Your products are approved for the Code version only listed on both the Evaluation Report and the LARR Approval Letter. If either product approval document does not list the current version of the Building Code, you will need to have these updated. Any revision to the report must be submitted to this Department for review with an appropriate fee to continue the approval of the report.

The Code Date stated on a Research Report (upper right corner on first page of Research Report) identifies which Los Angeles Building Code (LABC) edition the product specified in the research report is approved for. Building projects and LARR approved products shall have the same Code Date. For example, projects submitted to plan check between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2013 must use products approved under the 2011 LABC.

Exceptions for products without proper approval are considered by the Structural Plan Check Division. See your plan checker and plan check supervisor regarding the process and fees required for an administrative approval.

For General Approval – City of Los Angeles only:

Testing must be witnessed by an independent third party Testing Agency approved by the Los Angeles City, Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). The Approved Testing Agency shall issue the test report. The Approved Testing Agency shall approve the testing facility where the testing occurs to meet the requirements as specified in Information Bulletin P/GI 2014-028, Rules and Regulations for Recognition of Testing Agencies.

For Research Reports based on an Evaluation Report from a nationally recognized model code agency:

Test reports shall come from a qualified testing agency approved by the Model Code Agency issuing the Evaluation Report. The approved testing agency shall take necessary steps to ensure that the integrity and condition of the test specimens are maintained and are not altered during periods when a laboratory representative is not present. Also, the manufacturer’s testing facility shall show to the satisfaction of the approved testing agency that it meets the requirements for an approved testing agency.

Los Angeles Research Reports may be issued to an entity/company with the legal right to the product and the accompanying Technical Test Reports and Engineering Assessment. Test Reports shall bear the name of the applicant, unless a release letter accompanies the test report(s).

Complete an Application for Renewal and Clerical Modification of General Approval as directed in the instructions available at dbs.lacity.gov. The fee is listed on the application based on the type of product approval previously obtained. The renewal application extends the expiration date of the approval from the previous re-evaluation due date listed on the current approval.