State guide
California
California separately regulates lead-related construction through the California Department of Public Health, and paid lead inspections or risk assessments in residential or public buildings require a CDPH-certified Inspector/Assessor. California is not on EPA’s list of authorized RRP states, but San Diego has a notable local rental lead ordinance requiring turnover inspections in older rentals.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- State lead program
- California’s state lead program for lead-related construction is run by the California Department of Public Health, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch.
- Rental lead-safe requirements
- Statewide, I did not find a California lead-safe certificate or lead-safe rental registration requirement; however, San Diego requires visual inspection and correction of presumed lead hazards before re-occupancy of vacant pre-1978 rental units.
- Renovation (RRP) program
- EPA
- Disclosure
- Beyond the federal pre-1978 lead disclosure, California’s Proposition 65 rental warning rules require qualifying residential rental property warnings at renting or leasing and annually thereafter.
Official resources in California
City of San Diego page explaining local lead duties for pre-1978 rental housing and renovation work.
Official state warning page for residential rental property chemical exposure warnings, including timing and translation rules.
Key facts for California
- California law requires paid lead inspections, lead risk assessments, and lead clearance inspections in residential or public buildings to be done by a CDPH-certified Inspector/Assessor.
- CDPH says its lists of certified professionals are updated monthly.
- If a claimed California lead professional is missing from the list, CDPH says to call 510-620-5600 for verification.
- San Diego requires visual inspection and correction of presumed lead hazards before re-occupancy of vacant pre-1978 rental units.
- San Diego requires inspection, testing, and correction documents to be kept for three years after tenant move-out.
- California’s Proposition 65 rental warning page says a warning must be provided at renting, leasing, or hiring out the property, and each year thereafter.
Local rental lead ordinances in California
| City | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of San Diego Lead Safety and Healthy Homes Program San Diego | San Diego | 858-694-7000 | Handles the city’s Lead Hazard Prevention and Control Ordinance and lead violation reporting. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Use the CDPH lead professional lookup before paying for a lead inspection, risk assessment, or clearance test.
- If the rental is in San Diego and was built before 1978, ask for the move-out or turnover lead inspection documentation.
- For renovation work in California pre-1978 housing, separately verify EPA RRP compliance because California’s RRP program is EPA-administered.
Not seeing your city or county?
Not every city publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from California's population center, for comparison only):
- National Lead Information Center, Nevada · about 210 miles
- Nevada Brownfields Program, Nevada · about 251 miles
- U.S. EPA Region 9 Lead Program, Arizona · about 425 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.San Diego Lead Hazard Prevention and Control Ordinance
Website →Phone: (858) 694-7000 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the California page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.