Fire NOC for a hospital or nursing home in Delhi: the DFS certificate and the DGHS registration that depends on it
Updated By Flamekite Editorial DeskFacts checked against official sources on
Fire NOC for a hospital or nursing home in Delhi: DFS certificate over 9 m or 3 storeys, needed for DGHS registration every 3 years, fees from Rs 2,000.
- DFS line for hospitals
- Over 9 m
- Or 3 or more storeys, mezzanine and stilt counted (Rule 27)
- Which hospitals
Quick answer
A hospital or nursing home in Delhi needs a Delhi Fire Service Fire Safety Certificate once its building is over 9 m or has 3 or more storeys, counting mezzanine and stilt floors: Rule 27 of the Delhi Fire Service Rules, 2010 treats it as an institutional building.
The certificate matters twice, because the Directorate General of Health Services will not register or renew a nursing home without it. Every private hospital or nursing home with 2 or more beds open round the clock registers under the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953 and renews every third year before 31 January, paying Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 plus Rs 100 a bed above 30. The DGHS asks a DFS NOC and an as-built plan from any nursing home on the second floor or above.
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Delhi hospital and nursing home fire NOC at a glance
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fire law | Delhi Fire Service Act, 2007 and Rules, 2010; Rule 27 as amended on 26 May 2026 | DFS |
| Hospital line | Institutional buildings over 9 m or of 3 or more storeys; mezzanine and stilt floors count as storeys | DFS |
| Health law | Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953 and Rules, run by the DGHS Nursing Home Cell | Delhi NH Act 1953 |
| Who registers | Private hospitals and nursing homes open round the clock with indoor admission of at least 2 beds, practising modern medicine | DGHS Delhi FAQ |
| Fire papers for registration | NOC from Delhi Fire Service and an as-built plan by an empanelled architect, for nursing homes on the second floor and above | DGHS Delhi FAQ |
| Registration term | 3 years; renewal on Form B before 31 January of the year (rule 6(1), 2011) | Delhi NH Rules 2011 |
| Building | Must meet the municipal bye-laws, the Lt. Governor's guidelines and the land use prescribed by law (Schedule, item 1(b)) | Delhi NH Act 1953 |
| DFS certificate term now | 3 years for non-residential buildings, renewed at least 6 months before expiry | DFS |
| From 20 May 2027 | Valid until cancelled, kept alive by a yearly Form K | Delhi Gazette |
| Since 2 September 2026 | The DFS certificate is the only fire document DGHS asks, with an undertaking (reported) | ThePrintnews report |
How a Delhi hospital or nursing home gets its fire NOC and registration
Check the land use and the building
The 1953 Act's Schedule wants a building that meets the bye-laws and its permitted land use before anything else.
Count height and storeys
Over 9 m, or 3 or more storeys with any mezzanine or stilt floor, puts the building in Rule 27's institutional row.
Get DFS recommendations at plan stage
Fire safety recommendations go with the building plan through the sanctioning body's portal; a nursing home of ground plus 2 under 15 m also meets the DFS nursing-home sheet.
Install and get the Fire Safety Certificate
DFS inspects against its recommendations and issues the certificate before occupation.
Register with the DGHS
Form B, the fee, the revised checklist, the DFS NOC and an as-built plan go to the Nursing Home Cell at Shakarpur.
Keep both alive
Renew the DGHS registration every third year before 31 January and the DFS certificate 6 months before its 3 years run out; from 20 May 2027 file Form K yearly.
Which Delhi hospital needs a DFS fire certificate: 4 cases
Two tests decide it: whether the DGHS registers the premises under the 1953 Act, and whether its building crosses a Rule 27 line.
| DGHS registration | DFS Fire Safety Certificate | What the DGHS asks on fire | |
|---|---|---|---|
| OPD clinic or day-care centre, no overnight beds DGHS Delhi FAQ | No: the Act registers only round-the-clock homes with 2 or more beds | Only as a business building over 15 m or 5 storeys | Not registered, so none |
| Nursing home on ground and first floor, under 9 m DFS | Yes, at 2 or more beds | No Rule 27 line crossed | Fire audit, exits, extinguishers on the checklist |
| Nursing home of ground plus 2 or more, under 15 m DFS | Yes | Yes: institutional over 9 m or 3 storeys; the DFS nursing-home sheet applies | DFS NOC and as-built plan |
| Hospital above 15 m Delhi Fire Service | Yes | Yes, with the standards Rule 33(1) names | DFS NOC and as-built plan |
The DFS line counts mezzanine and stilt floors as storeys under the amended Rule 27. The DFS nursing-home sheet's items (6 m road, 2 staircases, sprinklers, tank and pumps) are on the Delhi fire NOC page.
