San Francisco Fire Code: Duties, Systems, and Permits

The San Francisco Fire Code is the city’s locally amended version of the California Fire Code, and it governs fire prevention, suppression systems, hazardous materials, and building safety across San Francisco.¹ If you own, manage, or operate a building here, the code is what tells you which alarms to install, when to inspect your sprinklers, what to disclose to tenants, which activities need a permit, and what a violation will cost you. Enforcement runs through the San Francisco Fire Department’s Division of Fire Prevention and Investigation.²

What the Code Actually Is

The Board of Supervisors doesn’t draft a fire code from scratch. It adopts the statewide California Fire Code as the baseline and layers local amendments on top to address San Francisco’s dense housing stock, historic buildings, and seismic conditions.¹ The current version is the 2025 San Francisco Fire Code, incorporating the 2025 California Fire Code and portions of the 2024 International Fire Code. Because the state and international codes update on a three-year cycle, the local code is periodically repealed and re-enacted.

When you read the code, any section marked “[For SF]” is a local San Francisco amendment that differs from or adds to the state baseline. That marker matters when you’re trying to figure out whether a rule is unique to the city or applies statewide.

Day-to-Day Duties for Property Owners

Most compliance work sits on the owner. The recurring obligations look mundane on paper but produce the majority of citations.

Keep Exit Paths Clear

Hallways, stairwells, fire escapes, and corridors have to stay unobstructed at all times. No stored furniture, no bicycles, no boxes. Emergency lighting must work during a power outage, and exit signs need to stay illuminated and visible. In a dense apartment building, a blocked stairwell turns a survivable fire into a fatal one.

Manage Combustible Waste

Trash, oily rags, and other flammable debris must be removed at the end of each workday. Temporary storage has to be in noncombustible containers with tight-fitting lids, at least 10 feet from exits, stairways, and windows. Dumpsters with a capacity of 1.5 cubic yards or more cannot be stored inside buildings and must sit at least 5 feet from combustible walls or roof eave lines.³

Respect Occupancy Limits

Every occupied space has a maximum occupancy calculated from its square footage and use, not from what the owner or an event organizer prefers. The code assigns each type of use a load factor (a certain number of square feet per person), and the usable floor area divided by that factor gives the maximum occupancy. Overcrowding blocks evacuation, and the limit is enforced strictly.

Maintain Fire-Rated Doors

Fire-rated doors and smoke barriers exist to contain fire and smoke long enough for people to get out. Doors must close and latch, seals must be intact, and no one can prop them open with wedges or tie-backs unless an approved automatic release device tied to the fire alarm is installed. Owners are expected to self-inspect these components as part of ongoing maintenance.

The Annual Tenant Fire Safety Disclosure

If you own an apartment building with three or more units, Section 409 of the fire code imposes a disclosure obligation that catches many landlords off guard. Before a new tenant moves in, you (or your agent) must give an oral explanation and a written copy of the building’s fire safety information. Every year after that, an updated written copy must go to all residents by January 31.⁴

The written disclosure must be on standard letter-size paper (or larger) in at least 10-point font. The annual update can go by email. Keep copies on file for at least two years. If you can’t produce the records, that creates a legal presumption that you violated Section 409.2, shifting the burden of proof onto you if a tenant or the fire department raises a complaint.⁴

Fire Protection Systems You Have to Install and Maintain

Chapter 9 governs the hardware: sprinklers, alarms, detection devices, and extinguishers. Requirements vary by building type, height, and use.⁵

Sprinklers

Multi-unit residential buildings generally require automatic sprinkler systems. All sprinkler work in San Francisco must be performed by contractors holding a valid C-16 fire protection license from the California Contractors State License Board, with employees carrying a current Fire Sprinkler Fitter Certificate issued by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal.⁶

Systems require annual inspections plus a five-year certification. The five-year assessment involves opening the system at designated points for internal visual inspection to check for obstructions, corrosion, or debris. Certification records must be kept on-site and available for fire department review.⁷ Sprinkler heads must remain unobstructed; paint, shelving, or storage placed too close can prevent activation or disrupt the spray pattern.

