S.F. Police Code Article 49 § 4918
SEVERABILITY (San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance)
Operative Text
If any part or provision of this Article including but not limited to a section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, phrase, or word, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of the Article, including the application of such part or provision to other persons or circumstances, shall not be affected thereby and shall continue in full force and effect. To this end, provisions of this Article are severable. Disclaimer: This Code of Ordinances and/or any other documents that appear on this site may not reflect the most current legislation adopted by the Municipality. American Legal Publishing provides these documents for informational purposes only. These documents should not be relied upon as the definitive authority for local legislation. Additionally, the formatting and pagination of the posted documents varies from the formatting and pagination of the official copy. The official printed copy of a Code of Ordinances should be consulted prior to any action being taken. For further information regarding the official version of any of this Code of Ordinances or other documents posted on this site, please contact the Municipality directly or contact American Legal Publishing toll-free at 800-445-5588. Hosted by: American Legal Publishing
Section 4918 of S.F. Police Code Article 49 establishes a severability rule, meaning that if any individual part of Article 49 — whether a single word, sentence, or larger provision — is found legally invalid by a court, the rest of the Article remains intact and continues to operate as written. The invalidity of one piece does not bring down the whole regulatory framework. This is a structural safeguard built into the ordinance itself.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 4918, the severability clause means that even if a specific provision of Article 49 were successfully challenged and struck down, the remaining obligations and protections in the Article would still apply to property owners and managers. Compliant operators generally continue to follow all other provisions of Article 49 regardless of any legal challenge to a particular section. Staying current with which provisions remain in effect is a standard part of responsible property management under this ordinance.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 4918 provides tenants with the assurance that a legal challenge to one part of Article 49 does not erase the protections offered by the rest of the Article. Rights and remedies established elsewhere in Article 49 generally remain enforceable even if a separate provision is invalidated. Tenants who have questions about which protections remain in effect may consult a tenant-rights organization or review official municipal sources for the current status of the ordinance.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 3, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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