Beginning TODAY, May 26, 2022, the Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) is now accepting Social Equity Individual Applicant (“SEIA”) Eligibility Verification requests. SEIA Verification is a process where an individual may request to be verified based on the criteria set forth in Los Angeles Municipal Code section 104.20(b)(1) to participate in the Social Equity Program. Individuals may request to be verified through July 25, 2022 at 4:00 P.M. Pacific Time (PT).

An individual requesting to be verified as a SEIA must submit required information and supporting documentation via the online SEIA Eligibility Verification Request Form. Unless an accommodation is requested, the online SEIA Eligibility Verification Request Form is the only way individuals can request to be verified. The City of Los Angeles will provide reasonable accommodation(s) to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and facilities for people with disabilities. To make a request, please contact us at dcr.sep@lacity.org or (213) 978-0738, at least ten business days before the submission deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Requesters must have an ACA Reference ID in order to proceed through the online SEIA Eligibility Verification Request Form. ACA Reference ID numbers are assigned when an account is registered on the DCR Licensing Portal and can be found under the "Account Management" tab. A video tutorial on “How to Look Up your Accela Citizen Access Reference ID Number” is also available.

Please visit the DCR Social Equity Program Individual Applicant Eligibility Verification webpage to learn more and review resources to assist you in this process. On the webpage, you will find recordings of a webinar that provided a general overview of the eligibility verification request process and a webinar about the online SEIA Eligibility Verification Request Form which explained how to upload required documents. A third and final webinar will be held June 14, 2022 at 6:00 P.M. via Zoom. You can RSVP here to submit questions which will be answered during the webinar.

The Social Equity Program focuses on the inclusion and support of individuals in the City’s legal cannabis marketplace who may have been negatively or disproportionately impacted by prior cannabis criminalization. As part of that effort, cannabis business licenses for retail, delivery and cultivation are exclusively available to verified Social Equity Individual Applicants until January 1, 2025. Individuals who were previously verified as Social Equity Individual Applicants in 2019 and who wish to pursue a retail storefront license application as part of the Phase 3 Retail Round 2 lottery, must be verified again under the updated criteria in order to participate.

Please visit the DCR Social Equity Program Individual Applicant Eligibility Verification webpage to learn more about this process, and to prepare your questions for the upcoming webinar mentioned below. The webpage outlines the criteria for eligibility, documentation required to prove eligibility, as well as various resources and guides to help applicants through the verification process, including a pre-recorded informational video, a preparatory checklist and eligibility verification frequently asked questions (FAQ). The video and presentation slides from the May 10 and May 24 webinars can be found here.

We encourage all those who wish to become verified to join the Social Equity Individual Applicant Eligibility Verification webinar hosted by DCR’s Social Equity Program on June 14, 2022 at 6:00 P.M.

Or One tap mobile :

Or Telephone:

Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):

Webinar ID: 884 9611 9635

International numbers available: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kefsqHyBTp