• Gates must be recessed within or laid flush with the building's facade.
• Operating mechanisms: Gates may be hand-crank or push-up operated. Motors or chain operated gates cannot be used.
• If you intend to have a roll-up gate:
  • It must be covered with a coil hood and a sloped awning. Awnings cannot be square shaped. (See image below)
  • If your space has transom windows above the storefront, they cannot be covered by a coil hood or awning. (See image below)

Security gates on historic buildings

• Find out if your business is in a historic building by looking up your address on the San Francisco Property Information Map.
  • View the "Historic Preservation" tab on the left. Buildings with Category A or B are historic.
  • You can also email pic@sfgov.org to ask if your building is a historic resource.
• If your business is located in a historic building, your gate will need to be reviewed by a Preservation Planner at the Permit Center. Scissor gates are typically recommended for historic buildings.

• Gates may not be solid.
• Gates less than 75% transparent must include a transparent viewing window at eye level.

Small businesses can get one-on-one permitting help through the Office of Small Business

Submit plans and documents to the SF Department of Building Inspection (DBI).  Plans for your security gate will need to be prepared by a licensed contractor or design professional. 

• Visit DBI's Technical Services Counter at 49 South Van Ness (Permit Center) or email TechQ@sfgov.org for questions about building codes
• Visit the Planning Dept. Counter at 49 South Van Ness (Permit Center) for questions about transparency requirements

You may be able to legalize your existing security gate, even if it doesn't meet transparency requirements, if:

• It is located in a Neighborhood Commercial-, Residential Commercial-, Commercial-, or Mixed-Use Commercial District or is Cannabis retail use
  • Search your address on the San Francisco Property Information Map and view the 'Zoning Information' tab to look up your zoning district
• The security gate existed prior to September 2022
• The business is in active use
• The security gate is only used when the business is not open to the public
• You apply for a building permit to legalize the gate before May 2026

If you have a cannabis retail business and your gate does not meet transparency requirements, you need to install a mural on the surface of the gate visible from the public sidewalk.

Small businesses can get one-on-one permitting help through the Office of Small Business

For your existing security gate: Submit plans and documents to the SF Department of Building Inspection (DBI).  Plans for your security gate will need to be prepared by a licensed contractor or design professional. 

• Visit DBI's Technical Services Counter at 49 South Van Ness (Permit Center) or email TechQ@sfgov.org for questions about building codes