A video decoder receives local quantization information for a current quantization group. The video decoder determines a partitioning of a coding tree unit (CTU) of a picture of the video data into a plurality of coding units (CUs). Additionally, the video decoder derives, based at least in part on the local quantization information for the current quantization group, a quantization parameter. The current quantization group is defined as a group of successive CUs so that boundaries of the current quantization group must be boundaries of the CUs. The current quantization group may or may not be square. Additionally, the video decoder inverse quantizes, based on the quantization parameter, at least one transform coefficient of a current CU being in the current quantization group. The video decoder reconstructs, based on inverse quantized transform coefficients of the current CU, a coding block of the current CU.