Accelerated restaurant building plan approval: California Retail Food Code: tenant improvements.

Assembly Members Wicks and Gabriel's restaurant permitting legislation establishes an expedited approval process for tenant improvements through third-party certification while maintaining health and safety standards. The bill allows licensed architects and engineers with at least five years of commercial experience to certify that restaurant renovation plans comply with all applicable building and safety codes, bypassing traditional municipal review timelines.

Local building departments must approve or deny certified applications within 20 business days, after which plans are automatically deemed approved if no decision is rendered. Applicants whose plans are denied may submit corrected versions, which must be reviewed within 10 business days. To ensure compliance, departments must audit at least 20 percent of certified submissions weekly and issue correction notices for any material deficiencies within 10 business days of review.

The legislation requires certifying professionals to maintain $2 million in liability insurance and holds them responsible for damages arising from negligent plan reviews. Cities and counties retain authority to impose additional qualification requirements, registration procedures, and penalties for certifiers, including decertification for willful non-compliance or repeated submission of non-compliant plans. While the bill streamlines the approval process, it preserves existing construction inspection requirements and local health department oversight under the California Retail Food Code.