What does California's pool safety law require at home?
Updated . By Landen Chu, Co-founder of OakTend. How we research
This guide is for Orange County, California homeowners. It is general information, not legal advice; your city's building department has the final word on your permit.
Does California require a pool fence?
Not on its own. Under Health and Safety Code section 115922, you pick at least two of these seven, and a fence or enclosure is only one way to meet it:
- An enclosure that meets the state's enclosure rules and separates the pool from the house.
- Removable mesh fencing that meets ASTM F2286, with a self-closing, self-latching gate that can take a key lock.
- A manual or power safety pool cover labeled as meeting ASTM F1346-23.
- Exit alarms on the doors and windows that open straight onto the pool area.
- A self-closing, self-latching device on those doors, with its release at least 54 inches above the floor.
- A pool alarm certified to ASTM F2208 that sounds when someone enters the water.
- Another device that a testing lab has verified as equal or better protection, with a label saying so.
Which pairs do not count?
Since January 1, 2025, three overlapping pairs no longer count as two: an exit alarm and a self-closing, self-latching device on the same door, an exit alarm and a door latch on separate doors, and a safety cover plus a pool alarm. An alarm a child wears, one that sounds when they wander off or go under, does not count at all.
Who is exempt?
Public pools and any home that is not a single-family home, such as an apartment complex. A hot tub or spa with a locking safety cover that meets ASTM F1346 is also exempt.
Keep up with your home
Start my free home planWhat about a pool I already have?
The rule applies when you get a building permit to build or remodel a pool, not to a pool you already have. Before you start, see permits in Orange County. If you are buying a home, the home inspection guide covers what the inspector notes about a pool.
City pages: Irvine, Yorba Linda, Mission Viejo and Anaheim, or every city on the Orange County hub.
Sources
- California Building Standards Commission: Health and Safety Code 115922 to 115926 as amended by AB 2866 and SB 552 (BSC 01/24)
When a building permit is issued for a new pool or spa or a remodel at a private single-family home, it needs at least two of seven drowning prevention safety features; an exit alarm and a self-closing, self-latching device on the same door, an exit alarm and a door latch on separate doors, or a safety pool cover and a pool alarm, do not count; an alarm worn by a child does not count; the building official inspects the features before final approval; public pools, spas with locking safety covers and homes other than single-family homes are exempt; effective January 1, 2025. Read here because leginfo blocks scripted fetches. - California Senate: SB 552 (Newman) bill analysis
Existing law requires self-closing, self-latching devices with release mechanisms placed no lower than 54 inches above the floor on doors that provide access from the home to the pool; SB 552 provides that an exit alarm and a self-closing, self-latching device on the same door, an exit alarm and a door latch on separate doors, or a safety pool cover and a pool alarm do not satisfy the two-feature threshold.