Amended by Stats. 1967, Ch. 123.
This title may be cited as the Planning and Zoning Law.
Chapter 1 - General Provisions
California Government Code — §§ 65000-65010
Sections (10)
Amended by Stats. 1956, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 33.
The definitions and general provisions contained in this article govern the construction of this title unless the context otherwise requires.
Amended by Stats. 1965, Ch. 1880.
“Street” includes street, highway, freeway, expressway, avenue, boulevard, parkway, road, lane, walk, alley, viaduct, subway, tunnel, bridge, public easement and right-of-way, and other ways.
Amended by Stats. 1965, Ch. 1880.
“Right-of-way” means any public or private right-of-way and includes any area required for public use pursuant to any general plan or specific plan.
Amended by Stats. 1956, 1st Ex. Sess., Ch. 33.
Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of this title are a continuation of the Conservation and Planning Act and any acts lawfully performed pursuant to such act or its predecessors, including but not limited to the adoption of master and official or precise plans and the creation of planning commissions, are continued in effect and deemed to fulfill the requirements of Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of this title.
Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 554, Sec. 1. (AB 1965) Effective January 1, 2013.
As used in this title, the following terms have the following meanings, unless the context requires otherwise:
(a)“Adequate progress” means all of the following:
(1)The total project scope, schedule, and cost of the completed flood protection system have been developed to meet the appropriate standard of protection.
(2)(A) Revenues that are sufficient to fund each year of the project schedule developed in paragraph (1) have been identified and, in any given year and consistent with that schedule, at least 90 percent of the revenues scheduled to be received by that year have been appropriated
and are currently being expended.
(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), for any year in which state funding is not appropriated consistent with an agreement between a state agency and a local flood management agency, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board may find that the local flood management agency is making adequate progress in working toward the completion of the flood protection system.
(3)Critical features of the flood protection system are under construction, and each critical feature is progressing as indicated by the actual expenditure of the construction budget funds.
(4)The city or county has not been responsible for a significant delay in the completion of the system.
(5)The local flood management agency shall provide the Department
of Water Resources and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board with the information specified in this subdivision sufficient to determine substantial completion of the required flood protection. The local flood management agency shall annually report to the Central Valley Flood Protection Board on the efforts in working toward completion of the flood protection system.
(b)“Central Valley Flood Protection Plan” has the same meaning as that set forth in Section 9612 of the Water Code.
(c)“Developed area” has the same meaning as that set forth in Section 59.1 of Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(d)“Flood hazard zone” means an area subject to flooding that is delineated as either a special hazard area or an area of moderate hazard on an official flood insurance rate map issued by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency. The identification of flood hazard zones does not imply that areas outside the flood hazard zones, or uses permitted within flood hazard zones, will be free from flooding or flood damage.
(e)“National Federal Emergency Management Agency standard of flood protection” means the level of flood protection that is necessary to withstand flooding that has a 1-in-100 chance of occurring in any given year using criteria developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for application in the National Flood Insurance Program.
(f)“Nonurbanized area” means a developed area or an area outside a developed area in which there are fewer than 10,000 residents that is not an urbanizing area.
(g)“Project levee” means any levee that is part of the facilities of the State Plan of Flood Control.
(h)“Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley” means lands in the bed or along or near the banks of the Sacramento River or San Joaquin River, or their tributaries or connected therewith, or upon any land adjacent thereto, or within the overflow basins thereof, or upon land susceptible to overflow therefrom. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley does not include lands lying within the Tulare Lake basin, including the Kings River.
(i)“State Plan of Flood Control” has the same meaning as that set forth in subdivision (j) of Section 5096.805 of the Public Resources Code.
(j)“Tulare Lake basin” means the Tulare Lake Hydrologic Region as defined in the California Water Plan Update 2009, prepared by the Department of Water Resources pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 10004) of Part 1.5 of Division 6 of the Water Code.
(k)“Undetermined risk area” means an urban or urbanizing area within a moderate flood hazard zone, as delineated on an official flood insurance rate map issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has not been determined to have an urban level of protection.
