Tuolumne County, CA Swimming Pools & Spas: Safety Rules (2026)

The Tuolumne County Residential Swimming Pool Enclosure handout sets additional safety standards beyond the perimeter fence. Where a wall of a dwelling (including a garage) serves as part of the barrier and contains door openings to the outdoor pool, a separation fence meeting the height, opening, and gate standards must be provided, unless one of these alternatives is used: doors with self-closing and self-latching devices whose release mechanisms are at least 54 inches above the floor; or an alarm on all doors with direct pool access that sounds continuously for at least 30 seconds within seven seconds of the door opening, providing at least 85 dBA, automatically resetting, with a manual deactivation touchpad located at least 54 inches above the threshold that silences it for a single 15-second opening. An approved ASTM F 1346 safety pool cover is an exception to the door-alarm requirement. The handout notes that owners and occupants are responsible for maintaining all required enclosures, barriers, and safety elements including alarms; that home security systems may not substitute for the door alarm; that electrically operated gates must self-close and latch within one minute; and that pool heater vents must be at least 4 feet from a property line. These provisions implement the California pool safety code and the state Swimming Pool Safety Act.