(Adopted January 4, 1985)(Amended June 5, 1987)(Amended June 3, 1988)

(Amended January 6, 1989)(Amended November 3, 1989)(Amended July 6, 1990)

(Amended June 11, 1993)(Amended June 10,1994)(Amended May 12, 1995)

(Amended May 10, 1996)(Amended May 9, 1997)(Amended May 8, 1998)

(Amended May 14, 1999)(Amended May 19, 2000)(Amended May 11, 2001)

(Amended May 3, 2002)(Amended June 6, 2003)(Amended July 9, 2004)

(Amended June 3, 2005)(Amended June 9, 2006)(Amended May 4, 2007)

(Amended May 2, 2008)(Amended June 5, 2009)(Amended May 7, 2010)

RULE 306. PLAN FEES 

(a) Summary 

California Health and Safety Code Section 40522 provides authority for the South 

Coast Air Quality Management District to adopt a fee schedule for the approval 

of plans to cover the costs of review, planning, inspection, and monitoring related 

to activities conducted pursuant to the plans. An annual fee may also be charged 

to cover the costs of annual review, inspection, and monitoring related thereto. 

This rule establishes such a fee schedule, and requires that fees be paid for: 

(1) Filing of plans; 

(2) Evaluation of the above plans; 

(3) Inspections to verify compliance with the plans; 

(4) Duplicate plans; 

(5) Change of condition; and 

(6) Annual review/renewal of plans, if applicable. 

(b) Definitions 

For the purpose of this rule, a plan is any data and/or test report (including 

equipment certification source tests) required by federal or state law, or District 

Rules and Regulations to be submitted to the District. A plan may be a 

description of a method to control or measure emissions of air contaminants 

required by the Rules and Regulations. Plans include, but are not limited to, the 

following: Demonstration Plan; Application Test Plan; Implementation Plan; 

Compliance Plan; Management Plan; Control Plan; CEQA Mitigation Monitoring 

Plan; Acid Rain Repowering Extension Plan and Compliance Plan; Acid Rain 

Continuous Emission Monitoring System Plan; Acid Rain Protocol/Report 

Evaluation; VOC Excavation Mitigation Plans (Site Specific and Various 

Locations); Reduction of Refrigerant Emissions from Stationary Refrigeration 

and Air Conditioning Systems Plan; Title V Exclusion Requests; Rule 

306 - 1 
Rule 306 (Cont.) (Amended May 7, 2010) 

109.1;Smoke Management Plans; Burn Management Plans; Emergency Burn 

Plans; Post Burn Evaluation Reports; Alternative Recordkeeping System Plan and 

Solid Waste Air Quality Assessment Test Reports (Health and Safety Code 

Section 41805.5); Compliance Assurance Monitoring Plan (40CFR64); 

Maximum Achievable Control Technology MACT Exemption Requests; 

Equipment Certification Source Test Reports; and MACT Case-by-Case 

Analysis. 

(c) Plan Filing Fee 

The filing fee for a plan or change of condition shall be $114.66. 

(d) Plan Evaluation Fee 

The plan evaluation fee shall be an amount equal to the total actual and 

reasonable time incurred by the District for evaluation of a plan, assessed at the 

rate of $114.66 per person per hour or prorated portion thereof. 

(e) Duplicate Plan Fee 

A request for a duplicate plan shall be made in writing by the applicant. The 

applicant shall pay $19.74 for each plan requested. 

(f) Inspection Fee 

The inspection fee for plan verification shall be an amount equal to the total 

actual and reasonable time incurred by the District for inspection and verification 

of the plan, assessed at the hourly rate of $91.69 per inspection staff or prorated 

portion thereof. For inspections conducted outside of regular District working 

hours, the fee shall be assessed at the rate of 150% of the above hourly rate. This 

subdivision shall not apply to plans subject to subdivision (h). 

