California · ERRCS / BDA requirements
ERRCS requirements in California
We have not read a California statute that sets ERRCS rules on its own. Local fire departments enforce Section 510 of the California Fire Code, often with local amendments, so which buildings need coverage differs by city. Use your city page.
Guidance, not engineering advice. Rules on this page come from the documents listed under Sources. Confirm with your local fire department (the authority having jurisdiction) before you design, permit or test a system.
Local fire marshals in California
Each local AHJ sets its own signal levels and permit steps within the state rules.
| Jurisdiction | Type | Downlink signal | Confidence | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | City | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal | medium | Oct 25, 2026 |
| Palo Alto | City | -95 dBm | medium | Oct 25, 2026 |
| San Diego | City | -95 dBm | medium | Oct 25, 2026 |
| San Francisco | City | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal | high | Oct 25, 2026 |
Who must comply
| Rule | Effect | Citation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| California fire departments apply Section 510 of the California Fire Code with their own amendments. Your city or county fire department decides which buildings need coverage. | Note | San Diego Fire-Rescue ERRCS guideline, Section I; SFFD AB 2.01 Addendum G | City of San Diego, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department |
| Trigger | Published value |
|---|---|
| Minimum building size | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Minimum stories | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Height trigger | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Below-grade areas | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Building types named | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Existing buildings must retrofit | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Compliance deadline | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
The local documents we read cite the California Fire Code (2019, 2022 and 2025 editions, depending on the document's date). We have not read the state code text itself, so this page states no statewide threshold.
Signal and coverage
| Requirement | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum downlink signal | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Minimum uplink signal | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Delivered audio quality (DAQ) | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Coverage, general areas | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Coverage, critical areas | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Critical areas named | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
| Public safety radio bands | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal |
Signal levels are set locally. See the city pages below.
How coverage is tested
One floor, 20 squares, a radio check in each
- 20 test areas per floorEach floor is divided into a grid of 20 roughly equal areas.IFC 2021 510.5.4
- One test spot per areaA spot near the center stands for the whole area. No extra spots after it is chosen.
- One failed area is allowedMore than one failed area fails the floor. With exactly two, the floor may be re-divided into 40 areas, and up to two non-adjacent failures are allowed.IFC 2021 510.5.4
- Critical areas count moreTypical model-code targets: 95 percent of all areas and 99 percent of critical areas such as stairs and elevator lobbies. Your fire marshal sets the numbers that apply to you.IFC 2021 510.4.1
Illustration: 19 of 20 areas pass, so this floor passes. Some fire departments use other numbers; Miami-Dade, for example, stops an acceptance test below 90 percent of general areas.
Testing
| Test | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance test | Not published in the documents we read; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Annual test | Not published in the documents we read; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Five-year test | Not published in the documents we read; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
| Coverage assessment interval | Not published in the documents we read; confirm with the fire marshal. | None found |
Permit and inspection process
Not published; confirm with the fire marshal.
Permits are issued by the local fire department. See your city page.
Codes and standards referenced
| Code or standard | Edition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| California Fire Code Section 510 and Section 1103 (cited by local fire departments) | Not published; confirm with the fire marshal | s1 |
Notes
This state page is a pointer. The rules live in local fire department documents, linked from each city page.
Next step
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Questions people ask
Is there one California rule for which buildings need ERRCS?
Not that we have found in a primary source. The cities we cover each publish their own triggers. San Francisco, for example, exempts one-story buildings of 12,000 square feet or less with no basement from the coverage test (SFFD AB 2.01 Addendum G, I.A), while San Diego's guideline lists different conditions.
Sources
Primary documents we read for this page. Rules change; confirm with your fire marshal (AHJ).
- San Diego Fire-Rescue Community Risk Reduction Division, Emergency Responder Radio Coverage Systems guideline (dated 9/22/23), City of San Diego, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department
- Administrative Bulletin 2.01, Fire Alarm and Signaling Systems Submittals (2025), Addendum G: Emergency Responder Radio Coverage Systems (ERCES/ERRCS), San Francisco Fire Department, Bureau of Fire Prevention and Investigation