Jurisdiction · Ventura County
Ventura County: defensible space, Zone 0 and AB 38
VCFD's requirements are more restrictive than state law, its disclosure trigger is wider than Zone 0's, and its inspection is free — but it does not cover every city in the county.
First: is VCFD your fire department?
This is the question to settle before anything else, because using the wrong agency's form wastes weeks.
VCFD serves: Camarillo, Moorpark, Ojai, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and all unincorporated areas of Ventura County.
VCFD does not serve: the cities of Ventura, Oxnard and Fillmore. Those have their own fire prevention bureaus with their own forms and processes.
The disclosure requirement
Effective 1 January 2026, VCFPD Ordinance 34 Section 617 requires sellers of real property in High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones to provide buyers with documentation proving the property complies with defensible space requirements.
Note the trigger. High or Very High, in either the SRA or the LRA. That is wider than the state Zone 0 rule, which reaches only Very High in the LRA. A High-zone LRA property in Ventura County is outside state Zone 0 but inside this disclosure requirement.
Escrow mechanics
- Corrections: violations found at inspection must be corrected within 30 days of the notice, or before escrow closes, whichever comes first.
- Re-inspection: after corrections, the seller must request a new inspection to obtain a valid approval report before close.
- Buyer agreements: if the seller cannot complete corrections before closing, the buyer may agree to complete them within 60 days after closing.
- That agreement uses the C.A.R. Form FHDS Disclosure and Addendum and must be emailed to FHRP@venturacounty.gov before escrow closes, stating clearly that the buyer accepts responsibility.
Booking the inspection
| Fee | No fee currently |
|---|---|
| Turnaround | Typically 7 to 10 days from the request date |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm |
| Recommended lead time | Minimum two weeks before escrow closes |
| What you need | Your 10-digit Assessor Parcel Number, via the Ventura County Assessor property search |
| Form | Real Estate Inspection (AB-38) DSI Request Form |
Community Wildfire Preparedness Division: 805-389-9759 · fhrp@venturacounty.gov
Split parcels
If your parcel contains two or more different FHSZ ratings, the highest and most restrictive level applies to the entire property, under VCFD Administrative Ruling 26-804.
This is a local rule, not a statewide one. Other agencies handle split parcels differently, so do not carry this assumption to a property in another county.
Exemption
Properties in the City of Port Hueneme have no LRA fire hazard severity zones. If your property is not in a High or Very High zone, the AB 38 requirements do not apply to it.
Map effective dates
Updated LRA maps became effective 1 July 2025. SRA maps have been in effect since 1 April 2024.
Defensible space beyond Zone 0
VCFD states its requirements are more restrictive than state law, and inspectors evaluate the full 100-foot zone around all structures, or to the property line. Their Defensible Space Maintenance Guide, Guideline 423, gives visual examples of the standards.
Governing law for the underlying requirements: Public Resources Code 4291 and Government Code 51182.
How Zone 0 lands here
VCFD has not published a separate Zone 0 ordinance, so the state regulation governs once it takes effect — including in the SRA, which covers a large share of unincorporated Ventura County and where Zone 0 applies regardless of hazard class.
The open question for Ventura property owners is the final compliance tier. In the LRA the local agency sets it between three and five years; in the SRA the Director does. Worth asking the Community Wildfire Preparedness Division directly once the rule is in force. See the tiers →
Rules where you live
- All jurisdictionsWhy local rules differ, and how to find yours
- City of San DiegoMoved first — existing homes from February 2027
Source: Ventura County Fire Department, AB-38 Real Estate Defensible Space Inspection FAQ, retrieved August 2026; VCFPD Ordinance 34 Section 617; VCFD Administrative Ruling 26-804; Guideline 423. Fees and processes change — confirm with VCFD before relying on any figure here.