SB911 - Transfer of real property: fire hazard severity zones: compliance documentation.

Amended IN Assembly August 13, 2026 Amended IN Assembly June 01, 2026 Amended IN Senate March 10, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Senate Bill No. 911 Introduced by Senator Becker (Coauthor: Senator Reyes) January 26, 2026 An act to amend Section 1102.19 of the Civil Code, and to amend Sections 408 and 480.4 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, relating to fire safety. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 911, as amended, Becker. Transfer of real property: fire hazard severity zones: compliance documentation. (1) Existing law requires a seller of a real property that is located in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone to provide to the buyer documentation stating that the property is in compliance with specified fire safety requirements or local vegetation management ordinances. If the seller of a real property as described above has not obtained that documentation of compliance, existing law requires the seller and the buyer to enter into a written agreement pursuant to which the buyer agrees to obtain documentation of compliance with those specified fire safety requirements or local vegetation management ordinances. In a local jurisdiction that has not enacted an ordinance requiring an owner or buyer to obtain documentation of compliance, and if a state or local agency, or other government entity, or other qualified nonprofit entity, provides an inspection with documentation for the jurisdiction in which the property is located, existing law requires the buyer to obtain documentation of compliance within one year of the date of the close of escrow. Existing law requires each county assessor and recorder to make available, without charge and upon request, a form entitled “Preliminary Change of Ownership Report,” which transferees of real property are required complete and authorized to file with the recorder concurrent with the recordation of any document effecting a change in ownership. This bill would additionally require the buyer to disclose whether they have an obligation to obtain documentation of compliance within one year of the date of the close of escrow pursuant to that agreement on the preliminary change of ownership report. The bill would require the county assessor to make available to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and to local fire agencies the property address of any property, and name of the transferee, for which the transferee indicated on the preliminary change of ownership report that the property is located in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone and that the transferee has an obligation to obtain documentation of compliance within one year of the date of the close of escrow pursuant to that written agreement. The bill would also require that require the local fire department, or the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as applicable, to conduct a compliance inspection at the property property, as specified, if it has not received documentation of compliance from a qualified entity or otherwise certified compliance within one year of the date of the close of escrow. The bill would authorize the local fire department and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to prioritize compliance inspections and reinspections based on certain factors. This bill would provide that a local fire department is authorized to recover the costs of compliance inspections and reinspections, as specified. The bill would also provide that the above-described provisions do not modify the immunities granted to a local fire department under any provision of law, as specified. The bill would state that these 2 provisions do not constitute a change in, but are declaratory of, existing law. (2) Existing property tax law provides that any information and records in the assessor’s office that are not required by law to be kept or prepared by the assessor, disabled veterans’ exemption claims, and homeowners’ exemption claims are not public documents and prohibits that information from being open to public inspection, subject to certain exceptions, including a requirement that the assessor permit access to all records in the assessor’s office to, among others, any duly authorized legislative or administrative bodies of the state pursuant to their authorization to examine those records. This bill would additionally require the assessor to permit access to records in the assessor’s office to Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and local fire departments and fire protection districts, pursuant to their authorization to examine those records. (3) Existing property tax law requires the above-described preliminary change of ownership report to give information relative to the transfer, including, but not be limited to, a description of the property, the parties to the transaction, the date of acquisition, the amount, if any, of the consideration paid for the property, whether paid in money or otherwise, and the terms of the transaction. Existing property tax law prohibits that report from including any question that is not germane to the assessment function. This bill would, notwithstanding those provisions, require that report to include a question specifying whether the property is located in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone, as identified by the State Fire Marshal, and, if so, whether the buyer has an obligation to obtain documentation of compliance within one year of the date of the close of escrow pursuant to a written agreement. (4) (2) The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. (5) (3) By increasing the duties of local entities, including county assessors, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YES Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Section 1102.19 of the Civil Code is amended to read: 1102.19. (a) On and after July 1, 2021, a seller of a real property subject to this article that is located in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone, as identified by the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection pursuant to Section 51178 of the Government Code or Article 9 (commencing with Section 4201) of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of Division 4 of the Public Resources Code, shall provide to the buyer documentation stating that the property is in compliance with Section 4291 of the Public Resources Code or local vegetation management ordinances, as follows: (1) In a local jurisdiction that has enacted an ordinance requiring an owner of real property to obtain documentation that the property is in compliance with Section 4291 of the Public Resources Code or a local vegetation management ordinance, the seller shall provide the buyer with a copy of the documentation that complies with the requirements of that local ordinance and information on the local agency from which a copy of that documentation may be obtained. (2) In a local jurisdiction that has not enacted an ordinance for an owner of real property to obtain documentation that a property is in compliance with Section 4291 of the Public Resources Code or a local vegetation management ordinance, and if a state or local agency, or other government entity, or other qualified nonprofit entity, provides an