California has 21 regional centers that serve people with developmental disabilities. Most counties are served by one center, and many centers cover several counties. Los Angeles County is the exception: it is split among seven regional centers, more than any other county in the state.
This guide explains what regional centers do, why LA has seven, and how to tell which one serves your address. Use the interactive map to see each center’s area, the communities it covers, and how to reach it.
One county, seven regional centers
Source: California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) caseload data, December 2025 report. IHSS Connect added the seven LA centers together.
What a regional center does
Regional centers help people with developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism, plan for and get services throughout their lives. They also run Early Start, the state’s program for babies and toddlers under 3 who have developmental delays or are at risk for them.
Each eligible person gets a service coordinator and a written plan: an Individual Program Plan (IPP) from age 3, or an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) in Early Start. The center then arranges and pays for services in that plan that other programs don’t cover.
Regional centers aren't county offices
Regional centers are private nonprofit agencies that the state contracts with to serve people with developmental disabilities (Welfare and Institutions Code §4620). The California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) oversees them.
That makes them separate from the county's IHSS program, which is run by the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) in Los Angeles County. Many families work with both.
Why Los Angeles has seven
We couldn’t find an official explanation for why the county was divided this way, but the scale is clear. In the state’s December 2025 caseload report, LA County’s seven regional centers together served 149,908 people, about 29% of the 519,111 people served statewide. The next-largest region, Inland Regional Center, covers both Riverside and San Bernardino counties and served 62,203.
LA's seven centers serve more people than any other region
Each bar is the number of people a regional center (or LA's seven together) served.
Source: DDS, "Consumers Served by Residence Type and Regional Center," December 2025 report (data through November 2025), California Health and Human Services Open Data Portal. Statewide total: 519,111. A handful of very small counts are hidden by DDS for privacy, so totals are slightly low.
Even split seven ways, the load is large. The biggest LA center, North Los Angeles County Regional Center, served 40,829 people on its own, more than all but two regional centers in the state.
Which regional center serves you?
Your regional center is set by where you live. Find your area, then call that center.
Tap a name below, or an area on the map, to see who that center serves and how to reach it.
Together: 149,908 people served
North Los Angeles County Regional Center
NLACRC · The San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys.
in late 2025
Cities and communities include
- Lancaster
- Palmdale
- Santa Clarita
- Valencia
- Newhall
- Castaic
- San Fernando
- Sylmar
- Pacoima
- Northridge
- Van Nuys
- North Hollywood
- Sherman Oaks
- Studio City
- Encino
- Woodland Hills
- Sunland-Tujunga
- Calabasas
- Agoura Hills
- Westlake Village
- 9200 Oakdale Ave., Suite 100, Chatsworth, CA 91311
- (818) 778-1900
- nlacrc.org
Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center
FDLRC · Central Los Angeles and the Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena area.
in late 2025
Cities and communities include
- Burbank
- Glendale
- Pasadena*
- La Cañada Flintridge
- La Crescenta
- Montrose
- West Hollywood
- Hollywood
- Downtown LA
- Koreatown
- Silver Lake
- Echo Park
- Los Feliz
- Chinatown
- Fairfax
* Split between two centers. Call to confirm which one serves your address.
- 3303 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90010
- (213) 383-1300
- lanterman.org
Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center
ELARC · East LA, the western San Gabriel Valley and the Whittier area.
in late 2025
Cities and communities include
- East Los Angeles
- Boyle Heights
- Lincoln Heights
- El Sereno
- Highland Park
- Eagle Rock*
- Alhambra
- Monterey Park
- San Gabriel
- San Marino
- South Pasadena
- Rosemead
- Temple City*
- Montebello
- Commerce
- Pico Rivera
- Whittier
- Santa Fe Springs
- La Mirada
* Split between two centers. Call to confirm which one serves your address.
- 1000 S. Fremont, Alhambra, CA
- (626) 299-4700
- elarc.org
San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center
SG/PRC · The San Gabriel Valley east to Pomona and Claremont.
in late 2025
Cities and communities include
- Altadena
- Arcadia
- Sierra Madre
- Monrovia
- Duarte
- Azusa
- Glendora
- San Dimas
- La Verne
- Claremont
- Pomona
- Diamond Bar
- Walnut
- Covina
- West Covina
- Baldwin Park
- El Monte
- South El Monte
- La Puente
- Hacienda Heights
- Rowland Heights
- 75 Rancho Camino Dr., Pomona, CA 91766
- (909) 620-7722
- sgprc.org
South Central Los Angeles Regional Center
SCLARC · South Los Angeles and the cities to its southeast.
in late 2025
Cities and communities include
- Watts
- Exposition Park
- Leimert Park
- Crenshaw
- Florence-Firestone
- Willowbrook
- Compton
- Lynwood
- South Gate
- Huntington Park
- Bell
- Bell Gardens
- Cudahy
- Maywood
- Downey
- Paramount
- Carson*
* Split between two centers. Call to confirm which one serves your address.
