California's Swimming Pool Safety Act treats hot tubs and spas as swimming pools, so new spa construction at single-family homes in unincorporated Sonoma County requires a building permit and at least two drowning-prevention safety features, unless the spa has a compliant locking safety cover.
Health and Safety Code section 115921 defines a swimming pool to include hot tubs, spas, portable spas, and nonportable wading pools containing water over 18 inches deep. Under section 115922, when a building permit is issued for a new pool or spa at a private single-family home, at least two of seven listed drowning-prevention safety features are required, such as an enclosure, approved safety cover, or exit alarms. Permit Sonoma's CNI-044 applies these rules in unincorporated Sonoma County and exempts spas equipped with locking safety covers meeting the ASTM standard, mirroring the exemption in Health and Safety Code section 115925. Public spas are separately permitted and inspected by Sonoma County Environmental Health.
Spa installations requiring a permit that proceed without one, or that lack required drowning-prevention safety features at final inspection, will not pass Permit Sonoma inspection and are subject to county code enforcement.
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