Los Angeles homeowners rebuilding after the January 2025 Palisades Fire can skip most city permit fees or get refunds for fees they already paid.

The city's fee waiver program, authorized by Ordinance No. 188985, covers rebuilds up to 110% of a destroyed or damaged structure's original floor area. The program carries a $90 million aggregate cap over three years, according to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS).

Mayor Karen Bass signed the ordinance July 13, and it took effect July 16, Palisades News reported. The City Council passed it unanimously as an urgency measure on July 1, according to the ordinance record. The ordinance covers all five January 2025 fires: Palisades, Hurst, Kenneth, Archer and Sunset.

The Palisades Fire alone damaged or destroyed nearly 5,400 single-family homes and about 250 other structures within city limits, according to the mayor's team, as the Los Angeles Times reported in January.

Who qualifies

The waivers apply only to people or entities that owned the property on Jan. 7, 2025. If a property is sold before the city issues a Certificate of Occupancy, the seller must reimburse the city for all waived fees. Condominiums and townhomes are exempt from that clawback rule, according to the ordinance.

What's covered

The ordinance waives fees across 10 city departments. That includes building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits from LADBS, plus plan-check fees. It also covers Los Angeles Fire Department inspection fees, Department of City Planning clearances, Department of Transportation assessments, public works engineering permits, park fees and tree replacement clearances.

Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) school impact fees are waived for rebuilds that stay within the original footprint, according to LADBS guidance. Projects adding more than 500 square feet trigger school impact fees.

What's not covered

Rebuilds exceeding 110% of the original square footage will pay standard LADBS fees on the extra area. State-mandated charges still apply, including the Strong Motion Instrumentation Program earthquake fee and the California Green Building Fee.

How to get a refund

Property owners who already paid permit fees before the ordinance or Emergency Executive Order No. 7 took effect can request a full refund, according to LADBS.

Applicants need two forms: the LADBS Claim for Refund form (or City Form Gen 64) and the Property Owner Fee Waiver Acknowledgement Form for the January 2025 Wildfires. Both are available at LADBS offices, online through the LADBS website, or by calling LADBS Financial Services at 213-482-6890.

Claims must include original cash register receipts and validated permit copies. If originals are unavailable, a signed, notarized affidavit with proof of payment such as a canceled check will be accepted, according to LADBS.

Completed packages can be filed at any LADBS cashier counter, any Office of the City Clerk, or mailed to the City Clerk at Room 395, City Hall, 200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

What comes next

Council District 11 Councilmember Traci Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, said in a July newsletter that the fee waiver policy had been "a long time coming" since she introduced the motion in February 2026.

Refund claims will be accepted until the three-year eligibility window closes or the $90 million cap is reached, whichever comes first.