Natural Hazard Disclosure Reports in California: How to Read One
A natural hazard disclosure (NHD) report tells a California home buyer whether the property lies in any of six state-mapped hazard zones: a FEMA special flood hazard area, a dam inundation area, a High or Very High fire hazard severity zone, a state responsibility area for wildland fire, an earthquake fault zone or a seismic hazard zone. The core of it is the Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement in Civil Code section 1103.2, which the seller, the agents and the buyer sign. Most sellers hire a third-party provider, whose longer report adds other notices, such as airport, Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) and right-to-farm notices.
Nearly every buyer of a house in California receives one, and it’s easy to sign without reading past the first page. This guide walks through what the law requires, each zone on the form, the add-on notices, how to read a “Yes,” and how to check the report against the official maps. Examples come from the North Bay, where fire, flood, fault and farmland notices all turn up.
What the law requires, and when
Civil Code section 1103 applies to transfers of single-family residential property, including sales, exchanges, installment land contracts, leases with an option to buy and ground leases coupled with improvements. It’s triggered when the seller or the seller’s agent has to disclose that the property is in one of the six zones, either because they actually know it or because the city or county has posted notice of a map that includes the parcel. Any waiver of the requirement is void.
The seller must deliver the statement as soon as practicable before title transfers. If it, or a material amendment, arrives after you’ve made your offer, Civil Code 1103.3 lets you terminate by written notice within 3 days of delivery in person, or within 5 days of delivery by mail or by electronic delivery where the parties agreed to transact electronically.
Transfers that are exempt
Civil Code 1103.1 exempts several kinds of transfer from the statutory form, including:
- Court-ordered sales, including probate estate sales, foreclosures, bankruptcy and eminent domain.
- Sales by a fiduciary administering a trust, guardianship, conservatorship or estate, except where the trustee of a revocable trust is a person who was a former owner or an occupant within the prior year.
- Transfers between co-owners, to a spouse or blood relative of a seller, or between spouses in a divorce.
- Transfers to or from a government entity, and leases other than leases with an option to buy.
The same section warns that exempt sales may still owe the underlying zone disclosures under other statutes, so many sellers in probate and trust sales provide a report anyway. Our probate and trust sales pages cover those transactions.
The six zones on the statutory form
Each zone comes from a different agency’s map, and each “Yes” points to a different follow-up.
| Zone on the form | Whose map | What a “Yes” should prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Special flood hazard area (Zone A or V) | FEMA flood insurance rate maps | Ask your lender whether flood insurance is required and get a quote; see our guide to flood zones in the North Bay |
| Area of potential flooding | Dam failure inundation maps | Find out which dam the mapping comes from and what the map shows for the parcel |
| High or Very High fire hazard severity zone | State Fire Marshal maps, state and local responsibility areas | Defensible space documentation, home hardening disclosures and insurance quotes |
| Wildland area with substantial forest fire risk | State responsibility area maps | The state, not a city, is responsible for wildfire protection; maintenance rules apply |
| Earthquake fault zone | California Geological Survey (Alquist-Priolo zones) | Site-specific geologic study for new building or major work |
| Seismic hazard zone (liquefaction or landslide) | California Geological Survey | Geotechnical review and a closer look at the foundation |
The form itself says that owners in a fire zone are subject to specified maintenance requirements. Our guides to fire hazard severity zones in Sonoma, Napa and Marin and AB 38 defensible space inspections explain what those requirements are and who inspects. For the fault and seismic zones, see our guide to earthquake fault zones in California.
How to read a “Yes,” a “No” and “not evaluated”
A “Yes” means the parcel is inside a mapped zone. It doesn’t mean the hazard will happen, and the form warns that the maps are estimates. It also warns, in capital letters, that the hazards may limit your ability to develop the property, to get insurance or to receive assistance after a disaster.
Several rules push the form toward “Yes”:
- Unclear maps. If a map is too inaccurate or small-scale to tell whether the property is inside a zone, the seller must mark “Yes” unless a qualifying expert report shows otherwise. Public Resources Code 2621.9 says the same for earthquake fault zones.
- FEMA map changes. A FEMA Letter of Map Revision that removes the property from a flood zone allows a “No,” with a copy attached. One that adds the property requires a “Yes.”
- Areas not yet mapped. The Geological Survey’s EQ Zapp viewer tells you when the survey hasn’t yet evaluated an area for seismic hazards. “Not evaluated” isn’t the same as “no hazard.”
Map editions matter too. The State Fire Marshal’s map for state responsibility areas took effect on April 1, 2024, and local responsibility area maps were released in four phases between February 10 and March 24, 2025. Check the report’s date and which map edition the provider used.
The extra notices in a third-party report
When an expert prepares the report, Civil Code 1103.4 requires it to check for, and include a notice about, each of these:
- Airport influence area. A “Notice of Airport in Vicinity” if the property is in an airport influence area, warning of possible noise, vibration or odors from airport operations.
