In brief
A Long Beach code violation can start with a written warning “at the City’s discretion”, then a fine “not exceeding $100 for each violation”, then $200 within one year, then $500, and $1,000 for illegal garage conversions; an appeal “must be requested within 30 calendar days from the date of service of the Citation”. The city’s open-data Code Violation Fine Schedule lists 1,014 violation codes with their fines but no descriptions.
- Report a violation, or reach the Code Enforcement Bureau, at 562.570.CODE (2633)1.
- The appeal deposit is the outstanding fine, any late charge, and “$950.00 per appeal or 50% of the fine amount, whichever is less”1.
- The dataset on data.longbeach.gov (last modified 2026-04-27) has 993 codes at $100, $200 and $500, and a smaller set at $1,00034.
- Work that started without a permit draws a special investigation and a fee “whether or not a permit is then or subsequently issued”8.
- Administrative charges on the city’s proposed FY27 list include $198 for preparing a Notice of Violation5.
Code Enforcement is the part of the city that turns a rule into a bill. The city’s pages are short on process and long on numbers: a fine ladder, a 30-day appeal window, a downloadable table of violation codes. This page puts those pieces in order and says where the city’s pages stop. The permit side of the same subject, including what the building code requires before work starts, is in the pillar, Permits in Long Beach.
The short answer
| If you are… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Reporting a violation, or reaching the bureau | Call 562.570.CODE (2633)1 |
| Holding a written warning | It is a “notice to correct the violation(s)”, issued at the city’s discretion and before any fine1 |
| Holding a citation you want to contest | Request a hearing within 30 calendar days of service, with the Request for Hearing Form and a deposit1 |
| Looking up what a violation code costs | Search the Code Violation Fine Schedule on data.longbeach.gov; it lists codes and fines only34 |
| Facing a violation for work done without a permit | See the unpermitted-work page: the code adds a special investigation and a fee8 |
How a complaint runs
The sequence on the city’s fines page runs in four steps.
- A report comes in. The Code Enforcement Bureau takes reports and questions at 562.570.CODE (2633)1.
- A warning may issue. A written warning “may be issued with notice to correct the violation(s) at the City’s discretion.” The wording makes the warning optional1.
- A fine follows if the violation is not corrected. The page reads “A fine not exceeding $100 for each violation”, then $200 within one year, then $500. It names two higher amounts: “$1,000 for illegal garage conversions and/or illegal conversion of a structure for residential use” and “$500 for illegal automotive repair work”1.
- The recipient may appeal. The deadline and the deposit are in the next section1.
The violations the fines page lists are overgrown weeds and trash, illegally parked vehicles, inoperative vehicles, overflowing containers, garages converted to dwellings, unlicensed auto repair, unpermitted freestanding canopies and unpermitted business signs1. The bureau’s own page lists common violations, among them “Garage conversions without permits”, “People living in garages”, “Unpermitted alterations to a dwelling”, “Operating an unregistered Short-Term Rental” and “Overheight fence”2. The fence rules are in Fences and Walls in Long Beach: Permit vs. Zoning.
The fine ladder
| Stage | Amount the page gives |
|---|---|
| First fine | “not exceeding $100 for each violation” |
| Second | $200, within one year |
| Third | $500 |
| Illegal garage conversion, or illegal conversion of a structure for residential use | $1,000 |
| Illegal automotive repair work | $500 |
Source:1, as the page reads in October 2026.
Appeals
The page says “the appeal must be requested within 30 calendar days from the date of service of the Citation.” The recipient submits the Request for Hearing Form with a deposit. The deposit is the outstanding fine, any late charge, and “$950.00 per appeal or 50% of the fine amount, whichever is less”1.
The fines page also links the Board of Examiners, Appeals, and Condemnation (BEAC) for building-code appeals; the board’s rules are not covered here1.
The Code Violation Fine Schedule dataset
The city publishes the schedule as open data: “Code Violation Fine Schedule” on data.longbeach.gov (dataset id code-violations), last modified 2026-04-27, with 1,014 rows. Each row carries a violation code, a first, second and third fine, and a late penalty. The dataset’s description says it is for property owners “to learn more about various code violations and their corresponding citation and late penalty fees”34.
It lists only violation codes. There are no plain-language descriptions, so a code such as GAR0001 cannot be read from the table alone, and this page does not assign descriptions to codes the city has not described.