Fire Alarms

Audible notification devices must be capable of waking sleeping occupants. In sleeping areas, alarms must produce sound levels at least 15 decibels above the average ambient noise level or at least 75 decibels at pillow level, whichever is louder.⁸ Systems in most commercial and larger residential buildings must be monitored by an approved central station so the fire department is dispatched the moment an alarm activates.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

California requires smoke alarms in every dwelling unit intended for human occupancy. Landlords were required to bring all rental units into compliance by January 1, 2016. Existing alarms that still work don’t have to be replaced solely because of age, and new alarms added to fill gaps can be battery-operated as long as they carry State Fire Marshal approval.⁹ Carbon monoxide alarms are required in dwelling units with fuel-burning appliances or attached garages.

Portable Extinguishers

Extinguishers must be installed based on the hazards present. For flammable-liquid areas, the code specifies placement within 75 feet of certain equipment such as hose connections and pump areas. Every extinguisher must be serviced annually by a licensed professional and remain accessible, not hidden behind equipment or locked in an unmarked closet.

High-Rise Buildings and the 2033 Sprinkler Deadline

Section 1103.5.4 mandates automatic sprinkler systems in existing residential high-rise buildings under any of these conditions:¹⁰

Any residential high-rise with an occupied floor more than 120 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access must be sprinklered throughout.
A building between 75 and 120 feet must be sprinklered if it lacks at least two interior exit stairways with 2-hour fire-rated enclosures.
A building between 75 and 120 feet must be sprinklered if it lacks a fire alarm system with smoke detection in mechanical rooms, corridors, elevator lobbies, and stairway door penetrations.

Apartment houses, condominiums, and other Group R-2 residential occupancies in high-rise buildings have an exception that delays the sprinkler retrofit requirement until January 1, 2033. After that, non-compliant buildings face immediate enforcement. Historic buildings qualifying under California Health and Safety Code Section 18950 follow the State Historical Building Code instead, which may allow alternative compliance methods.¹⁰

High-rise buildings also typically need standpipe systems for firefighter hose connections, emergency voice communication, and a designated Fire Safety Director responsible for the evacuation plan.

Commercial Kitchens

Commercial cooking has its own set of rules because grease-laden vapors and high-temperature cooking create risks that ordinary sprinklers aren’t designed for. Any commercial kitchen using equipment that produces grease vapors must have an exhaust hood and duct system on a scheduled inspection cycle. High-volume operations like 24-hour kitchens or charbroiling restaurants are inspected every three months. Lower-volume operations such as senior centers or seasonal businesses can go up to 12 months between inspections.¹¹

Class K extinguishers are required wherever combustible cooking media like vegetable or animal oils are used. Mount them no higher than 4 feet and within 30 feet of the cooking hazard. A placard near the extinguisher must instruct staff to activate the hood suppression system before reaching for the extinguisher. Every commercial kitchen also needs at least one 40-BC rated extinguisher for general fire hazards.¹¹

E-Bikes, E-Scooters, and Lithium-Ion Battery Storage

The fire code now includes specific rules for powered mobility devices: any device powered by a lithium-ion battery and used primarily to transport people, including e-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards, and electric skateboards. Wheelchairs and disability-assistance devices are excluded.¹²

In residential settings:

No more than four powered mobility devices can be stored and charged in a single dwelling unit, and all must be safety-certified.
Charging five or more devices triggers additional requirements: sprinklers, a smoke detection system, and at least 3 feet of spacing between devices during charging.
Devices, removable batteries, and chargers must be plugged directly into a wall outlet. Extension cords and power strips are prohibited for charging.
Only the manufacturer’s original chargers and batteries may be used. Reassembled or reconditioned lithium-ion batteries are banned.
Any battery that’s been dropped, cracked, or in an accident must be inspected. Damaged batteries can’t be used.
Lithium-ion batteries cannot go in landfill, recycling, or compost bins. They must be recycled through San Francisco’s battery recycling programs.