- 2500 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90018
- (213) 744-7000
- sclarc.org
Westside Regional Center
WRC · The coast from Malibu to the South Bay, plus Inglewood and Hawthorne.
in late 2025
Cities and communities include
- Malibu
- Pacific Palisades
- Santa Monica
- Brentwood
- Westwood
- Beverly Hills
- Venice
- Mar Vista
- Palms
- Culver City
- Marina del Rey
- Westchester
- Playa del Rey
- Inglewood
- Hawthorne
- Lennox
- El Segundo
- Lawndale
- Gardena
- Redondo Beach*
* Split between two centers. Call to confirm which one serves your address.
- 5901 Green Valley Circle, Suite 320, Culver City, CA 90230
- (310) 258-4000
- westsiderc.org
Harbor Regional Center
HRC · The South Bay, the harbor area, Long Beach and Catalina Island.
in late 2025
Cities and communities include
- Torrance
- Redondo Beach*
- Hermosa Beach
- Manhattan Beach
- Palos Verdes Estates
- Rancho Palos Verdes
- Lomita
- Harbor City
- San Pedro
- Wilmington
- Carson*
- Long Beach
- Signal Hill
- Lakewood
- Bellflower
- Norwalk
- Cerritos
- Artesia
- Hawaiian Gardens
- Avalon (Catalina)
* Split between two centers. Call to confirm which one serves your address.
- 21231 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503
- (310) 540-1711
- harborrc.org
Boundaries from DDS regional center catchment-area data (California Health and Human Services Open Data Portal), simplified for display. Lines near borders are approximate. People served: DDS caseload data, December 2025 report. Addresses and phones from DDS's regional center directory, verified November 2026.
Find your regional center
You don’t choose your regional center. It’s decided by where the person with the disability lives. Tap any area on the map below, or a name in the list, to see that center’s communities, address and phone number.
The lines don't follow city limits
In Los Angeles County, regional center areas are drawn by the county's health districts, not by city limits. The City of Los Angeles alone is divided among six of the seven centers, and some cities are split. Harbor Regional Center, for example, serves only the part of Carson south of the 405 freeway.
Some ZIP codes near the lines appear under two centers. If you live near a border, call the center you think is yours and give them your full address. If it isn't theirs, they can tell you which center is.
A few cities are split between two centers. Carson, Redondo Beach, Temple City and parts of Pasadena and Eagle Rock are examples. If you live near a boundary, call the center you think serves you and give them your full address.
Why "people served" numbers don't always match
We use the state's own count: DDS caseload data reported for December 2025. Some centers' websites and brochures show different, often undated, numbers. South Central Los Angeles Regional Center's 2026 overview, for example, gives two different totals on different pages.
DDS's dataset doesn't say whether babies and toddlers in Early Start are included in every count, and it hides a few very small numbers for privacy. Treat the figures as close, not exact.
What's the same at every center
All seven centers work under the same state law, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act. To qualify, a person’s disability must begin before age 18, be expected to continue indefinitely, and be a substantial disability. Children under 5 can sometimes be found provisionally eligible without a diagnosis.
To get started, call the regional center that serves your address and ask for intake.
Same law, same timelines, at all seven
All seven follow the Lanterman Act. Once you ask for help, a center must do an intake within 15 working days. If an assessment is needed, it must be done within 120 days of intake, or within 60 days if waiting would put the person's health or safety at risk (Welfare and Institutions Code §§4642–4643).
For babies and toddlers under 3, Early Start has its own timeline: 45 days from referral to a service plan. Neither Early Start nor Lanterman eligibility is based on income.
Moving within LA County
Because regional centers are assigned by address, moving across the county can mean moving to a different center, even if you only go a few miles. Your eligibility moves with you.
Moving across town can change your center
Because centers are assigned by address, a move from, say, Long Beach to Pasadena means switching regional centers. You don't have to prove eligibility again. If you're eligible at one center, you're eligible at any other center in California (Welfare and Institutions Code §4643.5).
Your services should continue while the new center writes a new plan. Tell your current service coordinator before you move so the transfer starts early.
Regional centers and IHSS
Many regional center families also get In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), which pays a caregiver to help with personal care and household tasks. In Los Angeles County, IHSS is run by the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS), not by your regional center. DPSS’s IHSS brochure lists 1-888-944-4477 for applications.
Your service coordinator can help you understand how IHSS fits with your regional center services, but the two programs make separate decisions.
Your regional center may ask you to apply for IHSS
By law, a regional center can't pay for a service that IHSS would cover if you meet IHSS criteria but choose not to apply (Welfare and Institutions Code §4659(c)). In LA County, you apply for IHSS through DPSS, not through your regional center.
IHSS and regional center services can be used together. If you're in the Self-Determination Program, you choose and hire your own staff, and you can use IHSS Connect to find them.
If you disagree with your regional center
Every regional center decision about eligibility or services can be appealed. The rules are the same at all seven centers.
60 days to appeal, 30 days to keep your services
If a regional center denies, reduces or ends a service, it must send you a written Notice of Action. You have 60 days from receiving it to appeal. To keep your current services during the appeal, file within 30 days and before the change takes effect.
