Oil and Gas Drilling Ordinance

On Sept. 17, 2025, per City Council instruction, Los Angeles City Planning released a proposed Oil and Gas Drilling Ordinance per Assembly Bill (AB) 3233 for public review and feedback (linked below under Documents).

Following the Sept. 6, 2024 trial court ruling in Warren E&P, Inc. v. City of Los Angeles and the City Council’s action to rescind the 2022 Oil and Gas Drilling Ordinance No. 187,709, the proposed ordinance would amend the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) to reinstate the previously adopted policy relative to oil and gas drilling activity.

Given the known hazards to public health and safety, the proposed ordinance would prohibit new oil drilling districts and disallow the expansion for the intensification of wells.

The proposed ordinance is anticipated to go before the City Planning Commission (CPC) in fall 2025 where a recommendation will be made to the City Council for consideration at a future date.

In the meantime, the Department will be hosting a stakeholder meeting to discuss the proposed oil and gas drilling policies for the City of Los Angeles, informed by Assembly Bill (AB) 3233. This stakeholder meeting will take place as an opportunity to go over the proposed ordinance, ask questions, and provide your valuable feedback as we progress through the legislative process. To register, please click on the link below under Scheduled Meetings.

As a result of the rescission, Los Angeles City Planning’s Office of Zoning Administration (OZA) is not implementing the Zoning Administrator’s Interpretation dated October 4, 2023, nor the ZA Memorandum No. 141 dated Jan. 17, 2023 (see Rescission of Case No. ZA-2022-8997-ZAI-1A, ZA Memorandum No. 141 below).

On June 12, 2025, the OZA issued a new citywide Zoning Administrator’s Interpretation (ZAI) for Well Maintenance (Case No. ZA-2025-2976-ZAI) applicable to all oil well facilities with valid Zoning Administrator approvals. This ZAI requires discretionary review for all well maintenance projects pursuant to LAMC Section 13.01-H. Two appeals were filed on the ZAI. On Oct. 9, 2025, the City Planning Commission will hear the appeals (link here). For questions about oil well maintenance activities or active oil well operations, please contact the OZA at planning.oildrilling@lacity.org.

Scheduled Meeting for Proposed Oil and Gas Drilling Ordinance

  • Participants can register for the second stakeholder meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at this link here. For Zoom access: enter Webinar ID: 831 3636 1883 and Webinar Passcode: 209265

Scheduled Meeting for Zoning Administrator’s Interpretation Appeal

  • Participants can access the City Planning Commission meeting for the ZAI appeal, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, on or after 8:30 a.m. at this link here. For Zoom access: enter Webinar ID: 861 7821 6183 and Webinar Passcode: 186931

Documents

If you have any questions or would like to sign up for updates and/or provide feedback, please email planning.oildrilling@lacity.org or mail correspondence to:

Los Angeles City Planning Department Code Studies
Attention: Oil and Gas Drilling Ordinance
200 North Spring Street, Room 701 
Los Angeles, CA, 90012