What is a third-party fire audit?

An inspection of a building's fire safety by an auditor the state has licensed or empanelled, who is independent of the owner and the maintenance agency, and who signs a certificate or report in the state's form.

How often is a fire audit required?

It depends on the state: every 2 years for Maharashtra's section 45 buildings, every January (or January and July for the tallest and riskiest buildings) as an upload in Telangana, and every January and July in Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

Who can do a fire audit in Maharashtra?

Only a Fire and Life Safety Auditor licensed by the Director on Form X. A licensed maintenance agency's licence does not cover the audit.

Do hospitals need a fire audit?

Hospitals carry the strictest duties: monthly audits were ordered for COVID hospitals by the Supreme Court, the 2024 national advisory asks for an annually renewed fire NOC, and NABH accreditation needs a 1-year third-party inspection.

How do I book an audit with Flamekite?

Use the free fire NOC check and choose Third-party fire audit. We reply on WhatsApp with the audit your building needs and an auditor your state accepts.

ServicesFlamekite service 8 min read

Fire audit consultants: the audit your state requires, by an auditor it accepts

Updated October 2026By Flamekite Editorial DeskFacts checked against official sources on 24 October 2026

Free fire NOC check Do I need a fire NOC?

Quick answer

Several states now require a third-party fire audit on a fixed cycle: every 2 years for Maharashtra's section 45 buildings, a third-party certificate uploaded every January, or every January and July for the tallest and riskiest buildings, in Telangana, every January and July plus a yearly report in Chhattisgarh, and in January and July in Odisha. The auditor must be licensed or empanelled by the state.

Flamekite tells you which audit your building needs and how often, books an auditor your state accepts, and turns the findings into a list of fixes and a filed certificate.

Maharashtra section 45 buildings: Every 2 years; By a licensed Fire and Life Safety Auditor; Audit rules by state
Telangana audit upload: January, or Jan and July; By height and use (2020 circular); Audit rules by state
Delhi auditor indemnity: Rs 10 to 30 lakh; Levels L-1 to L-3, from 20 May 2027; Auditor licensing
COVID hospitals, SC order: Monthly audits; Supreme Court directions of 18 December 2020; Hospitals

Fire audits in India at a glance

Who requires a third-party fire audit, how often and by whom, with the source of each fact.
What	The rule	Source
Maharashtra	Every 2 years for section 45 buildings, by a Fire and Life Safety Auditor licensed by the Director (section 45A)	Amendment Act 2023
Telangana	A third-party certificate uploaded every January, or every January and July for residential from 45 m, malls, hospitals above 15 m, hotels and offices above 30 m (circular of 28 January 2020); auditors empanelled under G.O.Ms.No.15 of 20 January 2026	TG fire circular 2020
Chhattisgarh	A third-party auditor's certificate each January and July (rule 37A, since 24 November 2025), plus a yearly self-declaration with an audit report; the auditor chosen on the portal cannot be changed	CG Home Dept
Odisha	An audit certificate from an empanelled auditor in January and July	Odisha Home Dept
Puducherry	Categories A and B: two licensed agencies' audit certificates; the department inspects Category A twice a year and Category B yearly	Puducherry G.O. 61
Delhi	Empanelled Fire Safety Auditors may certify buildings from 20 May 2027; deferred by the gazette of 16 October 2026	Delhi Gazette
Hospitals	NABH accepts a 1-year third-party Type A inspection certificate for accreditation; the statutory NOC is still needed	National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers

How Flamekite arranges your fire audit

Which audit, how often
We read your state's rule for your building: the cycle, the form and who may sign it.
An auditor your state accepts
Licensed or empanelled for your state and building class, booked through Flamekite.
The audit on site
Systems tested, exits walked and records checked against the state's published checklist.
Fixes, then the certificate
Every gap listed with what fixes it; the certificate or report filed when the gaps are closed.
The next cycle
A reminder before the next audit falls due.

Fire audit rules by state: who audits and how often

6 states with a published third-party audit cycle, and what each one asks for.

