City of Los Angeles Rescinds Ordinance Prohibiting New Oil & Gas Extraction Due to State Law Preemption

• When: 2025/05/05
• Address: Citywide, Los Angeles, California
• City: Los Angeles
• State: California
• Category: Zoning Code Modification
• Subcategory: Limitations
• Asset Class: Commercial
• Property Type: Industrial
• New Zoning Description: The amended or deleted definitions, paragraphs, subdivisions or subsections of Sections 12.03, 12.20, 12.23, 12.24, and 13.01 of Chapter 1 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, shall return to the same language and effect as they had prior to their amendment or deletion by Ordinance No. 187,709.
• Previous Zoning: Ordinance No. 187,709
• Previous Zoning Description: Prohibited new oil and gas extraction and made existing extraction activities a nonconforming use in all zones.

The City of Los Angeles City Council decided to rescind Ordinance No. 187,709, which previously prohibited new oil and gas extraction and designated existing activities as nonconforming uses across all zones. This decision comes in response to a stipulated judgment and writ of mandate from the Los Angeles Superior Court, which found Ordinance No. 187,709 and its related implementation memoranda to be preempted by state law. The court's ruling on September 6, 2024, invalidated the ordinance. Following the passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 3233 on September 25, 2024, which granted local governments authority to regulate oil and gas, the City engaged in settlement discussions. The stipulated judgment, approved by the Mayor on January 28, 2025, required the City to rescind the ordinance while preserving its right to adopt future oil regulations. Upon rescission, the affected sections of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) (12.03, 12.20, 12.23, 12.24, and 13.01) will revert to their language prior to Ordinance No. 187,709. The action formally complies with the court's judgment.

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