ADA Compliance & CASp Inspection in Inglewood, CA

ADA Litigation Risk in Inglewood

Inglewood carries elevated ADA litigation risk driven by a predominantly pre-ADA commercial building stock (85% pre-1990), massive new pedestrian traffic from SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome, and location within the direct operating territory of California's highest-volume serial plaintiff law firms — including confirmed filings on Imperial Highway and in the salon sector.

California led all states in 2025 with 3,252 federal ADA Title III lawsuits, accounting for 37.5% of the 8,667 national filings. The Central District of California (covering LA County) handles the majority. An additional 3,091 construction-related accessibility complaints were filed in California state courts in 2024, per CCDA data. Total physical access filings (state + federal) exceeded 3,500 in the Central District/LA County alone. Seven of the top 11 zip codes for CCDA-reported complaints in 2024 were in Los Angeles County.

Inglewood faces direct serial plaintiff activity. So Cal Equal Access Group — which filed 2,598 federal ADA lawsuits in California in 2024 — has confirmed filings targeting Inglewood properties on Imperial Highway (Maldonado v. Cossio, 2024) and in the salon sector (Delapaz v. She's So Spoiled Salon, 2025). Manning Law APC filed 1,775 state-court complaints statewide in 2024. The Smith v. 116 S Market LLC case (2019, affirmed Ninth Circuit 2020) resulted in $12,000 statutory damages for parking and path-of-travel violations at an Inglewood dispensary — demonstrating that even single-property cases generate five-figure judgments.

California's triple-layered liability makes it uniquely punitive: federal ADA Title III provides injunctive relief, while the Unruh Civil Rights Act adds $4,000 minimum statutory damages per occasion (up to $12,000 with trebling), and the California Disabled Persons Act provides up to treble actual damages with a $1,000 minimum per offense. A plaintiff finding three technical violations during a single visit can demand $12,000+ in statutory damages plus attorney's fees. The upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2027 Super Bowl, and 2028 Olympics at SoFi Stadium will dramatically increase foot traffic and encounter-based ADA claims for Inglewood properties.

Building Department & Permit Requirements

Inglewood Building & Safety Division (Development Services Department)

Independent municipal jurisdiction — fully incorporated city with its own building department, planning department, and municipal code. NOT under LADBS jurisdiction.

The City of Inglewood Building & Safety Division is located on the 4th floor of Inglewood City Hall at One West Manchester Blvd. Plan Check Engineers are available 8-11 AM and 1-4 PM; Inspectors hold office hours Mon-Thu 7-8 AM and 4-5 PM. Contact: (310) 412-5294. CASp inspection reports submitted with permit applications are accepted and can expedite the accessibility review portion of plan check. There is no published CASp-specific intake process.

Inglewood Municipal Code Chapter 11, Article 2, Section 11-5 amends the California Building Code primarily in permit exemptions, fee schedules, and extent-of-alteration classifications (Minor at 25%, Medium at 50%, Major at 75% of building valuation). No local amendments to CBC Chapter 11B accessibility standards were identified. The city's building stock includes substantial pre-ADA commercial inventory along Market Street and surrounding corridors, making path-of-travel upgrades a frequent trigger during tenant improvement permitting.

The city is in the midst of a General Plan update (Next Level Inglewood) with land use changes under consideration that could trigger significant new development and associated CBC 11B compliance requirements across downtown and transit-oriented development areas. The Inglewood Transit Connector Phase 1 (2026-2028) will deliver new sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure along Market Street, increasing both public-side accessibility and private-side compliance scrutiny.