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Zoning Administration Division

  1. Home
  2. Planning Development
  3. Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance
  4. Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendments
  5. Accessory Living Units – Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment

Department of Planning and Development Alert:

CONTACT INFORMATION: Our offices are open 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
703-324-1314 TTY 711
ordadmin@fairfaxcounty.gov
12055 Government Center Pkwy.
Fairfax, VA 22035
Andrew B. Hushour
Zoning Administrator

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Accessory Living Units – Proposed Zoning Ordinance Amendment

This amendment will consider changes and clarifications to the use-specific standards for Accessory Living Units (ALUs). An ALU is a secondary dwelling unit established in conjunction with and subordinate to a single-family detached dwelling unit. An ALU is sometimes referred to as an in-law suite or accessory dwelling, and can be either interior/attached to the dwelling or detached (freestanding). The current standards for ALUs in the Zoning Ordinance can be found in subsection 4102.7.B.

Draft Text

The Accessory Living Units White Paper and Draft Text document details the proposed changes to the county’s regulations for ALUs. 

View Draft Text

Community Engagement

None scheduled at this time.

Board of Supervisors Land Use Policy Committee
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 
Meeting Video  |  Staff Presentation


Planning Commission Land Use Process Review Committee
Thursday, December 4, 2025
Meeting Video  |  Staff Presentation


Community Meeting - Preliminary Concepts 
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 
Meeting Video  |  Staff Presentation


Community Meeting - Preliminary Concepts  
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Meeting Video  |  Staff Presentation


Community Meeting 
Thursday, April 23, 2026 
Meeting Video  |  Staff Presentation


Community Meeting 
Friday, April 24, 2026
Meeting Video  |  Staff Presentation


Board of Supervisors Land Use Policy Committee 
Tuesday, July 7, 2026  
Meeting Video  |  Staff Presentation


Planning Commission Land Use Process Review Committee 
Thursday, July 9, 2026 
Meeting Video  |  Staff Presentation


ALU Community Meeting 
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 
Meeting Video  |  Staff Presentation


ALU Community Meeting 
Monday, July 20, 2026 
Meeting Video  |  Staff Presentation

Public hearings for this proposed amendment have not been scheduled.

Community Toolkit

Fairfax County is considering updating the zoning standards for accessory living units (ALUs), and proposed changes have been prepared by staff. The Community Toolkit is a resource for community groups to use for facilitating the review, discussion, and feedback on the proposed changes for ALUs, detailed in the draft text. The toolkit includes:

  1. A link to an introductory video by staff that the group can watch together or separately. A link to the presentation slides is also provided.
  2. Links to the draft text and summary document.
  3. Discussion prompts.
  4. A feedback form intended to capture the questions and comments from the group that you would like to share with staff.

Learn More

Related Resources

Accessory Living Units - Background Information and Preliminary Concepts (December 2, 2025)

Accessory Living Units Community Survey Responses (Spring 2026)

Report to Board of Supervisors on Accessory Living Units and Home-Based Businesses (January 25, 2023)

Report to Board of Supervisors on Accessory Living Units and Home-Based Businesses (April 12, 2024)

Contact Us

For questions or comments about the proposed amendment, please contact Casey Judge or Carmen Bishop by email or at 703-324-1314. 

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