The dates
- September 2020 — AB 3074 signedCalifornia creates the "ember-resistant zone" (Zone 0) within the 100-foot defensible space requirement and directs the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to write the regulation.
- July 1, 2021 — Home-sale inspections beginSellers of homes in High or Very High fire zones must provide defensible space compliance documentation (Civil Code §1102.19). Details.
- 2025 — New fire hazard mapThe Office of the State Fire Marshal releases the updated Local Responsibility Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone map. Roughly two-thirds of the City of San Diego is now in a Very High zone.
- February 28, 2026 — New constructionZone 0 is required for all new structures built in the City of San Diego's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
- February 28, 2027 — Existing homesExisting homes in those zones must meet Zone 0. The city's guidance to property owners is to meet the AB 3074 Zone 0 standard by this date.
- Ongoing — State rule for everywhere elseThe Board of Forestry's statewide Zone 0 regulation governs unincorporated areas and cities that have not adopted their own ordinance, on the Board's timeline.
Does the February 2027 date apply to me?
The February 28, 2027 deadline applies if your home is inside the City of San Diego and inside a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone on the 2025 map.
| Where you live | Which rule | Deadline for existing homes |
|---|---|---|
| City of San Diego, in a Very High zone (most of Scripps Ranch, Rancho Bernardo, Rancho Peñasquitos, Carmel Valley, Tierrasanta, San Carlos, Del Cerro, canyon-edge La Jolla, University City, Mira Mesa, Clairemont) | City of San Diego Zone 0 requirement (AB 3074 standard) | February 28, 2027 |
| City of San Diego, not in a Very High zone | Zone 0 not currently required; general fire code and brush management rules still apply where relevant | — |
| Unincorporated San Diego County (Ramona, Alpine, Jamul, Julian, Fallbrook, Valley Center, Lakeside, Rancho Santa Fe, Bonsall, Spring Valley) | State Zone 0 regulation (Board of Forestry) plus existing 100-ft defensible space law (PRC 4291), enforced by CAL FIRE / San Diego County Fire | State timeline; 100-ft defensible space already required |
| Other cities (Poway, Escondido, San Marcos, Santee, El Cajon, La Mesa, Vista, Carlsbad, Oceanside, Chula Vista) | State Zone 0 regulation unless the city adopts its own ordinance; local fire department enforces brush management | State timeline; check your city fire department |
Not sure which side of the line you are on? Look up your address.
What happens if I miss it?
San Diego Fire-Rescue has said it is "looking for progress, not perfection," and that enforcement begins with education, property assessments, and compliance plans, with citations reserved for owners who show no effort.
The department's Brush Management and Weed Abatement division does enforce through inspections and citations, and the city already runs an annual vacant-lot weed abatement program under which non-compliant lots are cleared by city contractors at the owner's expense. The realistic picture for an occupied home in 2027 is: an inspection or a notice, a chance to fix it, and escalating consequences only if nothing changes.
The deadline is not the only pressure, though. Three other things are pushing on the same timeline:
- Insurance. Carriers are increasingly asking for defensible space documentation, and California's Safer From Wildfires framework ties discounts to exactly this kind of work. Non-renewals in canyon and backcountry neighborhoods are already common.
- Selling your home. A defensible space inspection ($118 in the City of San Diego) is required when you sell in a High or Very High zone. Non-compliant properties get reinspected after corrective work, which can hold up a closing.
- Fire season. Crews book up from late spring onward. The best time to do this work is winter and early spring, which is exactly when the deadline lands.
The practical timeline
- Now: confirm your zone and walk the checklist.
- Fall and winter 2026: get quotes and book a crew. Vegetation is dormant, the ground is workable, and calendars are open.
- By February 28, 2027: Zone 0 complete, photographed, and filed with your insurance documents.
- Every spring after: maintenance pass before fire season.