit Expediting
San Diego runs its own development code, its own discretionary review levels, and its own coastal overlay. JDJ maps the entitlement path for infill housing, mixed use, and commercial projects across the City of San Diego and unincorporated San Diego County, then moves them through Development Services plan check to permit issuance.
Governing Code
San Diego Municipal Code
Local Program
ADU Bonus Program
Review Layer
City Planning Dept.
Have a site in San Diego?
Tell us what you’re trying to build, and we’ll map the entitlement path through San Diego’s process.
How San Diego Regulates Development
Most in demand entitlements and permits in San Diego
This is the section developers, general contractors, and architects ask about most. These are the approvals driving the highest project volume in the San Diego market right now, with the code authority and administering body for each.
San Diego’s Five Decision Processes
When more than one approval is required, decisions are consolidated and taken to the highest applicable level, except Process One. Projects designed to fall under Process One, Two, or Three generally cost less and move faster than Process Four or Five. A core part of JDJ’s entitlement strategy is structuring a project to qualify for the lowest defensible decision process.
Source authority: SDMC section 112.0103; DSD Decision Process guidance; Land Development Manual Volume I
What JDJ Handles in San Diego
What Actually Shapes a Project Here
San Diego’s Terms, Decoded
Questions we hear most in San Diego
Q. What is San Diego’s Bonus ADU Program?What is Complete Communities Housing Solutions?
CCHS is the City of San Diego’s primary infill housing incentive program. It grants a Floor Area Ratio bonus for housing in Sustainable Development Areas near high frequency transit in exchange for deed restricted affordable units and objective design compliance. It is codified in San Diego Municipal Code Chapter 14, Article 3, Division 10, and detailed in Information Bulletin 411.
Q. How does San Diego decide who approves my project?
Every discretionary application is assigned one of five decision processes based on zoning, site conditions, and scope. Process One through Three are faster and lower cost; Process Four and Five involve the Planning Commission or City Council. Designing a project to qualify for a lower process is often the single biggest lever on timeline and cost.
If your site is in the Coastal Zone, most likely yes. The City issues CDPs under its certified Local Coastal Program, but the Coastal Commission retains jurisdiction over tidelands and hears certain appeals. We confirm Coastal Zone status and appeal exposure during feasibility.
Q. Where do San Diego permit applications get submitted?
New applications are submitted online through Accela Citizen Access. Historical records from 2003 to present are searchable through OpenDSD. Meeting DSD’s digital plan and PDF formatting requirements at intake is one of the simplest ways to avoid early delays.
The 2022 California Building Code and 2022 California Energy Code (Title 24, Part 6) with local amendments, effective January 1, 2023.
Yes. County projects are reviewed by Planning and Development Services (PDS), which runs a discretionary permit phase, site preparation, and building permit phase, and applies the County Zoning Ordinance rather than the City’s Land Development Code.