(l)“Urban area” means a developed area in which there are 10,000 residents or more.
(m)“Urbanizing area” means a developed area or an area outside a developed area that is planned or anticipated to have 10,000 residents or more within the next 10 years.
(n)“Urban level of flood protection” means the level of protection that is necessary to withstand flooding that has a 1-in-200 chance of occurring in any given year using criteria consistent with, or developed by, the Department of
Water Resources. “Urban level of flood protection” shall not mean shallow flooding or flooding from local drainage that meets the criteria of the national Federal Emergency Management Agency standard of flood protection.
Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 665, Sec. 2. (AB 1743) Effective January 1, 2020.
(a)Any action pursuant to this title by any city, county, city and county, or other local governmental agency in this state is null and void if it denies to any individual or group of individuals the enjoyment of residence, landownership, tenancy, or any other land use in this state because of any of the following reasons:
(1)(A) The lawful occupation, age, or any characteristic of the individual or group of individuals listed in subdivision (a) or (d) of Section 12955, as those bases are defined in Sections 12926, 12926.1, subdivision (m) and paragraph (1) of subdivision (p) of Section 12955 and Section 12955.2.
(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), with respect to familial
status, subparagraph (A) shall not be construed to apply to housing for older persons, as defined in Section 12955.9. With respect to familial status, nothing in subparagraph (A) shall be construed to affect Sections 51.2, 51.3, 51.4, 51.10, 51.11, and 799.5 of the Civil Code, relating to housing for senior citizens. Subdivision (d) of Section 51, Section 4760, and Section 6714 of the Civil Code, and subdivisions (n), (o), and (p) of Section 12955 of this code shall apply to subparagraph (A).
(2)The method of financing of any residential development of the individual or group of individuals.
(3)The intended occupancy of any residential development by persons or families of very low, low, moderate, or middle income.
(b)(1) No city, county, city and county, or other local governmental agency shall, in the enactment or administration of ordinances pursuant to any law, including this title, prohibit or discriminate against any residential development or emergency shelter for any of the following reasons:
(A) Because of the method of financing.
(B) (i) Because of the lawful occupation, age, or any characteristic listed in subdivision (a) or (d) of Section 12955, as those characteristics are defined in Sections 12926, 12926.1, subdivision (m) and paragraph (1) of subdivision (p) of Section 12955, and Section 12955.2 of the owners or intended occupants of the residential development or emergency shelter.
(ii) Notwithstanding clause (i), with respect to familial status, clause (i) shall not be construed to apply to housing for older persons, as defined in Section 12955.9. With respect to familial status, nothing in clause (i) shall be construed to affect Sections 51.2, 51.3, 51.4, 51.10, 51.11, and 799.5 of the Civil Code, relating to housing for senior citizens. Subdivision (d) of Section 51, Section 4760, and Section 6714 of the Civil Code, and subdivisions (n), (o), and (p) of Section 12955 of this code shall apply to clause (i).
(C) Because the development or shelter is intended for occupancy by persons and families of very low, low, or moderate income, as defined in Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code, or persons and families of middle income.
(D) Because the
development consists of a multifamily residential project that is consistent with both the jurisdiction’s zoning ordinance and general plan as they existed on the date the application was deemed complete, except that a project shall not be deemed to be inconsistent with the zoning designation for the site if that zoning designation is inconsistent with the general plan only because the project site has not been rezoned to conform with a more recently adopted general plan.
(2)The discrimination prohibited by this subdivision includes the denial or conditioning of a residential development or shelter because of, in whole or in part, either of the following:
(A)The method of financing.
(B)The occupancy of the development
by persons protected by this subdivision, including, but not limited to, persons and families of very low, low, or moderate income.
(3)A city, county, city and county, or other local government agency may not, pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 65589.5, disapprove a housing development project or condition approval of a housing development project in a manner that renders the project infeasible if the basis for the disapproval or conditional approval includes any of the reasons prohibited in paragraph (1) or (2).
(c)For the purposes of this section, “persons and families of middle income” means persons and families whose income does not exceed 150 percent of the median income for the county in which the persons or families reside.
