Fire NOC for an apartment building: state lines, the builder's and the residents' duties, and fees

Fire NOC for an apartment building at a glance: 10 facts

Apartment fire NOC lines in 36 states and UTs: height, flats or area

An apartment project's fire NOC from plan to handover in 7 steps

1. 1

   Class the building and test it against the state line

   Record it as A-4 (NBC 2016) or A-III (NBCS 2026) and measure it the way your state does: Delhi counts the stilt as a storey, Andhra Pradesh counts it in the 24 m, Assam and West Bengal count flats.

2. 2

   Take the plan-stage fire approval

   Telangana's Provisional NOC comes before plan approval; Maharashtra's Provisional approval comes at plan stage; Bihar asks a 15% bank guarantee on the fire-system estimate, held 5 years.

3. 3

   Disclose the fire facilities to RERA

   Register the project with its development plan, which must list the fire fighting facilities and emergency evacuation services, and keep the approvals list on the RERA page current every quarter.

4. 4

   Install through a licensed agency

   Fit the systems the height band asks for: in Maharashtra extinguishers, a hose reel and a 5,000 litre terrace tank even below 15 m; a down-comer from 15 m; a wet riser above 35 m.

5. 5

   Get the final NOC before the occupancy certificate

   Haryana will not issue an occupation certificate without the Fire Safety Certificate; Rajasthan wants the permanent NOC first; Mumbai asks for PWD lift certificates at 24 m and above.

6. 6

   Hand the fire papers to the association

   Under RERA section 17(2), the documents and plans go to the association as local law sets, or within 30 days of the occupancy certificate where it sets none.

7. 7

   Diary the owners' periodic filing

   Form B each January and July in Maharashtra, Form A-8 in Uttar Pradesh, the January audit upload in Telangana above 30 m, the 5-year renewal in Delhi until 20 May 2027.

Apartment, flat and group housing: the words in the codes and Acts

Which word your state uses decides which row a fire officer reads. These 9 terms come from the 2 codes, 4 state instruments and the RERA Act.

AA-4 Apartment houses (NBC 2016)

Living quarters for 3 or more families living independently of each other, each with independent cooking; apartments, mansions and chawls are the code's examples. 3BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

AA-III Apartment houses (NBCS 2026)

The same class under the 2026 standard, which also drops the 2016 subdivision for one or two-family homes. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

AApartment Houses (A-4), Maharashtra

Row (b) of Schedule-I as substituted in 2023, shared with dormitories (A-3), in 5 height bands. 15MH Act 2023 Schedule-I

OOwner (Maharashtra, s.2(11))

Includes a registered co-operative housing society and a builder, developer or promoter who constructs flats for sale under the 1963 Ownership Flats Act or the 1970 Apartment Ownership Act. 7MFS Act 2006 copy

OOccupier (Maharashtra, s.2(10)(e))

Includes a member of a co-operative housing society or an apartment owner. 7MFS Act 2006 copy

RR3 (Jammu and Kashmir)

Group housing, flats and high-rise apartments, and multi-level parking: a use class in the fire NOC list at any height. 16J&K H&UDD

RResidential apartment buildings (Telangana)

The only row circular Rc.No.3455/MSB/2026 moved to 24 m; lodging houses and other residential uses keep their lines. 4TGFD circular 3455

AAssociation of allottees (RERA)

The association, society or co-operative of buyers the promoter must enable under section 11(4)(e); absent local law, formed within 3 months of a majority of allottees booking. 1RERA Act 2016

RReal estate project (RERA, s.2(zn))

The building of apartments, or the conversion of a building into apartments, for sale, including the common areas and development works. 1RERA Act 2016

RERA section 4(2)(e): fire fighting facilities in every registered apartment project

The RERA Act does not issue a fire NOC, but it makes the promoter put the fire facilities on record at registration, where buyers can read them.

Clause (c) of the same sub-section asks for an authenticated copy of the approvals and commencement certificate from the competent authority, phase by phase, and clause (d) for the sanctioned plan and specifications. After registration, section 11(1)(d) makes the promoter post on the Authority's website, every quarter, "the list of approvals taken and the approvals which are pending subsequent to commencement certificate". A final fire NOC usually comes near completion, so a buyer should expect to see it on that list as pending until then. Registration is needed for projects over 500 m² of land or more than 8 apartments, all phases counted (section 3(2)(a)).

Handing an apartment's fire papers from builder to association: 8 stops

The RERA Act sets the order in which the promoter's fire duties pass to the buyers. Where a state's local law sets its own time, that time applies; the figures below are the Act's fall-backs.

Buying a flat: 12 fire checks before you pay

Each check rests on an official text a buyer can point to. None of them replaces the fire service's own record of the building.

