An amnesty program in San Francisco is back through July 1, 2025 to legalize existing awnings

SAN FRANCISCO — In early 2023, nearly 200 small business and property owners received notices of violations from the Department of Building Inspection (DBI) about their long existing awnings allegedly being out of compliance. As a result, San Francisco offered an amnesty program for free awning permits to encourage compliance. Now the amnesty program is back until July 1, 2025 with even easier steps to finish the entire process without hiring licensed contractors.

DBI announced the goal of the latest amnesty program was to legalize existing awnings in San Francisco and assist more business and property owners in compliance of city codes to make awnings safer for everyone.

Wind Newspaper first reported in 2023 the complaints from shop and property owners who received notices of violations from the city about their existing awnings. Each fine was over $1,000. Many of those awnings have been placed at their storefronts for decades without changes. Most owners who were issued citations were Asians and their stores were primarily located in Chinatown and Asian neighborhoods.

Former Mayor London Breed and former D3 Supervisor Aaron Peskin whose district included Chinatown co-authored a legislation to create an amnesty program for existing awnings. The permit fees for awning installation would be waived.

The initial amnesty program was in effect in 2023 until the end of June in 2024. Now the latest amnesty program with more incentives has been back in late 2024 and will end on July 1, 2025.

The ongoing amnesty program is only for existing awnings which have been in place prior to August 20, 2023 and were not permitted for installation. The amnesty is not for new businesses or new awning permit applications.

From now on until July 1, 2025, business or property owners may submit their permit applications for existing awnings on their own without hiring a licensed contractor or awning installer.

"Through July 1, 2025, there are no permit fees, inspection fees or penalty fees assessed for awning permits obtained using this process. Some modest state fees and local fees/surcharges still apply," DBI wrote on its webpage (https://www.sf.gov/step-by-step--permit-process-legalize-existing-awnings) on this specific amnesty program.

Any corrective work might require a standard permit with plans, but the permit fees, inspection fees and penalty fees will still be waived under the amnesty program, according to DBI.

"New uninstalled awnings cannot use this process and should follow the standard new awning permit process. All new or additional awning installation/construction must be performed by a licensed contractor or awning installer," DBI said.

DBI has launched multilingual videos in English, Spanish, Chinese and Filipino languages to assist business and property owners submit their permit applications.

Owners can submit the awning permit applications on their own by providing dimensioned photos documenting their awning sizes, weight, locations and related information.

Wah Lee, owner of Cheung Hing Chinese Deli on Clement Street in Richmond District, first contacted Wind Newspaper in December 2022 about a notice of violations they received directly from a DBI inspector.

Lee and his wife have owned the Chinese deli restaurant since 1986. They replaced the old awning with a new one in mid 2022 in the same size and shape. Several months later in December 2022 after the new awning was installed, Lee received a notice of violations hand-delivered by an inspector of DBI who walked into the deli. Lee was told that the awning at his store was out of compliance with no record of permit application.

Lee was glad to hear that the DBI offered a new amnesty program for existing awnings. He said he would definitely submit his application.