(d)(1) No city, county, city and county, or other local governmental agency may impose different requirements on a residential development or emergency shelter that is subsidized, financed, insured, or otherwise assisted by the federal or state government or by a local public entity, as defined in Section 50079 of the Health and Safety Code, than those imposed on nonassisted developments, except as provided in subdivision (e). The discrimination prohibited by this subdivision includes the denial or conditioning of a residential development or emergency shelter based in whole or in part on the fact that the development is subsidized, financed, insured, or otherwise assisted as described in this paragraph.
(2)(A) No city, county, city and
county, or other local governmental agency may, because of the lawful occupation age, or any characteristic of the intended occupants listed in subdivision (a) or (d) of Section 12955, as those characteristics are defined in Sections 12926, 12926.1, subdivision (m) and paragraph (1) of subdivision (p) of Section 12955, and Section 12955.2 or because the development is intended for occupancy by persons and families of very low, low, moderate, or middle income, impose different requirements on these residential developments than those imposed on developments generally, except as provided in subdivision (e).
(B)Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), with respect to familial status, subparagraph (A) shall not be construed to apply to housing for older persons, as defined in Section 12955.9. With respect to familial status, nothing in subparagraph (A)
shall be construed to affect Sections 51.2, 51.3, 51.4, 51.10, 51.11, and 799.5 of the Civil Code, relating to housing for senior citizens. Subdivision (d) of Section 51, Section 4760, and Section 6714 of the Civil Code, and subdivisions (n), (o), and (p) of Section 12955 of this code shall apply to subparagraph (A).
(e)Notwithstanding subdivisions (a) to (d), inclusive, this section and this title do not prohibit either of the following:
(1)The County of Riverside from enacting and enforcing zoning to provide housing for older persons, in accordance with state or federal law, if that zoning was enacted prior to January 1, 1995.
(2)Any city, county, or city and county from extending preferential treatment to residential
developments or emergency shelters assisted by the federal or state government or by a local public entity, as defined in Section 50079 of the Health and Safety Code, or other residential developments or emergency shelters intended for occupancy by persons and families of low and moderate income, as defined in Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code, or persons and families of middle income, or agricultural employees, as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1140.4 of the Labor Code, and their families. This preferential treatment may include, but need not be limited to, reduction or waiver of fees or changes in architectural requirements, site development and property line requirements, building setback requirements, or vehicle parking requirements that reduce development costs of these developments.
(f)For purposes of this
section, both of the following shall apply:
(1)“Method of financing” includes the eligibility to claim a welfare exemption under subdivision (g) of Section 214 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
(2)“Residential
development” means a single-family residence or a multifamily residence, including manufactured homes, as defined in Section 18007 of the Health and Safety Code.
(g)This section shall apply to chartered cities.
(h)The Legislature finds and declares that discriminatory practices that inhibit the development of housing for persons and families of very low, low, moderate, and middle incomes, or emergency shelters for the homeless, are a matter of statewide concern.
Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 270, Sec. 1. (AB 2117) Effective January 1, 2025.
(a)(1) The Legislature finds and declares that there currently is a housing crisis in California and it is essential to reduce delays and restraints upon expeditiously completing housing projects.
(2)The Legislature further finds and declares that a legal action or proceeding challenging a decision of a city, county, or city and county has a chilling effect on the confidence with which property owners and local governments can proceed with projects. Legal actions or proceedings filed to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul a decision of a city, county, or city and county pursuant to this division, including, but not limited to, the implementation of general
plan goals and policies that provide incentives for affordable housing, open-space and recreational opportunities, and other related public benefits, can prevent the completion of needed developments even though the projects have received required governmental approvals.
(3)The purpose of this section is to provide certainty for property owners and local governments regarding decisions made pursuant to this division.
(b)(1) In an action or proceeding to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul a finding, determination, or decision of a public agency made pursuant to this title at a properly noticed public hearing, the issues raised shall be limited to those raised in the public hearing or in written correspondence delivered to the public agency prior to,
or at, the public hearing, except where the court finds either of the following:
(A) The issue could not have been raised at the public hearing by persons exercising reasonable diligence.
