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Zone History Letter
A Zone History Letter confirms past and current zoning and land use regulations that govern a specific property within the City of San Diego’s jurisdiction and outlines redevelopment rights if zoning and land use regulations change.
Maintenance, repair, alteration, or reconstruction of a previously conforming structure, or a change in use, is subject to the requirements of San Diego Municipal Code (SDMC) §127.0101.
A Zone History will apply this code section when outlining redevelopment rights for previously conforming uses or structures.
Previous entitlements may be identified as part of the Zone History research (a complete listing of all entitlements and other restrictions can be obtained through a Title Company as part of a Title Report. Other local and state agencies may have jurisdiction over the property (e.g., Civic San Diego, Port of San Diego). Please refer to the Zoning and Parcel Information Portal (ZAPP) to confirm the jurisdiction.
Plan Your Project
What You Should Know
- All applications for a Zone History are accepted online.
- All Zone History requests must include the Assessor Parcel Number (APN). You can search the City's Zoning and Parcel Information Portal to verify the APN.
Fees
Refer to Information Bulletin 157.
Apply for a Zone History Letter
Step 1
Step 2
Read the 
requirements for PDF file uploads.
Not following the PDF requirements will delay project review and approval.
Step 4
Your PDF documents MUST meet our upload requirements. See Step 2 for more info.
Step 5
Apply for a Zone History Letter
You will be required to upload the completed documents from Step 3 at the time of application. Submitting without all the requirements will result in delays.
Additional Resources
- Information Bulletin 157 - How to Obtain a Zone History Letter
- San Diego Municipal Code
- Zoning and Parcel Information Portal (ZAPP)