Counting the rows by their fine pattern:
| Pattern in the dataset | Codes |
|---|---|
| $100, $200 and $500 for the first, second and third fine | 993 |
| $1,000 for each instance (including STR001 to STR008) | 17 |
| $1,000 for a first citation only (including GAR0001) | 3 |
| $500 only | 1 |
Source:3, row counts as of the dataset’s 2026-04-27 modification. The four patterns add up to the 1,014 rows. Codes GAR005 to GAR008 follow the $100, $200 and $500 pattern. The late penalty is $25 on a $100 first fine and $250 on a $1,000 fine3.
Official pages disagree The Code Enforcement fines page names $1,000 for illegal garage conversions and illegal conversion of a structure for residential use, and $500 for illegal automotive repair work1. The dataset has 17 codes at $1,000 for each instance, including STR001 to STR008, and three more at $1,000 for a first citation only3. The dataset carries other $1,000 codes that the page’s prose does not describe, and it gives no description for any code, so this page does not match a code to an offense.
Administrative charges
The city’s page of new or proposed fees, for the fee year that began October 1, 2026, lists charges that attach to enforcement. The list is marked proposed and many entries are unchanged from the year before5.
| Charge | Fee on the proposed FY27 list |
|---|---|
| Notice of Violation preparation | $198 |
| Inspection warrant | $1,574 |
| Transfer of unpaid bills to the Tax Collector | $159 |
| Title search | $312 |
| Incidental enforcement costs | $142 per hour |
Source:5.
Unpermitted work
A fine is one track; the permit side is another. Under Long Beach Municipal Code section 18.06.070 (2023 compilation), when work starts without a permit, “a special investigation shall be made before a permit may be issued”, with an investigation fee “in addition to the permit fee … whether or not a permit is then or subsequently issued”. The fee can be waived for emergency work8. Planning’s fee schedule effective October 1, 2026 also carries lines titled “Penalty for construction work or land use without a permit” and “Penalty for Unauthorized Work without a CoA”9. The routes and amounts are set out in Legalizing Unpermitted Work in Long Beach.
Related Code Enforcement programs
The Code Enforcement menu lists the Garage Resale Program, Foreclosure Registry, Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program (PRHIP), Short-Term Rentals, Vacant Lot Registry, Current Open Cases and Balcony Hazard Reporting1.
- Garage Resale. In the parking impacted area, a seller must sign off on a report of legally required off-street parking, requested at (562) 570-2633. “A report can take up to five business days”, and a missed appointment brings a “re-inspection fee” of “$220”. Condominiums with common parking, first sales of never-occupied buildings and buildings where “no parking was ever provided” are exempt7. The garage rules themselves are in Garage Conversions in Long Beach.
- PRHIP. Section 18.30.120 of the municipal code authorizes “periodic inspections of residential rental properties”6.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I report a code violation in Long Beach?
Call the Code Enforcement Bureau at 562.570.CODE (2633)1.
How much are Long Beach code enforcement fines?
The city’s page lists a fine not exceeding $100 for each violation, then $200 within one year, then $500, with $1,000 for illegal garage conversions1.
How long do I have to appeal a code citation?
The page says “the appeal must be requested within 30 calendar days from the date of service of the Citation”1.
What does an appeal cost?
The deposit is the outstanding fine, any late charge, and “$950.00 per appeal or 50% of the fine amount, whichever is less”1.
What is the Code Violation Fine Schedule?
What are common code violations in Long Beach?
Among the common violations the bureau lists are garage conversions without permits, people living in garages, unpermitted alterations to a dwelling, operating an unregistered short-term rental and an overheight fence2.
Does the city warn before it fines?
A written warning “may be issued with notice to correct the violation(s) at the City’s discretion”, so a warning is possible but not stated as required1.
Related Articles
Sources
- Code Enforcement fines and appeals — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Code Enforcement — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-09-30.
- Code Violation Fine Schedule, records — City of Long Beach, open data portal. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Code Violation Fine Schedule, dataset page — City of Long Beach, open data portal. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- New or proposed fees and charges — City of Long Beach, Finance. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- Garage Resale Program — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-02.
- DMP-004, work started without a permit (LBMC 18.06.070) — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-09-30.
- Planning Bureau Fee Schedule, fees effective October 1, 2026 — City of Long Beach, Community Development. Accessed 2026-10-02.