State Law | SB 79

SB 79: Transit Upzoning in Seven California Counties, Explained for Lot Owners

SB 79 raises what can be built near major transit stops. Since July 1, 2026, in seven California counties, a lot zoned for homes, mixed use or commerce within a half mile of a qualifying rail or bus stop can hold a building of five or more homes, at heights and densities the city cannot reduce below state minimums. "Upzoning" means changing the zoning to allow more building. This page explains where SB 79 applies, what it allows on a single-family lot, and what the 2027 follow-up laws change.

What SB 79 Is and When It Started

SB 79 is Chapter 512, Statutes of 2025. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) says in its March 20, 2026 advisory that "Governor Newsom signed SB 79 into law on October 10, 2025," and that it is codified in Government Code Chapter 4.1.5, sections 65912.155 through 65912.162. The code sections took effect January 1, 2026.

The upzoning itself waited six more months. Under Government Code 65912.157(n), it did not apply to a city until July 1, 2026, unless the city adopted an ordinance or alternative plan HCD found compliant first. In unincorporated county areas, it does not apply until the seventh regional housing needs allocation cycle, the next round of state housing targets.

Where SB 79 Applies

SB 79 applies only in an "urban transit county," which Government Code 65912.156 defines as "a county with more than 15 passenger rail stations." HCD lists seven: Alameda, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Diego. The list can grow as new rail lines open.

Inside those counties, the law covers sites near a "transit-oriented development stop," a major transit stop served by heavy rail, commuter rail, light rail or qualifying bus service. Stops come in two tiers. Tier 1 stops are served by heavy rail, or by commuter rail with at least 72 trains a day. Tier 2 stops are served by light rail, commuter rail with at least 48 trains a day, or qualifying bus service.

Distance is measured in a straight line from the nearest edge of your parcel to a pedestrian entrance of the stop. The rules differ inside one-quarter mile and between one-quarter and one-half mile, and the outer ring applies in cities of 35,000 people or more. Every site zoned for residential, mixed or commercial development inside those distances qualifies, subject to the exclusions below, and that includes land zoned for single-family homes.

What a City Must Allow, by Tier

The numbers below are minimums. A city cannot set a height limit, density limit or residential floor area ratio (building floor area divided by lot area) lower than these on a qualifying site. The last column is VanPlex's arithmetic: the density limit applied to a 5,000 square foot lot, rounded down to whole homes.

Source: Gov. Code 65912.157(a)(3) to (6) and (e). Lot arithmetic: density x 5,000 / 43,560 square feet per acre.

What It Means for a Single-Family Lot

SB 9 (2021) lets a single-family lot hold two primary homes. SB 79 asks for more. A project must include at least five homes and reach at least 30 units per acre, or the local minimum if that is higher, and the homes may average no more than 1,750 net habitable square feet. A standard 5,000 square foot lot is 0.1148 acre, so 30 units per acre would be 3.44 homes there. The five-home minimum is the rule that controls, and five homes on that lot work out to 43.6 units per acre.

At the top end, the density limits in the table allow 9 to 13 homes on a 5,000 square foot lot, before the adjacency bonus. Projects of 11 or more homes must include affordable homes, which the next section covers. Near a station, compare a five- to ten-home SB 79 building with an SB 9 or accessory dwelling unit (ADU) project of up to four homes. The duplex to fourplex page covers the smaller options.

A city cannot charge higher fees or add inclusionary rules to a project because it uses SB 79, under Government Code 65912.157(c). Normal fees still apply; see the impact fees page.

Affordable Homes and Labor Rules

Projects of 11 or more homes must set aside 7 percent extremely low income, 10 percent very low income, or 13 percent lower income homes, or meet a stricter local inclusionary rule. The homes stay affordable for 55 years if rented and 45 years if owned. The law says plainly that this set-aside "shall not apply to any development of 10 units or less." Buildings taller than 85 feet must meet labor standards.

Sites SB 79 Leaves Out

SB 79 does not apply to a project that would demolish rent-controlled housing of more than two units that tenants occupied in the past seven years. Mobilehome parks and RV parks were added to the exclusions by SB 722 (Chapter 100, Statutes of 2026), an urgency law in effect since July 16, 2026.

Until one year after its seventh housing element, a city may also exclude by ordinance sites in very high fire hazard severity zones, areas at risk from sea-level rise, and locally designated historic resources. From January 1, 2027, AB 2576 (Chapter 214, Statutes of 2026) adds two more exclusions: contributing sites in historic districts on the State Historic Resources Inventory designated before January 1, 2025, and parcels individually listed as historic resources.

Local Alternative Plans

A city can reshape SB 79 inside its borders with a "transit-oriented development alternative plan" under Government Code 65912.161. The plan must keep "at least the same total net zoned capacity, in terms of both total units and residential floor area," across all the city's SB 79 zones, but may move that capacity between sites. No site may be cut more than 50 percent below SB 79 levels, with fire, sea-level and historic exceptions, and Tier 2 sites must keep at least 30 units per acre and a floor area ratio of 1.0. VanPlex did not find a count of approved alternative plans.

How an SB 79 Project Gets Approved

An SB 79 project may use the state's streamlined staff-approval process in Government Code 65913.4, except in a very high fire hazard severity zone. Otherwise it goes through normal local review under the Housing Accountability Act, with conflicting local zoning set aside, under Government Code 65912.159. Starting January 1, 2027, a city that denies a qualifying project in a "high-resource area" is "presumed to be in violation of the Housing Accountability Act." SB 1361 (Chapter 1027, Statutes of 2026), also from January 1, 2027, bars cities with an existing or planned stop from taking certain actions against transit agencies and their projects.

SB 79 states that "this chapter applies to all cities, including charter cities," in Government Code 65912.162.

How to Check If Your Lot Is in an SB 79 Zone

Each metropolitan planning organization, the regional transportation agency for a metro area, must publish a map of SB 79 stops and zones by tier under Government Code 65912.160. The law gives that map a "rebuttable presumption of validity," which means it is treated as correct unless someone proves an error. Start with your region's map, then confirm with the city planning department.

Two large cities have their own approach. Los Angeles City Council voted in June 2026 on a phased approach that pauses SB 79 on some sites and extends low-rise incentives near stations; see the Los Angeles page. San Francisco Planning says 120,000 parcels fall within SB 79 areas and treats its Family Zoning Plan as its alternative plan; see the San Francisco page.

Five Checks Before You Plan an SB 79 Project

1. County and city. Confirm the lot is in one of the seven counties and inside a city. On unincorporated county land, the upzoning waits for the seventh housing cycle.
2. Stop, tier and distance. Find the nearest qualifying stop on the regional map, note its tier, and measure in a straight line from the nearest edge of your parcel to a pedestrian entrance. Inside one-quarter mile, the higher minimums apply.
3. Exclusions. Rule out rent-controlled housing that tenants occupied in the past seven years, mobilehome and RV parks, and any fire, sea-level or historic exclusion the city has adopted. For applications in 2027, add the AB 2576 historic exclusions.
4. Local plan. Ask the planning department whether the city has an alternative plan or an ordinance that pauses SB 79 on your site, and what the local minimum density is.
5. Project size and approval. Plan at least five homes at 30 or more units per acre, averaging 1,750 net habitable square feet or less. At 11 homes, add the affordable set-aside. Above 85 feet, add labor standards. Then choose between the streamlined staff-approval process in Government Code 65913.4 and normal review under the Housing Accountability Act.

Where to Go Next

Related on VanPlex: the missing middle guide and the California multiplex guide overview.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources (checked October 2026)