Fire NOC for a gaming zone: the rules after Rajkot, state lines, fees and steps

Fire NOC for a gaming zone at a glance: 10 facts

Gaming zone fire NOC lines in 20 states and UTs, from the instruments

How to get a fire NOC for a gaming zone: 9 steps

1. 1

   Count the crowd the floor can hold

   NBCS 2026 Table 2 allows 0.65 m² a person for concentrated use without fixed seats and 1.40 m² for less concentrated use. At 50 persons the zone is assembly; at 300 a bowling alley moves from D-4 to D-3.

2. 2

   Decide permanent or temporary, honestly

   A temporary structure is permitted only by special permit for a limited period and is removed at its expiry. The Rajkot zone ran about three years as a temporary structure without a Building Use permission.

3. 3

   Take building permission and the Building Use certificate

   In Gujarat no Building Use certificate issues without the fire safety certificate (2013 Act, section 19), and an unauthorised structure cannot be regularised without a fire certificate and a structural engineer's certificate.

4. 4

   Get the fire plan approved, then the fire certificate

   Gujarat issues Fire Safety Plan Approval, then the certificate, on Annexure 8 fees; Delhi's Rule 27 covers every assembly building; other states' lines are in the table above.

5. 5

   Plan exits, materials and power to the rules

   Two separate exits from every floor, at least 2 emergency exits on each floor besides the entry, fire-retardant materials, game settings treated to class 1 flame spread, and generators only in a fire-proof compartment.

6. 6

   Collect the engineers' certificates

   Gujarat's licence file wants a structure stability certificate, an electrical certificate, a layout safety certificate for evacuation, a full load test and third-party NDT reports, with the fire department's certificate.

7. 7

   Insure the patrons and staff the floor

   Third-party cover of at least Rs 10 lakh per patron for death or permanent disability; a fire-qualified person on the premises daily; a fire officer present daily above 200 persons.

8. 8

   Apply for the amusement licence

   In Gujarat, Form D to the Commissioner of Police or District Magistrate with Rs 10,000; the decision is due in 60 days. In Delhi police licensing of amusement parks ended in 2025, as reported: ask the local body.

9. 9

   Drill, display and diary the renewals

   A fire and evacuation drill before 180 days pass, the 5 by 5 feet gate board with the fire NOC's validity, and renewal 45 days before the licence expires. The renewal date calculator works out the fire certificate's last day.

Gaming zone, trampoline park and bowling alley: the code and rule words

The fire codes have no subdivision called a gaming zone. They place bowling alleys, pool parlours, skating rinks and amusement park structures inside assembly, Group D; Gujarat's 2024 rules add their own definitions.

GGroup D Assembly, NBC 2016

Any building or part where not less than 50 persons gather for amusement, recreation, social and similar purposes; the clause names skating rinks, gymnasiums, dance halls and club rooms among its examples. 1BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

DD-3 and D-4, NBC 2016

Assembly without a permanent stage or permanent seating: D-3 for 300 persons or more, D-4 for fewer. The D-3 examples include pool and billiard parlours, bowling alleys, night clubs and gymnasiums without spectator seating. 1BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

DD-5, NBC 2016

Any other building or structure, permanent or temporary, for assembly of people: grandstands, stadia, amusement park structures, circus tents, arenas and outdoor pools. 1BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

GGroup D, NBCS 2026

The 2026 standard keeps the 50-person test and names skating rinks and gymnasiums, without numbered subdivisions. It is voluntary. 3BIS, SP 7:2026

GGaming zone, Gujarat rule 2(p)

Any covered or uncovered premises with a facility for any gaming activity in the Schedule or as the competent authority defines, for people of different age groups. 6DM Dahod notification

GGaming activity, Gujarat Schedule 6

Pool, billiards, bowling alleys, trampoline activities, electronic video games, 3D virtual reality simulators, snow parks and indoor miniature field games, plus a table of 56 named games from bumping cars to trampoline parks and soft play areas. 6DM Dahod notification

