AB-38 defensible space inspection in City of Los Angeles.

Does AB-38 apply when selling in City of Los Angeles?

Under Assembly Bill 38 (AB-38), selling a home in a California High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone requires documentation of a compliant defensible space inspection before close of escrow. The City of Los Angeles is the one major LA-area jurisdiction NOT served by LA County Fire for AB-38 — its inspections run through the Los Angeles Fire Department’s Brush Clearance Unit. LAFD inspects roughly 155,000 properties in the city’s Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone on an annual cycle.

The January 2025 Palisades Fire destroyed thousands of structures in the City of Los Angeles, among the most destructive fires in the city’s modern history.

Whether AB-38 applies to a specific City of Los Angeles property depends on that parcel's Fire Hazard Severity Zone designation. The fastest way to confirm is to look up the address on the official Fire Hazard Severity Zone map — and our free readiness check flags it from your address as well.

Who runs the inspection in City of Los Angeles

AB-38 inspections in City of Los Angeles are performed by the Los Angeles Fire Department through its LAFD AB-38 brush clearance inspection program. As Local Responsibility Area land, AB-38 currently applies here in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

How to request an AB-38 inspection in City of Los Angeles

To have the escrow company contact the LAFD Brush Clearance Unit by email; sellers can verify and print inspection status (form F-1307) through the LAFD Vegetation Management System.

• Online: LAFD inspection request
• Phone: (800) 994-4444
• Email: LAFD.AB38Inspection@lacity.org
• Official program page: Los Angeles Fire Department

Programs, fees, and contacts change — always confirm the current process on the official agency page before scheduling.

What it costs in City of Los Angeles

The AB-38 inspection fee for City of Los Angeles is not separately published — confirm the current fee directly with the LAFD.

What's specific to City of Los Angeles

• Do not route a City of Los Angeles sale through the LA County Fire portal — the City uses its own LAFD process.
• The escrow company is directed to contact the LAFD Brush Clearance Unit; sellers can verify and print their inspection status (form F-1307) through the LAFD Vegetation Management System.

The timeline that trips sellers up

City of Los Angeles specifics: A passing LAFD inspection dated within six months of the C.A.R. request satisfies the AB-38 requirement; beyond six months a new inspection is needed.

Under AB-38, the compliance documentation must come from an inspection completed within six months of the sales contract, and the seller delivers it to the buyer before close of escrow. If a passing document can't be obtained in time, AB-38 lets the buyer and seller sign a written agreement in which the buyer takes on obtaining compliance documentation within one year of closing — but that shifts the cost to the buyer and usually shows up in the negotiated price. The clean path is to request the inspection at listing, not in escrow.

How to pass the first time in City of Los Angeles

1. Run the free 12-item Zone 0 check before the inspector visits — it covers the items inspectors flag first. Start the check →
2. Clear the first 5 feet: combustible mulch, woodpiles, attached wood fencing, and dead container plants against the wall are the most-cited deficiencies.
3. Clean roof and gutters — the most visible item on any inspection.
4. Handle dead vegetation across the whole property — PRC §4291 covers the full 100 feet, not just Zone 0.
5. Request the LAFD inspection early so a deficiency list still leaves time to remediate and re-inspect inside the six-month window.

Related guides

• AB-38 Explained: California's Point-of-Sale Defensible Space Inspection Law
• Defensible Space Inspection: What to Expect and How to Pass
• Zone 0 Defensible Space Cost

Sources: AB 38 (Wood, 2019); California Civil Code §1102.6f and §1102.19; California Public Resources Code §4291; Office of the State Fire Marshal Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps; lafd.org; lafd.org; vms3.lafd.org. Verify the current process with the agency before scheduling.