Supervisor Bilal Mahmood introduced legislation requiring certification from a recognized testing laboratory for all lithium-ion batteries and powered devices sold in San Francisco, with penalties up to $1,000 per violation, according to the San Francisco Standard. The bill follows a December 2025 fire at 50 Golden Gate Avenue in the Tenderloin, where a lithium-ion battery malfunction displaced 130 residents and caused approximately $3 million in damage. A San Jose resident recently died attempting to extinguish a separate lithium-ion battery fire.
Operator takeaway
Cities are moving faster than the federal government on lithium battery regulation. If your state or city has not addressed lithium battery safety for storage and commercial facilities, this ordinance is a model to watch.