Fire Prevention Fee

New Information – Effective July 1, 2017, Assembly Bill 398 (Chapter 135) Suspends the Fire Prevention Fee Commencing with the 2017-18 Fiscal Year.

No fire prevention fee billings will be issued after June 30, 2017.
Unpaid billings for periods prior to July 1, 2017 (fiscal years 2011-12 through 2016-17) are still effective and must be paid. If you remit payments for past due amounts, the payments will be applied to your account balance.
The fire prevention fee statutes will be repealed on January 1, 2031, unless a statute is enacted prior to this date that deletes or extends that date.
No refunds will be issued for valid payments made on billing periods prior to July 1, 2017, unless a duplicate payment was made.

What Is the Fire Prevention Fee?

Due to the passage of Assembly Bill (AB) 398 (Stats. 2017, Ch. 135), the Fire Prevention Fee (fee) is suspended effective July 1, 2017.
The Fire Prevention Fee is an annual fee, effective July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2017, for fire prevention services. Owners of habitable structures in the State's Responsibility Area (SRA), on record as of July 1 each year, are required by law to pay the fee. The SRA is the area of the state where the State of California is financially responsible for the prevention and suppression of wildfires. The SRA does not include lands within incorporated city boundaries or federally owned land. You can see if your property is in the SRA by looking up your address here CAL FIRE – Fire Prevention Fee SRA Parcel Map.

When Will I Receive My Fire Fee Bill?

As a result of AB 398, no fee billings will be issued after June 30, 2017. However, please note, even though the fee was suspended as of July 1, 2017, unpaid billings for past fiscal year periods 2011-12 through 2016-17 are still effective and due.

How Do I Pay My Bill?

The bill contains instructions about how and where to pay. This is what a bill looks like: Sample of a Notice of Determination.

Here are convenient, simple, and secure methods to make a payment:

You can make a payment electronically by having the funds electronically withdrawn from your bank account. To make a payment, log in with your User ID or Express Login. There is no fee to use this service. You will need the following bank account information: bank routing number, bank account number, and account type – checking or savings.
You can also pay by credit card over the Internet or by calling 1-855-292-8931. If paying by credit card, a service fee of 2.3% of the transaction amount will be charged by the credit card processing vendor, ACI Payments, Inc. This fee is retained by the vendor and is not revenue to the State. The minimum fee is $1.00.
If you choose to pay the fee by check, make it payable to the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) and write your account number in the check memo. Mail the upper portion of the bill, along with your payment, in the enclosed self-addressed envelope. Make sure to put a postage stamp on the envelope. If you do not have the envelope, mail your payment to:
Compliance Branch
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
P.O. Box 942881
Sacramento, CA 94279-2525

How Much is the Annual Fee?

The suspension of the fee does not change or reduce the fee amount owed for fiscal year periods that fall within July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2017. For historical fee rates, please visit the rate table.
The most recent fee amount is $152.33 per habitable structure located within the SRA for the period July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2017. If the habitable structure is also within the boundaries of a local agency that provides fire protection services, the property owner will receive a $35.00 reduction for each habitable structure.
Approximately 98% of habitable structures in the SRA are covered by a local fire protection agency resulting in most bills amounting to $117.33 per habitable structure.

Who Determines Who Pays the Fee?

CAL FIRE provides the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), formerly the Board of Equalization (BOE), a list of owners of habitable structures located in the SRA and the amount of fee(s) to be assessed on each structure. The CDTFA then issues the billings and collects the fees.

The list includes the owners of record of habitable structures, such as single family homes, multi-dwelling structures (for example, apartment buildings), mobile homes, manufactured homes, and condominiums, etc., on July 1 of the fiscal year for which the fee is due. Habitable structures do NOT include commercial, industrial, or incidental buildings such as detached garages, barns, outdoor sanitation facilities and sheds.

Who Can I Contact with Questions?

Contact the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration's Program and Compliance Bureau's Compliance Branch

If you have questions regarding the fee billing or making a payment, you may contact us by email or at the following address or telephone number:

Compliance Branch
MIC:88
California Department of Tax and Fee Administration
PO Box 942879
Sacramento, CA 94279-0088
1-800-400-7115 (TTY: 711)