	Who must audit	How often	Who may sign
Maharashtra Amendment Rules 2025	Section 45 buildings: residential above 70 m, listed uses above 30 m, large industry	Every 2 years	Fire and Life Safety Auditor licensed on Form X
Telangana TG fire circular 2020	Buildings holding an occupancy NOC	Every January, or every January and July for the tallest and riskiest uses (2020 circular), plus the owner's certificate each January and July (G.O.Ms.No.15, para 7)	Third-party auditors empanelled under G.O.Ms.No.15 of 2026
Chhattisgarh CG Home Dept	Every notified building	Each January and July (rule 37A), plus the yearly self-declaration	A licensed third-party auditor, graded A to D, or the fire service
Odisha Odisha Home Dept	Premises under the 2025 amendment rules	January and July	An empanelled auditor
Puducherry Puducherry G.O. 61	Category A and B buildings	Department inspection twice a year (A) or yearly (B)	Two licensed agencies' audit certificates
Delhi DFS	Buildings under Rule 27	Yearly Form K from 20 May 2027	Empanelled Fire Safety Auditor, levels L-1 to L-3

Gujarat uses private Fire Safety Officers who file compliance declarations every 6 months; since 24 June 2024 their renewals need the Regional or Chief Fire Officer's approval.

How third-party fire auditors are licensed

The auditor's licence is what makes the certificate valid. 3 states set it out in detail.

Maharashtra
Form W, Form X, 2 years
Apply on Form W with Rs 25,000; the licence on Form X lasts 2 years. Route A needs a fire engineering qualification and 20 years' experience. Amendment Rules 2025
Delhi
Form U, 3 levels, 3 years
Empanelment for 3 years at levels L-1 to L-3, with indemnity cover of Rs 10, 20 or 30 lakh. In force from 20 May 2027. DFS
Telangana
G.O.Ms.No.15 of 2026
Empanels third-party fire and life safety auditors and system integrators, superseding G.O.Ms.No.44 of 2023. G.O.Ms.No.15

Hospitals: the strictest audit regime

Hospitals carry national directions on top of the state rule, and accreditation adds its own inspection.

After the hospital fires of 2020, the Supreme Court directed monthly fire audits of COVID hospitals by district committees and an immediate NOC application from any that lacked one, in directions of 18 December 2020 restated on 19 July 2021.

The Health Ministry and NDMA advisory of 23 March 2024 asks hospitals, through the states, to keep a valid fire NOC renewed annually as per State Fire Safety Rules.

NABH accepts a 1-year third-party Type A inspection certificate for accreditation, but it does not replace the statutory fire NOC.

Hospital fire audit duties
What	The rule	Source
Supreme Court, COVID hospitals	Monthly fire audit by a district committee	Supreme Court of India
MoHFW and NDMA, 23 March 2024	Valid fire NOC, renewed annually as per State Fire Safety Rules	Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and NDMA
NABH accreditation	1-year third-party Type A inspection; NOC still required	National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers

What a fire audit checks: 8 items

Auditors work to the state's checklist; these items recur across the published lists.

Every fire pump started and its pressure gauge read with the topmost hydrant open MFS Form B guidelines
Sprinkler pumps tested with the test valve open MFS Form B guidelines
The alarm panel responding to a detector MFS Form B guidelines
Exits, staircases and refuge areas clear and unlocked MFS Form B guidelines
Tank capacities against the approved drawings MFS Form B guidelines
Agency maintenance records and annual contracts MFS Form B guidelines
Attendance sheet of the last mock fire drill MFS Form B guidelines
A 360 degree hazard assessment with time-stamped photographs (Maharashtra Rule 33) Amendment Rules 2025

How third-party fire audits arrived, 2020 to 2027

Audits moved from occasional inspections to fixed cycles in 6 years.

