The paper deals with the task of setting the level of the design input for assessing the structure seismic resistance. An increase in the expected peak ground accelerations with the development of the earthquake engineering from 1 m/s2 to 7 m/s2 is noted. The absence of a correlation between the peak ground accelerations and the seismic action intensity, as well as the dependence of the peak ground accelerations on the action spectral composition, is explained. A method of determining the ground design acceleration using the standard seismic scale in force in Russia is shown. The illogicality of setting the design input according to of the Guidelines “Earthquake Engineering” in force in Russia is shown and ways of correcting the current situation are indicated. It is noted that to solve the problem of setting the design input, no seismic zoning maps are required. Information on seismic hazard can be represented by a single number characterizing the relationship between the intensity and repeatability of the action on the construction site. The relationship between the design accelerations stated in the «Earthquake Engineering» Guidelines and the peak ground accelerations in the «Seismic Intensity Scale» State Standard is explained. The approach described in the paper is the basis for input setting for performance-based designing.