Los Angeles voters appear to have approved Measure FD on Nov. 3, a half-cent LAFD sales tax that lifts the city rate from 10.25% to 10.75%. The increase has not started, and it cannot begin before spring 2027.
What the LAFD sales tax count shows
Measure FD led 53.66% to 46.34% in the unofficial count posted Nov. 6 at 10:59 p.m. That is 519,390 yes votes and 448,511 no votes, according to the LA County Registrar-Recorder results page. Backers put the measure on the ballot by petition, so it needed a simple majority, not two-thirds, as LAist explains. However, the count is not final. The county has until Dec. 3 to certify results, so the margin can still move.
When the 10.75% rate starts
The tax starts on the first day of a calendar quarter that falls more than 110 days after the City Council adopts the ordinance, LAist reports. So the council must act first, and that comes after certification. NBC Los Angeles says the earliest start is April 1, 2027. Until then, shoppers in the city keep paying 10.25%. That rate rose from 9.75% in October after county Measure ER passed.
What the money pays for
Supporters say the tax raises about $345 million a year. The money goes into a special fund for the Los Angeles Fire Department. It pays for firefighters and paramedics, vehicles and equipment, fire stations and brush clearance. The fund cannot pay for the LAPD, homelessness programs or other city services.
The firefighters’ union argues that response times run about double the four-minute national benchmark. The campaign group Fund LA Fire says seconds can decide whether a patient survives. On the other side, the Los Angeles Police Protective League and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association opposed the measure. They argue the city should fund the department without asking residents to pay more at the register.
What it means at the register
The change adds 5 cents to each $10 purchase. So a $200 purchase costs $1 more. Most grocery staples stay exempt under state rules, but restaurant meals and retail goods carry the tax.
The new rate also changes how Los Angeles compares with its neighbors. LAist lists Palmdale and Lancaster at 11.75%, and Santa Monica and Culver City at 11.25%. Meanwhile, Santa Clarita and Beverly Hills sit at 10.25%, so they will now charge less than Los Angeles.
Next, watch for county certification by Dec. 3 and then a council vote on the ordinance. For background, see our guide on how the Los Angeles sales tax works, our city ballot measures guide and the charter amendment results. More money coverage sits in the Money and Business hub. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- results.lavote.gov/text-results/4348
- laist.com/news/politics/voter-guides/2026-election-general-los-angeles-measure-fd-sales-tax
- laist.com/news/politics/voters-have-chosen-to-increase-las-sales-tax
- nbclosangeles.com/elections/measure-fd-los-angeles-fire
- mynewsla.com/government/2026/11/01/la-voters-to-decide-10-local-measures