Maps of the Coastal Zone Boundary

Under the authority of the California Coastal Act of 1976, the California Coastal Commission (Commission), in partnership with coastal cities and counties, plans and regulates the use of land and water in the coastal zone (the coastal zone established by the Coastal Act does not include San Francisco Bay, where development is regulated by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission or BCDC).

Development activities, which are broadly defined by the Coastal Act to include (among others) activities that change the intensity of use of land or public access to coastal waters, generally require a coastal development permit from either the Commission or the local government.

Along with BCDC and the California Coastal Conservancy, the Commission is one of three coastal management agencies designated to administer the federal Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) in California.

Outside of the San Francisco Bay, Restoration project applicants must submit a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) application to the Commission’s appropriate District office, or where there is a certified Local Coastal Program (LCP), to the appropriate city or county, and must receive a CDP for Coastal Act compliance.