We have used cDNA probes for lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase to determine the chromosomal and subchromosomal locations of the human genes for these lipolytic enzymes. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from 17 independent mouse-human somatic cell hybrids demonstrated the presence of the gene for human lipoprotein lipase on chromosome 8, whereas the gene for hepatic lipase was on chromosome 15. Regional mapping of the genes by in situ hybridization to human chromosomes indicated that the lipoprotein lipase gene (LPL) resides in the p22 region of chromosome 8, while hepatic lipase gene (HL) resides in the q21 region of chromosome 15. We previously reported, on the basis of nucleotide and amino acid homologies, that these genes are members of a gene family of lipases, and, thus, the present findings indicate that the members of this family are dispersed. The results are also of significance with respect to disorders involving deficiencies of the enzymes. In particular, they suggest that certain rare combined deficiencies of both enzymes do not involve mutations of the structural loci.