MMajor amusement ride, Schedule 1

Among others, a ferris wheel or gyro tower taking a patron 10 m or more, and any carousel or swinging ride over 20 feet high, for more than 20 persons or driven by more than 4.5 HP. 6DM Dahod notification

MMinor ride at an anand mela, Schedule 2

A ride set up for a fair or festival, not over 20 feet and for not more than 20 persons; it gets a licence of at most 3 months, applied for after telling the authority 7 days before installation. 6DM Dahod notification

AAmusement park, recreational centre, Gujarat fire rules

Gujarat's Fire Regulations 2023 put stadia, sports complexes, amusement parks and recreational centres in the D-1 to D-5 assembly rows, from under 10 m up to 30 m. 9Gujarat Fire Safety Compliance Portal

TTemporary structure, Gujarat and NBCS 2026

Gujarat's regulations mean tents, hutments, shamiyanas and pandals put up for a temporary purpose. NBCS 2026 clause 2.5 does not treat permitted tents and shamianahs for ceremonial occasions as buildings at all. 9Gujarat Fire Safety Compliance Portal

What the Gujarat High Court found at the Rajkot game zone, 13 June 2024

In its order of 13 June 2024 in the suo motu case WPPIL 34 of 2024, the High Court set out how the TRP Game Zone ran for three years. Its words on the structure:

The order records that the zone was developed in June 2021, had no Building Use Permission, and started merely on a City Police permission under section 33(x) of the Gujarat Police Act, which regulates ticket sales, with no licence under section 33(w), the clause on licensing places of public amusement and their entrances and exits. The owners applied to regularise it only on 4 May 2024; the Corporation asked for a structural stability certificate and a fire NOC on 9 May 2024. The Court recalled its first order of 26 May 2024 as noting about 25 lives lost, children among them, ordered a fact-finding committee within 3 days and fire inspections of every school within a month.

Rajkot game zone fire to the 2024 gaming rules, dated: 2021 to 2026

The orders and rules that followed the TRP Game Zone fire, in order. News-only steps are in the news section below.

1. June 2021

   The TRP gaming zone is developed in Rajkot as a steel-frame structure, the High Court later records. 8Gujarat High Court

2. 4 and 9 May 2024

   The owners apply to regularise it; the Corporation asks for a structural stability certificate and a fire NOC. 8Gujarat High Court

3. 25 May 2024

   Fire at the TRP Game Zone leaves 27 dead, as All India Radio reports; a Special Investigation Team is ordered the same day. 46AIR Newsnews report

4. 26 May 2024

   The High Court takes suo motu notice and asks the corporations under what law gaming zones run. 48SCC Onlinenews report

5. 27 May 2024

   The State transfers the Rajkot Municipal Commissioner; the High Court's stop on every gaming zone in the state is reported the same day. 8Gujarat High Court

6. 11 June 2024

   Gujarat's Home Department issues the final draft of model rules for amusement rides and gaming zones. 7Gujarat Home Dept

7. 13 June 2024

   The High Court asks the State whether rules under section 33(w) exist and orders a fact-finding committee. 8Gujarat High Court

8. 24 June 2024

   Gujarat's Amendment Rules make every certificate renewal need RFO or CFO approval; the notification does not name Rajkot. 15Gujarat Gazette 2024

9. 4 July 2024

   The High Court refuses to modify its stop for a sealed Surat gaming zone, as reported. 47LiveLawnews report

10. 24 July 2024

    The District Magistrate of Dahod notifies the Gujarat Amusement Rides and Gaming Zone Activities Safety Rules, 2024. 6DM Dahod notification

11. 25 July 2024

    Surat's district portal lists its Rides and Gaming Zone Rules notification of this date. 16Surat district portal

12. 30 April 2026

    NBC 2016 is withdrawn; NBCS 2026 keeps assembly at 50 persons, without subdivisions. 4Gazette of India

13. 26 May 2026

    Delhi's substituted Rule 27 keeps every assembly building and pandals over 50 persons or 50 m². 10DFS

Gujarat gaming zone fire checklist: 14 items from Annexure 5 of the 2024 rules

Annexure 5 lists 23 general requirements that the licensing authority verifies for gaming zones and amusement rides. These 14 bear on fire and escape, from the Dahod notification of 24 July 2024.

