Marin County, CA Fire Regulations: Propane Storage (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Marin County Fire Code § 16.16.034
- Underlying IFC section
- Section 6104.2
- Enforcing agency
- Marin County Fire Department
- First citation penalty
- $150 civil penalty plus inspection costs
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. No. 3837, § III, 2025
Summary
Marin County Fire Code § 16.16.034 restricts where liquefied petroleum gas can be stored, tying the limit to the residential and commercial areas the County itself has established. The Marin County Fire Department, acting as the Fire Code Official, enforces the restriction on unincorporated land.
16.16.034 - Establishments of geographic limits in which storage of liquefied petroleum gases is to be restricted. The geographic limits referred to in Section 6104.2 of the International Fire Code, in which storage of liquefied petroleum gas is restricted, are amended as follows: In all residential and commercial areas as established by the County of Marin, whichever is applicable.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 2026 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
034, which sets the geographic limits inside which LP-gas storage is restricted. The ordinance text reads that those limits apply "in all residential and commercial areas as established by the County of Marin, whichever is applicable," meaning propane tanks and cylinders stored in these zones must meet the tank-siting, separation and quantity thresholds carried in Chapter 61 of the underlying Fire Code rather than the more permissive rules that apply outside those zones. 036), all adopted together by Ordinance No. 3837 in 2025. A property owner or contractor proposing an above-ground LP-gas installation in a restricted zone needs Fire Code Official sign-off before the tank goes in, since the underlying IFC Chapter 61 permit and installation standards remain in force wherever the County has drawn these residential/commercial boundaries.
Because the ordinance defers to "areas as established by the County of Marin," the applicable zone for any given parcel is confirmed through the Fire Prevention Bureau rather than assumed from a zoning map alone.
Violations & Fines
Fire Code violations in unincorporated Marin, including LP-gas storage placed in a restricted zone without approval, are misdemeanors or infractions under § 16.16.070. A first citation within twelve months is treated as a civil penalty of $150 plus the Fire Department's actual inspection costs, due within 30 days unless appealed under § 16.16.065. A second citation in the same twelve-month period escalates to a misdemeanor/infraction, and each day a violation continues after notice is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I store a large propane tank anywhere on my unincorporated Marin property?
Who decides whether my parcel is in a restricted LP-gas zone?
What happens if I install a propane tank without checking the zone rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marin County
California rules heatmap·Compare Marin County to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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