Two approvals a Delhi hospital keeps: DFS and DGHS
A Delhi nursing home answers to two offices under two laws. Neither replaces the other.
Fire law
DFS Fire Safety Certificate
Issued by Delhi Fire Service under the 2007 Act and 2010 Rules for buildings in Rule 27; 3 years for non-residential buildings until 20 May 2027. DFS
Health law
DGHS registration
Issued by the Nursing Home Cell under the 1953 Act; 3 years, renewed on Form B before 31 January. Delhi NH Rules 2011
The link
No DFS NOC, no registration
The DGHS lists a DFS NOC among the documents for nursing homes on the second floor and above, and has threatened to cancel registrations for missing certificates. DGHS Delhi FAQ
From 2027
Auditor route
Empanelled Fire Safety Auditors may issue certificates and file Form K from 20 May 2027. DFS
What the DGHS checks on fire at a Delhi nursing home
The DGHS revised checklist for registration and renewal carries these fire lines, as its FAQ printed them on 6 October 2026.
- A Fire Safety Audit with its date of validity. DGHS Delhi FAQ
- An Electrical Audit with its date of validity. DGHS Delhi FAQ
- Fire exits free from obstruction. DGHS Delhi FAQ
- Fire extinguishers showing their expiry dates. DGHS Delhi FAQ
- DG set fuel not stored near the electric board. DGHS Delhi FAQ
- For a nursing home on the second floor or above: an NOC from Delhi Fire Service and an as-built plan by an architect empanelled with the local body. DGHS Delhi FAQ
- A floor-wise plan endorsed by a registered architect showing rooms, wards, OT, labour room and ICU with dimensions. DGHS Delhi FAQ
What a Delhi hospital or nursing home pays: DGHS and DFS fees
The Health Department's rules fix the registration fees; Delhi's fire rules publish no certificate fee until the Form K regime starts.
As published
- DGHS registration or renewal, up to 10 bedsRs 2,000For 3 years (rule 7, 2011) Delhi NH Rules 2011
- DGHS registration or renewal, 11 to 30 bedsRs 3,000 Delhi NH Rules 2011
- DGHS registration or renewal, 31 beds onwardRs 3,000 plus Rs 100 a bed above 30A 100-bed hospital: Rs 10,000 (Flamekite's arithmetic) Delhi NH Rules 2011
- Late renewal10 percent of the renewal fee a monthPer month or part; refused after 6 months Delhi NH Rules 2011
- Duplicate registration certificateRs 500 Delhi NH Rules 2011
- DFS certificate under the current rulesNot publishedNo fee schedule found on the DFS pages
- Form K declaration, yearlyRs 1,000From 20 May 2027 DFS
The DGHS fees are for the 3-year registration, not a yearly charge.
What a Delhi nursing home risks without registration or fire papers
The 1953 Act carries the health-side penalties; the fire side is under the Delhi Fire Service Act.
| Offence | Penalty | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Running an unregistered nursing home | Fine up to Rs 5,000; on a repeat, up to 6 months' imprisonment, a fine up to Rs 5,000, or both | Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, s.6 as substituted Delhi NH Act 1953 |
| Any other breach of the Act or rules | Fine up to Rs 500, and Rs 100 for each day it continues | s.12 as substituted Delhi NH Act 1953 |
| Any ground that would justify refusing registration | Cancellation of registration | s.7 Delhi NH Act 1953 |
| No renewal application within 6 months of 31 January | Renewal refused and the name removed from the register, after a hearing | Nursing Homes Registration Rules, rule 7 as substituted in 2011 Delhi NH Rules 2011 |
The compiled Act does not print the year of the amendment that set the Rs 5,000 figure. Fire offences and their penalties are on the Delhi fire NOC page.
Delhi hospital fire NOC and nursing home registration, dated
How the fire certificate became a condition of a Delhi nursing home's registration.
