California school drill law

Which drills does California require, and how often?

What are the fire drill rules?

Anyone in charge of a public, private or parochial school, other than a two-year community college, must sound the fire alarm at least once every calendar month. Elementary schools must hold a fire drill at least once every calendar month. Intermediate schools must hold a fire drill at least four times every school year. Secondary schools must hold a fire drill not less than twice every school year. The state education regulation, 5 CCR § 550 (Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations), requires a fire drill at least once each month in each elementary and intermediate school and not less than twice every school year in each secondary school. For intermediate schools the two texts differ: the Education Code says at least four times every school year, while 5 CCR § 550 says at least once each month. 5 CCR § 550 names the Education Code section as its authority. This page does not decide which count governs; check with your district's counsel.

What does the California Fire Code add?

State law makes the California Building Standards Code (Title 24, which includes the California Fire Code as Part 9) apply to all occupancies statewide. The 2025 edition of that code, including the California Fire Code, took effect January 1, 2026. The Fire Code repeats the school schedule: schools must sound the fire alarm at least monthly at elementary and intermediate levels and at least twice a year at the secondary level, and secondary schools must hold a fire drill at least twice every school year. A school's first evacuation drill of the school year must be held within 10 days of the start of classes. Evacuation drills must be held at different times of day, such as class changes, assemblies and recess, so drills can't be told apart from real fires.

Is a lockdown drill required?

SB 541 (2019), the lockdown drill bill, was enacted only as an act adding Educ. Code § 32289.5, relating to school safety.

What are the earthquake drill rules?

Each public school building with room for 50 or more students, or with more than one classroom, must have an earthquake emergency procedure system. A drop procedure practice must be held at least once a school quarter in elementary schools and at least once a semester in secondary schools. The governing board of each private school must set up an earthquake emergency procedure system in every private school building with room for 50 or more students or with more than one classroom. Private schools must also hold a drop procedure practice at least once each school quarter in elementary schools and at least once a semester in secondary schools.

What limits apply to active shooter drills?

Active shooter drills are not required, but if a school's safety plan includes one, the school must follow all of these rules. The school must not hold a high-intensity drill. The drill must not use real weapons, gunfire blanks or explosions. The school must use a trauma-informed approach (designed with students' stress and past trauma in mind) to plan and run the drill. Drill content and terms must be age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate, developed with school staff including school-based mental health professionals. Parents or guardians must be able to opt their children out of the drill. Following the state education department's best practices for these drills is encouraged, not required. SB 848 (Stats. 2025, ch. 460) kept these active shooter drill rules word for word, in both its version of the law operative January 1, 2026 and its version operative January 1, 2031.

Must parents be told about drills?

For an active shooter drill, all parents and guardians, teachers, administrators and staff must get notice before the drill, including how long it is expected to last. Students and teachers must hear an announcement immediately before the drill starts and immediately after it ends. All parents and guardians must get a notice after the drill has ended. AB 1943 (Stats. 2026, ch. 459) adds to the state's drill best practices: handing out the state's Secure Firearm Storage Notification when giving parents and guardians a specified drill-related notice. AB 1943 was chaptered on September 26, 2026 as a non-urgency bill, so it takes effect January 1, 2027.

What are the school bus drill rules?

At least once each school year, students in pre-K through grade 8 who ride the bus to and from school must receive bus safety instruction. As part of that instruction, students must evacuate the bus through the emergency exit doors. Before each school activity trip, all students on the bus must receive safety instruction that covers the emergency exits and emergency equipment. Records of the yearly bus safety instruction must stay on file for one year.

What role do law enforcement and fire officials play?

The schoolsite council must consult a representative from a law enforcement agency, a fire department and other first responders when writing the school safety plan. Under 5 CCR § 550, the governing board may arrange for a fire department to run the school's fire drills; when the principal runs them, all students, teachers and other employees must leave the building.

What safety plan deadlines apply?

School districts and county offices of education are responsible for the safety plans of their K-12 schools. Each school must review and update its school safety plan by March 1 every year. AB 2496 (Stats. 2026, ch. 615), effective January 1, 2027, keeps that March 1 yearly review but removes the school accountability report card (SARC) reporting duty from the safety plan section. Districts and county offices must tell the state education department by October 15 each year which schools have not met the safety plan requirement. The safety plan law also provides, for the schools it names, a communication and evacuation plan for an early-notice evacuation warning that allows enough time to evacuate all students and staff.

Who is covered?

Fire drills cover public, private and parochial schools, except two-year community colleges. The safety plan duties cover K-12 schools run by school districts and county offices of education. Private schools with a building of 50 or more students or more than one classroom must run an earthquake emergency system with drop drills. Charter schools must have a safety plan that covers the same topics, which include the earthquake drop procedure and the active shooter drill rules.

What has changed recently?

SB 848 was chaptered as Chapter 460, Statutes of 2025, on October 7, 2025. It kept the earthquake drop drill wording unchanged, in the version operative January 1, 2026 and the version operative January 1, 2031. AB 1943 (Chapter 459, Statutes of 2026, chaptered September 26, 2026) and AB 2496 (Chapter 615, Statutes of 2026, chaptered September 27, 2026) take effect January 1, 2027.