SB 79 is a California law, operative July 1, 2026, that requires cities to allow multifamily housing at state-set heights, densities and floor area ratios near qualifying rail and bus rapid transit stops. It sorts stops into two tiers and draws three distance bands around each one, and it applies to planned stations as well as lines already in service.
- Full name
- Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act (Wiener, 2025)
- In effect
- July 1, 2026 in cities; unincorporated areas from the seventh housing element cycle
- Key fact
- It sets building floors, not parking. Parking relief near transit comes from AB 2097
Where SB 79 applies
SB 79 applies only in an urban transit county, defined as a county with more than 15 passenger rail stations in active operation. Planned stations do not count toward that threshold. In the six-county Southern California region, Los Angeles County is the only urban transit county today, and Orange County will join when the OC Streetcar opens for revenue service. Within a qualifying county, the law reaches sites zoned residential, mixed use or commercial near a qualifying stop.
SB 79 Tier 1 and Tier 2 stops
- Tier 1: stops served by heavy rail, or by very high-frequency commuter rail with at least 72 trains a day in both directions combined. In Los Angeles, that means the Metro B and D Lines.
- Tier 2: stops served by light rail, high-frequency commuter rail with at least 48 trains a day, or bus rapid transit running in a full-time dedicated lane with peak headways of 15 minutes or less.
SB 79 height, density and floor area standards
Each stop gets three bands: within 200 feet, within a quarter mile, and from a quarter to a half mile. A city may not zone a qualifying housing project below these floors unless HCD has found its local plan compliant.
| Distance from the station entrance | Tier 1 (heavy rail): height / homes per acre / FAR | Tier 2 (light rail, BRT): height / homes per acre / FAR |
|---|---|---|
| Within 200 feet | 95 ft / 160 / 4.5 | 85 ft / 140 / 4.0 |
| Within 1/4 mile | 75 ft / 120 / 3.5 | 65 ft / 100 / 3.0 |
| 1/4 to 1/2 mile | 65 ft / 100 / 3.0 | 55 ft / 80 / 2.5 |
Planned stations count
SB 79 is not limited to lines already running. Under HCD’s clarifications, a planned stop qualifies once its project has an adopted locally preferred alternative or committed construction funding in the Federal Transportation Improvement Program. A new route or extension that was not in the regional transportation plan by January 1, 2026 is ineligible unless it would be a Tier 1 stop. The practical effect is that the zoning can arrive years, even decades, before the train.
The SB 79 map
Each metropolitan planning organization must publish a map of TOD stops, zones and tiers, and that map carries a rebuttable presumption of validity for applicants and cities. Distances run in a straight line from the nearest edge of a parcel to the station’s pedestrian access point, and a parcel that touches a band counts whole. SCAG updates its map annually and whenever a county becomes an urban transit county. Its October 29, 2026 update moved 23 station points from platform centers to their actual entrances and added 20 planned stations, including ten on the K Line Northern Extension and three on the Sepulveda Transit Corridor.
508 stations and stops shown. Tap or hover a stop for details; drag to pan, double-click to zoom.
Local plans, deferrals and exclusions
Cities may adopt an implementing ordinance or a local TOD alternative plan that HCD finds compliant, provided it keeps equivalent overall housing capacity, and some may defer the law in qualifying areas. Several cities, including Los Angeles and Santa Monica, have adopted local measures that phase or tailor SB 79, so the state map shows eligibility while local ordinances shape timing. The law also excludes some locally designated historic resources, and further changes to that exclusion are under consideration in the Legislature.
Does SB 79 require parking?
No, and it does not forbid it either. SB 79 contains no parking standards of its own. AB 2097 bars cities from imposing minimum parking requirements on most projects within a half mile of a major transit stop, including stops planned in the regional transportation plan, and the Density Bonus Law caps parking for qualifying projects near transit. Because every SB 79 stop must first qualify as a major transit stop, an SB 79 zone generally sits inside AB 2097’s no-minimums area. Near transit, the stall count is set by the developer, the lender and the market, often with unbundled parking required for new rentals in Los Angeles County.
Other SB 79 provisions
- Streamlined approval. SB 79 projects can use the ministerial approval path created by SB 423 (2023) if they meet that law’s environmental, labor and affordability standards.
- Labor standards. Buildings taller than 85 feet must pay prevailing wages to construction workers.
- Transit agency land. Transit agencies gain land use authority to build housing on property they control next to or near their stops.
- Approvals with teeth. Beginning January 1, 2027, denying a qualifying project in a high-resource area is presumed to violate the Housing Accountability Act.
- Historic sites. Some locally designated historic resources are excluded, within limits, and proposals to widen that exclusion are pending in the Legislature.
