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Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE

Section 303

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2019 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

Italicized text is a California amendment to the model code, as printed in the official publication.

303.1 Assembly Group A.

Assembly Group A occupancy includes, among others, the use of a building or structure, or a portion thereof, for the gathering of persons for purposes such as civic, social or religious functions; recreation, food or drink consumption or awaiting transportation; motion picture and television production studio sound stages, approved pro- duction facilities and production locations; or for the show- ing of motion pictures when an admission fee is charged and when such building or structure is open to the public and has a capacity of 10 or more persons.

303.1.1 Small buildings and tenant spaces. A building or tenant space used for assembly purposes with an occupant load of less than 50 persons shall be classified as a Group B occupancy.

303.1.2 Small assembly spaces. The following rooms and spaces shall not be classified as Assembly occupancies:

  1. A room or space used for assembly purposes with an occupant load of less than 50 persons and accessory

Copyright © 2019 ICC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Accessed by Kevin Day (kevin.day@dgs.ca.gov), (California Building Standards Commission) Order Number #100735044 on Jul 24, 2019 03:54 PM (PDT) pursuant to License Agreement with ICC. No further reproduction or distribution authorized. Single user only, copying and networking prohibited. ANY UNAUTHORIZED REPRODUCTION OR DISTRIBUTION IS A VIOLATION OF THE FEDERAL COPYRIGHT ACT AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT, AND SUBJECT TO CIVIL AND CRIMINAL PENALTIES THEREUNDER.

100735044

OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE

to another occupancy shall be classified as a Group B occupancy or as part of that occupancy.

  1. A room or space used for assembly purposes that is less than 750 square feet (70 m 2 ) in area and accessory to another occupancy shall be classified as a Group B occupancy or as part of that occupancy.

303.1.3 Associated with Group E occupancies. A room or space used for assembly purposes that is associated with a Group E occupancy is not considered a separate occupancy.

303.1.4 Accessory to places of religious worship. Accessory religious educational rooms and religious auditoriums with occupant loads of less than 100 per room or space are not considered separate occupancies.

303.2 Assembly Group A-1.

Group A-1 occupancy includes assembly uses, usually with fixed seating, intended for the production and viewing of the performing arts or motion pictures including, but not limited to:

Motion picture and television production studio sound stages, approved production facilities and production locations. (with live audiences). Motion picture theaters Symphony and concert halls Television and radio studios admitting an audience Theaters

303.3 Assembly Group A-2.

Group A-2 occupancy includes assembly uses intended for food and/or drink consumption including, but not limited to:

Banquet halls Casinos (gaming areas) Nightclubs Restaurants, cafeterias and similar dining facilities

(including associated commercial kitchens) Taverns and bars

303.4 Assembly Group A-3.

Group A-3 occupancy includes assembly uses intended for worship, recreation or amusement and other assembly uses not classified elsewhere in Group A including, but not limited to:

Amusement arcades Art galleries Bowling alleys Community halls Courtrooms Dance halls (not including food or drink consumption) Exhibition halls Funeral parlors Greenhouses for the conservation and exhibition of plants

that provide public access. Gymnasiums (without spectator seating) Indoor swimming pools (without spectator seating) Indoor tennis courts (without spectator seating) Lecture halls Libraries Museums Places of religious worship Pool and billiard parlors Waiting areas in transportation terminals

303.5 Assembly Group A-4.

Group A-4 occupancy includes assembly uses intended for viewing of indoor sporting events and activities with spectator seating including, but not limited to:

Arenas Skating rinks Swimming pools Tennis courts

303.6 Assembly Group A-5.

Group A-5 occupancy includes assembly uses intended for participation in or viewing outdoor activities including, but not limited to:

Amusement park structures Bleachers Grandstands Stadiums

303.7 Fixed guideway transit systems. [SFM]

Fixed guide- way transit system buildings shall conform to the require- ments of this code for their occupancy classification in addition to the provisions set forth in Section 443.

303.8 Subterranean spaces for winery facilities in natural

or manmade caves. [SFM] For fire and life safety require- ments, see Section 446.

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▸Contents — California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2)
  1. Chapter 2 — DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS
  2. Appendix G — FLOOD-RESISTANT
  3. Appendix L — EARTHQUAKE RECORDING
  4. Appendix M — TSUNAMI-GENERATED
  5. Chapter 1 — SCOPE AND ADMINISTRATION
  6. ▸Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE
    Overview
    1. Section 301
    2. Section 302
    3. Section 303
    4. Section 304
    5. Section 305
    6. Section 306
    7. Section 307
    8. Section 308
    9. Section 309
    10. Section 310
    11. Section 311
    12. Section 312
    13. Section 313
    14. Section 314
  7. Chapter 4 — SPECIAL DETAILED REQUIREMENTS BASED
  8. Chapter 5 — GENERAL BUILDING HEIGHTS AND AREAS
  9. Chapter 6 — TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION
  10. Chapter 7 — FIRE AND SMOKE PROTECTION FEATURES
  11. Chapter 7A — MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION
  12. Chapter 8 — INTERIOR FINISHES
  13. Chapter 9 — FIRE PROTECTION AND LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS
  14. Chapter 10 — MEANS OF EGRESS
  15. Chapter 11A — HOUSING ACCESSIBILITY
  16. Chapter 11B — ACCESSIBILITY TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PUBLIC ACCOMM…
  17. Chapter 12 — INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT
  18. Chapter 14 — EXTERIOR WALLS
  19. Chapter 15 — ROOF ASSEMBLIES AND ROOFTOP STRUCTURES
  20. Chapter 16 — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  21. Chapter 16A — STRUCTURAL DESIGN
  22. Chapter 17 — SPECIAL INSPECTIONS AND TESTS
  23. Chapter 18 — SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
  24. Chapter 19 — CONCRETE
  25. Chapter 20 — ALUMINUM
  26. Chapter 21 — MASONRY
  27. Chapter 22 — STEEL
  28. Chapter 23 — WOOD
  29. Chapter 24 — GLASS AND GLAZING
  30. Chapter 25 — GYPSUM BOARD, GYPSUM PANEL PRODUCTS AND PLASTER
  31. Chapter 26 — PLASTIC
  32. Chapter 27 — ELECTRICAL
  33. Chapter 28 — MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
  34. Chapter 30 — ELEVATORS AND CONVEYING SYSTEMS
  35. Chapter 31 — SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION
  36. Chapter 31B — PUBLIC POOLS
  37. Chapter 31C — RADIATION
  38. Chapter 31D — FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
  39. Chapter 31F — MARINE OIL TERMINALS
  40. Chapter 32 — ENCROACHMENTS INTO THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY
  41. Chapter 33 — SAFEGUARDS DURING CONSTRUCTION
  42. Chapter 35 — REFERENCED STANDARDS
  43. Appendix A — EMPLOYEE QUALIFICATIONS
  44. Appendix B — BOARD OF APPEALS
  45. Appendix C — GROUP U – AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS
  46. Appendix D — FIRE DISTRICTS
  47. Appendix F — RODENTPROOFING
  48. Appendix H — SIGNS
  49. Appendix I — PATIO COVERS
  50. Appendix J — GRADING
  51. Appendix K — GROUP R-3 AND GROUP R-3.1 OCCUPANCIES
  52. Appendix N — REPLICABLE BUILDINGS
  53. Appendix O — EMERGENCY HOUSING

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