CA AB2550

Requires the California Building Standards Commission to adopt building standards by the next triennial update occurring on or after January 1, 2025, authorizing takeout-only businesses to operate without customer restrooms, establishments with maximum occupancy of 100 to operate without drinking fountains, and certain cooking equipment for baking to operate without Type 1 hoods.

Allows businesses with maximum occupancy of 49 persons to provide restrooms without urinals, permits up to 1,000 square feet of patio seating without additional restrooms, authorizes gender-neutral restrooms for alcohol-serving establishments, and exempts under-the-counter dishwashers from mechanical exhaust system requirements.

Prohibits locating grease traps or grease interceptors in food preparation areas unless approved by enforcement agency, with new exception for aboveground grease traps under three-compartment sinks meeting specified structural and maintenance conditions.

Allows passthrough window service openings larger than 432 square inches if equipped with both a self-closing device and air curtain device, expands bar area wall/ceiling exemptions to include beverages sold or dispensed (not just alcoholic), and expands restroom exemptions to cover both employee and consumer use.

Exempts temporary food facilities approved for limited food preparation from overhead protection requirements if environmental factors that could contaminate food are absent due to location or other limiting conditions.