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AB 1693 Signed: California Retailers Get a Self-Certification Path for Interior Permits
On October 5, Governor Newsom signed AB 1693, giving California retailers a faster alternative path for permitting interior renovations. The law takes effect January 1, 2027 — so it doesn't change anything at the counter today, but it's worth knowing now if you're planning a 2027 store buildout.
What the bill does
- A retailer can hire a qualified professional certifier — a licensed architect or engineer with at least 5 years of commercial building design or plan-review experience and $2M in professional liability insurance — to certify that interior tenant-improvement plans comply with building, health, and safety codes. The retailer pays for the certification.
- The certifier signs an affidavit under penalty of perjury attesting the plans comply.
- Once a complete application (including the affidavit) is submitted, the local building department has 20 business days to approve or deny. If it doesn't act in time, the plan is deemed approved for permitting purposes, provided all fees and documents were submitted.
- Denied applications can be resubmitted with corrections, and the department must decide on resubmissions within 10 business days.
- Departments must randomly audit at least 20% of certified submittals each week.
The bill was authored by Assemblyman Rick Chavez Zbur (D-Hollywood) and sponsored by the California Retailers Association and the Westside Council of Chambers of Commerce. Similar self-certification programs already exist in New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., and California adopted the same framework for restaurant improvements last year (AB 671).
What this means for expediting
A self-certification path doesn't remove the paperwork — it moves it. Retailers still need plans packaged correctly, the right certifier engaged, and the affidavit done right the first time, because a rejection restarts the clock. That's exactly the kind of first-pass strategy a good expediting firm sells.
If you're planning retail tenant improvements in Los Angeles for 2027, talk to a local firm now about how they'll handle AB 1693 filings — compare verified expediting firms in Los Angeles.
Related guides
- California Permitting Reform 2026
- What is a permit expeditor?
- How long does it take to get a building permit?
This is a general overview of public legislative activity, not legal or permitting advice. Verify requirements with your local authority having jurisdiction.