(g) Change of Condition Fee 

Any request for a change of condition on a VOC Excavation Mitigation Plan shall 

be made in writing by the applicant. A request submitted after thirty (30) days of 

the issuance of the plan shall be subject to additional fees assessed at the rate of 

$114.66 per hour for time spent in evaluation of the plan. Such fees shall be 

imposed at the time the review is completed. 

(h) Annual Review/Renewal Fee 

An annual review/renewal fee shall be charged for plans listed in the following 

table. The annual review/renewal fee shall be an amount equal to the Rule 

306 - 2 
Rule 306 (Cont.) (Amended May 7, 2010) 

301(d)(2) Schedule A fee. In addition, annual reviews/renewals shall meet all 

relevant and applicable requirements of Rule 301(d) and 301(g), and be paid on 

an annual renewal date set by the Executive Officer. 

Plan type 

Rule 1166 - Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from 

Decontamination of Soil - Various locations 

Rule 1166 - Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from 

Decontamination of Soil – Fixed Site 

Rule 1407 – Non Ferrous Metal Melting 

Rule 1420 – Emissions of Lead 

Rule 1176 - VOC Emissions Waste Water System 

Rule 1469.1 - Spray Coating Chromium 

Rule 1169 - Chrome Plating Operations 

Rule 1470 - Compliance Plan 

Compliance Assurance Monitoring Plan 

Rule 1150 - Excavation Management Plan 

Rule 1150.1. - Active Landfill Control of Gaseous Emissions 

Rule 431.1 - Sulfur Content of Gaseous Fuels 

Rule 463 (e)(1)(A) - Organic Liquid Storage - Self-Inspection 

of Floating Roof Tanks 

Rule 462 – Organic Liquid Loading Continuous Monitoring 

System (CMS) Plan 

Rule 1118 - Control of Emissions from Refinery Flares - Flare 

Minimization Plan 

Rule 1173 - Control of Volatile Organic Compound Leaks and 

Releases from Components at Petroleum Facilities and 

Chemical Plants (h)(2) 

Rule 1176 - VOC Emissions from Wastewater Systems (d)(2) 

Rule 1158 - Storage, Handling, and Transport of Coke, Coal 

and Sulfur - Open Pile Control Plan 

Rule 1132 - Further Control of VOC Emissions from HighEmitting Spray Booth Facilities 

(i) Payment of Fees 

(1) Plan Filing or Submittal Fee 

In addition to payment of the filing fee, the initial payment for plan 

evaluation fees shall be $401.30 paid at the time of filing. This fee shall 

not apply to plans pursuant to Rule 403 - Fugitive Dust, Rule 461(i), and 

Rule 1166 - Various Location Plans issued pursuant to the 

Decontamination of VOC Soil, for which the initial payment for plan 

evaluation fees will be $114.66. This fee shall also not apply to Rule 

1133 registration and annual updates, Rule 444 – Open Burning, or Rule 

1415 – Reduction of Refrigerant Emissions from Stationary Refrigerant 

306 - 3 
Rule 306 (Cont.) (Amended May 7, 2010) 

for which the plan submittal fee will be charged solely in accordance with 

subdivision (c) of this rule. The adjustment to plan evaluation fees will be 

determined at the time a plan is approved or rejected and notification of 

the amount due or refund will be made. 

(2) Independent Consultant Fees 

In the case that the Executive Officer requires a qualified independent 

consultant, engaged by the District under a contract, to review the plan, 

the fees charged by the consultant will be in addition to all other fees 

required. 

(3) Payment Due Date 

Payment of all applicable fees, including annual review/renewal fee, shall 

be due in thirty (30) days from the date of personal service or mailing of 

the notification of the amount due. Non-payment of the fee within this 

time period will result in expiration of the plan. For the purpose of this 

paragraph, the fee payment will be considered to be received by the 

District if it is postmarked by the United States Postal Service on or 

before the expiration date stated on the billing notice. If the expiration 

date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a state holiday, the fee payment may 

be postmarked on the business day following the Saturday, Sunday, or the 

state holiday with the same effect as if it had been postmarked on the 

expiration date. No further plan applications will be accepted until such 

time as all overdue fees have been fully paid. 