- BCDC jurisdiction. A notice if the property is within the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission’s jurisdiction, where use and development may need special permits. This comes up on bayfront parcels in Marin, San Francisco and other Bay counties.
- Right to farm. A “Notice of Right to Farm” if the property is within one mile of land shown as prime, statewide importance, unique, local or grazing farmland on the county’s Important Farmland map. It warns of noise, odors, dust and pesticide use, and notes that legal remedies may be barred for farming done under accepted customs. In Napa and Sonoma, where vineyards and grazing land surround many towns, read this one closely.
- Mining operations. A notice if the property is within one mile of a reported mine operation.
The farmland map comes from the Department of Conservation’s Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program, which updates it every two years and publishes it in an online viewer called the California Important Farmland Finder.
Reports often bundle more. Civil Code 1102.6b, for example, requires the seller to make a good faith effort to give the buyer a notice of any Mello-Roos special tax or 1915 Act assessment on the property, and many providers include that tax information with the hazard report. Local disclosures a city or county requires may be added as well.
Why sellers use a provider, and what that protects
Civil Code 1103.4 shields the seller and the agents from liability for an error in information they didn’t personally know about, if it came from a public agency or a qualified expert and they used ordinary care in passing it on. The expert can state in writing which disclosures its report covers, and is then responsible only for those items.
The statutory form must always accompany the expert’s report, completed and signed. Two limits are worth knowing:
- The seller still has to disclose what they know. The buyer’s acknowledgment on the form says it doesn’t cover all of the seller’s or agents’ disclosure obligations, so a seller who knows the creek floods the yard has to say so elsewhere. Our California seller disclosures guide covers the rest of the package.
- The form is between the parties. Section 1103.2 says insurers, lenders and government agencies may not use the disclosure for any purpose.
Check the report yourself: a short routine
- Note the report date and map editions listed by the provider.
- Look up fire zones on the State Fire Marshal’s state and local responsibility area viewers, and ask the city or county whether it has adopted the local map.
- Look up seismic zones on the Geological Survey’s EQ Zapp, which shows fault rupture, liquefaction and earthquake-induced landslide zones by address.
- Look up the flood zone on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center and ask the lender how it will treat the result.
- Check the farmland notice on the California Important Farmland Finder if a working ranch or vineyard is nearby.
- Bring a “Yes” into your inspections. A seismic hazard “Yes” is a reason for a foundation or geotechnical review; a fire zone “Yes” is a reason to get insurance quotes early. See our guide to why a home inspection matters.
The CGS notes that EQ Zapp isn’t a substitute for site investigations and may not show every fault or hazard area. In San Francisco, the city’s own maps add more detail; see our San Francisco hazard maps guide.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice; talk to a California real estate attorney about your situation.
Questions people ask
What is a natural hazard disclosure report?
A report a California seller gives the buyer showing whether the property is in any of six state-mapped hazard zones, on the statutory form in Civil Code 1103.2. Reports prepared by experts add notices about airports, BCDC jurisdiction, nearby farmland and mines.
Who pays for the NHD report?
The legal duty to disclose is the seller’s, so the seller usually orders the report. Who pays is negotiable and is recorded in the purchase agreement’s allocation of costs.
How much does an NHD report cost?
Prices vary by provider and by how much the report covers beyond the six statutory zones. Ask escrow or the provider for a quote before you list.
Can I cancel after I receive the NHD?
If the disclosure is delivered after you make your offer, Civil Code 1103.3 lets you terminate within 3 days of delivery in person or 5 days of delivery by mail or agreed electronic delivery. Your contract’s contingencies may give you other rights.
Does a hazard zone mean I can’t get insurance?
No, but it affects the questions underwriters ask. The Department of Insurance says CAL FIRE’s hazard maps don’t affect insurance rates or availability; see our guide to insurance during escrow.
Is an NHD required in a probate or trust sale?
Court-ordered and most fiduciary sales are exempt from the statutory form, but a trustee of a revocable trust who was a former owner or recent occupant isn’t. Exempt sales may still owe the zone disclosures under other laws.
Is the NHD the same as a home inspection?
No. The NHD reports where the property sits on official maps. An inspection reports on the condition of the house, and you need both.
If you’re reviewing a disclosure package now, we can go through the hazard report with you and point out what to verify before your contingencies expire. Get in touch, or return to our home-buying process guides.
Sources & notes
- Justia (California Code, 2025): Civil Code section 1103
- Justia (California Code, 2025): Civil Code section 1103.1
- Justia (California Code, 2025): Civil Code section 1103.2
- Justia (California Code, 2025): Civil Code section 1103.3
- Justia (California Code, 2025): Civil Code section 1103.4
- Justia (California Code, 2025): Civil Code section 1102.6b
- Justia (California Code, 2025): Public Resources Code section 2621.9
- California Geological Survey: EQ Zapp
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal: Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- California Department of Conservation: Farmland Mapping and Monitoring Program
- Statutes were read on Justia, which notes its code text may lag the official version; the Legislature’s site couldn’t be opened from our research environment.
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