Where to verify an apartment's fire certificate online

Five official portals let anyone check an issued certificate on 25 October 2026. Elsewhere, ask the fire station named on the certificate.

• Uttar Pradesh

  Uttar Pradesh: Verify NOC

  Check a certificate by its NOC ID and a captcha 17UP Verify NOC

  upfireservice.gov.in/upfire/nocverify ↗

• Kerala

  Kerala: Verify NOC

  Check a NOC by its application number 18Kerala Verify NOC

  noc.fire.kerala.gov.in/Applicant_controller/verify_noc_application ↗

• Gujarat

  GujFireSafety CoP

  Valid Certificate search by region, application type and building name 19Gujarat Valid Certificate

  fscop.gujfiresafetycop.in ↗

• DNH and DD

  DNH and DD: certificate e-verify

  Check an issued certificate by its 9-digit barcode or number 22DNH and DD single window

  swp.dddgov.in/everify ↗

• Tamil Nadu

  Tamil Nadu Single Window Portal

  Verify Certificate for TNFRS NOCs and licences; 1800 258 3878 23TN Single Window

  tnswp.com/DIGIGOV/swp-tnswp.jsp ↗

NBCS 2026 protection levels for apartment buildings: area, height and 4 levels

NBCS 2026 Table 7A grades apartments (A-III) by floor area as well as height, unlike NBC 2016's height-only Table 7. Read off the standard's pages; NBCS 2026 binds only where a state adopts it.

Up to 500 m² and 24 m, NBCS 2026 accepts self-certification by a certified, state-approved building professional. The apartment row groups towers of 24 m to 60 m with buildings under 24 m, then gives only area bands, so how a 30 m tower with 800 m² floors is classed is not stated. Maharashtra's own height bands for apartments are on the housing society fire audit page; the wet riser page explains the riser itself.

Fire lifts, refuge areas and wet risers in apartment towers: 8 rules

The 3 features buyers ask about most in a high-rise. NBCS 2026 defines them; the height that triggers each comes from the state's bye-laws or rules.

• NBCS 2026, clause 2.27

  What a fireman's lift is

  A lift with all the features of a firefighting shaft, so fire crews reach floors fast; it also serves as the evacuation lift for people who need help, and runs to the basements. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• Arunachal Pradesh, bye-law 11.9

  Lifts from 15 m

  Buildings of 15 m and above get lifts; the fire lift is at least 1.4 m², carries 545 kg (8 persons) and reaches the top floor in 1 minute. 25AP Building Bye-Laws 2019

• Goa, DFES checklist

  Fire tower and fire lift

  A fire tower above 8 storeys or 24 m, with a fire lift for 8 passengers alongside. 26Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services, Goa

• Kerala, KMBR 2019

  Stretcher lift above 16 flats

  Apartment buildings of more than 16 units provide at least 2 staircases, one a fire escape stair, and a stretcher lift. 11KMBR 2019

• Telangana, from 7 October 2026

  Fire tower at 24 m

  A fire tower and a Fire Command Centre room from 24 m, for every occupancy, under circular Rc.No.3455/MSB/2026. 4TGFD circular 3455

• NBCS 2026, Annex D-4.2

  Refuge areas and balconies

  High-rise apartments whose flats have balconies need no refuge area. Without balconies: refuge spaces of at least 12 m² in the shaft lobby, or refuge areas above 24 m at about every 15 m. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• Rajasthan and Tripura

  Two state variants

  Rajasthan exempts a building where every unit has a terrace or balcony, otherwise 10% of the floor or 15 m²; Tripura still asks balconied towers above 60 m for one at 60 m and every 30 m. 27Rajasthan UDH

• Wet riser

  When the riser arrives

  NBC 2016 Table 7: a down-comer from 15 m and a wet riser above 35 m for apartments; NBCS 2026: a wet riser in apartments of 1,001 m² and above. 24NBC 2016, Part 4

Does your apartment block need a fire NOC? 12 cases by city and state

Match your block to one line. Where a state does not name apartments, the line is Flamekite's reading of its residential row.

1. If A residential apartment block in Hyderabad, fresh Provisional file after 7 October 2026

   Only at 24 m and above. A 21 m block filed on 15 October 2026 needs no Provisional fire NOC, fire tower or FCC room; a commercial block of the same height still needs one above 15 m. Fire NOC Telangana 4TGFD circular 3455

2. If An apartment block in Bengaluru between 15 m and 21 m

   The Act's line is 21 m, but Seva Sindhu still lists above 15 m. Ask KSFES in writing before plan sanction. Fire NOC Karnataka 28Government of Karnataka

3. If An apartment block in Delhi over 15 m or 5 storeys

   Rule 27's residential row. A stilt plus 4 floors is already 5 storeys. The certificate renews every 5 years until 20 May 2027. Fire NOC Delhi 29DFS

