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Council approves citywide self-certification pilot for licensed architects, engineers
Summary
The council approved a motion to expand self-certification for licensed architects and engineers to speed permitting for straightforward projects, with supporters saying it will shorten approval times; the measure passed 15-0.
The Los Angeles City Council approved a motion to expand a self-certification program allowing state-licensed architects and engineers to certify certain permit applications, a change intended to shorten permitting timelines for routine residential and small projects.
Council member Nithya Raman introduced the measure as a step to reduce lengthy permit approvals, saying the city’s average time to build a single-family home is far longer than other jurisdictions and that self-certification would let licensed professionals assume responsibility for compliance on routine projects.
Council member Bob Blumenfield, chair of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, said earlier pilot work on tenant-improvement self-certification had been successful and that limiting the program to licensed architects and engineers — professionals with a license and “a career on the line” — will safeguard standards while saving time and city resources.
The council recorded the vote as 15 ayes; the item passed. The motion and its amendment clarified that only state-licensed architects and engineers meeting experience requirements would be eligible to self-certify, and that departments would continue to oversee complex projects and inspections.
