AB-38 defensible space inspection in Marin County.

Does AB-38 apply when selling in Marin County?

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. Marin County runs an unusually well-organized AB-38 process: an online lookup tool tells a seller whether their parcel is in a High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and routes them to the correct inspection request form for their local fire jurisdiction. Inspections are coordinated countywide through the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority (MWPA) and the local fire departments.

Marin’s wildland-urban interface rings the Mount Tamalpais watershed and forested ridgelines, much of it mapped High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

Whether AB-38 applies to a specific Marin County 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 Marin County

AB-38 inspections in Marin County are performed by the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority and local fire agencies through its AB-38 Residential Re-Sale Fire Inspection program. AB-38 applies based on the parcel’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone designation — both High and Very High zones in the State Responsibility Area, and Very High zones in the Local Responsibility Area.

How to request an AB-38 inspection in Marin County

To look up your address in the Marin AB-38 Residential Re-Sale Fire Inspection lookup tool, which routes you to the correct inspection request form for your fire jurisdiction.

• Online: MWPA / local fire inspection request
• Phone: (415) 275-1185
• Email: dspace@marinwildfire.org
• Official program page: Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority and local fire agencies

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

What it costs in Marin County

The AB-38 inspection fee for Marin County is not separately published — confirm the current fee directly with the MWPA / local fire. Fees are set at the local fire-jurisdiction level; confirm with your local fire agency.

What's specific to Marin County

• Start with the Marin AB-38 Residential Re-Sale Fire Inspection lookup tool — it confirms whether AB-38 applies and routes you to the right form.
• Do not confuse the mandatory AB-38 re-sale inspection with MWPA’s separate, voluntary Home Evaluation Program.

The timeline that trips sellers up

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 Marin County

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 MWPA / local fire 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; marincounty.gov; apps.marincounty.gov; marinwildfire.org. Verify the current process with the agency before scheduling.