LAFD Cannabis Operations: Plans and Permitting Checklist THESE REQUIREMENTS APPLY TO ALL CANNABIS MANUFACTURING FACILITIES, BOTH EXISTING AND NEW. ONLY STRICTLY RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS (GROUP M OCCUPANCIES) AND SMALL TESTING LABS (GROUP B OCCUPANCIES) ARE EXEMPT. ARCHITECTURAL PLAN REVIEWS 1. Fire/Life Safety Plan Review a. First submit your architectural plans to Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) in application for a building permit and Certificate of Occupancy; b. After receiving your LADBS Application for Building Permit and Certificate of Occupancy from LADBS (see image to follow for example), register for and log in to your customer account with LAFD, then submit your architectural plans along with your LADBS application to LAFD Fire Development Services (“FDS”) via your dashboard. When prompted, select “LADBS Permit,” and then “Fire Life Safety Plan Review.”
c. A successful inspection by a Fire Inspector from LAFD’s Fire Development Services Section is required to finalize approval of your building permit. Requesting such an inspection may be completed within your customer dashboard. 2. High Pile Combustible Storage Plan Review a. If you are storing combustible materials greater than 12ft above the ground as measured to the top of the combustible material itself, not to the shelf or pallet on which it is stored, you will need to submit separate architectural plans to LADBS and to LAFD for this purpose in the same manner in which fire life safety plans are submitted as described above. Requirements to be followed are found in Chapter 32 of the Los Angeles Fire Code and in NFPA 13 Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems. b. When submitting such plans to LAFD via your customer dashboard, select “LADBS Permit,” and then “High Pile Combustible Storage” when prompted. c. A successful inspection by a Fire Inspector from LAFD’s Fire Development Services Section is required to finalize approval of your high pile combustible storage building permit. Requesting such an inspection may be completed within your customer dashboard. 3. Approval of architectural plans is prerequisite to entertaining any equipment plans.
FIRE PERMITS REQUIRED FROM LAFD 1. CARBON DIOXIDE ENRICHMENT AND/OR MONITORING a. LAFD approval of your architectural plans is prerequisite to entertaining your equipment plans for carbon dioxide enrichment and/or monitoring. b. By means of a CNG Burner (compressed flammable gas combustion process) i. Several fire permits are required, which may be submitted under one or separate applications, as you may prefer: 1. Fire Permit Required (Industrial Oven, 3001.2 LAFC). Select “Fire Permit,” and then “Industrial Oven or Furnace” when prompted. 2. Fire Permit Required (Gas Detection: CNG and CO, 3905.1 LAFC). Select “Fire Permit,” and then “Gas Detection System” when prompted. 3. Fire Permit Required (Central Station for gas detection, 105.7.1.6 LAFC). Select “Fire Permit,” and then “Central Station Signaling” when prompted. ii. Connection of unlisted equipment to a plumbed in natural gas line requires approval by LADBS Mechanical Test Lab, which in turn requires testing by an approved third-party test lab upon agreement with LADBS, an acceptable test result, and an approved Modification to allow a onetime and one-location installation issued by LADBS with LAFD concurrence. iii. Mechanical ventilation is required at a rate not less than 1 cubic foot per minute, per square foot of the subject fire area: 1. Requires LADBS Mechanical Plan Check approval 2. Requires duct smoke detection for 2,000 CFM or greater in a given fire area, which requires either a fire alarm or a sprinkler monitoring system to be installed 3. All detectors to be interlocked with mechanical ventilation c. By means of a CO2 storage tank (liquified cryogenic inert gas, pressurized) i. Fire Permit Required (Special Vessel, 105.7.1.1 LAFC). Select “Fire Permit,” and then “Special Vessel” when prompted. ii. Mechanical ventilation is required at a rate not less than 1 cubic feet per minute, per square foot of the subject fire area: 1. Requires LADBS Mechanical Plan Check approval 2. Requires duct smoke detection for 2,000 CFM or greater, which requires either a fire alarm or a sprinkler monitoring system to be installed 3. All detectors to be interlocked with mechanical ventilation d. A successful inspection by a Fire Inspector from LAFD’s Fire Development Services Section is required to finalize approval of your fire permit(s). Requesting such an inspection may be completed within your customer dashboard. 2. PLANT EXTRACTION a. LAFD approval of your architectural plans is prerequisite to entertaining your equipment plans for any manner of extraction. Until notified to the contrary by DCR and LAFD, volatile extraction is prohibited. b. Identify an LAFD-approved, California-licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer, a list of whom will be provided to you upon request; or submit your own preferred engineer for vetting in application for LAFD approval, as the proposed author of the technical report required by and described in detail in Sections 3904.2 and 3904.3 of the fire code, respectively. c. Submit your technical report authored by an LAFD-approved engineer concurrently with your equipment plans to LAFD via your customer dashboard. Select “Fire Permit,” and then “Plant Extraction Systems” when prompted.
d. After your plans are approved, your fire permit issued, and the installation of your extraction equipment completed, the author of the technical report or a similarly qualifying and LAFD-approved Professional Mechanical Engineer shall visit the site to validate that all conditions described in the technical report fully agree with the physical installation and shall provide written certification to LAFD FDS to this effect. This certification shall include verification of the serial number of the equipment actually installed. e. A successful inspection by a Fire Inspector from LAFD’s Fire Development Services Section is required to finalize approval of your fire permit. Requesting such an inspection may be completed within your customer dashboard. FIRE INSPECTIONS REQUIRED FROM LAFD 1. By Fire Development Services a. Subsequent to the approval of any plans submitted to LAFD Fire Development Services Section. b. No changes, however small, may be made to any portion or component of the building or to any equipment contained therein without plans having first been submitted, reviewed, and approved by the LAFD FDS Plan Check Unit and without a successful inspection by a Fire Inspector from LAFD’s Fire Development Services Section. 2. By LAFD’s Cannabis Unit a. Upon application for licensure and when otherwise required by the Department of Cannabis Regulation. b. On a recurring annual basis.