(a)  On or after January 1, 1991, no person, corporation, or entity shall manufacture for sale in this state, purchase, sell or offer for sale at retail or wholesale, or install in this state, a residential automatic garage door opener that does not have an automatic reverse safety device that complies with the applicable standards set forth in the Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Standard for Safety-ANSI/UL 325-30.1 and 325-30.2, Third Edition, as revised May 4, 1988.

(b)  In addition to the requirements of subdivision (a), on or after January 1, 1993, no person, corporation, or entity shall manufacture for sale in this state, purchase, sell or offer for sale at retail or wholesale, or install in this state, any residential automatic garage door opener unless, in order to operate, it requires the inclusion of a tactile garage door edge sensor, an optical sensor, or a similar device that when activated is designed to cause a closing door to open and prevent an open door from closing. This device shall be designed to operate in a manner so that the interruption or misalignment of the device or an opening or short in the wires between the device and the power head would cause a closing door to open and prevent an open door from closing. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subdivision, a garage door opener that is manufactured prior to January 1, 1993, and that is in the possession of a retailer or wholesaler on January 1, 1993, may be purchased, sold, offered for sale, and installed on or before July 1, 1993, provided the garage door opener is in compliance with subdivision (a).

(c)  On or after January 1, 1991, any manufacturer selling or offering for sale residential automatic garage door openers in this state shall comply with federal labeling requirements for automatic residential garage door openers contained in Section 203 of Public Law 101-608.

(d)  On and after January 1, 1991, any manufacturer, distributor, wholesaler, or retailer, selling or offering for sale residential automatic garage door openers in this state shall include with each automatic garage door opener a set of installation, operation, maintenance, and testing instructions. On or after January 1, 1991, any person installing, servicing, or repairing a residential automatic garage door opener shall comply with those instructions.

(e)  On and after January 1, 1993, any person hired to service or repair any residential automatic garage door opener shall, upon completion of the service or repair, if any, determine whether it reverses upon contact with a rigid two-inch high obstacle placed on the surface beneath the garage door. If the residential automatic garage door opener does not pass the test, the person shall complete and conspicuously affix to the residential automatic garage door opener, a red certificate as follows:

WARNING!

This garage door opener, when tested on this date, did not reverse upon contact with a two-inch high rigid obstacle placed on the surface beneath the garage door, and may not be in compliance with the safety standards relating to automatic reversing devices as set forth in Chapter 12.5 (commencing with Section 19890) of Part 3 of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code.

Address [location of

automatic garage

door opener]:

Manufacturer [if known]:

Date of manufacture

[if known]:

Serial No. [if any]:

Model No. [if any]:

[signed]

[date]

[print name]

[firm name and address]

_____

_____

_____

(f)  This chapter shall apply to all automatic garage door openers manufactured and sold for use in any residence. This chapter shall also apply to automatic garage door openers manufactured for commercial purposes, but sold for, or installed, in a residence because the commercial opener was necessary to meet the specific application requirements of that installation. Residential applications of garage door openers manufactured for commercial purposes shall comply with this chapter, and be installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions, except that the applicable standard shall be the Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Standard for Safety-ANSI/UL 325-29 in lieu of the Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Standard for Safety-ANSI/UL 325-30.1 and 325-30.2.

(g)  For the purposes of this chapter:

(1)  “Residential” shall define a device or structure that is part of, affixed to, or associated with, a residence.

(2)  “Residence” means a building that contains from one to four single-family dwelling units.

(3)  “Garage” means an enclosed and covered shelter for one or more automobiles, that may be attached to, or detached from but associated with, a residence. “Garage” does not include an unenclosed automobile parking area nor an unenclosed, covered carport.

(4)  “Garage door” means a structure that serves as an overhead, vertical-moving barrier to the opening that serves as the automobile entrance to the garage. “Garage door” does not include structures that operate in a sliding or horizontal motion.

(h)  On or after January 1, 1992, no replacement residential garage door shall be installed in a manner that connects the replacement door to an existing residential automatic garage door opener that does not meet the test standard set forth in subdivision (e), regardless of the date of manufacture of the residential automatic garage door opener.

(Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 802, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1994.)