1953
The Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act provides for registering and inspecting nursing homes. Delhi NH Act 1953
4 March 2011
The amended Rules set renewal every third year before 31 January and fees by beds. Delhi NH Rules 2011
2 August 2018
The DGHS directs registered nursing homes to file a valid DFS fire clearance within a month (reported). Medical Dialoguesnews report
June 2019
The DGHS serves show-cause notices on homes that had not filed, asking why registration should not be cancelled (reported). Medical Dialoguesnews report
26 May 2024
Seven newborns die in a fire at a baby-care hospital in Vivek Vihar. The Tribunenews report
26 May 2026
The amended Rule 27 counts mezzanine and stilt floors as storeys. DFS
2 September 2026
A Health Department order keeps the DFS certificate as the only fire document and lets renewals issue in 2 working days (reported). ThePrintnews report
20 May 2027
Valid-until-cancelled certificates with yearly Form K begin. Delhi Gazette
Delhi hospital fire and registration rules in numbers
Six figures that decide a Delhi nursing home's papers.
9 m
Height over which a hospital needs a DFS certificate (Rule 27) DFS
2 beds
Fewest indoor beds for DGHS registration DGHS Delhi FAQ
3 years
Term of a DGHS registration Delhi NH Rules 2011
120 sq ft
Floor space for a single bed, plus 80 for each further bed in the room Delhi NH Act 1953
180 sq ft
Least floor space for each of the labour room and the OT Delhi NH Act 1953
2 working days
To issue a renewal under the September 2026 order (reported) ThePrintnews report
Delhi hospital and nursing home fire NOC: 3 worked cases
Flamekite's reading of the DFS and DGHS rules for three Delhi premises. Your own building may differ.
Case 1
A 12-bed maternity home on ground and first floor
7 m, two storeys, no mezzanine.
What applies Registers with the DGHS for Rs 3,000 for 3 years. No Rule 27 line is crossed, so no DFS certificate; the checklist still asks a fire audit, clear exits and extinguishers. Delhi NH Rules 2011
Case 2
A 30-bed nursing home of ground plus 2 with a stilt
11 m, beds on 3 floors.
What applies 4 storeys with the stilt and over 9 m: a DFS certificate, built to the DFS nursing-home sheet. The DGHS asks the DFS NOC and an as-built plan before registering it for Rs 3,000. DGHS Delhi FAQ
Case 3
A 100-bed hospital of 18 m
Ground plus 5.
What applies DFS certificate for 3 years until 20 May 2027, then Form K yearly; DGHS registration of Rs 10,000 for 3 years, renewed before 31 January. Delhi NH Rules 2011
Where Delhi hospital fire and registration papers go wrong
The common gaps between the fire and health approvals, and the fix.
If Mezzanine or stilt left out of the storey count
Count both: the amended Rule 27 does, which can lift a two-floor home over the 3-storey line. DFS
If DFS certificate expiring before the DGHS renewal
Renew it at least 6 months before its 3 years run out, so it is valid when Form B is filed. DFS
If Missing the 31 January renewal date
File Form B before it; the late fee is 10 percent a month and the file is refused after 6 months. Delhi NH Rules 2011
If Nursing home on a plot whose land use does not allow it
The Schedule asks the premises to conform to the prescribed land use; resolve it before applying. Delhi NH Act 1953
If DG fuel kept by the electric board
Move it: the DGHS checklist flags it. DGHS Delhi FAQ
Delhi hospital fire NOC myths, checked against the rules
Four claims Delhi hospital owners repeat.
You may have read
A nursing home needs a DFS certificate only above 15 m.
Myth
What the sources say
Hospitals and nursing homes are institutional: over 9 m or 3 storeys is enough (Rule 27). DFS
You may have read
DGHS registration is for life.
Myth
What the sources say
It runs 3 years and is renewed every third year before 31 January. Delhi NH Rules 2011
You may have read
An OPD clinic must register as a nursing home.
Myth
What the sources say
The DGHS registers only round-the-clock homes with at least 2 indoor beds. DGHS Delhi FAQ
You may have read
The DGHS asks several fire certificates.
Myth
What the sources say
After the 2 September 2026 order, only the DFS certificate plus an undertaking (reported). ThePrintnews report
Where a Delhi hospital files its fire and registration papers
Fire papers go to DFS online; registration goes to the DGHS Nursing Home Cell.
Fire
Delhi Fire Service
Links the plan-approval portals, the certificate renewal portal and the DFS nursing-home sheet. DFS
dfs.delhi.gov.inFire renewal
Renewal of Fire Safety Certificate
States the 3-year term for non-residential buildings and the 6-month rule. DFS
dfs.delhi.gov.in/dfs/renewal-fire-safety-certificatefscnocRegistration
DGHS Nursing Home Cell FAQ
Eligibility, fees, documents and the revised checklist; the Cell sits on the 3rd floor, DGD Building, S-1, School Block, Shakarpur. DGHS Delhi FAQ
dgehs.delhi.gov.in/faqs
Delhi hospital fire terms: Rule 27, Form B, Nursing Home Cell
Five terms a Delhi hospital file uses, with their source.