SB 79 timeline
- October 10, 2025: Governor Newsom signs SB 79 (Wiener).
- January 1, 2026: cutoff for new routes to appear in a regional transportation plan; later routes count only if they would be Tier 1.
- June 1, 2026: SCAG publishes its preliminary SB 79 map for Los Angeles County.
- July 1, 2026: SB 79 becomes operative in cities.
- October 29, 2026: SCAG updates its map, moving 23 station points to their entrances and adding 20 planned stations.
- January 1, 2027: the Housing Accountability Act presumption for high-resource areas begins.
- Seventh housing element cycle: SB 79 reaches unincorporated county areas.
How SB 79 works with other California laws
| Law | What it does near transit |
|---|---|
| SB 79 (2025) | Sets state floors for height, density and floor area around qualifying stops |
| AB 2097 (2022) | Bars minimum parking requirements on most projects within a half mile of a major transit stop |
| Density Bonus Law | Adds homes in exchange for affordable units and caps parking for qualifying projects near transit |
| SB 423 (2023) | Offers ministerial, streamlined approval for projects that meet labor and affordability standards |
| AB 1317 (2023) | Requires unbundled parking in new rental buildings of 16 or more units in Los Angeles County and nine others |
| AB 894 (2023) | Lets owners share underused parking and count it toward requirements within 2,000 feet |
The Parkonomics view
SB 79 raises how many homes a station-area parcel can hold at the same moment AB 2097 removes the floor on how many stalls they need. That moves garage sizing, shared use, pricing and future conversion from compliance questions to business decisions, and it makes a parking demand analysis the most important document in the pro forma. Near planned stations the decision is harder still, because the building opens years before the train. Bring an owner’s parking consultant in at the planning stage and design for future flexibility: the stalls a station-area building needs on opening day are rarely the ones it needs when the line arrives.
SB 79: frequently asked questions
When did SB 79 take effect?
Governor Newsom signed SB 79 on October 10, 2025. It became operative in cities on July 1, 2026. In unincorporated county areas it applies beginning with the seventh housing element (RHNA) cycle.
Does SB 79 apply in my city?
Only if your county is an urban transit county, meaning it has more than 15 passenger rail stations in operation, and only near qualifying stops. Check your regional planning agency’s SB 79 map, then your city’s implementing ordinance or local alternative plan, which can change timing and standards.
What is the difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 under SB 79?
Tier 1 stops are served by heavy rail or very high-frequency commuter rail (72 or more trains a day). Tier 2 stops are served by light rail, high-frequency commuter rail (48 or more trains a day) or bus rapid transit in a full-time dedicated lane. Tier 1 stops get floors about 10 feet taller at each distance band.
Does SB 79 eliminate parking requirements?
No. SB 79 has no parking rules of its own. Minimum parking requirements near transit are removed for most projects by AB 2097, which applies within a half mile of a major transit stop, and the Density Bonus Law caps parking for qualifying projects.
Do planned stations count under SB 79?
Yes. A planned stop qualifies once its project has an adopted locally preferred alternative or committed construction funding in the Federal Transportation Improvement Program. A new route that was not in the regional transportation plan by January 1, 2026 does not qualify unless it would be a Tier 1 stop.
Is there an SB 79 map for Los Angeles?
Yes. The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) publishes the official SB 79 map for Los Angeles County, the only urban transit county in its region today. The map carries a rebuttable presumption of validity, and SCAG updates it annually. The interactive map on this page reads SCAG’s stop data directly.
Can a city stop or delay SB 79?
A city can tailor it, not ignore it. It may adopt an implementing ordinance or a local alternative plan that HCD finds compliant, as long as overall housing capacity stays equivalent, and some areas qualify for deferral. Los Angeles and Santa Monica have adopted local measures that phase or tailor the law.
How is distance measured under SB 79?
In a straight line from the nearest edge of the parcel to the station’s pedestrian access point, not to the center of the platform. If any part of a parcel falls inside a band, the whole parcel is treated as inside it.
Related terms: AB 2097, Density Bonus Law, Transit-Oriented Development, Parking Minimums, Unbundled Parking, Spillover Parking, Owner’s Parking Consultant
Further reading: The Zoning Arrives Before the Train, Santa Monica’s Height Fight Is a Parking Fight, The Multifamily Gap
Sources: SB 79 (Wiener), Ch. 512, Stats. 2025; SCAG, SB 79 Mapping Approach and Methodology (July 2026) and updated SB 79 map (Oct. 29, 2026); HCD, AB 2097 fact sheet; Perkins Coie and Manatt summaries of the SB 79 development standards; California YIMBY SB 79 fact sheet.