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The Law · City of Malibu · checked September 19, 2026Zone 0 Regulations in Malibu: What Is in Force and What Is Proposed
Three labels, used the same way on every page
You do not need to read the bills. You need to know what is required now, what is only proposed, and what is worth doing regardless.
Malibu Municipal Code Ch. 17.53
In force since August 12, 2020 for projects requiring permits: hedges and flammable fences or walls prohibited within 5 feet of a building; nonflammable mulch only in the first 5 feet. State law (PRC §4291, Gov. Code §51182) also requires roofs and gutters clear of leaves and needles.
Statewide Zone 0
AB 3074 (2020) directed the state to create an ember-resistant zone. The Board of Forestry approved a final draft on August 19, 2026; OAL file 2026-0828-03E is listed as withdrawn (September 8, 2026). There is no statewide effective date.
Harden the first five feet
Clear combustibles and use nonflammable ground cover whether or not a rule applies to your project. The county lists a 100-foot defensible-space radius as a recommendation.
What MMC Chapter 17.53 regulates in the first five feet
Chapter 17.53 (fire-resistant landscaping) was adopted March 23, 2020 and took effect August 12, 2020, the date the Coastal Commission certified it. It applies to projects requiring permits after that date, with exemptions listed in MMC 17.53.030(B).
That makes it a rule you meet when you do permitted work, not a retrofit mandate for existing structures. We did not find a retrofit deadline for existing structures. Ask the City of Malibu whether your project is covered.
The statewide draft would regulate more, but it is Proposed — not in force, and we do not present its contents as current requirements. See our landscaping page and fences page for what Chapter 17.53 means in practice. Source: City of Malibu, Fire-Resistant Landscaping.
Zone 0 regulation questions, answered
Is Zone 0 a statewide law in California?
As of September 19, 2026 there is no statewide Zone 0 regulation in force. AB 3074 (2020) directed the state to create an ember-resistant zone, but that is not a current statewide rule to keep the first five feet clear. The Board of Forestry approved a final draft on August 19, 2026, and the state's own record lists OAL file 2026-0828-03E as withdrawn on September 8, 2026.
Does Malibu have its own rule for the first five feet?
Yes. Malibu Municipal Code Chapter 17.53 (fire-resistant landscaping) took effect August 12, 2020 and applies to projects requiring permits after that date, with exemptions in MMC 17.53.030(B). We did not find a retrofit deadline for existing structures.
Who is the fire authority in Malibu, and who writes the rules?
The Los Angeles County Fire Department is the fire authority, and its Defensible Space program covers Malibu. Chapter 17.53 is part of the City of Malibu's own municipal code. The State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection approved the statewide draft on August 19, 2026; that draft is Proposed — not in force.
Do the rules apply to my whole property?
No. Chapter 17.53's first-five-feet limits are measured from a building. Existing defensible-space law reaches further, and the county recommends a 100-foot defensible-space radius.
Have a question about your property?
Send a request and the team will follow up by email.