(4) Fee Due Date Exception 

Whenever the Executive Officer has reasonable cause to believe that the 

plan evaluation fee will be less than the fee for one hour's work, the fee 

need not be paid at the time of filing and notification of amount due, if 

any, shall be sent at the time the plan is approved or rejected. 

(5) Expedited Processing 

Fees for expedited processing of plan evaluation will be an additional fifty 

percent (50%) of the applicable plan evaluation fee, and shall be 

submitted at the time that the expedited processing is requested. 

(j) Small Business Discount 

For small businesses filing plans, the fees assessed shall be fifty percent (50%) of 

the amounts specified in subdivisions (c), (d), (f), and (g). 

306 - 4 
Rule 306 (Cont.) (Amended May 7, 2010) 

(k) Alternative Recordkeeping System Plan Discount 

For alternative recordkeeping system plan filed pursuant to Rule 109.1, the fee 

assessed shall be fifty percent (50%) of the amount specified in subdivisions (d), 

(f), and (g). 

(l) Plan Application Cancellation Fee 

The plan application cancellation fee shall be $152.84 or the plan fee set forth in 

the Summary Permit Fee Rates table, whichever is less. The cancellation fee 

shall not apply when the application was filed based on an erroneous District 

request. 

(m) Protocol/Report Evaluation Fees 

A minimum fee of $305.85 will be charged for the evaluation of source test 

protocols and reports. Additional fees for time spent in the evaluation in excess 

of 5 hours will be assessed at the hourly rate of $114.66 per hour. 

(n) Exemptions 

Mobile Source Emission Reduction Credit (MSERC) Applications, Compliance 

Plans required under Regulation XVI and Rule 2449 – Control of Oxides of 

Nitrogen from Off-Road Diesel Vehicles and Technical Infeasibility Certification 

Requests as cited in District Fleet Rules under Regulation XI shall be exempt 

from the provisions of this rule. Fees for Regulation XVI MSERC Applications 

and Compliance Plans shall be assessed in accordance with District Rule 309. 

(o) Government Agencies 

Federal, state, or local government agencies or public districts shall pay all fees. 

(p) Air Quality Investment Program (AQIP) 

Effective July 1, 1996, all Air Quality Investment Program (AQIP) fees shall be 

subject to Rule 311 and all other Rule 2202 registration fees shall be subject to 

Rule 308. 

(q) Optional Expedited Protocol/Report Evaluation Processing Fee

Fees for requested expedited processing of Protocol/Report Evaluations, will be 

an additional fee based upon actual review and work time billed at a rate for staff 

overtime which is equal to the staff’s hourly rate of $114.66 plus $59.47 per hour 

(one half of hourly rate). The established “minimum fee” found in Rule 306(m) 

306 - 5 
Rule 306 (Cont.) (Amended May 7, 2010) 

306 - 6 

shall be paid at the time of filing with the additional overtime fee billed following 

project completion (adjustments to the final bill will be made accordingly for the 

processing time which is included in the minimum fee). Fees are due at the time 

specified in the bill which will allow a reasonable time for payment. Request for 

expedited Protocol/Report Evaluation work can only be made upon initial work 

submittal, and approval of such a request is contingent upon the ability of the 

District to implement the necessary policies and procedures and the availability of 

qualified staff for overtime work. 

(r) Regulation XXVII Fees

(1) Fees for Rule 2701 – SoCal Climate Solutions Exchange 

(A) Entities submitting a plan will be assessed a filing fee of $114.66. 

(B) The fee for review and verification of Certified Greenhouse Gas 

Emission Reductions by SCAQMD staff shall be assessed at 

$118.67 per hour or prorated portion thereof. 

(2) Fees for Rule 2702 – Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program 

(A) Upon submitting a completed Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program 

Request to the Executive Officer for certified emission reductions an 

entity shall pay a fee of $114.66. 

(B) Individuals or households wishing to participate are exempt from the 

plan fees for reductions used to offset personal, household or event 

GHG emissions.