STEP-BY-STEP
Accessible Business Entrance (ABE) program
The Accessible Business Entrance (ABE) program ensures that San Francisco businesses welcome everybody.
The Accessible Business Entrance (ABE) program ensures that San Francisco businesses welcome everybody.
It helps property owners remove barriers so that those with mobility disabilities can access goods and services.
If a business serves the public, the main entrance must be accessible to people with mobility disabilities.
You have 3 options:
- Get your entrance inspected
- Request an exemption
- Tell us you already made updates
Choose your process and then submit your form online.
Get your entrance inspected
You must submit a checklist by June 30, 2022.
If you are not requesting a waiver and you have not made your primary entrance accessible, you must hire a Certified Access Specialist (CASp) or California licensed architect or engineer to evaluate your entrance.
(You can also tell us if you will apply for technical infeasibility or unreasonable hardship.)
If you have already submitted a Category Checklist, go to step 6 finish the process.
Request an exemption
You may request an exemption from the Accessible Business Entrance program if you are a:
- Religious organization
- Private club
- Not a place of public accommodation
- Newly constructed building with a building permit form (Form 1 /2) filed on or after January 1, 2002
You can also request an exemption if your property is a:
- Residential building
- Live/work unit
- Commercial condo above the ground floor
Tell us if you already made updates
Tell us you have made your business entrance accessible if you have already done construction to follow the program.
You must tell us the Building Permit Application number for the project.