Los Angeles Building Code — LAMC Chapter IX § 93.0202 Exceptions, Permits Not Required

• (a) No permit shall be required in the following cases: (Amended by Ord. No. 172,593, Eff. 6/28/99, Oper. 7/1/99.)

1. Electric wiring expressly declared to be exempt from permit requirements of this Code by any other sections of the Code or by any other provisions of the LAMC. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

2. Wiring for temporary theater sets on the theater stages or temporary motion picture or television sets on any property belonging to or under the control of the City, privately owned studios, theaters, or similar locations designed for that usage. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

3. Installation of any portable motor or other portable appliance energized by means of a cord or cable having an attachment plug end, when that cord or cable is permitted by this Code.

4. Repair or replacement of fixed motors or fixed appliances, supplied by branch circuits not exceeding 20 amperes and not exceeding 240 volts nominal, of the same type and rating in the same location where not located in an area classed as " hazardous " under CEC Article 500. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

5. Festive temporary decorative lighting in dwelling occupancies only, for a period not to exceed 90 days. (Amended by Ord. No. 179,325, Eff. 12/10/07, Oper. 1/1/08.)

6. Repair or replacement of current-carrying parts of any switch, contactor or control device. (Amended by Ord. No. 173,704, Eff. 1/27/01.)

7. Reinstallation of attachment plug receptacle, but not the outlets for it.

8. Replacement of any overcurrent device of the same rating and in the same location.

9. Replacement of gas tube electrodes, transformers, tubes, drivers and power supplies with the same original manufactured parts having the same size, type, capacity and ratings for electric signs, or luminaries. (Amended by Ord. No. 181,561, Eff. 3/22/11.)

10. Taping of joints.

11. Removal of electric wiring.

12. Temporary wiring for experimental purposes in suitable experimental laboratories.

13. The following electrical wiring: (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

(i) Non-required signaling circuits supplied by an approved Class 2 limited power source, capable of supplying not more than 30 volts and 100 volt-amperes; and

(ii) Non-required communication circuits which have the power limited in accordance with CEC Section 725.121; and

(iii) Non-required amplifier output circuits which are permitted by CEC Section 640.9(C) to employ Class 2 or Class 3 wiring; and

(iv) Any non-required circuit which operates at 12.4 volts or less and does not generate, transmit, transform, utilize or control more than 25 watts or volt-amperes of electric power.

EXCEPTION: No permit is required provided the above-described wiring is not located in any of the following locations:

a. Area classified as " hazardous " under CEC Article 500; or

b. Appurtenant to a required fire alarm and signaling system as classified under CEC Article 760; or

c. Penetrating any fire-resistive wall or floor system; or

d. In a plenum, duct or other space used for environmental air including access floors.

14. Any similar repair or replacement determined by the Department not to involve any hazard to life or property.

15. Repair or replacement of like in kind luminaires in single-family dwellings. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

16. Any electric wiring, except wiring located in an area classified as " hazardous " under CEC Article 500 after the branch circuit distribution panelboards used exclusively to supply or interconnect equipment installed, owned, operated or maintained by a communication public utility and used exclusively for communication purposes, in the exercise of its communication public utility functions within the communication public utility controlled areas. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

17. The replacement of defective smoke detectors, smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms in a single-family dwelling when the work is performed by a contractor with a valid Certificate of Registration pursuant to LAMC Section 91.1704. A Certificate of Compliance pursuant to LAMC Subsection 91.108.12 must be filed with the City in lieu of a permit. (Amended by Ord. No. 184,692, Eff. 12/30/16.)

18. Electric wiring in the Harbor District pursuant to Section 98.0102.1(a) of the Los Angeles Municipal Code. (Added by Ord. No. 182,851, Eff. 1/3/14.) (b) The provisions of the foregoing exceptions shall not apply to any repairs or replacements of electrical devices, apparatus, or appliances which were originally installed without a permit when such permit is required for the original installation, or when energized by, or which is a part of any hazardous or illegal wiring system.

(c) The foregoing exceptions from permit requirements shall not be deemed to allow any electric wiring to be done in a manner contrary to other provision’s of this Code.

SEC. 93.0203. SCOPE OF PERMIT.

(a) (Amended by Ord. No. 157,619, Eff. 5/31/83.) The issuance of a permit is not an approval or an authorization of the work specified therein. A permit is merely an application for inspection, the issuance of which entitles the permittee to inspection of the work which is described therein.

EXCEPTION: Where the wiring exceeds the amount described in the original permit, the Department is authorized to make such additional inspection as is required and collect supplementary fee therefor by the supplemental permit system subject to the following provisions:

1. The fees charged shall be the difference in cost between the total fees due upon final inspection and fees paid at the time of the original application for inspection.

2. A fee as specified in LAMC Section 98.0415(d) shall be paid for issuing the supplemental permit. The fee required by this section shall be in addition to fees required elsewhere in the LAMC. (Amended by Ord. No. 185,587, Eff. 7/16/18.)

3. All fees shall apply only to that work installed for the same person as the “owner” in the permit.

4. All fees shall apply to installations where work has not been discontinued for a continuous period of more than 180 days.

(b) Neither the issuance of a permit nor the approval by this Department of any document shall constitute an approval of any violation of any provision of this Code, California Energy Code, or of any other law or ordinance, and a permit or other document purporting to give authority to violate any law shall not be valid with respect thereto. (Amended by Ord. No. 188,739, Eff. 9/23/25.)