This page provides information related to the commercial cannabis activity license application procedures within the City of Los Angeles. The Department of Cannabis Regulation has developed a series of resources to assist applicants and licensees in the application process.
Public Convenience or Necessity
Pre-Application Review
Temporary Approval
Temporary Approval Refiling
Application Modification
Video Tutorials
Notice to Department of Cannabis Regulation Industry Professionals
If you are compensated to interact with the Department of Cannabis Regulation, City law may require you to register as a lobbyist and report your activity. Any individual may qualify as a lobbyist, regardless of occupation, education, training, or professional title. A lobbyist may hold a position that includes but is not limited to attorney, CEO, consultant, government liaison, business owner, permit applicant, engineer, scientist, grower, processor, cultivator, dispensary employee, marketer, packaging servicer and deliverer.
More information is available online through the Ethics Commission’s lobbying program and publication pages. For assistance, please contact the Ethics Commission.
Notice of “Local Compliance Underway” letters. Recent ordinance amendments separated DCR’s Temporary Approval process from the State’s licensing process. Proof of a State license is no longer a prerequisite for Temporary Approval. Therefore, DCR is no longer providing standalone letters or Notices of Local Compliance Underway. DCR will assign a status of “Local Compliance Underway” to DCR Licensing Portal records in accordance with the Temporary Approval workflow and information and procedure bulletin. Applicants will receive an email when their record status is updated to “Local Compliance Underway” along with information related to the Initial Inspection process. DCR will subsequently report a status of “Local Compliance Underway” directly to the Department of Cannabis Control as part of the State’s provisional licensing process.
Public Convenience or Necessity (PCN) Workflow and Procedure
The Cannabis Procedures Ordinance limits the number of Retail, Cultivation and Volatile-Manufacturing Commercial Cannabis Activity Licenses by Community Plan Area (CPA) based on the definition of Undue Concentration under Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 104.01(a)(48). An area is considered unduly concentrated when DCR issues the maximum number of these license types in that CPA.
The following Community Plan Areas have reached Undue Concentration:
- Central City
- Central City North
- Harbor-Gateway
- Sherman Oaks - Studio City-Toluca Lake-Cahuenga Pass
- Sun Valley - La Tuna Canyon
- Venice
Applicants seeking to engage in Retail, Cultivation and Volatile-Manufacturing Commercial Cannabis Activity in a CPA that is unduly concentrated are required to file a request that the City Council find that approval of the License application would serve a public convenience or necessity (PCN) supported by evidence in the record pursuant to LAMC Section 104.03(a)(4).
The City Council adopted standards to be used in their assessment and determination of a finding of public convenience or necessity.
The following workflow summarizes the steps to successfully complete the PCN Review Process and is intended to be used in conjunction with the PCN Information and Procedure Bulletin (LIC-4001-IPB).
To download a PDF copy of the PCN Workflow click here.
To access the forms associated with the Public Convenience or Necessity Process click here.
On November 5th, 2020 the City of Los Angeles Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee met and discussed DCR's PCN process.
For a PDF of DCR's November 5th 2020 presentation to the PLUM Committee click here.
For the November 5th, 2020 PLUM Committee audio click here.
Notice of “Local Compliance Underway” letters. Recent ordinance amendments separated DCR’s Temporary Approval process from the State’s licensing process. Proof of a State license is no longer a prerequisite for Temporary Approval. Therefore, DCR is no longer providing standalone letters or Notices of Local Compliance Underway. DCR will assign a status of “Local Compliance Underway” to DCR Licensing Portal records in accordance with the Temporary Approval workflow and information and procedure bulletin. Applicants will receive an email when their record status is updated to “Local Compliance Underway” along with information related to the Initial Inspection process. DCR will subsequently report a status of “Local Compliance Underway” directly to the Department of Cannabis Control as part of the State’s provisional licensing process.
Pre-Application Review Workflow and Procedure
Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) Section 104.03(a) requires that an Applicant undergo a Pre-Application Review process prior to filing a Temporary Approval Application to engage in Commercial Cannabis Activity so that the Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) can determine location compliance and eligibility. During the Pre-Application Review process, DCR determines whether the proposed Business Premises location is eligible under LAMC Section 104.03(a)(3) and compliant under LAMC 105 et seq.
The following workflow summarizes the steps to successfully complete the Pre-Application Review Process and is intended to be used in conjunction with the Pre-Application Review Information and Procedure Bulletin (LIC-4002-IPB).
Click here for a downloadable copy.
Click here to access the forms associated with the Pre-Application Review Process. For detailed information regarding the Pre-Application Review Process, please refer to the Pre-Application Review Information and Procedure Bulletin (LIC-4002-IPB).
Temporary Approval Workflow and Procedure
Los Angeles Municipal Code (“LAMC”) Section 104.01(a)(47) defines Temporary Approval as a Department of Cannabis Regulation (“DCR”) issued temporary license that authorizes an Applicant to engage for a limited period of time in Commercial Cannabis Activity as would be permitted under the privileges of a non-temporary license of the same type.
Temporary Approval does not waive or otherwise circumvent other City or State requirements or necessary permits from the City, State, or other public agencies, including, but not limited, to, a Certificate of Occupancy, permit or authorization from the State.
LAMC Section 104.03(a) requires that an Applicant undergo a Pre-Application Review Process prior to filing a Temporary Approval Application to engage in Commercial Cannabis Activity so that DCR can determine Business Premises location compliance and eligibility
The following workflow summarizes the steps to successfully complete the Temporary Approval Process and is intended to be used in conjunction with the Temporary Approval Information and Procedure Bulletin (LIC-4003-IPB).
Click here for a downloadable copy
If participating in the Social Equity Program, Applicants are required to provide information to DCR to demonstrate compliance with LAMC Section 104.20. For more information regarding the Social Equity Program and related Equity Share requirements, please review the Social Equity Program - Entity Eligibility Verification Information and Procedure Bulletin (SEP-6001-IPB).
For a list of forms and additional documents associated with the Temporary Approval process click here.
Temporary Approval Application Refiling
Los Angeles Municipal Code (LAMC) sections 104.03(i) and 104.03(j), allow Applicants with a Temporary Approval Application that was deemed abandoned after January 1, 2022, to refile an application by submitting a new Pre-Application Review record, subject to the restrictions and the refling steps for eligible Applicants summarized in the workflow below.
Abandoned Temporary Approval Application records that meet the criteria per LAMC sections 104.03(i) and 104.03(j), will have a DCR Record status of “Abandoned - Refile”. For a complete description of the refiling process and requirements, please review LAMC sections 104.03(i) and 104.03(j) and Regulation No. 3(M) in DCR’s Rules and Regulations.
Click here for a downloadable copy
The form associated with the Temporary Approval Refiling Process is the same as the Pre-Application Review Process.. To access the form click here.
Application Modification
Business Premises Relocation
DCR has developed resources related to Application Modification: Business Premises Relocation to assist applicants and licensees in the application process and to increase transparency in DCR’s administration of the Cannabis Procedures Ordinance.
Application Modification - Business Premises Relocation (LIC-4004-IPB)
These Workflow documents are in the process of being updated.