UC Santa Barbara Seismic Safety Review
Between 2019 and 2023, the University of California, Santa Barbara participated in a UC-wide seismic assessment initiative to evaluate the seismic resiliency of all UCSB-owned and leased buildings. As part of this comprehensive effort, UC Santa Barbara conducted detailed evaluations to better understand expected building performance during seismic events and to assign Seismic Performance Ratings ranging from I to VII. These ratings were established to support long-term capital planning efforts, and prioritize future seismic improvements in alignment with the University of California’s current seismic safety standards.
UC Seismic Policy & Ratings
The University of California, in collaboration with the California Department of General Services and California State University, has developed a system of seismic performance ratings based on the existing California buildings code. Buildings are assessed for earthquake resiliency and assigned a rating. The rating levels are:
| i-iv | Seismic Safety Policy Compliant |
|---|---|
| v | Requires Further Evaluation and, if Confirmed, Must be Addressed in Order of Priority |
| vi | High-Priority for Correction |
| vii | Must be Unoccupied and Access-Restricted |
For more detail about the policy and ratings, please see the UC Seismic Safety Policy.
Questions?
Please contact: seismic@dfss.ucsb.edu
This page was last updated on May 2026. Check back for updates.