JurisdictionCaliforniaCode GOVGovernment Code - GOV
Div.1.
Title 7.DIVISION 1. PLANNING AND ZONING
Ch. 4.5.CHAPTER 4.5. Review and Approval of Development Projects
Art. 5.ARTICLE 5. Approval of Development Permits
This text of California § 65950. (65950. (Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 650, Sec. 4.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
(a)A public agency that is the lead agency for a development project shall approve or disapprove the project within whichever of the following periods is applicable:
(1)One hundred eighty days from the date of certification by the lead agency of the environmental impact report, if an environmental impact report is prepared pursuant to Section 21100 or 21151 of the Public Resources Code for the development project.
(2)Ninety days from the date of certification by the lead agency of the environmental impact report, if an environmental impact report is prepared pursuant to Section 21100 or 21151 of the Public Resources Code for a development project defined in subdivision (c).
(3)Sixty days from the date of certification by the lead agency of the environmental impact report, if an environ
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(a)
A public agency that is the lead agency for a development project shall approve or disapprove the project within whichever of the following periods is applicable:
(1)
One hundred eighty days from the date of certification by the lead agency of the environmental impact report, if an environmental impact report is prepared pursuant to Section 21100 or 21151 of the Public Resources Code for the development project.
(2)
Ninety days from the date of certification by the lead agency of the environmental impact report, if an environmental impact report is prepared pursuant to Section 21100 or 21151 of the Public Resources Code for a development project defined in subdivision (c).
(3)
Sixty days from the date of certification by the lead agency of the environmental impact report, if an environmental impact report is prepared pursuant to Section 21100 or 21151 of the Public Resources Code for a development project defined in subdivision (c) and all of the following conditions are met:
(A)
At least 49 percent of the units in the development project are affordable to very low or low-income households, as defined by Sections 50105 and 50079.5 of the Health and Safety Code, respectively. Rents for the lower income units shall be set at an affordable rent, as that term is defined in Section 50053 of the Health and Safety Code, for at least 30 years. Owner-occupied units shall be available at an affordable housing cost, as that term is defined in Section 50052.5 of the Health and Safety Code.
(B)
Prior
to the application being deemed complete for the development project pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 65940), the lead agency received written notice from the project applicant that an application has been made or will be made for an allocation or commitment of financing, tax credits, bond authority, or other financial assistance from a public agency or federal agency, and the notice specifies the financial assistance that has been applied for or will be applied for and the deadline for application for that assistance, the requirement that one of the approvals of the development project by the lead agency is a prerequisite to the application for or approval of the application for financial assistance, and that the financial assistance is necessary for the project to be affordable as required pursuant to subparagraph (A).
(C)
There is confirmation that the application has been made to the public agency or federal agency prior to
certification of the environmental impact report.
(4)
Sixty days from the date of adoption by the lead agency of the negative declaration, if a negative declaration is completed and adopted for the development project.
(5)
Sixty days from the determination by the lead agency that the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code), if the project is exempt from that act.
(6)
Except as provided in subdivision (a) of Section 65912.114 and subdivision (a) of Section 65912.124, sixty days from the date of receipt of a complete application if the project is subject to ministerial review by the public agency.
(7)
If
a development project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code) pursuant to Section 21080.66 of the Public Resources Code, 30 days from the later of the following dates:
(A)
The conclusion of the process outlined in subdivision (b) of Section 21080.66 of the Public Resources Code.
(B)
The expiration of the applicable time limit in paragraph (2) of subdivision (j) of Section 65589.5.
(b)
This section does not preclude a project applicant and a public agency from mutually agreeing in writing to an extension of any time limit provided by this section
pursuant to Section 65957.
(c)
For purposes of paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a) and Section 65952, “development project” means a housing development project, as defined in paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 65905.5.
(d)
For purposes of this section, “lead agency” and “negative declaration” have the same meaning as defined in Sections 21067 and 21064 of the Public Resources Code, respectively.