Gujarat gaming zone, ride and tent permissions compared: 5 routes

A Gujarat operator may need up to five papers, from two different laws: the police licence under the Gujarat Police Act and the fire papers under the 2013 fire Act. This grid sets them side by side.

Figures from the Dahod District Magistrate's notification of 24 July 2024 and the Gujarat Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Regulations, 2023. Each District Magistrate and Police Commissioner notifies the rules for their own area, so check your district's text; the Home Department's model draft of 11 June 2024 differed (it asked quarterly inspections and drills every 90 days).

Gaming zone fire NOC and licence fees in official schedules

Gujarat prints both the police licence fee and an amusement park row in its fire fee table. Elsewhere a gaming zone pays the state's assembly or general rate. Each line is from an official schedule.

What a gaming zone risks without a fire NOC or licence: 9 penalties

Penalties come from the fire Acts, the regulations on temporary structures and, in Gujarat, the licence rules. Each line names the law that sets it.

The Gujarat gaming rules print no fine of their own: the licence forms warn of action under rule 10 and criminal cases under the law that applies. Every state's penalty ladder is on the fire NOC penalties page.

Does your gaming zone need a fire NOC? 12 cases

Find the first line that fits. A gaming zone for 50 or more people is assembly in the codes, and many states cover every assembly building whatever its size.

1. If Gujarat, any gaming zone, trampoline park, bowling alley or VR arcade

   Yes. The police licence file needs the fire department's certificate, and the fire regulations list amusement parks and recreational centres from 50 persons under 10 m. Fire NOC Gujarat 6DM Dahod notification

2. If Gujarat, rides and tents at a fair for a few weeks

   Each ride needs a licence of at most 3 months, applied for after telling the authority 7 days before installation; the tents need the Rs 2,000 online checklist and a declaration displayed 48 hours before use. 9Gujarat Fire Safety Compliance Portal

3. If Delhi, any gaming zone that is an assembly building

   Yes at any height: Rule 27 lists every assembly building. A tent or pandal for more than 50 persons or over 50 m² is listed too, under Rule 29's IS 8758 standards. Fire NOC Delhi 10DFS

4. If Uttar Pradesh, any gaming zone

   Yes: section 26(3)(ii) names every assembly building, and the certificate lasts 1 year. Fire NOC UP 25UP Rules 2024

5. If Rajasthan, 50 persons or more

   Yes, under Table 1 of the 2023 order; a pandal counts from 50 persons or 50 m², and the fee is generally paid every year. Fire NOC Rajasthan 17Rajasthan UDH

6. If Haryana, Chandigarh, Bihar, Himachal, Andhra, Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, Manipur or Nagaland

   Yes: each covers every assembly building. Chhattisgarh and Sikkim certificates last 1 year. Fire NOC Haryana 26Government of Haryana

7. If Kerala, a gaming zone over 200 m²

   Yes at any height: the Kerala rules make assembly use over 200 m² Group D, which needs the NOC irrespective of storeys. Fire NOC Kerala 27KMBR 2019

8. If Telangana, above 6 m or on a plot above 500 m²

   Yes, on the assembly row of the 2016 circular. Fire NOC Telangana 28TSDRFS circular 2016

9. If Odisha, 500 m² of assembly on a floor

   Yes, with a 2-year certificate. Fire NOC Odisha 29Odisha Rules 2019

10. If Karnataka, a building of 21 m or more

    Yes, before construction, whatever the use. Below that, ask KSFES in writing: Seva Sindhu lists buildings above 15 m. Fire NOC Karnataka 30Government of Karnataka

