California Code of Regulations
Title 13 - Motor Vehicles
Division 2 - Department of the California Highway Patrol
Chapter 6.5 - Motor Carrier Safety
Article 8 - General Equipment Requirements
Section 1242 - Fire Extinguishers

Universal Citation: 13 CA Code of Regs 1242

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 38, September 20, 2024

Every motor vehicle or combination of vehicles (except those otherwise specified below) shall be equipped with one fully charged fire extinguisher having at least a 4B:C rating.

(a) Approvals. Each fire extinguisher shall have been rated and labeled by one of the following test labs approved by the State Fire Marshal to test and label portable fire extinguishers for sale in California.

(1) Underwriter's Laboratories, Northbrook, Illinois. All sizes and classifications.

(2) Factory Mutual Research Corporation, Norwood, Massachusetts. Sizes 10B:C, 1A 10B:C, 2A 40B:C, 3A 40B:C, and 4A 80B:C fire extinguishers filled with Halon 1211 or Halon 1301.

(b) Prohibited Extinguishers. Fire extinguishers using any carbon tetrachloride, chlorbromomethane, or methyl bromide as extinguishing agents shall not be carried for use in or about any vehicle.

(c) Exceptions. This section shall not apply to vehicles (except school buses, SPABS, youth buses, farm labor vehicles, and GPPVs) operated solely within a 5-mile radius of one or adjoining municipalities, vehicles subject to more restrictive provisions in this title or other code, or vehicles in any "driveaway-towaway operation" as defined in Section 303 of the Vehicle Code.

(d) Securement. Each fire extinguisher shall be securely mounted to prevent sliding, rolling, or vertical movement relative to the motor vehicle in a conspicuous place or located so it is readily accessible for use.

(e) Maintenance. Each fire extinguisher shall be maintained in efficient operating condition and equipped with some means of determining if it is fully charged.

(f) School Bus Fire Extinguishers. In addition to the other requirements of this section, school buses shall be equipped with one or two extinguishers having an aggregate rating of not less than 8B:C units, provided each extinguisher is rated at not less than 4B:C. A wheelchair school bus shall be equipped with two extinguishers, each one rated at not less than 8B:C; one to be placed in the driver's compartment and the other at the wheelchair loading door or emergency exit.

(1) School bus fire extinguishers shall be inspected and serviced only by a person, firm, or organization authorized to do so by the State Fire Marshal.

(2) Inspection or servicing shall be done at yearly intervals or at intervals prescribed in regulations adopted by the State Fire Marshal, whichever intervals are shorter.

(g) Modified Limousines. A modified limousine shall be equipped with at least two readily accessible and fully charged fire extinguishers having at least a 2A10BC 5 pound rating and maintained in efficient operating condition. One fire extinguisher shall be securely mounted in the driver's compartment and at least one shall be securely mounted in the passenger compartment, as those terms are defined in Section 1267.1. Fire extinguishers mounted in these locations shall be readily accessible to the passengers within the design of the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion. Fire extinguishers located in the vehicle trunk, a baggage compartment, or other location which is separated from the passenger compartment by a seat back, partition, or other impediment are not deemed readily accessible to the passengers within the design of the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion.

(1) A fire extinguisher maintained in efficient operating condition is one which is approved and labeled pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, is fully charged, undamaged, and can be readily operated by a modified limousine passenger during an emergency without the use of additional tools or equipment.

(2) A fire extinguisher mounted within an unlocked compartment located wholly within the modified limousine's passenger compartment which can be opened and provide ready access to the fire extinguisher without the use of any tool or other device, shall be deemed readily accessible to a passenger when the compartment is marked in a manner which easily identifies the mounting location of the fire extinguisher to passengers in the passenger compartment.

1. Amendment of subsection (c) filed 7-30-80; designated effective 9-1-80 (Register 80, No. 31).
2. Amendment of subsection (c) filed 5-15-81; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 81, No. 20).
3. Amendment filed 11-5-81; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 81, No. 45).
4. Amendment filed 10-28-82; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 82, No. 44).
5. Amendment filed 10-28-86; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 86, No. 44).
6. Amendment of subsection (c) filed 8-16-88; operative 9-15-88 (Register 88, No. 34).
7. Amendment of subsection (d) filed 1-25-2016; operative 4-1-2016 (Register 2016, No. 5).
8. New subsections (g)-(g)(2) and amendment of NOTE filed 7-31-2017 as an emergency; operative 7-31-2017 (Register 2017, No. 31). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 1-29-2018 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.
9. Certificate of Compliance as to 7-31-2017 order transmitted to OAL 1-19-2018 and filed 2-27-2018 (Register 2018, No. 9).

Note: Authority cited: Sections 31401, 34501, 34501.5, 34501.8 and 34508, Vehicle Code; and Section 39831, Education Code. Reference: Sections 28062, 31401, 34501, 34501.5, 34501.8 and 34508, Vehicle Code; and Section 39831, Education Code.

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