(B) The body conducting the public hearing prevented the issue from being raised at the public hearing.
(2)If a public agency desires the provisions of this subdivision to apply to a matter, it shall include in any public notice issued pursuant to this title a notice substantially stating all of the following: “If you challenge the (nature of the proposed action) in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to
the (public entity conducting the hearing) at, or prior to, the public hearing.”
(3)The application of this subdivision to causes of action brought pursuant to subdivision (d) applies only to the final action taken in response to the notice to the city or clerk of the board of supervisors. If no final action is taken, then the issue raised in the cause of action brought pursuant to subdivision (d) shall be limited to those matters presented at a properly noticed public hearing or to those matters specified in the notice given to the city or clerk of the board of supervisors pursuant to subdivision (d), or both.
(c)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (d), no action or proceeding shall be maintained in any of the following cases by any person unless the action or
proceeding is commenced and service is made on the legislative body within 90 days after the legislative body’s decision:
(A) To attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the decision of a legislative body to adopt or amend a general or specific plan. This paragraph does not apply where an action is brought based upon the complete absence of a general plan or a mandatory element thereof, but does apply to an action attacking a general plan or mandatory element thereof on the basis that it is inadequate.
(B) To attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the decision of a legislative body to adopt or amend a zoning ordinance.
(C) To determine the reasonableness, legality, or validity of any decision to adopt or amend any
regulation attached to a specific plan.
(D) To attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the decision of a legislative body to adopt, amend, or modify a development agreement. An action or proceeding to attack, review, set aside, void, or annul the decisions of a legislative body to adopt, amend, or modify a development agreement shall only extend to the specific portion of the development agreement that is the subject of the adoption, amendment, or modification. This paragraph applies to development agreements, amendments, and modifications adopted on or after January 1, 1996.
(E) To attack, review, set aside, void, or annul any decision on the matters listed in Sections 65901 and 65903, or to determine the reasonableness, legality, or validity of any condition attached to
a variance, conditional use permit, or any other permit.
(F) Concerning any of the proceedings, acts, or determinations taken, done, or made prior to any of the decisions listed in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E).
(2)In the case of an action or proceeding challenging the adoption or revision of a housing element pursuant to this subdivision, the action or proceeding may, in addition, be maintained if it is commenced and service is made on the legislative body within 60 days following the date that the Department of Housing and Community Development reports its findings pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 65585.
(d)(1) An action or proceeding shall be commenced and the legislative body served
after the accrual of the cause of action as provided in this subdivision, if the action or proceeding meets both of the following requirements:
(A) It is brought in support of or to encourage or facilitate the development of housing that would increase the community’s supply of housing affordable to persons and families with low or moderate incomes, as defined in Section 50079.5 of the Health and Safety Code, or with very low incomes, as defined in Section 50105 of the Health and Safety Code, or middle-income households, as defined in Section 65008 of this code. This subdivision is not intended to require that the action or proceeding be brought in support of or to encourage or facilitate a specific housing development project.
(B) It is brought with respect to the adoption or
revision of a housing element pursuant to Article 10.6 (commencing with Section 65580) of Chapter 3, actions taken pursuant to Section 65863.6, or Chapter 4.2 (commencing with Section 65913), or to challenge the adequacy of an ordinance adopted pursuant to Section 65915.
(2)(A) An action or proceeding challenging the adoption or revision of a housing element that the Department of Housing and Community Development has found to substantially comply with the requirements of Article 10.6 (commencing with Section 65580) of Chapter 3 shall be commenced, and the legislative body shall be served, within six months after the accrual of the cause of action as provided in this subdivision.
(B)An action or proceeding challenging the adoption or revision of
a housing element that the Department of Housing and Community Development has found does not substantially comply with the requirements of Article 10.6 (commencing with Section 65580) of Chapter 3, where the legislative body has failed to change the draft element or amendment to substantially comply with the requirements of Article 10.6 or has adopted the draft element or amendment without change and made findings pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 65585, shall be commenced, and the legislative body shall be served, within one year after the accrual of the cause of action as provided in this subdivision.
