Skip to content
ChatProjectCodes

Chapter 3 — OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE

Section 308

California Building Code (Title 24, Part 2) · 2022 edition · updated 2026-09-12 · California

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

308.1 Institutional Group I.

Institutional Group I occupancy includes, among others, the use of a building or structure, or a portion thereof, in which care or supervision is provided to persons who are or are incapable of self-preservation without physical assistance or in which persons are detained for penal

or correctional purposes or in which the liberty of the occupants is restricted. Institutional occupancies shall be classified as Group I-2, I-2.1, I-3 or I-4. Restraint shall not be permitted in any building except in Group I-2 occupancies constructed for such use in accordance with Section 407.1.1 and Group I-3 occupancies constructed for such use in accordance with Section 408.1.2.

Where occupancies house both ambulatory and nonambu- latory persons, the more restrictive requirements shall apply.

308.2 Institutional Group I-1.

Not used. (See Group R-2.1 Section 310.1).

308.3 Institutional Group I-2.

Institutional Group I-2 occupancy shall include buildings and structures used for medical care on a 24-hour basis for more than five persons who are incapable of self-preservation or classified as nonambulatory or bedridden . This group shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

Detoxification facilities Hospitals Nursing homes Psychiatric hospitals

308.3. 1 Five or fewer persons receiving medical care. A facility with five or fewer persons receiving medical care shall be classified as Group R-3 .1 or shall comply with the California Residential Code provided an automatic sprinkler system is installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.3 or Section R313 of the California Residential Code .

3-10 2022 CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE

Copyright © 2022 by, or licensed to, International Code Council, Inc. (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED); licensed to California Building Standards Commission pursuant to License Agreement. No further reproductions is authorized. 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.

OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE

308.4.5 Condition 5. This occupancy condition shall include buildings in which free movement is restricted from an occupied space. Staff-controlled manual release is provided to permit movement from sleeping units, activity spaces and other occupied areas within the smoke compartment to other smoke compartments.

308.4.6 Condition 6. This occupancy condition shall include buildings containing only one temporary holding facility with six or fewer persons under restraint or secu- rity where the building is protected throughout with a monitored automatic sprinkler system installed in accor- dance with Section 903.3.1.1 and where the temporary holding facility is protected throughout with an automatic fire alarm system with notification appliances. A Condi- tion 6 building shall be permitted to be classified as a Group B occupancy.

308.4.7 Condition 7. This occupancy condition shall include buildings containing only one temporary holding facility with nine or less persons under restraint or secu- rity where limited to the first or second story, provided the building complies with Section 408.1.2.6. A Condition 7 building shall be permitted to be classified as a Group B occupancy.

308.4.8 Condition 8. This occupancy condition shall include buildings containing not more than four secure interview rooms located within the same fire area where not more than six occupants under restraint are located in the same fire area. A Condition 8 building shall be is per- mitted to be classified as a Group B occupancy, provided the requirements in Section 408.1.2.7 are met.

308.4.9 Condition 9. This occupancy condition shall include buildings where the use of the building is for correctional medical care or correctional mental health care.

308.5 Institutional Group I-4, day care facilities.

Institutional Group I-4 occupancy shall include buildings and structures occupied by more than six clients of any age who receive custodial care for fewer than 24 hours per day by persons other than parents or guardians; relatives by blood, marriage or adoption; and in a place other than the home of the clients cared for. This group shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

Adult day care Child care (not classified as Group E)

308.5.1 Reserved.

308.5.2 Within a place of religious worship. Rooms and spaces within places of religious worship providing such care during religious functions shall be licensed by the California State Department Health Services as required by Health and Safety Code Division 2 Chapter 3.5.

308.5.3 Six or fewer persons receiving care. A facility having six or fewer persons receiving custodial care shall be licensed pursuant to Health and Safety Code Division 2 Chapter 3.5 or 3.6.

308.3.2 Reserved.

308.3.3 Institutional Group I-2.1. A healthcare facility that receives persons for outpatient medical care that may render the patient incapable of unassisted self- preservation and where each tenant space accommo- dates more than five such patients.

308.4 Institutional Group I-3.

Institutional Group I-3 occupancy shall include buildings or portions of buildings and structures that are inhabited by one or more persons who are under restraint or security. A Group I-3 facility is occupied by persons who are generally incapable of self-preservation due to security measures not under the occupants’ control which includes persons restrained . This group shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

Correctional centers

Correctional hospitals Correctional nursing facilities Correctional mental health facilities Correctional treatment centers Courthouse holding facility Detention centers Detention treatment room Jails Juvenile halls Prerelease centers Prisons Reformatories Secure interview rooms Temporary holding facility Buildings of Group I-3 shall be classified as one of the occupancy conditions specified in Sections 308.4.1 through 308.5.8 and shall comply with Section 408.

308.4.1 Condition 1. This occupancy condition shall include buildings in which free movement is allowed from sleeping areas, and other spaces where access or occupancy is permitted, to the exterior via means of egress without restraint. A Condition 1 facility is permitted to be constructed as Group R.

308.4.2 Condition 2. This occupancy condition shall include buildings in which free movement is allowed from sleeping areas and any other occupied smoke compartment to one or more other smoke compartments. Egress to the exterior is impeded by locked exits.

308.4.3 Condition 3. This occupancy condition shall include buildings in which free movement is allowed within individual smoke compartments, such as within a residential unit composed of individual sleeping units and group activity spaces, where egress is impeded by remotecontrolled release of means of egress from such a smoke compartment to another smoke compartment.

308.4.4 Condition 4. This occupancy condition shall include buildings in which free movement is restricted from an occupied space. Remote-controlled release is provided to permit movement from sleeping units, activity spaces and other occupied areas within the smoke compartment to other smoke compartments.

Copyright © 2022 by, or licensed to, International Code Council, Inc. (ALL RIGHTS RESERVED); licensed to California Building Standards Commission pursuant to License Agreement. No further reproductions is authorized. 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.

OCCUPANCY CLASSIFICATION AND USE

308.5.4 Six or fewer persons receiving care in a dwell- ing unit. A facility such as the above within a dwelling unit and having six or fewer persons receiving custodial care shall be classified as a Group R-3 occupancy , where occupants are not capable of responding to an emergency situation without physical assistance from the staff shall be classified as a Group I-4.

Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.

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

GoCodebook provides public access, search, citation, multilingual explanation, and practical interpretation of legally adopted building regulations. It is not a substitute for the official ICC or California code publications.