{"title":"Victoria zoning: find your zone and what it allows","question":"How do I find out how my property is zoned and what I can build on it?","slug":"zoning-lookup","place":{"path":"ca/bc/victoria","name":"Victoria","region":{"code":"bc","name":"British Columbia"},"country":{"code":"ca","name":"Canada"}},"category":{"slug":"building-and-renovating","name":"Building, renovating and your property"},"owner":"municipal","owner_label":"Municipal","owner_body":{"name":"City of Victoria","url":"https://www.victoria.ca"},"short_answer":"In the City of Victoria, select your property on VicMap to see its zone, then read that zone in the Zoning Bylaw. Two bylaws are in force for different properties, Zoning Bylaw 2018 and the older Zoning Regulation Bylaw, so check which applies to yours. Email zoning@victoria.ca if unsure.","aliases":["what is my zoning victoria","vicmap zoning","zoning map victoria bc","what can I build on my lot victoria"],"cost":"Free to look up; the City's pages state no fee for zoning information.","how_long":"Not stated on the City's page.","where":[{"type":"online","label":"VicMap","value":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/maps"},{"type":"email","label":"Zoning","value":"zoning@victoria.ca"},{"type":"phone","label":"Development Services (zoning)","value":"250-361-0316"},{"type":"email","label":"Planning and Development Department","value":"planning@victoria.ca"}],"documents":[],"forms":[{"title":"Zoning (City page)","url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/permits-development-construction/zoning"},{"title":"Zoning Bylaw 2018 (PDF)","url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018"},{"title":"Zoning Regulation Bylaw, general regulations (PDF)","url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-regulation-bylaw-general-regulations"}],"related":[{"slug":"secondary-suite","title":"Victoria secondary suite and carriage house rules","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/secondary-suite/"}],"nearby":[{"place":"ca/bc/oak-bay","name":"Oak Bay","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/oak-bay/zoning-lookup/"},{"place":"ca/bc/esquimalt","name":"Esquimalt","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/esquimalt/zoning-lookup/"},{"place":"ca/bc/view-royal","name":"View Royal","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/view-royal/zoning-lookup/"},{"place":"ca/bc/saanich","name":"Saanich","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/saanich/zoning-lookup/"},{"place":"ca/bc/colwood","name":"Colwood","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/colwood/zoning-lookup/"},{"place":"ca/bc/langford","name":"Langford","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/langford/zoning-lookup/"}],"topic":{"title":"Zoning maps in British Columbia, by municipality","url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/zoning-lookup/"},"facts":{"how_to_find":{"label":"How to find your zone","value":"Use VicMap: select a property on the map to see its zoning, or turn on the Planning and Development theme under Show Layers and Themes. Then read that zone's rules in the Zoning Bylaw.","short":"Online map (VicMap)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/permits-development-construction/what-can-i-do-my-property","title":"What Can I Do With My Property, City of Victoria","section":"What Can I Do With My Property","quotes":["Select a property on VicMap to see the applicable zoning; consult the Zoning Bylaw to determine what is permitted in your zone."]},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/permits-development-construction/zoning","title":"Zoning, City of Victoria","section":"Zoning page","quotes":["Click on a property or choose the Planning and Development theme under the Show Layers and Themes menu."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"zoning_bylaw":{"label":"Zoning bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw 2018 (No. 18-072) covers the Downtown Core, Industry, Arts and Innovation District, Villages, Town Centres and most residential lands; the older Zoning Regulation Bylaw (No. 80-159) covers remaining properties. Copy of 2018 bylaw lists amendments to Oct 1, 2026 (header says June 9, 2022).","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/permits-development-construction/zoning","title":"Zoning, City of Victoria","section":"Zoning page","quotes":["Zoning Bylaw 2018 regulates the Downtown Core Area and most of the commercial and low-density residential properties within Victoria.","applies to most industrial properties, medium- to high-density residential properties outside of the downtown, comprehensive development districts and some commercial properties."]},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/permits-development-construction/zoning/zoning-regulation-bylaw-2018","title":"Zoning Bylaw 2018, City of Victoria","section":"Zoning Bylaw 2018 page","quotes":["Ten zones now cover the Downtown Core Area, the Industry, Arts and Innovation District, the Villages and Town Centres and most residential lands."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"what_zone_controls":{"label":"What the zone controls","value":"Permitted uses, density of development, height, setbacks, lot coverage and open space, lot size, and motor vehicle and bicycle parking, plus any site-specific rules for particular addresses.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018","title":"Zoning Bylaw 2018 (18-072) (PDF)","section":"Zoning Bylaw 2018, Part 4 (e.g. LVD-1 zone)","quotes":["1. Permitted Uses","2. Density of Development","3. Height","4. Setbacks and Projections","6. Lot Coverage and Open Space","7. Lot Dimension and Area","8. Site Specific Regulations"]},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/permits-development-construction/what-can-i-do-my-property","title":"What Can I Do With My Property, City of Victoria","section":"What Can I Do With My Property","quotes":["the density of development and the size and siting of all buildings and off-street parking"]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"contact":{"label":"Contact","value":"Development Services: 250.361.0316 or zoning@victoria.ca. The Zoning Bylaw 2018 cover also lists the Planning and Development Department, planning@victoria.ca.","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/business-licensing","title":"Business Licensing, City of Victoria","section":"Business Licensing page, Step One","quotes":["For information on zoning, contact the City's Development Services at 250.361.0316 or zoning@victoria.ca."]