(C)An action or proceeding challenging an action taken pursuant to Section 65863.6, or Chapter 4.2 (commencing with Section 65913), or to challenge the adequacy of an ordinance adopted pursuant to Section 65915 shall be served within 180 days after
the accrual of the cause of action as provided in this subdivision.
(3)(A) A cause of action brought pursuant to this subdivision shall not be maintained until 60 days have expired following notice to the city or clerk of the board of supervisors by the party bringing the cause of action, or the party’s representative, specifying the deficiencies of the general plan, specific plan, zoning ordinance, or other action described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1). A cause of action brought pursuant to this subdivision shall accrue 60 days after notice is filed or the legislative body takes a final action in response to the notice, whichever occurs first.
(B)This notice may be filed at any time within 270 days after an action described in subparagraph (A) of
paragraph (2), two years after an action described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2), or 180 days after an action described in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2).
(4)A notice or cause of action brought by one party pursuant to this subdivision shall not bar filing of a notice and initiation of a cause of action by any other party.
(5)After the adoption of a housing element covering the current planning period, no action shall be filed pursuant to this subdivision to challenge a housing element covering a prior planning period.
(e)Upon the expiration of the time limits provided for in this section, all persons are barred from any further action or
proceeding.
(f)(1) The period of time before a permit or project approval issued by a city, county, or state agency expires shall not include the period of time during which an action or proceeding involving the approval or conditional approval of the permit or project approval is or was pending.
(2)For purposes of this subdivision:
(A)“Pending” means the same as described in Section 1049 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(B)“Permit” means a variance, conditional use permit, or any other development
permit, but does not include any of the following:
(i)A building permit or other permit issued under the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) or any applicable local building code for the construction, demolition, or alteration of buildings, whether discretionary or nondiscretionary.
(ii) A permit for minor or standard excavation and grading.
(iii) A permit for demolition.
(iv) A permit for minor or standard excavation and grading.
(v)Any nondiscretionary permit or review that is required or issued by the local agency after the entitlement process has been completed to begin construction.
(g)Notwithstanding Sections 65700 and 65803, or any other provision of law, this section shall apply to charter cities.
(h)Except as provided in subdivision (d), this section shall not affect any law prescribing or authorizing a shorter period of limitation than that specified herein.
(i)Except
as provided in subparagraph (D) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c), this section shall be applicable to those decisions of the legislative body of a city, county, or city and county made pursuant to this division on or after January 1, 1984.
Added by Stats. 2024, Ch. 293, Sec. 2. (SB 1037) Effective January 1, 2025.
(a)In any action brought by the Attorney General or the Department of Housing and Community Development to enforce the adoption of housing element revisions pursuant to the schedule set forth in subdivision (e) of Section 65588, or to enforce any state law that requires a city, county, or local agency to ministerially approve, without discretionary review, any planning or permitting application related to a housing
development project, the city, county, or local agency shall be subject to the following remedies:
(1)A civil penalty of, at minimum, ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per month, and not exceeding fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per month, for each violation, accrued from the date of the violation until the date the violation is cured.
(2)(A) All costs of investigating and prosecuting this action, including expert fees, reasonable attorney’s fees, and costs, whenever the Attorney General or the department prevails in a civil action to enforce any state laws under this section.
(B)Awards imposed
pursuant to this paragraph shall be paid to the Public Rights Law Enforcement Special Fund established by Section 12530.
(3)(A) Other relief as the court deems appropriate, including equitable and injunctive relief, provisional or otherwise.
(B)Any injunction, provisional or otherwise, ordered by the court pursuant to this paragraph shall be deemed to be prohibitory, and not affirmative.
(b)The penalties set forth in this section shall only apply when the local agency’s acts or omissions described in subdivision (a) are arbitrary, capricious, entirely lacking in evidentiary support, contrary to established public policy, unlawful, or procedurally unfair. The purpose of this section is to ensure
adequate remedies are available to ensure that state laws mandating streamlined, ministerial approvals related to housing development projects, and the timely adoption of housing element revisions, are promptly and faithfully followed.
