Solano County, CA Fire Regulations: Wildfire Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Very High FHSZ
- New vacation rentals barred outright
- High FHSZ water storage
- 2,500 gallons if no hydrant within 1,000 ft
- Building standard
- CBC Sections 705A-709A, 2022 Edition
- ASV-20 exception
- Only access-road standard applies
- First violation penalty
- $1,500 under Sec. 10-24(b)(3)
Summary
Solano County will not approve a new vacation house rental in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone at all. In a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, a rental can be approved only if the dwelling meets 2022 California Building Code wildfire-resistance standards, safe access roads, on-site water storage, and defensible space, under Section 28.75.30(A)(7).
a. A dwelling shall not be approved for use as a vacation house rental if, as of the date a complete permit application for such use is submitted, the property is located in an area designated as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by the State Fire Marshal.
b. Except in the ASV-20 zoning district, a dwelling located in an area designated as a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone by the State Fire Marshal may be approved for use as a vacation house rental if the following findings can be made: (1) The dwelling complies with the requirements in Sections 705A through 709A of the California Building Code, 2022 Edition; (2) Access roads and driveways to the dwelling comply with the requirements of the State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations; (3) On parcels not served with a fire hydrant within 1,000 feet of the dwelling, a minimum of 2,500 gallons of water storage is provided in addition to amounts required for domestic use or for sprinkler systems; and (4) Defensible space around the dwelling is provided and will be maintained at all times in accordance with Section 4291 of the Public Resources Code and implementing regulations.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 1868, passed April 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
30(A)(7) of the Solano County Code sets the fire-safety gate every vacation house rental permit application must clear before Resource Management can approve it. Subsection (a) is a flat bar: a dwelling cannot be approved for use as a vacation house rental if, on the date a complete permit application is submitted, the property sits in an area the State Fire Marshal has designated a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. There is no waiver route for that designation. For a dwelling in a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, subsection (b) allows approval, but only outside the ASV-20 zoning district, and only if four findings can all be made: the dwelling meets Sections 705A through 709A of the 2022 California Building Code (the state's wildland-urban interface construction standards); access roads and driveways meet the State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations; on parcels more than 1,000 feet from a fire hydrant, the property carries at least 2,500 gallons of water storage above what domestic use or sprinklers already require; and defensible space around the dwelling is established and kept up under Public Resources Code Section 4291.
Inside the ASV-20 district, subsection (c) drops the building-code and water-storage findings and requires only that access roads and driveways meet the State Minimum Fire Safe Regulations. 30 is, by its own subsection (A)(15), part of the county's short-term rental ordinance for enforcement purposes, a rental operating in a Very High zone or an unapproved High zone rental is treated as an unpermitted short-term rental, not merely a paperwork lapse.
Violations & Fines
Operating a vacation house rental that was never entitled to approval, such as one in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone or a non-compliant High Zone dwelling, exposes the owner to the short-term rental penalty schedule in Solano County Code Section 10-24(b)(3): $1,500 for a first violation, $3,000 for a second within one year, and $5,000 for a third or later violation, plus a lien against the property for unpaid penalties and possible non-renewal of the land use permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a vacation rental permit if my property is in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone?
What do I need to show for a rental in a High Fire Hazard Severity Zone?
Does the ASV-20 zoning district get different treatment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Solano County
California rules heatmap·Compare Solano County to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.