inspection with documentation for the jurisdiction in which the property is located, the seller shall provide the buyer with the documentation obtained in the six-month period preceding the date the seller enters into a transaction to sell that real property and provide information on the local agency from which a copy of that documentation may be obtained. (b) On and after July 1, 2021, if the seller of a real property described in subdivision (a) has not obtained documentation of compliance in accordance with paragraph (1) or (2) of subdivision (a), the seller and the buyer shall enter into a written agreement pursuant to which the buyer agrees to obtain documentation of compliance with Section 4291 of the Public Resources Code or a local vegetation management ordinance as follows: (1) In a local jurisdiction that has enacted an ordinance requiring an owner or buyer to obtain documentation of compliance with Section 4291 of the Public Resources Code or a local vegetation management ordinance, the buyer shall comply with that ordinance. (2) (A) In a local jurisdiction that has not enacted an ordinance requiring an owner or buyer to obtain documentation of compliance, and if a state or local agency, or other government entity, or other qualified nonprofit entity, provides an inspection with documentation for the jurisdiction in which the property is located, the buyer shall obtain documentation of compliance within one year of the date of the close of escrow. (B) (i) When a written agreement is executed pursuant to this subdivision, the buyer shall disclose whether they have an obligation to obtain documentation of compliance within one year of the date of the close of escrow pursuant to that agreement on the preliminary change of ownership report filed pursuant to Section 480.3 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, in accordance with Section 480.4 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. (ii) The county assessor shall make available to the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and to local fire agencies the property address of any property, and name of the transferee, for which the transferee indicated on the preliminary change of ownership report that the property is located in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone and that the transferee has an obligation to obtain documentation of compliance within one year of the date of the close of escrow pursuant to a written agreement executed pursuant to this subdivision. (C) (B) (i) If the local fire department or the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as applicable, has not received documentation of compliance from a qualified entity or otherwise certified compliance within one year of the date of the close of escrow, the fire department or the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as applicable, shall conduct a compliance inspection at the property. property when resources are available. (ii) The local fire department or the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as applicable, may delegate the responsibility to conduct a compliance inspection to a third-party, nonprofit entity that it or the State Fire Marshal deems qualified to conduct defensible space programs and compliance inspections and reinspections. qualified entity, as defined in Section 4291.5 of the Public Resources Code, or, within a local responsibility area, the local fire department or fire district, as applicable, may delegate the responsibility to a third-party, nonprofit entity. (iii) Compliance inspections and reinspections may be conducted via in-person, on-site inspection, or by remote verification by the property owner using photographic evidence or by documentation of completed work. (iv) The local fire department and the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection may prioritize compliance inspections and reinspections based on factors including, but not limited to, wildfire risk risk, resource availability, and repetitive noncompliance. (D) (C) (i) A local fire department may recover the costs of compliance inspections and reinspections pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 13146.2 of, and Section 13916 of, the Health and Safety Code. (ii) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to modify the immunities granted to a local fire department under any provision of law, including, but not limited to, Sections 815, 818.2, and 818.8 of the Government Code. (iii) This subparagraph does not constitute a change in, but is declaratory of, existing law. (c) Nothing in this section, including the existence of an agreement between a buyer and seller pursuant to subdivision (b), shall limit the ability of a state or local agency to enforce defensible space requirements pursuant to Section 51182 of the Government Code, Section 4291 of the Public Resources Code, or other applicable statutes, regulations, and local ordinances. SEC. 2. Section 408 of the Revenue and Taxation Code is amended to read: 408. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (b), (c), (d), (e), and (g), any information and records in the assessor’s office that are not required by law to be kept or prepared by the assessor, disabled veterans’ exemption claims, and homeowners’ exemption claims are not public documents and shall not be open to public inspection. Property receiving the homeowners’ exemption shall be clearly identified on the assessment roll. The assessor shall maintain records that shall be open to public inspection to identify those claimants who have been granted the homeowners’ exemption. (b) (1) The assessor may provide any appraisal data in the assessor’s possession to the assessor of any county. (2) The assessor shall disclose information, furnish abstracts, or permit access to all records in the assessor’s office to law enforcement agencies, the county grand jury, the board of supervisors or their duly authorized agents, employees, or representatives when conducting an investigation of the assessor’s office pursuant to Section 25303 of the Government Code, the county recorder when conducting an investigation to determine whether a documentary transfer tax is imposed, the Controller, employees of the Controller for property tax postponement purposes, probate referees, employees of the Franchise Tax Board for tax administration purposes only, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, staff appraisers of the Division of Financial Institutions, the Department of Transportation, the Department of General Services, the High-Speed Rail Authority, the State Board of Equalization, the State Lands Commission, the State Department of Social Services, the Department of Child Support Services, the Department of Water Resources, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, local fire departments and fire protection districts, and other duly authorized legislative or administrative bodies of the state pursuant to their authorization to examine the records. Whenever the assessor discloses information, furnishes abstracts, or permits access to records in the assessor’s office to staff appraisers of the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, the Department of Transportation, the Department of General Services, the High-Speed Rail Authority, the State Lands Commission, or the De [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]