You need to file for a Clerical Modification approval. You need to perform the following steps:

1. Submit a completed Clerical Modification application form (PC-STR-App.19). Original signature is required.
2. Submit the application fee as marked on the application form. Make check payable to “The Department of Building and Safety, City of Los Angeles.”

No. Only General Approvals (Research Reports), and some Laboratory Approvals have Conditions of Approval.

Listed or field evaluated equipment that are tested and listed or field evaluated according to recognized standards as specified for each testing agency are considered as acceptable. You can find these standards as follows on our "Electrical Test Lab (ETL)" page under "Publications":

• Standards for testing agencies that have approval for listing of equipment
• Standards for testing agencies that have approval for one-time field evaluation

No. When equipment is identified or recognizable as suitable for a specific purpose, function, use, environment, application, or so forth either by its listing or by the code, the equipment must comply accordingly. In this case, the equipment could only be used as part of a food display and its use for any other purpose would void its listing or may be in violation of code.

The rules and regulations of LADBS-ETL are provided in Information Bulletin P/EC 2014-005.

Yes. From time to time, a testing agency may list an electrical product that may be in violation of the electrical code, and sometimes in violation of the safety test standard that the equipment supposed to be in compliance with, or evaluated to the incorrect safety test standard. In these cases, when such a product is discovered, the testing agency is notified to take immediate corrective action. If in the opinion of the Department, the equipment is considered to be of eminent hazard to the public or the property, or if the testing agency is nonresponsive to the Department request to resolve the problem, the equipment is not permitted to be installed or energized until the matter can be resolved.

In general yes; however, if fraudulent, counterfeited, or non-applicable listing mark or logo is used on the electrical products, or if the installer misapply or use the product for other than its intended purpose, or if the installer does not follow the installation instructions of the product, the Department would treat them as an unlisted electrical product, and will notify the testing agency of the problem. The installer will be required to resolve the matter with the listing agency, or submit the product to City of Los Angeles Electrical Test Lab for evaluation and approval or any other recognized testing agency, or remove the product.

According to the City of Los Angeles Electrical Code section 93.0402, as well as section 110.2 of the State of California and National Electrical Code, only the conductors and equipment required or permitted (by the code) are acceptable when they are approved.

If an unlisted electrical product is inadvertently installed in the City of Los Angeles, the installer can request for a field evaluation of the product from the City of Los Angeles Electrical Test Lab or from a recognized testing agency, however, the equipment would not be permitted to be energized to operate until either an approval is obtained from the Electrical Test Lab, or an acceptable field evaluation by a recognized test lab is completed and a satisfactory report is submitted to the Department electrical inspection in order to obtain approval from them.

According to Electrical Code article 100, an equipment or material that is tested by an approved testing agency meeting appropriate designated standards are considered as listed equipment, provided that also, the testing agency publishes a list of these products and the product bears the listing mark or logo of the testing agency.

Electrical equipment that is evaluated and tested by the City of Los Angeles Electrical Test Lab conforming to the requirement of the adopted standards and codes are considered as approved equipment.

The City of Los Angeles Electrical Test lab (or LADBS-ETL) was established in 1925 to provide assistance to the industry, local manufacturers, business, inspection authorities, hospitals, importers, construction projects and the citizens of the City of Los Angeles in obtaining product approval at a low cost. As such, the test lab tests electrical products for compliance with the established safety standards as well as the requirements of the electrical code. A product is considered approved by the LADBS-ETL, when it conforms to the accepted, established, or amended safety standard(s), as well as the electrical code.

At times, where there are no specific standard, or an existing safety standard lacks in evaluation or testing of an electrical product, the electrical test lab develops or expands safety standards in conformance with the electrical code and evaluates the product to assure protection from fire, shock and personnel hazard.

A soft-story building is a structure which has a weaker first floor and is unable to carry the weight of the stories above during an earthquake. The first floor generally would have large openings in the perimeter walls such as garages, tuck under parking or even large windows.

Retrofit is an improvement to your building by altering or adding any structural elements.

This type of parking is parking beneath the 2nd floor.

The purpose of this program is to reduce the risk of injury or loss of life that may result from the effects of earthquakes on wood frame soft-story buildings. In the Northridge Earthquake, many wood frame soft- story buildings caused loss of life, injury, and property damage. This program creates a guide for property owners on strengthening their building to improve performance during an earthquake.

This program applies to all existing buildings with the following criteria:

1. Two or more stories wood frame construction wood frame construction
2. Built under the building code standards enacted before January 1, 1978
3. Contains ground or other similar open floor space that causes soft, weak or open wall lines.

• Two or more stories wood frame construction wood frame construction
• Built under the building code standards enacted before January 1, 1978
• Contains ground or other similar open floor space that causes soft, weak or open wall lines.

Exception: The program does not apply to residential buildings with 3 or less units.

Each property owner of these buildings will be sent an order to comply. These orders will be sent accordingly based on the following priority:

Priority Categories Start date of Sending Out Orders I. Buildings with 16 or more dwelling units 3-story and above May 2, 2016 2-story July 22, 2016 II. Buildings with 3 or more stories with less than 16 units Oct 17, 2016 III. Buildings not falling within the definition of Priority I or II with 9-15 units TBD with 7-8 units TBD with 4-6 units TBD Condos/Commercial TBD Priority Categories Start date of Sending Out Orders PriorityCategoriesStart date of Sending Out Orders I. Buildings with 16 or more dwelling units 3-story and above May 2, 2016 I. Buildings with 16 or more dwelling units3-story and aboveMay 2, 2016 2-story July 22, 2016 2-storyJuly 22, 2016 II. Buildings with 3 or more stories with less than 16 units Oct 17, 2016 II. Buildings with 3 or more storieswith less than 16 unitsOct 17, 2016 III. Buildings not falling within the definition of Priority I or II with 9-15 units TBD III. Buildings not falling within the definition of Priority I or IIwith 9-15 unitsTBD with 7-8 units TBD with 7-8 unitsTBD with 4-6 units TBD with 4-6 unitsTBD Condos/Commercial TBD Condos/CommercialTBD

Please visit the State of California’s Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists for information regarding licensed engineers: http://bpelsg.ca.gov. 

Please visit the California Architects Board for information regarding licensed architects: http://cab.ca.gov

Please visit the Contractors State License Board for information regarding hiring a contractor and to verify if a contractor is licensed and insured: http://cslb.ca.gov.