Section 18938.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18938.
in effect(a)
Building standards shall be filed with the Secretary of State and codified only after they have been approved by the commission and shall not be published in any other title of the California Code of Regulations. Emergency building standards shall be filed with the Secretary of State and shall take effect only after they have been approved by the commission as required by Section 18937. The filing of building standards adopted or approved pursuant to this part, or any certification with respect thereto, with the Secretary of State, or elsewhere as required by law, shall be done solely by the commission.
(b)
The building standards contained in the model codes described in Section 18916 and adopted by reference into the
California Building Standards Code and any other building standards adopted into the California Building Standards Code shall apply to all occupancies throughout the state and shall become effective 180 days after publication in the California Building Standards Code by the California Building Standards Commission or at a later date after publication established by the commission.
(c)
Except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, an adoption, amendment, or repeal of a building standard shall become effective 180 days after its publication in the triennial edition of the California Building Standards Code or one of its supplements, or at any later date as approved by the California Building Standards Commission, with the exceptions of standards adopted pursuant to Section 25402 of the Public Resources Code and those regulations that implement or enforce building standards. Regulations that implement or enforce building standards shall become
effective 30 days after filing by the commission with the Secretary of State. This subdivision shall not apply to emergency building standards. An amendment or a repeal of a building standard in the California Building Standards Code that, as determined by the commission, would result in a less restrictive regulation, shall become effective 30 days after filing of the amendment or repeal by the commission with the Secretary of State.
(d)
Emergency standards defined in subdivision (a) of Section 18913 shall become effective when approved by the commission, and filed with the Secretary of State, or upon any later date specified therein, and remain in effect as provided by Section 11346.1 of the Government Code and Section 18937 of this code. Emergency standards shall be distributed as soon as practicable after publication to all interested and affected parties. Notice of repeal, pursuant to Section 11346.1 of the Government Code, of emergency
standards defined in subdivision (a) of Section 18913 within the period specified by that section, shall also be given to the parties by the affected agencies promptly after the termination of the statutory period pursuant to Section 11346.1 of the Government Code.
(e)
This section shall not be applicable to the time limits set forth in Sections 17922 and 17958 for approval of uniform codes and for changes by local agencies in the California Building Standards Code.
References
referencesCal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 25402.
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 11346.1.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18937.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18916.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 18913.
referencesCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 17922.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026