CARLSBAD — The Carlsbad City Council has introduced ordinances to align with updated state building and fire codes.
The council unanimously approved two separate ordinances — one for building codes and another for fire prevention — which will return for adoption at the Dec. 2 City Council meeting.
The municipal updates follow the passage of Assembly Bill 130, a new state law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on June 30.
AB 130 seeks “to build more housing, faster, and create strong affordable pathways for every Californian” by imposing an almost six-year freeze on municipal building code changes from Oct. 1 until June 1, 2031, according to a news release.
Under the new law, code changes are only allowed if one of the following conditions is met: the change was in effect as of Sept. 30; it is an emergency standard to protect health and safety; it addresses wildfire vulnerability; or it relates to previously adopted local general plans aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Carlsbad last approved its building standards code on July 1, 2022, with effective dates from Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2025, according to city documents.
Mike Strong, assistant director of community development for Carlsbad, said the new code “fully meets the intent” of AB 130. The ordinance introduced Tuesday included “only minor, mostly technical updates to ensure consistency and compliance with recent state revisions and local code amendments,” according to city documents.
Strong said building permit applications submitted before Jan. 1, 2026, will still be reviewed under the 2022 code.
Fire Marshal Darcy Davidson said the city’s introduced fire prevention code complies fully with AB 130 and would not impose any new regulations on residential properties.
The state law allows municipalities to adopt codes that are stricter than the state standard. AB 130 also exempts “home hardening” — measures that make homes and their surroundings more resistant to wildfires — from the six-year moratorium.
Carlsbad continued several existing home-hardening provisions that “reflect Carlsbad’s unique conditions and risks,” according to city documents.
Councilmember Kevin Shin said he appreciated the “quite substantial” work performed by city staff to update the codes, calling it important though “not a hot topic.”