18 December 2020
The Supreme Court directs monthly fire audits of COVID hospitals by district committees. Supreme Court of India
11 May 2023
Maharashtra's amendment inserts section 45A: a licensed audit every 2 years for section 45 buildings. Amendment Act 2023
24 June 2024
Gujarat makes Fire Safety Officer renewals subject to the Regional or Chief Fire Officer's approval. Gujarat Gazette 2024
12 June 2025
Maharashtra's amendment rules create the Fire and Life Safety Auditor licence on Forms W and X. Amendment Rules 2025
16 October 2025
Chhattisgarh ties renewal to a yearly self-declaration and a third-party audit report. Fire and Emergency Services and SDRF, Chhattisgarh
20 January 2026
Telangana's G.O.Ms.No.15 empanels third-party fire and life safety auditors. G.O.Ms.No.15
20 May 2027
Due: Delhi's empanelled Fire Safety Auditor route, after a 270-day deferral. Delhi Gazette

Which fire audit does your building need? 5 cases

Find the line that describes your building.

If A Maharashtra residential tower above 70 m, or a listed use above 30 m
The section 45A audit every 2 years by a licensed Fire and Life Safety Auditor, plus Form B in January and July. Amendment Act 2023
If Any building holding a Telangana occupancy NOC
A third-party certificate uploaded every January, or every January and July for residential from 45 m, malls, hospitals above 15 m, and hotels, business and mercantile above 30 m. TG fire circular 2020
If Any notified Chhattisgarh building
A licensed third-party auditor's certificate each January and July, and an audit report with each yearly self-declaration. CG Home Dept
If A hospital anywhere in India
A valid NOC renewed as your state's fire rules require (the 2024 national advisory asks for annual renewal as per those rules), and a 1-year third-party inspection for NABH. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and NDMA
If A Delhi building
No third-party audit route until 20 May 2027; the certificate comes from DFS. Delhi Gazette

4 fire audit mistakes that cost owners

An audit by the wrong person is not an audit. These are the errors we see.

If Using a maintenance agency as the auditor
In Maharashtra the section 45A audit needs a separately licensed Fire and Life Safety Auditor, not the licensed agency. Amendment Rules 2025
If Picking a portal auditor in a hurry
Chhattisgarh's portal makes the choice final; compare auditors before you select. Fire and Emergency Services and SDRF, Chhattisgarh
If Hiring a Delhi Fire Safety Auditor now
The auditor route starts only on 20 May 2027; until then the certificate comes from DFS. Delhi Gazette
If Missing a January or July upload
Telangana expects the third-party certificate every January, and again in July for the tallest and riskiest buildings; we diarise both. TG fire circular 2020

Questions about Fire audit consultants

What is a third-party fire audit?: An inspection of a building's fire safety by an auditor the state has licensed or empanelled, who is independent of the owner and the maintenance agency, and who signs a certificate or report in the state's form.
How often is a fire audit required?: It depends on the state: every 2 years for Maharashtra's section 45 buildings, every January (or January and July for the tallest and riskiest buildings) as an upload in Telangana, and every January and July in Chhattisgarh and Odisha.
Who can do a fire audit in Maharashtra?: Only a Fire and Life Safety Auditor licensed by the Director on Form X. A licensed maintenance agency's licence does not cover the audit.
Do hospitals need a fire audit?: Hospitals carry the strictest duties: monthly audits were ordered for COVID hospitals by the Supreme Court, the 2024 national advisory asks for an annually renewed fire NOC, and NABH accreditation needs a 1-year third-party inspection.
How do I book an audit with Flamekite?: Use the free fire NOC check and choose Third-party fire audit. We reply on WhatsApp with the audit your building needs and an auditor your state accepts.

Keep reading

Fire NOC consultantsYour fire NOC filed, inspected and renewed, start to finish.
Fire audit report formatWhat an audit report must contain, by the official forms.
Fire audit checklist38 checks system by system, each traced to its rule.
Fire NOC in MaharashtraForm B every January and July, licensed agencies and the 2-yearly audit.
Fire NOC validityHow long a certificate lasts, and the filings between renewals.
Are you a licensed fire auditor?Work with Flamekite on audits in your state.

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