4. If A tower in Noida over 15 m

   A Fire Safety Certificate through Nivesh Mitra, valid 5 years; Form A-8 every January and July; a Fire Safety Officer at 45 m. Fire NOC UP 30UP Rules 2024

5. If A group housing tower in Gurgaon above 16.5 m

   Fire scheme approval, then the certificate before the occupation certificate (s.19(5)); first term 5 years. Fire NOC Haryana 8Government of Haryana

6. If A block of flats in Pune or Thane of any height

   Schedule-I row (b) applies from below 15 m, and the society files Form B every January and July. Fire Audit for Housing Society 15MH Act 2023 Schedule-I

7. If Flats in Jaipur of 9 m or more and over 250 m²

   Table 1 of the 2023 order catches them, below 15 m; the fee is per sq ft of gross built-up area. Fire NOC Rajasthan 13Rajasthan UDH

8. If A housing complex in Kolkata of more than 8 flats

   One of the 19 high-risk occupancies of the 2003 notification, at any height; it needs the full FSR and FSC unless it fits the 2024 self-certification limits. Fire NOC West Bengal 14West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services

9. If An apartment building in Guwahati of 10 or more flats

   Covered by section 20(1); low risk up to 20 flats under 15 m, moderate above, high at 15 m. Fire NOC Assam 2026 31Assam Act LIII of 2025

10. If A flat block in Chennai over 18.3 m

    The Director's NOC before planning permission, then a compliance certificate and fire licence; up to 18.3 m the District Officer decides. Fire NOC Tamil Nadu 32TNCDBR 2019

11. If A flat block in Kochi over 1,000 m², even under 15 m

    A Kerala fire NOC under rule 5(4); 300 to 1,000 m² up to 15 m files a self-declaration. Fire NOC Kerala 11KMBR 2019

12. If A residential block in Vijayawada under 24 m with no large basement

    Section 13(1) does not list it on Flamekite's reading; the 2018 MA&UD circular still speaks of 18 m, so confirm in writing. Fire NOC Andhra Pradesh 33Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly

Apartment fire NOC fees in the official schedules

These 14 lines come from an Act, rule or order that names residential buildings or apartments. A consultant's or agency's quote is a private price.

Penalties for an apartment block without fire compliance

Some Acts punish the missing certificate, others the lapsed system, and one Bihar rule fines a whole building. These are the amounts the instruments set.

In Maharashtra section 38 can reach the committee members and secretary of a society; the housing society fire audit page sets that out. Every state's penalties are on the penalties page.

Where apartment blocks fail on fire safety, and the fix

Most apartment failures happen at the seam between builder and residents. These 7 come from the instruments and from reported cases.

Apartment association fire duties: 6 dos and 4 don'ts

Once the builder leaves, the residents' body is the fire service's contact. These 10 duties come from the state instruments; Maharashtra's society procedure is on the housing society page.

Apartment fire NOC worked cases: 8 buildings

Flamekite's reading of the rules for 8 example blocks; the buildings are illustrations, the figures are the instruments'.

1. Case 1

   A 45 m tower in Bengaluru, 15,000 m²

   Flats on 14 floors.

   What applies Over 21 m, so a KSFES NOC: 15,000 x Rs 35 = Rs 5,25,000, above the Rs 2,50,000 floor. A Clearance Certificate follows installation at no charge. 34Seva Sindhu

2. Case 2

   A 50 m tower in Gachibowli

   Residential apartments, filed after 7 October 2026.

   What applies Over 24 m: Provisional and Occupancy NOCs, a fire tower and FCC room; after occupation, the third-party audit each January and July at 45 m. 4TGFD circular 3455

3. Case 3

   A 12 m block of flats in Jaipur, 1,000 m²

   Inside a Nagar Nigam area.

   What applies Over 9 m and 250 m², so Table 1 catches it. 1,000 m² is 10,764 sq ft; at Rs 2 a sq ft the fee is about Rs 21,528, and renewal is generally yearly at Rs 10,000. 13Rajasthan UDH

4. Case 4

   A 50 m tower in Noida

   Flats on 16 floors in Gautam Buddh Nagar.

   What applies Over 15 m: the certificate through Nivesh Mitra, valid 5 years, no portal fee; Form A-8 each January and July; a Fire Safety Officer at 45 m and above. 30UP Rules 2024

5. Case 5

   A 12 m society building in Thane

   Ground plus 3, no basement.

   What applies Schedule-I row (b), below 15 m: extinguishers, a first-aid hose reel, a 5,000 litre terrace tank and a 450 l/min terrace pump; Form B each January and July. 15MH Act 2023 Schedule-I

6. Case 6

   A 12 m block of 10 flats in Kolkata, 900 m²

   Stand-alone residential.