},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018","title":"Zoning Bylaw 2018 (18-072) (PDF)","section":"Publishing information","quotes":["1 Centennial Square Victoria, BC V8W 1P6 E: planning@victoria.ca W: victoria.ca This consolidation is a copy of a bylaw consolidated under the authority of section 139 of the Community Charter."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}},"bylaw":{"label":"Bylaw","value":"Zoning Bylaw 2018 (No. 18-072) and Zoning Regulation Bylaw (No. 80-159)","status":"stated","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018","title":"Zoning Bylaw 2018 (18-072) (PDF)","section":"Publishing information","quotes":["Title: Zoning Bylaw 2018"]},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-regulation-bylaw-general-regulations","title":"Zoning Regulation Bylaw (80-159), general regulations (PDF)","section":"title page","quotes":["NO. 80 - 159","This bylaw may be cited as the \"Zoning Regulation Bylaw\"."]}],"check":{"result":"matched","text_date":"2026-11-06"}}},"facts_summary":{"total":5,"stated":5,"matched":5,"none":0,"unknown":0},"zoning":{"bylaw":{"title":"Zoning Regulation Bylaw No. 80-159 (consolidated on October 17, 2019 up to Bylaw No. 19-074; zone Parts amended to Bylaw 24-060, August 2024) and Zoning Bylaw 2018 (consolidated on June 9, 2022 up to Bylaw No. 22-048)","url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/permits-development-construction/zoning/zoning-regulation-bylaw","accessed":"2026-11-07","note":"Victoria has two zoning bylaws in force. Zoning Bylaw 2018 (zones GRD-1, LVD-1, CVD-1, TCD-1, CBD-1, CBD-2, MRD-1, OTD-1, IAI-1, MI-1, LI-1, HI-1; https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018) applies to the areas on its Map 1: the Downtown Core Area and most commercial and low-density residential properties in town centres, urban villages and residential fabric. The Zoning Regulation Bylaw No. 80-159 (one PDF per zone) still governs the rest, including most industrial, medium and high density residential outside downtown, comprehensive development districts and some commercial properties. The City says its website bylaws are office consolidations provided for convenience; refer to the bylaws and amendments at City Hall. In text.txt every file starts at a '[source <url>]' line; the first file is the Introduction & General Regulations of Bylaw 80-159 and the Zoning Bylaw 2018 is appended at the end. Zones whose PDF has no text layer (image-only; no OCR was run) have no lines or pdf_page, only source_url; 179 codes, listed in places/victoria/no-text-layer.txt. For zones with text, pdf_page is the page inside that zone's own PDF (always the first page)."},"zones":838,"zone_pages":145,"index_url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/zoning/index.json","lookup_url":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/zoning/lookup","map":{"has_map":true,"has_addresses":true,"zones_geojson":"/data/ca/bc/victoria/zones.geojson","addresses_json":"/data/ca/bc/victoria/addresses.json","source_url":"https://maps.victoria.ca/server/rest/services/OpenData/OpenData_PlanningAndDevelopment/MapServer/12","viewer":{"title":"VicMap","url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/maps"},"caveat":null,"accessed":"2026-11-07"}},"body_markdown":"## How it works\n\n[Zoning Bylaw 2018](https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018) (No. 18-072) covers the Downtown Core, the Industry, Arts and Innovation District, Villages, Town Centres and most residential lands. The older Zoning Regulation Bylaw (No. 80-159) covers the remaining properties. A zone sets permitted uses, density, height, setbacks, lot coverage and open space, lot size, and motor vehicle and bicycle parking, plus any site-specific rules for particular addresses.\n\n## Steps\n\n1. Open VicMap and select your property to see its zoning. You can also turn on the Planning and Development theme under Show Layers and Themes.\n2. Note the zone name, and which of the two bylaws it belongs to.\n3. Read that zone's rules in the matching bylaw.\n4. If you are unsure, email zoning@victoria.ca or call Development Services at 250-361-0316.\n\n## Good to know\n\n- A building permit and, in some cases, a development permit are still needed before you build.\n- The City's website copies of both bylaws are office consolidations. The City says to check City Hall for the current text.","sources":[{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/permits-development-construction/zoning","title":"Zoning, City of Victoria","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/permits-development-construction/what-can-i-do-my-property","title":"What Can I Do With My Property, City of Victoria","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/permits-development-construction/zoning/zoning-regulation-bylaw-2018","title":"Zoning Bylaw 2018, City of Victoria","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-bylaw-2018","title":"Zoning Bylaw 2018 (18-072) (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/media/file/zoning-regulation-bylaw-general-regulations","title":"Zoning Regulation Bylaw (80-159), general regulations (PDF)","accessed":"2026-11-05"},{"url":"https://www.victoria.ca/building-business/business-licensing","title":"Business Licensing, City of Victoria","accessed":"2026-11-05"}],"sources_read":"2026-11-05","review":{"status":"machine_checked","badge":"Checked against official text","label":"Checked by script, not yet by a person: the official wording behind 5 of 5 facts was matched to the official text."},"urls":{"html":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/zoning-lookup/","markdown":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/zoning-lookup.md","json":"https://govhandbook.com/ca/bc/victoria/zoning-lookup.json"}}