San Francisco Fire Code § 113.6 Criminal Penalties

Pursuant to California Government Code Section 36900, any person who violates, disobeys, omits, neglects, or refuses to comply with any of the provisions of this code or any lawful order issued under this code shall be guilty of an infraction or a misdemeanor. The fire code official shall determine, and the citation shall specify, whether the violation charged is a misdemeanor or an infraction.

If charged as an infraction of a city building or safety code, the penalty shall be 1) a fine not to exceed $130 for a first violation, 2) not to exceed $700 for a second violation of the same section or subsection within one year of the date of the first violation, and 3a) not to exceed $1,300 for each additional violation of the same section or subsection within one year of the date of the first violation, or 3b) a fine not exceeding $2,500 for each additional violation of the same ordinance within two years of the first violation if the property is a commercial property that has an existing building at the time of the violation and the violation is due to failure by the owner to remove visible refuse or failure to prohibit unauthorized use of the property.

If charged as a misdemeanor, the penalty shall be a fine of not less than $500, or more than $1,000, or imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six (6) months, or both a fine and imprisonment, no part of which may be suspended. Every day such violation, disobedience, omission, neglect or refusal continues is a new offense. Any person engaging in any work in violation of the provisions of this code, and any person having charge of such work who permits it to be done, shall be liable for the penalty provided.

All criminal penalty fines, including late payment fees, shall be payable to the Fire Department and upon receipt by the Department, these associated revenues shall be deposited in a designated Bureau of Fire Prevention project account to support expenditures related to community outreach, internal fire prevention personnel training, and other fire safety education and prevention programs.

113.7. Designated Officers and Employees.

Pursuant to California Penal Code Section 836.5, the classes of officers or employees of the City and County of San Francisco listed below are empowered to enforce all provisions of this code against violations as a misdemeanor or infraction by exercising arrest and citation authority: