CWUIC · California Wildland-Urban Interface Code

Are public hearings or county notifications required for designation changes?

If the State Fire Marshal adopts, revises, or repeals a fire hazard severity zone (the State mapping actions addressed by the CWUIC), the proposed regulation must be sent to the county board of supervisors at least 45 days before adoption and a public hearing must be held in that county during that 45‑day period (PRC § 4203, referenced by CWUIC § 302.1).

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Last reviewed: July 6, 2026

What the code requires — plain English

The State Fire Marshal must follow the California Public Resources Code procedure when it designates or assigns a rating to a fire hazard severity zone: the proposed regulation must be transmitted to the county board of supervisors at least 45 days before adoption and a public hearing must be held in that county during that 45‑day period. This requirement appears in § 4203 of the Public Resources Code and is incorporated into the CWUIC mapping provisions referenced by § 302.1.

The single most important rule: any State Fire Marshal regulation that designates or rates a fire hazard zone must be sent to the county board at least 45 days before adoption and a public hearing must be held in that county during that 45‑day window.

Requirements in detail

Who triggers the procedure

  • The action is taken by the State Fire Marshal (not by individual counties) when adopting a regulation that designates a zone or assigns a rating. § 4203(a).
  • The CWUIC mapping section § 302.1 links the CWUIC mapping rules to the State Fire Marshal’s statutory designation process. § 302.1 references the Public Resources Code process.

Timing and location requirements

  • Transmission to county board: at least 45 days before adoption. § 4203(b).
  • Public hearing: a public hearing must be held in the county where the zone is located during that same 45‑day period. § 4203(b).

What kinds of actions require this process

  • Initial designations, assignments of ratings, and revisions or repeals of zones (revisions/repeals must conform to § 4203 under § 4204). In short: creation, revision, reassignment, or repeal of mapped State Fire Marshal zones follows the same county notice/hearing process.

Quick decision table

Decision‑relevant dimension Value / trigger Hearing required? Code Reference
Action by State Fire Marshal: designate a new zone Proposed regulation to adopt designation Yes — public hearing in the county during the 45‑day period § 4203(b)
Action by State Fire Marshal: assign/change rating for zone Proposed regulation to assign rating Yes — same 45‑day transmission & hearing § 4203(b)
Revision or repeal of an existing zone Revision/repeal by State Fire Marshal Must conform to § 4203 (i.e., same notice/hearing) § 4204 referencing § 4203
CWUIC mapping and mapping rules Mapping stated in § 302.1 (links to PRC designations) Procedure delegated to PRC §§ 4202–4204 (see § 302.1) § 302.1 (and PRC § 4203)

Exceptions & special cases

  • Local processes: the PRC procedure governs State Fire Marshal actions (State Responsibility Areas). Local jurisdictions adopting their own local designations or ordinances may have separate noticing or ratification rules (see model guidance and other CWUIC/HSC provisions). CWUIC Appendix D is a model ordinance (informational) for local adoption — it does not replace PRC notice requirements for State actions.
  • Revisions and repeals: § 4204 requires that revisions or repeals "conform to the requirements of Section 4203," so the same 45‑day notice and county public hearing requirement applies to those changes initiated by the State Fire Marshal.
  • Fire protection districts: separate Health & Safety Code provisions and CWUIC administrative sections require certain notice/coordination for district ordinances (for example, providing a copy to the city/county 30 days before noticing a proposed ordinance), but those are distinct from the State Fire Marshal’s PRC § 4203 procedure. See CWUIC § 1.11.2.3 for the district/city/county coordination requirement.

If you need a definitive ruling about whether a specific local action (not initiated by the State Fire Marshal) must follow PRC § 4203, that depends on whether the action is a State regulation or a local ordinance; the CWUIC text ties the State mapping process to PRC §§ 4202–4204.

Common mistakes

  • Mistake: “All designation changes anywhere in the state must use the 45‑day county notice.” Reality: the 45‑day / county public hearing requirement expressly applies to designations and ratings adopted by the State Fire Marshal under § 4203. Local ordinances/municipal actions follow their own local noticing rules.
  • Mistake: “A written notice is optional or can be delayed.” The statute requires transmission to the board of supervisors at least 45 days before adoption; do not compress or ignore that minimum interval. 45 days is the explicit timing threshold in § 4203(b).
  • Mistake: “If a map update is minor, no hearing is needed.” The code does not carve out a category of “minor” changes from § 4203; revisions and repeals are directed to conform to § 4203 via § 4204. Follow the notice/hearing steps unless a different statutory exemption applies (none shown in the retrieved text).

Worked example

Scenario: The State Fire Marshal proposes a regulation to add a new Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone within County Q.

  1. Proposed regulation transmitted to County Q board of supervisors on March 1 (this starts the clock). Per § 4203(b), the transmission must occur at least 45 days before adoption.
  2. The earliest the State could adopt the regulation (given the 45‑day minimum) would be April 15 (March 1 + 45 days). A public hearing for County Q must be held sometime between March 1 and April 15 — i.e., during that 45‑day interval. If the hearing is held on March 30, the statutory requirement is satisfied so long as adoption is on or after April 15 (or later, provided procedural rules are met).
  3. If, later, the State Fire Marshal wants to revise or repeal that zone, § 4204 requires that the revision/repeal “conform to the requirements of Section 4203” — meaning the same transmission and county public hearing process must be followed for that change.

Related provisions (quick list)

  • § 302.1 — Mapping (CWUIC) — ties CWUIC mapping to PRC designation procedures.
  • § 4203 — Public Resources Code — transmission to county board and 45‑day / county public hearing requirement for State Fire Marshal designations and ratings.
  • § 4204 — PRC — periodic review; revisions/repeals must conform to § 4203.
  • CWUIC § 1.11.2.3 — Notice/coordination for fire protection district ordinances (districts must provide a copy to city/county 30 days before noticing a proposed ordinance). This is a separate local/district coordination provision.
  • CWUIC Appendix D — Model ordinance for local fire hazard severity zone adoption (informational guidance, not a substitute for statutory procedures).

If you want, I can:

  • Draft a sample 45‑day notice timeline (calendar dates) for your county; or
  • Review a proposed regulation text and identify the earliest compliant adoption date and hearing-window.

Code references

Grounded in the retrieved California Wildland-Urban Interface Code — click a citation to read the verbatim passage:

  • CWUIC § 11340.6 High relevance — show source text

    4203.

    (a) The State Fire Marshal shall, by regulation, designate fire hazard severity zones and assign to each zone a rating reflecting the degree of severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in the zone. (b) No designation of a zone and assignment of a rating shall be adopted by the State Fire Marshal until the proposed regulation has been transmitted to the board of supervisors of the county in which the zone is located at least 45 days before the adoption of the proposed regulation and a public hearing has been held in that county during that 45-day period. 4204. The State Fire Marshal shall periodically review zones designated and rated pursuant to this article and, as necessary, shall revise zones or their ratings or repeal the designation of zones. Any revision of a zone or its rating or any repeal of a zone shall conform to the requirements of Section 4203. In addition, the revision or repeal of a zone may be petitioned pursuant to Sections 11340.6 and 11340.7 of the Government Code.

    4290.

    (a) The board shall adopt regulations implementing minimum fire safety standards related to defensible space that are applicable to state responsibility area lands under the authority of the department, and to lands classified and designated as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined in subdivision (i) of Section 51177 of the Government Code. These regulations apply to the perimeters and access to all residential, commercial, and industrial building construction within state responsibility areas approved after January 1, 1991, and within lands classified and designated as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined in subdivision (i) of Section 51177 of the Government Code after July 1, 2021. The board may not adopt building standards, as defined in Section 18909 of the Health and Safety Code, under the authority of this section. As an integral part of fire safety stan- dards, the State Fire Marshal has the authority to adopt regulations for roof coverings and openings into the attic areas of buildings specified in Section 13108.5 of the Health and Safety Code. The regulations apply to the placement of mobile homes as defined by National Fire Protection Association standards. These regulations do not apply where an application for a build- ing permit was filed prior to January 1, 1991, or to parcel or tentative maps or other developments approved prior to January 1, 1991, if the final map for the tentative map is approved within the time prescribed by the local ordinance. The regulations shall include all of the following: (1) Road standards for fire equipment access. (2) Standards for signs identifying streets, roads, and buildings. (3) Minimum private water supply reserves for emergency fire use. (4) Fuel breaks and greenbelts. (b) The board shall, on and after July 1, 2021, periodically update regulations for fuel breaks and greenbelts near communities to provide greater fire safety for the perimeters to all residential, commercial, and industrial building construction within state responsibility areas and lands classified and designated as very high fire hazard severity zones, as defined in subdivision (i) of Section 51177 of the Government Code, after July 1, 2021. These regulations shall include measures to preserve undeveloped

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    APPENDIX H—REFERENCED CALIFORNIA DOCUMENTS

  • CWUIC § 2024 High relevance — show source text

    This change expands the current process from two independent 1-year cycles to a single continuous 3year cycle. There will be two groups of code development committees and they will meet in separate years. The current groups will be reworked. With the energy provisions of the International Energy Conservation Code ® (IECC®) and Chapter 11 of the International Residential Code ® (IRC®) now moved to the Code Council’s Standards Development Process, the reduced volume of code changes will be distributed between Groups A and B.

    Code change proposals submitted for code sections that have a letter designation in front of them will be heard by the respective committee responsible for such code sections. Because different committees hold Committee Action Hearings in different years, proposals for most codes will be heard by committees in both the 2024 (Group A) and the 2025 (Group B) code development cycles. It is very important that anyone submitting code change proposals understands which code development committee is responsible for the section of the code that is the subject of the code change proposal.

    Please visit the ICC website at iccsafe.org/products-and-services/i-codes/code-development/current-code-development-cycle for further information on the Code Development Committee responsibilities as it becomes available.

    Coordination of the I-Codes

    The coordination of technical provisions allows the I-Codes to be used as a complete set of complementary documents. Individual codes can also be used in subsets or as stand-alone documents. Some technical provisions that are relevant to more than one subject area are duplicated in multiple model codes.

    INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE

    The IWUIC establishes minimum requirements for land use and the built environment in designated wildland-urban interface areas using prescriptive and performance-related provisions. It is founded on data collected from tests and fire incidents, technical reports and mitigation strategies from around the world.

    Population growth and the expanding urban development into traditionally nonurban areas have increasingly brought humans into contact with wildfires. According to the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), every year, wildfires burn across the United States and a growing number of people are living where wildfires are a real risk. In 2018 more than 58,000 fires burned nearly 9 million acres across the US. More than 25,000 structures were destroyed, including 18,137 residences and 229 commercial structures. California accounted for the highest number of structures lost in one state due to the number of significant fires, including the Mendocino Complex, Carr, Camp and Woolsey fires.

    The IWUIC is a model code that is intended to be adopted and used supplemental to the adopted building and fire codes of a jurisdiction. The unrestricted use of property in wildland-urban interface areas is a potential threat to life and property from fire and resulting erosion. The IWUIC has as its objective the establishment of minimum special regulations for the safeguarding of life and

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    property from the intrusion of fire from wildland fire exposures and fire exposures from adjacent structures and to prevent structure fires from spreading to wildland fuels, even in the absence of fire department intervention.

    Safeguards to prevent the occurrence of fires and to provide adequate fire protection facilities to control the spread of fire in wildland-urban interface areas are provided in a tiered manner commensurate with the relative level of hazard present.

    ARRANGEMENT AND FORMAT OF THE 2025 CWUIC

  • CWUIC § 1.5 High relevance — show source text

    The following matrix identifies each section in the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code and identifies the source document and section for the provisions. Some sections in this code are derived from more than one source and the language has been editorially massaged to coalesce and correlate with the other provisions in this code.

    2025 CWUIC Col2 Adopted
    Yes/No    		 IWUIC
    Section    		 CBC
    Section    		 CFC
    Section    		 Title 14,
    Division 1.5
    Section    		 Title 19,
    Division 1
    Section    		 Gov Code
    Section    		 PRC
    Section    		 HSC
    Section
    Section Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title
    Chapter 1 Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration
    1.1 General Y
    1.1.1 Title Y 1.1.1 1.1.1
    1.1.2 Purpose Y 1.1.2
    701A.2    		 1.1.2
    4901.2
    1.1.3 Scope Y 1.1.3 1.1.3
    1.1.4 Appendices Y 1.1.4 1.1.4
    1.1.5 Referenced codes Y 1.1.5 1.1.5
    1.1.6 Nonbuilding stan-
    dards, orders and
    regulations    		 Y 1.1.6 1.1.6
    1.1.7 Order of precedence
    and use    		 Y 1.1.7 1.1.7
    1.1.7.1 Differences Y 1.1.7.1 1.1.7.1
    1.1.7.2 Specific provisions Y 1.1.7.2 1.1.7.2
    1.1.7.3 Conflicts Y 1.1.7.3 1.1.7.3
    1.1.7.3.1 CBC and CRC Y 1.1.7.3.1 1.1.7.3.1
    1.1.8 City, county, or city
    and county amend-
    ments, additions or
    deletions    		 Y 1.1.8 1.1.8
    1.1.8.1 Findings and filings Y 1.1.8.1 1.1.8.1
    _1.1.8.
  • CWUIC § 11340.6 High relevance — show source text

    The_ guidance document shall include, but not be limited to, regionally appropriate vegetation management suggestions that preserve and restore native species that are fire resistant or drought tolerant, or both, minimize erosion, minimize the spread of flammable nonnative grasses and weeds, minimize water consumption, and permit trees and shrubs near homes for shade, aesthetics, and habitat; and suggestions to minimize or eliminate the risk of flammability of nonvegetative sources of combus- tion such as woodpiles, propane tanks, decks, and outdoor lawn furniture. (2) On or before January 1, 2023, the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, in consultation with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, shall update the guidance document to include suggestions for creating an ember-resistant zone within five feet of a structure based on regulations promulgated by the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, in consultation with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, to consider the elimination of materials in the ember-resistant zone that would likely be ignited by embers.

    (d) For purposes of this section, a structure for the purpose of an ember-resistant zone shall include any attached deck. This section does not limit the authority of the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection or the Office of the State Fire Marshal to require the removal of fuel or vegetation on top of or underneath a deck pursuant to this section.

    SECTION H103—CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE

    Sections 4201–4204; 4290–4291.

    4201. The purpose of this article is to provide for the classification of lands within state responsibility areas in accordance with the severity of fire hazard present for the purpose of identifying measures to be taken to retard the rate of spreading and to reduce the potential intensity of uncontrolled fires that threaten to destroy resources, life, or property. 4202. The State Fire Marshal shall classify lands within state responsibility areas into fire hazard severity zones. Each zone shall embrace relatively homogeneous lands and shall be based on fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other relevant factors pres- ent, including areas where winds have been identified by the department as a major cause of wildfire spread.

    4203.

    (a) The State Fire Marshal shall, by regulation, designate fire hazard severity zones and assign to each zone a rating reflecting the degree of severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail in the zone. (b) No designation of a zone and assignment of a rating shall be adopted by the State Fire Marshal until the proposed regulation has been transmitted to the board of supervisors of the county in which the zone is located at least 45 days before the adoption of the proposed regulation and a public hearing has been held in that county during that 45-day period. 4204. The State Fire Marshal shall periodically review zones designated and rated pursuant to this article and, as necessary, shall revise zones or their ratings or repeal the designation of zones. Any revision of a zone or its rating or any repeal of a zone shall conform to the requirements of Section 4203. In addition, the revision or repeal of a zone may be petitioned pursuant to Sections 11340.6 and 11340.7 of the Government Code.

    4290.

    (a) The board shall adopt regulations implementing minimum fire safety standards related to defensible space that are applicable to state responsibility area lands under the authority of the department, and to lands classified and designated as very high _fire hazard severity zones, as defined in subdivision (i) of Section 51177 of the Government Code.

  • CWUIC § 1.5 High relevance — show source text

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    APPENDIX H—REFERENCED CALIFORNIA DOCUMENTS

    2025 CWUIC—continued Col2 Adopted
    Yes/No    		 IWUIC
    Section    		 CBC
    Section    		 CFC
    Section    		 Title 14,
    Division 1.5
    Section    		 Title 19,
    Division 1
    Section    		 Gov Code
    Section    		 PRC
    Section    		 HSC
    Section
    Section Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title
    Chapter 2 Definitions Definitions Definitions Definitions Definitions Definitions Definitions Definitions Definitions Definitions
    Multilayered glazed
    panels    		 Y
    Noncombustible roof
    covering    		 Y
    Outbuilding (T14) Y 1299.02(c)
    Peer review Y
    Rafter tail Y 702A
    Registered design
    professional    		 Y
    Residential unit (T14) Y 1270.01(w)
    Ridgeline
    (topography) (T14)    		 Y 1270.01(x)
    Road (T14) Y 1270.01(y)
    Roof assembly Y
    Roof covering Y
    Roof covering system Y
    Roof deck Y
    Roof eave Y 702A
    Roof eave soffit Y 702A
    Slope Y
    State Responsibility
    Area (SRA)    		 Y 702A 4902.1
    Strategic
    ridgeline (T14)    		 Y 1270.01(dd)
    Structure Y 202 1270.01(ee)
    Subdivision Y
    Tree crown Y
    Undeveloped
    ridgeline (T14)    		 Y 1270.01(ii)
    Unenclosed acces-
    sory structure    		 Y
    Vertical curve (T14) Y 1270.01(k)
    Wildfire Y 702A 4902.1
    Wildfire exposure Y 702A 4902.1
    Wildland Y
    Wildland-urban inter-
    face area    		 Y 702A 4902.1
    Chapter 3 Wildland-urban interface areas Wildland-urban interface areas Wildland-urban interface areas Wildland-urban interface areas Wildland-urban interface areas Wildland-urban interface areas Wildland-urban interface areas Wildland-urban interface areas Wildland-urban interface areas Wildland-urban interface areas
    301 General Y
    301.1 Scope Y 4201
    301.
  • CWUIC § 403.2.1. High relevance — show source text

    Pz = Zone population: see Section 403.2.1. Ra = Area outdoor air rate, CFM/ft [2] . See Section 403.2.1.

    Rp = People outdoor air rate, CFM/person. See Section 403.2.1.

    Vbz = Breathing zone outdoor airflow, CFM. See Section 403.2.1.

    Vdz = Zone discharge airflow, CFM. The expected discharge (supply) airflow to the zone that includes primary airflow and secondary recirculated airflow, CFM.

    Vot = Outdoor air intake flow, CFM. See Section 403.3, Section 403.4, and Section 403.5.2.

    Vou = Uncorrected outdoor air intake, CFM. See Section 403.5.1.

    Voz = Zone outdoor airflow, CFM. See Section 403.2.3. Vps = System primary airflow, CFM. The total primary airflow supplied to all zones served by the system from the air-handling unit at which the outdoor air intake is located.

    Vpz = Zone primary airflow, CFM. The zone primary airflow to the ventilation zone, including outdoor air and recirculated air.

    Xs = Average outdoor air fraction: At the primary air handler, the fraction of outdoor air intake flow in the system primary airflow. Zpz = Primary outdoor air fraction: The outdoor air fraction required in the primary air supplied to the ventilation zone prior to the introduction of any secondary recirculation air. [ASHRAE 62.1:A3]

    For SI Units: 1 square foot = 0.0929 m [2], 1 cubic foot per minute =

    0.0283 m [3] /min, 1 cubic foot per minute = 0.4719 L/s, 1 cubic foot per

    minute per square foot = 5.08 [(L/s)/m [2] ]

    405.0 Ventilation for Residential Occupancies.

    405.1 General. Rooms or occupied spaces within residential occupancies, where the occupants are nontransient, shall be designed to have mechanical ventilation and exhaust air in accordance with Section 405.2 through Section 405.5.

    405.1.1 Natural Ventilation. Where approved by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, natural ventilation shall be permitted for Climate Zone 1, Climate Zone 2, or for thermally conditioned buildings for less than 876 hours

    per year.

    405.2 Ventilation Air Rate. The required mechanical ventilation outdoor air rate ( Qtot ) shall be as calculated in accordance with Equation 405.2.

    Exception: For existing buildings and where permitted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, the total mechanical ventilation ( Qtot ) is not required where Qtot is calculated to be less than 15 ft [3] /min (7.08 L/s).

    Qtot = 0.03 Afloor + 7.5 ( Nbr + 1) (Equation 405.2)

    Where:

    Qtot = Total required ventilation outdoor air rate, CFM (L/s) Afloor = Floor area, ft [2] (m [2] ) Nbr = Number of bedrooms more than 1

    For SI Units: 1 square foot = 0.0929 m [2], 1 cubic foot per minute = 0.0283 m [3] /min, 1 cubic foot per minute = 0.4719 L/s

  • CWUIC § 2027 Medium relevance — show source text

    While the I-Code development procedure is thorough and comprehensive, the ICC, its members and those participating in the development of the codes expressly disclaim any liability resulting from the publication or use of the I-Codes, or from compliance or noncompliance with their provisions. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, IMPLIED, EXPRESSED OR STATUTORY, IS GIVEN WITH RESPECT TO THE I-CODES. The ICC does not have the power or authority to police or enforce compliance with the contents of the I-Codes.

    Code Development Committee Responsibilities (Letter Designations in Front of Section Numbers)

    In each cycle, proposed changes are considered by the Code Development Committee assigned to a specific code or subject matter. Committee Action Hearings result in recommendations regarding a proposal to the voting membership. Where changes to a code section are not considered by that code’s own committee, the code section is preceded by a bracketed letter designation identifying a different committee. Bracketed letter designations for the I-Code committees are:

    [A] = Administrative Code Development Committee

    [BE] = IBC—Egress Code Development Committee

    [BF] = IBC—Fire Safety Code Development Committee

    [BG] = IBC—General Code Development Committee

    [BS] = IBC—Structural Code Development Committee

    [E] = Developed under the ICC’s Standard Development Process

    [EB] = International Existing Building Code Development Committee

    [F] = International Fire Code Development Committee

    [FG] = International Fuel Gas Code Development Committee

    [M] = International Mechanical Code Development Committee

    [P] = International Plumbing Code Development Committee

    [SP] = International Swimming Pool and Spa Code Development Committee

    For the development of the 2027 edition of the I-Codes, the ICC Board of Directors approved a standing motion from the Board Committee on the Long-Term Code Development Process to revise the code development cycle to incorporate two committee action hearings for each code group. This change expands the current process from two independent 1-year cycles to a single continuous 3year cycle. There will be two groups of code development committees and they will meet in separate years. The current groups will be reworked. With the energy provisions of the International Energy Conservation Code ® (IECC®) and Chapter 11 of the International Residential Code ® (IRC®) now moved to the Code Council’s Standards Development Process, the reduced volume of code changes will be distributed between Groups A and B.

    Code change proposals submitted for code sections that have a letter designation in front of them will be heard by the respective committee responsible for such code sections. Because different committees hold Committee Action Hearings in different years, proposals for most codes will be heard by committees in both the 2024 (Group A) and the 2025 (Group B) code development cycles. It is very important that anyone submitting code change proposals understands which code development committee is responsible for the section of the code that is the subject of the code change proposal.

    Please visit the ICC website at iccsafe.org/products-and-services/i-codes/code-development/current-code-development-cycle for further information on the Code Development Committee responsibilities as it becomes available.

    Coordination of the I-Codes

    The coordination of technical provisions allows the I-Codes to be used as a complete set of complementary documents. Individual codes can also be used in subsets or as stand-alone documents. Some technical provisions that are relevant to more than one subject area are duplicated in multiple model codes.

    INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE

  • CWUIC § 1.11.2.3 Medium relevance — show source text

    Section 13112 of the Health and Safety Code provides that: (a) “Every person who violates any provision of this chapter, or any order, rule or regulation made pursuant to this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) or more than five hundred dollars ($500), or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both.” (b) “A person is guilty of a separate offense each day during which he commits, continues or permits a violation of any provision of, or any order, rule or regulation made pursuant to, this chapter.”

    1.11.2.3 More restrictive fire and panic safety building standards.

    1.11.2.3.1 Fire protection district. Any fire protection district organized pursuant to Health and Safety Code Part 2.7 (commenc- ing with Section 13800) of Division 12 may adopt building standards relating to fire and panic safety that are more stringent than those building standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal and contained in the California Building Standards Code. For these purposes, the district board shall be deemed a legislative body, and the district shall be deemed a local agency. Any changes or modifications that are more stringent than the requirements published in the California Building Standards Code relating to fire and panic safety shall be subject to Section 1.1.7.1.

    1.11.2.3.2 Noticing a proposed ordinance. Any fire protection district that proposes to adopt an ordinance pursuant to this section shall, not less than 30 days prior to noticing a proposed ordinance for a public hearing, provide a copy of that ordinance,

    2025 CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE 1-7

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    ADMINISTRATION

    together with the adopted findings made pursuant to Section 1.11.2.3.1, to the city, county, or city and county where the ordinance will apply. The city, county, or city and county may provide the district with written comments, which shall become part of the fire protection district’s public hearing record.

    1.11.2.3.3 Ratification. The fire protection district shall transmit the adopted ordinance to the city, county, or city and county where the ordinance will apply. The legislative body of the city, county, or city and county may ratify, modify, or deny an adopted ordinance and transmit its determination to the district within 15 days of the determination. Any modification or denial of an adopted ordinance shall include a written statement describing the reasons for any modifications or denial. No ordinance adopted by the district shall be effective until ratification by the city, county, or city and county where the ordinance will apply. Upon ratification of an adopted ordinance, the city, county, or city and county shall file a copy of the findings of the district, and any findings of the city, county, or city and county, together with the adopted ordinance expressly marked and identified to which each finding refers, in accordance with Section 1.1.8.1(3).

  • CWUIC § 18941.5 Medium relevance — show source text

    (a) (1) Amendments, additions, and deletions to the California Building Standards Code, including, but not limited to, green building standards, adopted by a city, county, or city and county pursuant to Section 18941.5 or pursuant to Section 17958.7, together with all applicable portions of the California Building Standards Code, shall become effective 180 days

    APPENDIX H-18 2025 CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE

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    APPENDIX H—REFERENCED CALIFORNIA DOCUMENTS

    after publication of the California Building Standards Code by the commission, or at a later date after publication estab- lished by the commission. (2) The publication date established by the commission shall be no earlier than the date the California Building Standards Code is available for purchase by the public. (b) Neither the State Building Standards Law contained in this part, nor the application of building standards contained in this section, shall limit the authority of a city, county, or city and county to establish more restrictive building standards, including, but not limited to, green building standards, reasonably necessary because of local climatic, geological, or topographical conditions. The governing body shall make the finding required by Section 17958.7 and the other requirements imposed by Section 17958.7 shall apply to that finding. Nothing in this section shall limit the authority of fire protection districts pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 13869.7. Further, nothing in this section shall require findings required by Section 17958.7 beyond those currently required for more restrictive building standards related to housing.

    SECTION H107—CROSS REFERENCE TOOL

    The following matrix identifies each section in the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code and identifies the source document and section for the provisions. Some sections in this code are derived from more than one source and the language has been editorially massaged to coalesce and correlate with the other provisions in this code.

    2025 CWUIC Col2 Adopted
    Yes/No    		 IWUIC
    Section    		 CBC
    Section    		 CFC
    Section    		 Title 14,
    Division 1.5
    Section    		 Title 19,
    Division 1
    Section    		 Gov Code
    Section    		 PRC
    Section    		 HSC
    Section
    Section Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title
    Chapter 1 Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration Division I—California Administration
    1.1 General Y
    1.1.1 Title Y 1.1.1 1.1.1
    1.1.2 Purpose Y 1.1.2
    701A.2    		 1.1.2
    4901.
  • CWUIC § 119 Medium relevance — show source text

    Openness, transparency, balance, due process and consensus are the guiding principles of both the ICC Code Development Process and OMB Circular A-119, which governs the federal government’s use of private-sector standards. The ICC process is open to anyone without cost. Remote participation is available through cdpAccess®, the ICC’s cloud-based app.

    In order to ensure that organizations with a direct and material interest in the codes have a voice in the process, the ICC has developed partnerships with key industry segments that support the ICC’s important public safety mission. Some code development committee members were nominated by the following industry partners and approved by the ICC Board:

    American Gas Association (AGA)

    American Institute of Architects (AIA)

    American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE)

    International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)

    National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)

    National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM)

    National Council of Structural Engineers Association (NCSEA)

    National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC)

    Plumbing Heating and Cooling Contractors (PHCC)

    Pool and Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA), formerly The Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP)

    Code development committees evaluate and make recommendations regarding proposed changes to the codes. Their recommendations are then subject to public comment and council-wide votes. The ICC’s governmental members—public safety officials who have no financial or business interest in the outcome—cast the final votes on proposed changes.

    2025 CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE ix

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    The I-Codes are subject to change through future code development cycles and by any governmental entity that enacts the code into law. For more information regarding the code development process, contact the Codes and Standards Development Department of the ICC at iccsafe.org/products-and-services/i-codes/code-development/.

    While the I-Code development procedure is thorough and comprehensive, the ICC, its members and those participating in the development of the codes expressly disclaim any liability resulting from the publication or use of the I-Codes, or from compliance or noncompliance with their provisions. NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, IMPLIED, EXPRESSED OR STATUTORY, IS GIVEN WITH RESPECT TO THE I-CODES. The ICC does not have the power or authority to police or enforce compliance with the contents of the I-Codes.

    Code Development Committee Responsibilities (Letter Designations in Front of Section Numbers)

    In each cycle, proposed changes are considered by the Code Development Committee assigned to a specific code or subject matter. Committee Action Hearings result in recommendations regarding a proposal to the voting membership. Where changes to a code section are not considered by that code’s own committee, the code section is preceded by a bracketed letter designation identifying a different committee. Bracketed letter designations for the I-Code committees are:

    [A] = Administrative Code Development Committee

    [BE] = IBC—Egress Code Development Committee

    [BF] = IBC—Fire Safety Code Development Committee

    [BG] = IBC—General Code Development Committee

    [BS] = IBC—Structural Code Development Committee

    [E] = Developed under the ICC’s Standard Development Process

    [EB] = International Existing Building Code Development Committee

    [F] = International Fire Code Development Committee

    [FG] = International Fuel Gas Code Development Committee

    [M] = International Mechanical Code Development Committee

    [P] = International Plumbing Code Development Committee

    [SP] = International Swimming Pool and Spa Code Development Committee

  • CWUIC § 302.1 Medium relevance — show source text

    2|Purpose|Y|||||||51176|4201| |302|Wildland-Urban
    Interface Area
    Designations|Y||||||||| |302.1|Mapping|Y|||4904.2||||51178|4202
    4203(a)
    4204| |302.2|Review of wildland-
    urban interface areas|Y|||||||51181|4204| |Chapter 4|Wildland-urban interface area requirements|Wildland-urban interface area requirements|Wildland-urban interface area requirements|Wildland-urban interface area requirements|Wildland-urban interface area requirements|Wildland-urban interface area requirements|Wildland-urban interface area requirements|Wildland-urban interface area requirements|Wildland-urban interface area requirements|Wildland-urban interface area requirements| |401|General|Y||||||||| |401.1|Scope|Y||||||||| |401.2|Objective|Y||||1273.00||||| |401.3|General safety
    precautions|Y||||||||| |402|Applicability|Y|||||||||

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    APPENDIX H—REFERENCED CALIFORNIA DOCUMENTS

    2025 CWUIC—continued Col2 Adopted
    Yes/No    		 IWUIC
    Section    		 CBC
    Section    		 CFC
    Section    		 Title 14,
    Division 1.5
    Section    		 Title 19,
    Division 1
    Section    		 Gov Code
    Section    		 PRC
    Section    		 HSC
    Section
    Section Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title Title
    Chapter 4 Wildland-urban interface area requirements Wildland-urban interface area requirements Wildland-urban interface area requirements Wildland-urban interface area requirements Wildland-urban interface area requirements Wildland-urban interface area requirements Wildland-urban interface area requirements Wildland-urban interface area requirements Wildland-urban interface area requirements Wildland-urban interface area requirements
    402.1 Subdivisions Y
    402.1.1 Access Y 503
    402.1.2 Water supply Y 507
    402.1.2.1 Parcel map approval Y 1275.01
    402.2 Individual structures Y 503
    507
    402.2.1 Access Y 503
    402.2.2 Water supply Y 507
    402.3 Existing conditions N 505.1
    403 Access Y 1273
    403.1 General Y 1273.00
    403.1.1 Section 403 definitions Y 1270.01(f)
    403.1.2 Width Y 1273.01(a)
    1273.
  • CWUIC § 1.11. Medium relevance — show source text
    • The California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 19, Division 1 provisions that are found in the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code are a reprint from the current CCR, Title 19, Division 1 text for the code user’s convenience only. The scope, applicability and appeals procedures of CCR, Title 19, Division I remain the same. The state agency does not adopt sections identified by the following symbol: The Office of the State Fire Marshal’s adoption of this chapter or individual sections is applicable to structures regulated by other state agencies pursuant to Section 1.11.

    The California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, Division 1.5 provisions that are found in the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code are not listed in the Matrix Adoption Tables as they are not within the State Fire Marshal’s authority to adopt. These provisions are a reprint from the current CCR, Title 14, Division 1.5 text for the code user’s convenience only and are identified in the body of the code by square brackets containing references to applicable Title 14 sections.

    2025 CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE APPENDIX D-1

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    APPENDIX D-2 2025 CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE

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    D MODEL ORDINANCE FOR FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONE ADOPTION

    This appendix is for informational purposes and is not intended for adoption.

    User notes:

    About this appendix: Appendix D is an informational appendix that is a sample ordinance designed as guidance for a city, county, city and county, or fire district to establish and designate fire hazard severity zones within their jurisdiction.

    SECTION D101—MODEL ORDINANCE FOR DESIGNATION OF FIRE HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES IN LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY AREAS (LRA)

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    APPENDIX D-4 2025 CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE

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    E RESERVED

    2025 CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE APPENDIX E-1

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    APPENDIX E-2 2025 CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE

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    CALIFORNIA WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE CODE – MATRIX ADOPTION TABLE

    APPENDIX F – CHARACTERISTICS OF FIRE-SMART VEGETATION

    (Matrix Adoption Tables are nonregulatory, intended only as an aid to the code user. See Chapter 1 for state agency authority and building applications.)

Frequently asked questions

Do counties themselves ever have to hold the hearing, or must it be the State Fire Marshal?

The statute requires a public hearing in the county during the 45‑day period after the State Fire Marshal transmits the proposed regulation; the hearing is part of the State regulation process required by § 4203. The local board is the recipient of the transmission and the hearing must be held in that county.

Does a local city or county action to change its own map trigger § 4203?

No — § 4203 governs designations and ratings made by the State Fire Marshal (State Responsibility Areas). Local actions follow local law; Appendix D provides a model ordinance for local adoptions but does not override PRC procedures for State actions.

If the State transmits the proposed regulation 60 days before adoption, is a hearing still required?

Yes. Transmitting the proposed regulation more than 45 days before adoption satisfies the timing threshold, but a public hearing must still be held in the county during that 45‑day period following the transmission (or during the applicable notice window). § 4203(b).

Are there any textual exemptions in § 4203 for “minor” map edits?

The retrieved text of § 4203 and the CWUIC excerpts do not list a “minor edits” exemption; revisions and repeals are directed by § 4204 to conform to § 4203. If you have a specific small change in mind, we can review whether another statute or regulation provides an exemption.

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California Wildland-Urban Interface Code