Overview
Worth knowing
- AICUZ is the dominant and most consequential planning constraint in Virginia Beach. NAS Oceana occupies a central position in the city, and the AICUZ overlay affects large portions of the residential and commercial land around it. The 2005 JLUS and 2008 APZ-1/Clear Zone Master Plan represent significant planning commitments made to the U.S. Navy that constrain housing density and people-intensive uses in major parts of the city.
- Virginia Beach ADUs are tightly restricted locally. Guest houses/in-law suites must be occupied by a family member or domestic employee of the main home's resident — separate tenants and short-term rentals are not allowed. This is more restrictive than most peer cities and reflects the absence of state ADU preemption.
- Short-Term Rental overlay is unusually detailed with a full regulatory overlay structure, tax registration regime, and 5-year CUP expiration. Virginia Beach is a major coastal resort market and has addressed the STR issue more systematically than most cities.
+ 3 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
res_sf 7res_mf 3ag 2com 2
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R-5D | Single-Family Residential — 5,000 sf minimum | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-7.5 | Single-Family Residential — 7,500 sf minimum | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-10 | Single-Family Residential — 10,000 sf minimum | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-15 | Single-Family Residential — 15,000 sf minimum | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-20 | Single-Family Residential — 20,000 sf minimum | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-40 | Single-Family Residential — 40,000 sf minimum | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R-SIF | Single-Family Infill | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| AG-1 | Agricultural — Type 1 | ag | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| AG-2 | Agricultural — Type 2 | ag | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| A-12 | Apartment — 12 du/ac | res_mf | — | — | — | — | 12[1] | — | — / — / — |
| A-24 | Apartment — 24 du/ac | res_mf | — | — | — | — | 24[2] | — | — / — / — |
| A-36 | Apartment — 36 du/ac | res_mf | — | — | — | — | 36[3] | — | — / — / — |
| H-1 | Hotel — Medium Density | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| H-2 | Hotel — Higher Density | com | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
AICUZ
AICUZ — Air Installations Compatible Use Zones Overlay
MILAreas around Naval Air Station Oceana (NAS Oceana) classified by noise exposure (Ldn-based) and accident potential zones (APZ-1, APZ-2, Clear Zone).
| noise_zones | Ldn 65 or greater; properties require noise attenuation per Virginia USBC for: new residential construction, residential additions, assembly, business, education, institutional, and mercantile uses. Zones below 65 Ldn exempt. |
|---|---|
| accident_potential_zones | APZ-1, APZ-2, and Clear Zone subzones regulate land use per 2008 APZ-1/Clear Zone Master Plan. |
| height_regulation | No structure may exceed height permitted by FAA regulations (§202 of CZO). |
| disclosure_requirement | Sellers and lessors of residential property in any noise zone or APZ must provide written disclosure to prospective purchasers/lessees. Required in all sales contracts and leases. Mandatory since 1995. |
| navy_easements | U.S. Navy holds easements and fee simple ownership on certain lands in noise/APZ zones; easements generally prohibit residential and people-intensive commercial development. |
| intensity_determination | If use change proposed and property is in AICUZ area, applicant must request intensity determination from zoning administrator (consulting with NAS Oceana AICUZ liaison). Result is recorded and provided to applicant. |
| use_compatibility | If proposed use is equal to or lesser intensity than pre-December 20, 2005 use, development process may begin. More intense uses require full compatibility review. |
SDC
Shore Drive Corridor Overlay
CORShore Drive corridor (Virginia Beach Blvd./Shore Drive).
| description | Corridor design standards; architectural standards; use restrictions or design requirements specific to this coastal corridor. [partial — specific parameters not extracted] |
|---|
WH
Workforce Housing Overlay District
AHMay be applied in any area of the city where increased residential density is consistent with Comprehensive Plan policies. Applied by rezoning.
| density_bonus | 0.3 |
|---|---|
| workforce_housing_definition | Affordable to households at 80–120% AMI |
| city_purchase_right | City has initial right to purchase workforce housing units |
| rental_affordability_covenant | Rental units must remain affordable for 50 years |
STR
Short-Term Rental Overlay District
USESpecified geographic areas where STRs are permitted by right. Outside overlay, STRs require conditional use permit.
| str_permitted_by_right | Within overlay only; CUP required outside |
|---|---|
| home_sharing_permitted_by_right | Not STR, but permitted by right in all districts subject to registration and tax payment (§209.6) |
| cup_conditions | Parking, events, contact info, signage, registration, refuse, insurance, max occupancy, safety requirements (§241.2) |
| cup_expiration | Conditional use permits expire after 5 years |
| taxes_and_registration | STR tax established (§35-252); registration required (§35-169); merchant license tax applies (§18-104.1) |
PSG
Pembroke SGA Overlay / Western Campus Overlay District
SPDPembroke Strategic Growth Area (SGA) — western campus portion.
| description | SGA-specific development standards for the Pembroke area, which is the city's primary mixed-use urban center. [partial — specific standards not extracted] |
|---|
HCD
Historic and Cultural District
HPAreas with identified historic or cultural significance.
| design_review | Design review for changes; architectural standards applied |
|---|---|
| description | [partial — specific parameters not fully extracted] |
Adopted building codes
Statewide — VA Uniform SBC
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- AICUZ is the dominant and most consequential planning constraint in Virginia Beach. NAS Oceana occupies a central position in the city, and the AICUZ overlay affects large portions of the residential and commercial land around it. The 2005 JLUS and 2008 APZ-1/Clear Zone Master Plan represent significant planning commitments made to the U.S. Navy that constrain housing density and people-intensive uses in major parts of the city.
- Virginia Beach ADUs are tightly restricted locally. Guest houses/in-law suites must be occupied by a family member or domestic employee of the main home's resident — separate tenants and short-term rentals are not allowed. This is more restrictive than most peer cities and reflects the absence of state ADU preemption.
- Short-Term Rental overlay is unusually detailed with a full regulatory overlay structure, tax registration regime, and 5-year CUP expiration. Virginia Beach is a major coastal resort market and has addressed the STR issue more systematically than most cities.
- Workforce Housing Overlay includes a 50-year rental affordability covenant — among the longer affordability periods seen in U.S. municipalities.
- R-district naming convention unresolved. The R-district number likely encodes lot size (similar to TX cities: R-7.5 = 7,500 sf min lot), but this has not been confirmed from primary code text. A-districts likely encode du/ac but also unconfirmed. Do not apply these interpretations without direct code verification.
- Virginia is a strong home rule state for zoning. No ADU mandate, no missing middle mandate, no parking preemption is currently in effect. All density decisions rest with local government. State reform efforts have repeatedly failed in 2024 and 2025.
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- FAA-regulated in AICUZ areas; varies by district elsewhere. §202 of CZO caps all structures at FAA-permitted height in AICUZ areas.
Massing explorer
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
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Sources & references
Citations
- [1] i
- [2] i
- [3] i
Research status
Data quality
35%completeness7 confirmed6 partial3 inferred
Documented gaps
- Base district bulk standards (height, setbacks, lot coverage, FAR) not extracted from primary source
- R-district and A-district naming conventions unresolved
- Commercial district details incomplete
- Shore Drive Corridor and Historic District articles not confirmed from primary source
- Pembroke SGA specific development standards not extracted
Known issues
schema:v1-legacypriority:lowdata:gaps-present
Other cities in this state
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