Santa Ana, CA Building Safety: Green Building Code (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- CALGreen 2025 Edition
- Adoption authority
- Charter § 419
- Copy on file
- City clerk's office
- Latest amending ordinance
- NS-3088 (Jan. 20, 2026)
- Enforcement path
- Ch. 8 general violation, § 8-7
- Governing section
- SAMC § 8-2900
Summary
Santa Ana enforces the California Green Building Standards Code, 2025 Edition, as its own law under Municipal Code § 8-2900, incorporating CALGreen by reference through the city Charter's code-adoption procedure rather than writing separate local green-building numbers. Six ordinances since 2010 have kept the adopted edition current with each statewide code cycle.
There is adopted by the city that certain code known as the California Green Building Standards Code, 2025 Edition, as published by the International Code Council...of which not less than one (1) copy of said Code has been and is now on file in the office of the city clerk of the city pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 18942(d)(1) and are made available for public inspection. The Green Building Standards code is adopted and incorporated by reference as though fully set forth at length herein as provided for in section 419 of the Charter of the city. The California Green Building Standards code, as thus amended, together with all other provisions of this article, shall be known as the city Green Building Standards code. (Ord. No. NS-2810, § 51, 11-15-10; Ord. No. NS-2851, § 43, 11-18-13; Ord. No. NS-2905, § 15, 12-6-16; Ord. No. NS-2981, § 13, 12-17-19; Ord. No. NS-3032, § 11, 12-20-22; Ord. No. NS-3088, § 13, 1-20-26)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32).
Full Breakdown
' A copy is kept on file at the office of the city clerk for public inspection, as required by Health and Safety Code § 18942(d)(1). The city has re-adopted the current edition with each statewide triennial code cycle, the ordinance history behind § 8-2900 runs through Ord. No. NS-2810 (2010), NS-2851 (2013), NS-2905 (2016), NS-2981 (2019), NS-3032 (2022), and NS-3088 (2026), each updating the incorporated edition rather than rewriting local standards from scratch. Because Article XVI has no separate violations section of its own, enforcement runs through Chapter 8's general provisions: the building official (Chapter 8's 'administrative authority' under § 8-3) reviews CALGreen compliance as part of the standard building-permit plan check and inspection process used for every other adopted code in the chapter, and a green-code violation is treated the same as any other Chapter 8 violation under § 8-7.
Violations & Fines
Because Article XVI adopts CALGreen without writing its own penalty clause, a violation falls under Chapter 8's general rule in § 8-7: it's punishable as provided in § 1-8 of the Municipal Code, each day of continued violation is a separate offense, and the building official can revoke or suspend a permit, approval, or certificate of occupancy issued in error or maintained in violation of the adopted code. A permit that presumes to authorize green-code noncompliance is invalid to that extent even if issued.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Santa Ana have its own green building requirements?
How often does Santa Ana update its adopted green building code?
What happens if a project doesn't meet CALGreen as adopted in Santa Ana?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Ana
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Ana to another location·View the California building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Green Building Code in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle green building code.