Per Policy 1501 (Purchasing Policy for Classifications Authorized to Wear Uniform, revised December 2021), wearing a uniform requires written authorization. The authorization chain runs through the Director's office:
- The Director has final authority for adding classifications and approving substitutions/deviations.
- The Deputy Director for Fire Protection receives requests for uniform-wearing authorization.
- The Region Chief or Assistant State Fire Marshal determines on a position-by-position basis whether a particular employee is required to wear a uniform, and submits authorization requests up the chain.
- The Unit Chief or Program Manager ensures each authorized employee possesses the required uniform complement and that it's in acceptable condition.
The full classification matrix is in the Classifications Authorized to Wear a Uniform exhibit, last revised August 2023. The table tracks four Classes (A Dress, B Administrative, C Work, D Tactical) — Class E (Law Enforcement) is governed separately under Penal Code Section 830.2, and Class M (Maternity) is an option for any pregnant employee otherwise authorized.
Below is a working summary. "X" = required for that classification.
Non-Represented Classifications (Director / Chief level)
Every position on the non-represented list — from the Director down through the Asst Deputy Directors and the Forestry & Fire Protection Administrator — is required to maintain all four Classes (A / B / C / D):
- Director · Chief Deputy Director, CAL FIRE · Chief Deputy Director, State Fire Marshal · Asst State Fire Marshal
- Deputy Directors (Fire Protection Programs · Resource Management · Cooperative Fire · Community Wildfire Preparedness & Mitigation · Emergency Incident Awareness)
- Region Chief · Assistant Region Chief · Chief, Law Enforcement and Fire Prevention
- Asst Deputy Directors (Fire Protection · Aviation and Mobile Equipment · Cooperative Fire · Training, Safety, and EMS · Fire and Resource Assessment Program · Resource Protection & Improvement · Forest Practice · Community Wildfire Planning and Risk Reduction · Community Wildfire Assistance and Fire Engineering & Investigations · Fire & Life Safety, State Fire Training and Code Development & Analysis)
- Forestry & Fire Protection Administrator · Unit Chief · Senior Forestry Equipment Manager · Senior Aviation Officer
- Asst Chief (Supervisory) Division Chief · Asst Chief (Supervisory) Deputy Chief
- Forester III · Division Chief State Fire Marshal · Deputy State Fire Marshal III (Supervisory)
- Supervising Pipeline Safety Engineer · Senior Arson and Bomb Investigator · Forester II (Supervisory) · Forestry Equipment Manager II · Forestry Logistics Officer II
- Telecomm Sys Manager II (Manager) — B/C/D required (no A)
Some non-represented positions only require B/C/D: Business Services Officer I (Supervisory), Forestry Construction & Maintenance Supervisor, Senior State Archeologist, Direct Construction Supervisor I/II, Principal Transportation Engineer, Supervising Civil Engineer, Senior Civil Engineer.
Class B only: Information Officer II (Supervisor).
B/C/D required (no A): Communications Supervisor.
Bargaining Unit 8 (the firefighter unit)
A/B/C/D required for: Aviation Officer II/III (Flight Operations) · Aviation Officer II/III (Maintenance) · Battalion Chief · Fire Apparatus Engineer · Fire Apparatus Engineer (Paramedic) · Fire Captain · Fire Captain (Paramedic) · Fire Fighter II · Fire Fighter II (Paramedic) · Fire Prevention Assistant · Fire Prevention Specialist I · Fire Prevention Specialist II · Forestry Assistant I · Forestry Assistant II · Forestry Logistics Officer I · Forestry Fire Pilot · Forestry Technician · Heavy Fire Equipment Operator.
C/D only (no A or B): Fire Fighter I · Fire Lookout (seasonal) · Forestry Aide.
A/B/C/D with one note — Forester I (Non-Supervisory) maintains all four.
Other Bargaining Units
- Unit 1 — Information Officer I (Specialist): Class B only.
- Unit 7 — Communications Operator: B/C/D · Arson and Bomb Investigator: A/B/C/D · Deputy State Fire Marshal: A/B/C/D · DSFM III (Specialist): A/B/C/D · Fire Service Training Specialist III: B/C/D.
- Unit 9 — Civil engineers: Pipeline Safety Engineer B/C/D · Associate Civil Engineer C/D · Assistant Civil Engineer C/D.
- Unit 10 — Associate State Archeologist: C/D · Environmental Scientist: appears as C only in the source row (verify the D column against the exhibit if it matters for ordering).
- Unit 11 — Civil Engineering Technician II / Associate: C/D.
- Unit 12 — Trades (Carpenter I/II/Supervisor · Electrician I/II/Supervisor · Groundskeeper · Heavy Equipment Mechanic · Materials & Stores Specialist · Equipment Operator II): C/D.
- Unit 13 — Maintenance/engineering (Stationary Engineer · Maintenance Mechanic · Water & Sewage Plant Operator · Chief Engineer I): C/D.
Class E (Peace Officers)
Class E is governed separately under Procedure 1502-5 (revised December 2021) and applies only to peace officers appointed under Penal Code Section 830.2 when assigned to Primary Law Enforcement Duties — fire prevention coverage for a Unit/Program, or assignments such as patrol where the officer must be immediately prepared to affect an arrest or serve a warrant (per HB 9452).
Class M (Maternity)
Class M (Procedure 1502-8, revised October 2025) is an optional choice for pregnant employees otherwise authorized to wear a uniform. It's authorized by the Unit Chief / Program Chief and is a maternity-modified version of the Class B Administrative uniform.
Source
Classifications Authorized to Wear a Uniform exhibit (revised August 2023) · Policy 1501 (revised December 2021) · Procedures 1502-5 (December 2021) and 1502-8 (October 2025).
