LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 1Ch. 4Art. 2.5§ 65865 Local Development Agreements

§ 65865 Local Development Agreements

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 65865 Local Development Agreements

Key Takeaways

  • •Cities or counties can make deals with landowners to develop their property.
  • •If the land is outside the city but might join it later, the deal only works if the land becomes part of the city on time.
  • •The city or county must have clear rules for how to ask for and handle these deals.
  • •The city or county can charge the landowner for the cost of setting up these rules.

Example

A farmer owns land just outside a city and wants to build houses on it. The city and the farmer make a deal to develop the land, but only if the land becomes part of the city within 2 years.

If the land isn’t officially part of the city in 2 years, the deal is canceled. The city must also have clear steps for how the farmer can ask for this kind of deal and can charge the farmer for the cost of making those steps.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 65865 Local Development Agreements

(a) Any city, county, or city and county, may enter into a development agreement with any person having a legal or equitable interest in real property for the development of the property as provided in this article. (b) Any city may enter into a development agreement with any person having a legal or equitable interest in real property in unincorporated territory within that city’s sphere of influence for the development of the property as provided in this article. However, the agreement shall not become operative unless annexation proceedings annexing the property to the city are completed within the period of time specified by the agreement. If the annexation is not completed within the time specified in the agreement or any extension of the agreement, the agreement is null and void. (c) Every city, county, or city and county, shall, upon request of an applicant, by resolution or ordinance, establish procedures and requirements for the consideration of development agreements upon application by, or on behalf of, the property owner or other person having a legal or equitable interest in the property. (d) A city, county, or city and county may recover from applicants the direct costs associated with adopting a resolution or ordinance to establish procedures and requirements for the consideration of development agreements. (e) For any development agreement entered into on or after January 1, 2004, a city, county, or city and county shall comply with Section 66006 with respect to any fee it receives or cost it recovers pursuant to this article. (Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 288, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2004.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

agreementdevelopmentresolutionconsiderationordinancepropertyannexationinfluence

Related Statutes

  • § 65863.1 Parking Requirement Exemptions
  • § 65865.2 Development Agreement Requirements
  • § 65866 Development Agreement Rules
  • § 65868.5 Development Agreement Recording Requirements
  • § 66473.7 Water Supply For Subdivisions

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 65865.
View Official Source