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The Law · City of MalibuZone Zero Regulations in Malibu
Three laws, one five-foot rule
You do not need to read the bills. You need to know what each one changed for a house on a Malibu hillside or bluff.
AB 3074 (2020)
Created the ember-resistant zone. Added "Zone 0," the first 5 feet around structures, to California's defensible-space law for Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
SB 504 (2024)
Pushed the rulemaking forward and tightened the framework for how the Board of Forestry defines and phases in Zone 0 requirements.
AB 1455 (2025)
The implementation law. Set the phased compliance structure: existing homes get a runway, while rebuilds and new construction comply immediately at adoption.
What the Zone 0 draft actually regulates
The April 17, 2026 draft regulates what may exist in the first five feet of any structure in a Very High zone. That includes items Malibu lots have in abundance: wood gates on narrow side yards, combustible privacy fencing between close-set beach parcels, and ornamental mulch against stucco.
Enforcement is education-first per the April draft. Expect notices and correction windows before fines. But the rules for new fences and rebuilds carry no grace period at all, which matters in a city still processing Woolsey rebuilds.
One more Malibu-specific note: the draft scaled back earlier blanket vegetation removal language. Well-maintained trees may be treated differently from ground fuels. See our landscaping page for what that means under mature sycamores and eucalyptus.
Zone 0 regulation questions, answered
Is Zone Zero law right now in Malibu?
The statutes are law; the implementing regulations are not final yet. AB 3074 created the ember-resistant zone in 2020, and the Board of Forestry's April 17, 2026 draft is the most current text. Final regulations are expected late 2026, and that is when requirements begin to attach.
Which agency writes the rules, and which one knocks on my door?
The State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection writes the statewide Zone 0 regulations. In Malibu, the Los Angeles County Fire Department is the Authority Having Jurisdiction that applies them, layered on the county defensible-space inspections Malibu homeowners already know.
Does the state rule or the local rule win?
The state framework is the floor. Local authorities can adopt specifics, including the Phase 2 timeline, which the local jurisdiction can set at up to 5 years after adoption. That is why Malibu-specific guidance matters more than statewide summaries.
Do the rules apply to my whole property?
No. Zone 0 is only the first 5 feet from any structure, including detached garages and guesthouses that are common on Malibu lots. Zones 1 and 2, out to 100 feet, remain under existing defensible-space law.
Get a plain-English read on your property
A CSLB-licensed contractor walks your first five feet and maps the draft requirements to your actual lot. Free, no obligation.