Free help: the Office of Clients' Rights Advocacy (OCRA) at 1-800-390-7032 (TTY 877-669-6023), or Disability Rights California at 1-800-776-5746.
You can also ask for an informal meeting or mediation before a hearing. The DDS appeals information packet explains each option.
Find a caregiver in Los Angeles County
Whether your care comes through IHSS, your regional center, or both, you still need a caregiver. IHSS Connect is a free online registry where LA County families and caregivers can find each other by city, county or ZIP code.
Families in the Self-Determination Program choose and hire their own staff, and IHSS Connect gives them a place to look. See all regional centers on IHSS Connect.
Find care, or find work, anywhere in LA County.
IHSS Connect is a free online registry for families and caregivers. Search by city, county or ZIP code, from Lancaster to Long Beach.
Browse caregivers near you, read their profiles, and message the ones who fit.
Find caregiversSee job posts from families near you and build a profile families can find.
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Served by a regional center? IHSS Connect works for IHSS, WPCS, respite and Self-Determination. See our pages for San Gabriel/Pomona and Westside families, or all regional centers.
IHSS Connect helps you find each other. Hiring happens between you, and IHSS pay goes through the state's IHSS payroll, not through IHSS Connect. New here? See how it works.
Read more
More guides from IHSS Connect
- IHSS in Los Angeles County: How to Apply, What Providers Earn, and Which Regional Center Serves You
- Regional Centers in California: What They Do and How to Get Help
- What Services Can I Get from a California Regional Center?
- How to Set Up a Relative as an IHSS Provider in Los Angeles County
- IHSS and Regional Center in 2026: New DDS Data Sharing Explained
- Alta California Regional Center: Services, History, and How to Get Started
Sources
Every figure in this article traces to one of these records. Each opens in a new tab.
- DDS — Regional Center Catchment Areas (CHHS Open Data Portal)Boundary data used for the map; describes LA County areas by health district. Data last edited 2026.
- DDS — Consumers Served by Residence Type and Regional Center (CHHS Open Data Portal)People served by each regional center; period 2025-12 (data through November 2025). Statewide total 519,111; LA's seven centers total 149,908 (IHSS Connect's sum).
- DDS — Regional Center Directory (Attachment F, FY 2025–27)Addresses, main phone numbers and websites for all seven LA County centers.
- DDS — Regional Center Listings21 regional centers; seven serve Los Angeles County.
- Harbor Regional Center — HRC Service AreaCities served, including Avalon and the part of Carson south of the 405 freeway.
- Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center — OverviewAreas served: Hollywood-Wilshire, Central LA, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta.
- North Los Angeles County Regional Center — Catchment Area (Appendix 2)San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys; ZIP codes served.
- South Central Los Angeles Regional Center — 2026 At a GlanceHealth districts served; boundaries; main line (213) 744-7000; two different, undated totals of people served.
- Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center — Los Angeles County Regional Centers handoutUndated; general areas and ZIP codes for all seven centers. Used to identify split ZIP codes.
- Welfare and Institutions Code §4620 (public.law, verified Nov. 2, 2026)Private nonprofit community agencies operate regional centers.
- Welfare and Institutions Code §4643 (public.law)Assessment within 120 days of intake; 60 days when delay risks health or safety.
- DDS — Intake and Assessment Requirements (Sept. 30, 2022)Intake within 15 working days (§4642(a)(2)); assessment timelines (§4643(a)).
- Welfare and Institutions Code §4512 (Justia, 2025)Definition of developmental disability.
- Welfare and Institutions Code §4659 (Justia, 2025)Regional centers may not buy services available from IHSS when a consumer meets the criteria but chooses not to pursue it.
- Welfare and Institutions Code §4643.5 (public.law)Eligibility carries over when you move to another regional center's area.
- DDS — Lanterman Act Appeals Flow Chart (effective Mar. 1, 2023)60 days to appeal; 30 days and before the effective date to keep services (aid paid pending).
- County of Los Angeles DPSS — IHSS brochure (PA 6253, July 2024)DPSS runs IHSS in Los Angeles County; applications 1-888-944-4477.
- Disability Rights California — RULA 10.12, Appeal TimelinesAppeal timelines under §4715.
DDS and the Lanterman Act are the authority for regional center rules, boundaries and caseload figures; each regional center is the authority on whether it serves your address. Where a center's materials and the statute differ, the statute governs.
About this article
IHSS Connect publishes this article for general information and education. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. IHSS Connect is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the California Department of Developmental Services or any of the seven Los Angeles County regional centers.
Program rules, boundaries and phone numbers change. Only a regional center can decide whether you are eligible for its services, and only the center itself can confirm that it serves your address.
If a decision on your case looks wrong, or you want advice about your own situation, talk to someone who can look at your file:
- Free and low-cost legal help: LawHelpCA.org
- Office of Clients’ Rights Advocacy (OCRA): 1-800-390-7032
- DDS information line: (833) 421-0061
Regional center contacts, boundaries and caseload figures last verified November 2026.
