How does ZIMAS work?

Supporting its portfolio of transparent, easy-to-access services, City Planning maintains the Zone Information and Map Access System, or ZIMAS, to allow individuals to learn more about the City’s neighborhoods and assist residents and businesses in making better informed land use decisions.

ZIMAS is a web-based mapping application that provides users with a convenient and centralized point of reference for planning and zoning information on properties in the City of Los Angeles. ZIMAS allows visitors to look up property-specific information, ranging from a parcel’s land use and zoning designation to its planning application and building permit history, including the specific types of planning entitlements previously filed for any property in the City.

Users can search ZIMAS by criteria such as Property Address, Street Intersection, Assessor Parcel Number, Planning Case Number, Community Plan Area, Council District, Certified Neighborhood Council, Legal Description, and Map Sheet.

ZIMAS also displays subsections that identify and link to any overlays a property falls within. An overlay is a zoning district tailored to a neighborhood. Applicants within an overlay are required to demonstrate compliance with its regulations before they can receive planning approvals.

Other subsections that indicate useful information in ZIMAS searches include:

The Building Permit Info subsection, which links to a list of past and current building permits filed with the Department of Building and Safety. The link also displays any code enforcement violations associated with the property.

The Zoning Information subsection identifies the property’s zone designation and displays any other zoning information or policies applicable to the parcel. The property’s zoning links to the relevant section of the Zoning Code.

The Historic Preservation Review subsection indicates whether the property is within a local historic district, where projects are subject to additional review and approvals.

Project-specific information appears in the Case Numbers subsection, which lists the planning entitlement applications and environmental cases filed on the site. It also displays the Code amendments initiated or adopted in the property’s geography.

The RSO subsection shows whether a property is subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, which limits raises in rent, defines rules for eviction, and requires landlords to pay relocation assistance for no-fault evictions. 

To watch video tutorials and learn more about the program, please visit the ZIMAS information page of City Planning’s website.