   What applies More than 8 flats and over the 500 m² self-certification cap, so the full FSR and FSC route. 14West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services

7. Case 7

   A 12-flat block in Guwahati, 1,500 m², under 15 m

   Ground plus 3 with stilt parking.

   What applies 10 units or more, so covered; low risk at 12 flats. Rs 700 for the recommendation and Rs 700 for the certificate under the 1,000 to 2,000 m² line. 42Assam fee Annexure A

8. Case 8

   A 40 m group housing tower in Gurgaon

   2 basements of parking.

   What applies Above 16.5 m: no occupation certificate before the Fire Safety Certificate; first term 5 years, then renewals every 3, with a yearly self-declaration. 8Government of Haryana

Apartment fire rules in numbers

• 24 m

  Telangana's line for residential apartments from 7 October 2026 4TGFD circular 3455

• 21 m

  Karnataka's line for any building, flats included 28Government of Karnataka

• 8 flats

  West Bengal housing complexes above this are high risk at any height 14West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services

• 10 units

  Assam apartment buildings from this size are covered 31Assam Act LIII of 2025

• 250 m²

  With 9 m, Rajasthan's line for flats 13Rajasthan UDH

• 15 %

  Bihar's bank guarantee on the fire-system estimate, held 5 years 6Bihar Rules 2021

• 30 days

  RERA fall-back for handing documents and plans to the association 1RERA Act 2016

• 5 years

  RERA defect liability after possession 1RERA Act 2016

Apartment fire rules, dated: 2003 to 2027

Thirteen dated steps that shaped what a block of flats owes today.

1. 8 July 2003

   West Bengal's notification 279 lists housing complexes of more than 8 flats among 19 high-risk occupancies. 14West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services

2. 25 March 2016

   The RERA Act receives assent: fire fighting facilities go into every registration (s.4(2)(e)). 1RERA Act 2016

3. 28 January 2020

   Telangana's circular sets the January, and January and July, audit uploads by height and use. 5TG fire circular 2020

4. 20 March 2021

   Bihar's Fire Service Rules put the builder on the hook at handover and the association after it. 6Bihar Rules 2021

5. 30 May 2023

   Maharashtra's 2023 Amendment Act comes into force with a new Schedule-I and section 45 for homes over 70 m. 51UDD notification 2023

6. 14 September 2023

   Rajasthan's order brings flats of 9 m and over 250 m² under the fire NOC. 13Rajasthan UDH

7. 20 January 2026

   Telangana's G.O.Ms.No.15 empanels third-party fire and life safety auditors. 52G.O.Ms.No.15

8. 30 April 2026

   NBC 2016 is withdrawn; NBCS 2026 keeps apartments as A-III. 10Gazette of India

9. 6 May 2026

   Chandigarh moves to the Haryana Act: 5-year certificates and a July agency certificate. 47Gazette of India

10. 26 May 2026

    Delhi's amended Rule 27 is gazetted, keeping homes over 15 m or 5 storeys. 29DFS

11. 26 September 2026

    Telangana signs circular Rc.No.3455/MSB/2026 for residential apartments. 4TGFD circular 3455

12. 7 October 2026

    Telangana's 24 m apartment line applies to fresh Provisional files. 4TGFD circular 3455

13. 20 May 2027

    Delhi's Form K and valid-until-cancelled regime is due to start. 53Delhi Gazette

High-rise apartment fires and follow-ups reported, 2022 to 2026

From news reports, not yet an official source.

Apartment fire NOC myths, checked against the rules

• You may have read

  Telangana scrapped the fire NOC for every building under 24 m.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Circular 3455 of 2026 moves residential apartments only; commercial buildings still need one above 15 m. 4TGFD circular 3455

• You may have read

  Low-rise flats never need a fire NOC.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  West Bengal counts more than 8 flats, Assam 10 units, Rajasthan 9 m and 250 m², Tripura 10 m, at any of which a low block is caught. 14West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services

• You may have read

  A RERA registration means the fire NOC is done.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Registration needs the approvals then held; section 11(1)(d) makes the promoter post approvals taken and pending every quarter. 1RERA Act 2016

• You may have read

  The fire NOC is the builder's problem for ever.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Bihar rule 22(h) puts upkeep on the owners or their association after handover, and Maharashtra makes the society the owner. 6Bihar Rules 2021

• You may have read

  Every high-rise apartment needs a refuge floor.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  NBCS 2026 exempts high-rise apartments whose flats have balconies; Tripura still asks for one above 60 m. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• You may have read

  NBC 2016 still decides a new tower's fire systems.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  It was withdrawn on 30 April 2026; NBCS 2026 is voluntary, and your state's Act and rules decide. 10Gazette of India

What Flamekite could not confirm about apartment fire NOCs

These 9 points were checked and left open on 25 October 2026. Where they matter to your building, ask the fire service in writing.