On November 23, 2016, the City adopted an ordinance repealing Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 85.02 in its entirety, in response to a US Court of Appeals judgment and replaced it with a version that decriminalizes living in vehicles, while balancing the needs of all City residents, businesses and visitors for clean, healthy and safe public areas.

The new LAMC Section 85.02 regulates the conduct of dwelling in a vehicle on a public street and is not a parking restriction. From 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., persons are allowed to use a vehicle for dwelling, subject to posted parking restrictions, in most areas of the City that are more than 500 feet from licensed schools, pre-schools, day care facilities or parks. From 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., persons are allowed to use a vehicle for dwelling, subject to posted parking restrictions, on streets in non-residential zones that are not located within 500 feet of a licensed school, pre­school, day care facility or park. The provisions of the new LAMC Section 85.02 become effective on Saturday, January 7, 2017 and expire on July 1, 2018, unless extended by ordinance. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has indicated enforcement will begin in early February.

The City will continue to provide public outreach regarding the provisions of this ordinance. The City’s outreach efforts will be further supplemented with the assistance of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) and their homeless service providers. Additionally, the City has developed several maps to assist the public in identifying streets where vehicle dwelling is allowed. The maps are publicly available on the City’s website. The maps are also available within the City’s Zone Information and Map Access System (http://zimas.lacity.org/). Printed versions of the maps are available at local City Halls, libraries, and community police stations for surrounding neighborhoods and street segments. If requested, our Office encourages all departments with public counters to provide the 85.02 pamphlets (attached) and if feasible provide printed maps.

Our Office will coordinate the collection and analysis of data and information by City departments and third party organizations with relevant expertise for purposes of determining the impacts to public health, safety and the physical environment due to the implementation of these vehicle dwelling regulations. The resulting data and analysis will be compiled into a report with recommendations for action to the City Council and Mayor within eighteen months of the effective date of this ordinance.