Safety certification means the device complies with UL 2849 or UL 2272, European standards EN 15194 or EN 17128, or another accredited laboratory standard approved by the fire department.¹²

Permits and Fees

Many activities regulated by the fire code require a permit from the Bureau of Fire Prevention before they can begin. Permits split into two categories: operational permits for ongoing regulated activities (storing hazardous materials, operating a place of assembly, running a commercial kitchen) and construction permits for installing or modifying fire protection systems.¹³

Applications need detailed floor plans showing fire exits, extinguisher locations, and alarm panels, plus business ownership details and contact information for responsible parties. System installations or modifications require technical specifications prepared by a contractor holding the appropriate license. The fire department may also require site plans, supplemental applications, and proof of insurance.¹³

The current fee schedule sits in Table 107-A of the fire code. Most operational permits cost $436, covering hazardous materials handling, mobile food vehicles, places of assembly, and similar activities. Conditional Use permits are $95. Permanent assembly permits for nonprofit groups are free.¹³ Plan review revisions are billed at $153 per hour. Additional fees may be assessed later depending on the scope of work, so the initial application fee isn’t always the total cost.

Temporary events with regulated fire activities (open flames, pyrotechnics, tents, temporary assembly) need separate applications for each activity. You’ll submit paper site plans at least 11 by 17 inches, proof of general liability insurance, and documentation of any flame-retardant materials. The application fee starts at $436, and additional fees may follow depending on complexity.¹⁴

Inspections, Violations, and Penalties

After a permit application is processed and plans are reviewed, you schedule an on-site inspection. A fire inspector checks that the physical installation matches the approved plans, that hardware works, and that the relevant code chapters are satisfied. Pass, and the permit is approved. Fail, and a follow-up inspection is required.⁷ The Bureau also runs routine inspections of commercial properties and multi-unit residential buildings, tracking annual inspections, five-year sprinkler and standpipe certifications, fire pump tests, and emergency generator tests.

When an inspector finds a violation, the fire code official can issue a written Notice of Violation identifying the specific code sections, describing the problem, and setting a correction deadline. If it isn’t fixed immediately, the notice specifies a compliance timeframe and a re-inspection date.¹⁵ For activities done without a required permit, the fire code official can also issue a stop-work order that halts the activity immediately.

Administrative citations are the other lever. The fine for violating certain key sections is $1,000 per citation, including operating without a required permit (Section 105.1.1), failing to maintain fire protection systems (Section 901.8), and egress maintenance violations (Section 1032.2). Other violations are penalized under Chapter 100 of the San Francisco Administrative Code, which sets its own fee schedule and procedures.¹⁶ Failing to comply with an Order to Abate is an infraction. Failing to comply with an Order to Vacate is a misdemeanor. Re-inspection payments and citation fines can be paid online.¹⁷

1
San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Legislation Details – File 251247
2
San Francisco Fire Department. Division of Fire Prevention and Investigation
3
San Francisco Fire Department. San Francisco Fire Department Information Sheet FS-04 Combustible Waste Material
4
San Francisco Fire Department. Fire Safety Requirements for Building Owners
5
UpCodes. 2022 San Francisco Fire Code
6
UpCodes. San Francisco Fire Code – 903.5.1 Testing and Maintenance Personnel Qualifications
7
San Francisco Fire Department. Inspections
8
San Francisco Fire Department. 3.08 Sleeping Area Fire Alarm Requirements
9
California Legislative Information. California Health and Safety Code 13113.7
10
American Legal Publishing Corporation. San Francisco Fire Code 1103.5.4 – Automatic Sprinkler System for Existing High-Rise Buildings
11
San Francisco Fire Department. Small Business Checklist – Restaurant for 49 or Fewer Occupants
12
San Francisco Fire Department. Lithium-ion Battery Safety
13
San Francisco Fire Department. Permits
14
San Francisco. Apply for a Temporary Place of Assembly Permit from the Fire Department
15
San Francisco Fire Department. Terms of Notice of Fire Code Violations
16
UpCodes. San Francisco Fire Code – Administrative Citations
17
San Francisco Fire Department. Inspection or Incident – Payments