AB-38 defensible space inspection in Sonoma County.

Does AB-38 apply when selling in Sonoma 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. In Sonoma County, the Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention & Hazardous Materials Division performs AB-38 Property Sales inspections for State Responsibility Area parcels in High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, against the county’s Chapter 13A hazardous-vegetation ordinance and PRC §4291. The county’s post-2017 ordinance environment makes documented compliance a routine part of North Bay transactions.

The 2017 Tubbs Fire destroyed much of Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park neighborhood and the 2019 Kincade Fire ignited northeast of Geyserville — events that drove the county’s 2022 Fire Safety Ordinance #6396.

Whether AB-38 applies to a specific Sonoma 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 Sonoma County

AB-38 inspections in Sonoma County are performed by the Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention & Hazardous Materials Division through its Property Sales Inspections (AB 38) program. As State Responsibility Area land, AB-38 applies here in both High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.

How to request an AB-38 inspection in Sonoma County

To contact Permit Sonoma's Fire Prevention Division to request a Property Sales (AB-38) inspection.

• Phone: (707) 565-2361
• Email: FirePrevention@sonomacounty.gov
• Official program page: Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention & Hazardous Materials Division

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

What it costs in Sonoma County

The AB-38 inspection fee for Sonoma County is not separately published — confirm the current fee directly with the Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention. Permit Sonoma charges a fee per its published Fire Prevention fee schedule; confirm the current amount with the division.

What's specific to Sonoma County

• Permit Sonoma’s AB-38 page frames the requirement for State Responsibility Area parcels; for Local Responsibility Area Very High zones (under Ordinance #6396), confirm the process with the division.
• A compliant assessment within the prior six months of the sale is considered valid.

The timeline that trips sellers up

Sonoma County specifics: Permit Sonoma considers an assessment valid if it was conducted within the prior six months of the sale.

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 Sonoma 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 Permit Sonoma Fire Prevention 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; permitsonoma.org; permitsonoma.org. Verify the current process with the agency before scheduling.