- Rule 27
- The list of buildings that need a DFS certificate; hospitals fall under institutional, over 9 m or 3 storeys. DFS
- Form B (DGHS)
- The nursing home registration and renewal application, filed every third year before 31 January. Not Maharashtra's fire Form B. Delhi NH Rules 2011
- Nursing Home Cell
- The DGHS branch that registers private hospitals and nursing homes. DGHS Delhi FAQ
- As-built plan
- Plan of the building as built, by an architect empanelled with the local body, asked of homes on the second floor and above. DGHS Delhi FAQ
- Form K
- The yearly declaration that keeps a DFS certificate valid from 20 May 2027, with a Rs 1,000 fee. DFS
What Flamekite could not confirm about Delhi hospital fire NOCs
- The Health Department's order of 2 September 2026 itself: only the PTI report was read, so its Category A, B and C definitions are not given.
- The year of the amendment that raised the 1953 Act's penalty to Rs 5,000: the compiled copy does not print it.
- The outcome of the Delhi High Court petition on nursing homes on mixed-use plots: the court copy found was a scanned image and was not read.
- Any DFS fee for a hospital certificate under the current rules: none published.
Questions about fire NOC for hospitals in Delhi
Is a fire NOC mandatory for a hospital in Delhi?
Does a nursing home in Delhi need a fire NOC to register?
How often is a Delhi nursing home registration renewed?
What is the nursing home registration fee in Delhi?
Does an OPD clinic in Delhi need a fire NOC?
How long is a Delhi hospital's fire certificate valid?
What is the penalty for running a nursing home without registration in Delhi?
Who registers nursing homes in Delhi?
Keep reading
- Fire NOC in DelhiRule 27, the DFS nursing-home sheet, Form K and auditors.
- Fire NOC for hospitalsHospital lines and terms in every state.
- Fire NOC for nursing homesSmall hospitals and nursing homes across India.
- Fire audit in DelhiEmpanelled Fire Safety Auditors and their levels.
- Fire NOC renewal dateWork out when your certificate runs out.
- Free fire NOC checkCheck whether your building needs a fire NOC.
Free tools for this
Words on this page, explained
Keep exploring
Fire NOC in other North Indian states
Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Flamekite checks its sources
- Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of NCT of Delhi: Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act, 1953 with the Rules and amendments (compiled copy): sections 6, 7 and 12 as substituted, and the Schedule of requirements for nursing homes (opens in a new tab)
- Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of NCT of Delhi: Delhi Nursing Homes Registration (Amendment) Rules, 2011, Notification F.24/Misc./NH/DHS/94/PF/A-2 of 4 March 2011: renewal every third year, fees by beds, late fee, duplicate certificate (opens in a new tab)
- Directorate General of Health Services, Government of NCT of Delhi (Nursing Home Cell): Frequently asked questions on nursing home registration: eligibility, fees, documents and checklist (last updated 6 October 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Delhi Fire Service (copy of Delhi Gazette Extraordinary, Part IV): Delhi Fire Service (Amendment) Rules, 2025, notification F.No. DFS/HQ/Misc/2025/01(E-259159)/237, gazetted 26 May 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- Delhi Gazette Extraordinary, Part IV (Home Department, Govt of NCT of Delhi): Notification F. No. 6/DFS/MS/HQ/MISC/2026/01/631, 16 October 2026 (No. 314, SG-DL-E-17102026-277257): commencement of Rules 34 to 38 and the First and Seventh Schedules extended to 20/05/2027 (opens in a new tab)
- Delhi Fire Service: Fire safety requirements for nursing homes (scanned sheet, page dated 23 January 2025) (opens in a new tab)
Show all 12 sourcesShow fewer
- Delhi Fire Service: Renewal of Fire Safety Certificate (FSC/NOC) (last updated 23/10/2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Delhi Fire Service: Delhi Fire Service Rules, 2010 (consolidated copy) (opens in a new tab)
- Delhi Fire Service: Department of Delhi Fire Service, Govt of NCT of Delhi (home page and portal links) (opens in a new tab)
- ThePrint (PTI), 2 September 2026: Delhi simplifies nursing home registration, renewal certificates to be issued in 2 days (opens in a new tab)
- Medical Dialogues, 17 June 2019: Non-submission of fire safety certificates: DGHS serves show cause notice to health centres (opens in a new tab)
- The Tribune: 7 newborns killed in Delhi hospital fire (May 2024) (opens in a new tab)