Tentative Tract Map Calculator FAQ

What does the calculator do?

The calculator takes the approval date and expiration date of your tentative tract map, then runs the dates against the criteria of five pieces of California legislation. The “new expiration date” is the date your map would expire after factoring in each piece of legislation.

What are tentative map automatic state extensions?

In short, automatic state extensions are time extensions on the expiration dates of tentative tract and parcel maps granted by several California bills. Each piece of legislation automatically extends the life of certain tentative maps based on the approval and expiration dates of those maps.

Read our post on tentative map automatic time extensions for more information.

What if AB 1303 Applies?

If AB 1303 applies to your tentative tract map, you need to ensure that your county qualifies for the AB 1303 extension. To qualify for the extension under AB 1303, the county your map is located in must meet the following criteria:

(According to Section 2 under AB 1303)

1. Have an annual mean household income less than 80 percent of the statewide annual mean income.
2. The annual nonseasonal unemployment rate is at least 2.75 percent higher than the statewide annual nonseasonal unemployment rate.
3. The population for whom poverty status is determined is at least 4 percent higher than the statewide median poverty rate.

NOTE: Annual mean household income (#1) and poverty status (#3) is determined by the most recent annual report of the American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Annual nonseasonal unemployment rate (#2) is determined by the report on Labor Market Review.

If AB 1303 applies, but the map is not in a county that meets the above criteria, subtract 24 months from the “new expiration date,” given by the calculator.

Which legislative acts grant the automatic state extensions?

The five bills are:

1. Senate Bill (SB) 1185
2. Assembly Bill (AB) 333
3. AB 208
4. AB 116
5. AB 1303

What is my expiration date?

A tentative map has what’s called an ‘initial life.’ That initial life is at least 24 months, and up to 36 months in cities that grant extra time. The extra time is provided by individual city law, so it depends where the map is located.

If you’ve received any extensions to your tentative map (other than the automatic state extensions), enter your expiration date with all the extensions you’ve received. If your map hasn’t received any extensions besides the automatic extensions, enter your approval date plus 24 months. (Or 36 months, depending on city ordinance.)

Where do I find my approval date?

The easiest way to do this is to contact your city’s planning department and speak to a planner. Cities vary in the information they provide, and sometimes it’s out of date. That said, you may be able to find approval dates online if you dig through City Council and/or Planning Commission agenda minutes.

Can the life of my map be extended without automatic state extensions?

The life of your tentative tract map may be extended if any of the following four apply:

1. Development Agreement
2. Development Moratorium
3. Litigation ‘Moratorium’
4. Discretionary Extensions

Extensions are governed by Sections, 66452.6, 66452.11 and 66452.13 of the Map Act

What if I received discretionary extensions?

The original expiration date you put in the calculator would have to take the length of your discretionary extensions into account.

For example, let’s say you had a tentative map approved on 01/01/2008. Assume that map’s initial life was 24 months. Thus, your expiration date is 01/01/2010. But then you decide to apply for an extension, and when you do, the city grants you a one-year extension. Now your expiration date is 01/01/2011.

So if you’ve received discretionary extensions, simply enter your expiration date with the extensions, and the calculator will do the rest.

What about the other qualifying events?

The same concepts for discretionary extensions apply in the event of development moratoriums, litigation, or development agreements. Each of these events extends the expiration date beyond the 24 month ‘initial life’ of a tentative map.

Development Moratorium

Imagine you’ve gotten a tentative map approved on 01/01/2008. Assume the map has an initial life of 24 months, meaning the expiration date is 01/01/2010. Now imagine that one year after approval (01/01/2009), there is a 2-year development moratorium.

The moratorium puts the life of your tentative map on hold. The clock doesn’t start ticking on your map’s life until the moratorium is over:

Map is approved 01/01/2008 (life of tentative map = 24 months)
Moratorium starts 01/01/2009 (remaining life of tentative map = 12 months)
Moratorium ends 01/01/2011 (clock starts ticking again)

Expiration date (remaining life of tentative map + moratorium end date) = 01/01/2012

*The life of the tentative map is only paused for up to a max of five years under a development moratorium.

Litigation

If someone has filed a lawsuit regarding the approval of a tentative map, the tentative map’s life may be paused. This scenario is almost identical to a development moratorium, except that the tentative map applicant must get the extension approved by the city.

Just like the development moratorium, litigation may only pause the life of the tentative map for a max of five years.

Development Agreements

Tentative maps tied to development agreements may be subject to conditions in the development agreement. Those conditions may give the map a longer or shorter life. The automatic extensions apply to the expiration and approval dates given by the development agreement.