(c)(1) Any civil penalty levied pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund for the sole purpose of supporting the development of affordable housing located in the affected jurisdiction. Expenditure of any penalty moneys deposited into the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund pursuant to this subdivision shall be subject to appropriation by the Legislature.
(2)Any penalty imposed pursuant to this section shall not be paid out of funds already dedicated to affordable housing, including,
but not limited to, very low, low-, and moderate-income households.
(3)To the extent permitted under the California Constitution, in the event a city, county, or local agency fails to pay civil penalties imposed by the court, the court may require the Controller to intercept any available state and local funds and direct those funds to the Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund to correct the jurisdiction’s failure to pay.
(4)Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if the penalty moneys have not been expended five years after deposit, the penalty moneys may be used, upon appropriation, to finance newly constructed affordable housing units in the state without any geographic restrictions.
(d)(1) The liability, penalties, and remedies imposed by this section are in addition to any other liability, penalties, and remedies imposed by any other law.
(2)For actions brought under this section to enforce the adoption of housing element revisions pursuant to the schedule set forth in subdivision (e) of Section 65588, and where a city, county, or local agency, despite a court order, fails to meet the timelines specified in Section 65754, all of the following apply:
(A)Unless already imposed by the court, the court shall modify its prior order directing a city, county, or local agency to comply with Section 65754 to impose the maximum
penalty of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) per month, as specified in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of this section, for each additional month until the city, county, or local agency has substantially complied with Section 65754.
(B)Unless already imposed by the court, the court shall also modify its prior order directing a city, county, or local agency, to comply with Section 65754 to impose all of the remedial provisions set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 65755, until the local agency has substantially complied with Section 65754.
(C)An order imposing remedial provisions set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 65755, including any order entered pursuant to
subparagraph (B) of this paragraph, shall not suspend the city, county, or local agency’s authority to issue any type of approval identified in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 65755 that is necessary for new housing development projects that are subject to any of the following:
(i)Subdivision (c) of Section 65755.
(ii) Subdivision (d) of Section 65589.5.
(iii) Any other statutory provision that requires a city, county, or local agency to ministerially approve, without discretionary review, a housing development project.
(iv) Any other housing development project, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) of Section
65589.5 where the applicant establishes that approval of the project will not significantly impair the ability of the city, county, or local agency to comply with Section 65754.
(e)(1) The remedies available to the Attorney General
and the department pursuant to this section apply to all cities, including charter cities, and do not limit or affect the remedies available to any other party seeking to enforce the laws enumerated in subdivision (j) of Section 65585, including, but not limited to, the remedies in Article 14 (commencing with Section 65750) of Chapter 3, and attorneys’ fees pursuant to Section 1021.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(2)The remedies in Article 14 (commencing with Section 65750) of Chapter 3 apply to actions against all cities, including charter cities, to enforce the requirements of Section 65585 as a mandatory element of a general plan under Article 5 (commencing with
Section 65300) of Chapter 3. This paragraph is declaratory of existing law.
Amended by Stats. 1985, Ch. 114, Sec. 3. Effective June 28, 1985.
(a)Formal rules of evidence or procedure applicable in judicial actions and proceedings shall not apply in any proceeding subject to this title except to the extent that a public agency otherwise provides by charter, ordinance, resolution, or rule of procedure.
(b)No action, inaction, or recommendation by any public agency or its legislative body or any of its administrative agencies or officials on any matter subject to this title shall be held invalid or set aside by any court on the ground of the improper admission or rejection of evidence or by reason of any error, irregularity, informality, neglect, or omission (hereafter, error) as to any matter pertaining to petitions, applications, notices, findings, records, hearings, reports, recommendations, appeals, or any matters of procedure subject to this title, unless the court finds that the error was prejudicial and that the party complaining or appealing suffered substantial injury from that error and that a different result would have been probable if the error had not occurred. There shall be no presumption that error is prejudicial or that injury was done if the error is shown.