11. If A gaming zone inside a shopping mall

    The mall holds the building certificate as a D-6 assembly building; in Gujarat the gaming zone's own licence still asks for the fire department's certificate and the exits the code sets for malls. Fire NOC for Mall 6DM Dahod notification

12. If Fewer than 50 people at a time, outside all of the above

    Not assembly in the codes; your state's height or area line still applies. Check it with the free checker. Do I need a fire NOC? 3BIS, SP 7:2026

Temporary game structures and fit-outs: 8 dos and 7 don'ts

Gujarat's Regulations 13 and 14 set the most detailed rules for tents and temporary structures, with NBC 2016's assembly clauses for decorations and exits. Each line names its clause.

Gujarat gaming zone rules in numbers: 10 figures

The figures an operator meets in the Gujarat Amusement Rides and Gaming Zone Activities Safety Rules, 2024, as the Dahod District Magistrate notified them on 24 July 2024.

• 60 days

  For the licensing authority to grant or refuse a gaming zone licence (rule 34(3)) 6DM Dahod notification

• 3 years

  Longest term of a new licence; a renewal runs at most 2 years (rule 36) 6DM Dahod notification

• 45 days

  Before expiry: the latest date to apply for renewal in Form D (rule 36(1)(b)) 6DM Dahod notification

• Rs 10 lakh

  Minimum third-party cover per patron for death or permanent disability; Rs 7.5 lakh partial, Rs 2 lakh hospital 6DM Dahod notification

• 200 persons

  Capacity above which a fire officer must be present daily (Annexure 5, item 23) 6DM Dahod notification

• 180 days

  Longest gap between fire and evacuation mock drills (rule 45(16)) 6DM Dahod notification

• 30 days

  How long CCTV footage of counters, entry, exit and parking is kept (rule 43) 6DM Dahod notification

• 6 months

  How often the Ride Safety and Inspection Committee inspects and reports (rule 37, half-yearly) 6DM Dahod notification

• 5 feet square

  The gate board showing licence and fire NOC validity, drills and capacity (Annexure 5, item 1) 6DM Dahod notification

• 15 days

  To appeal an order to the Home Department's Law and Order officer, fee Rs 5,000 (rule 47) 6DM Dahod notification

Where gaming zones fail, and the fix: 8 cases

These are the failures the High Court's order, the 2024 rules and the reports after Rajkot point to.

Who signs off a gaming zone: 8 authorities and papers

A gaming zone answers to more offices than most buildings. In Gujarat the police licence gathers the others' certificates; these 8 are named in the rules, the regulations and the Acts.

• Gujarat, rule 34

  Commissioner of Police or District Magistrate

  Grants or refuses the gaming zone licence in Form E within 60 days, after the other authorities' NOCs. 6DM Dahod notification

• Gujarat, rule 37

  Ride Safety and Inspection Committee

  Technical officers of at least Class-2 rank, set up by the licensing authority; gives its opinion and inspects every 6 months. 6DM Dahod notification

• Fire Act

  Regional Fire Officer or Chief Fire Officer

  Issues the Fire Safety Plan Approval and the fire safety certificate on the Annexure 8 fees. 9Gujarat Fire Safety Compliance Portal

• Municipal Act

  Municipal Commissioner

  No person may occupy or use a new building until the Commissioner permits it, section 263 of the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, as the High Court recalled. 8Gujarat High Court

• Annexure 4

  Civil and electrical engineering departments

  A structure stability certificate and an electrical certificate on earthing, panels and protective switches go into the licence file. 6DM Dahod notification

• Rule 42

  The insurer

  Third-party cover of at least Rs 10 lakh per patron; the licence lapses automatically if the insurance ends. 6DM Dahod notification

• Gujarat, Reg 27.1

  Fire Safety Executive

  Amusement parks are among the buildings that must keep a Fire Safety Executive with 3 years' experience on the premises. 9Gujarat Fire Safety Compliance Portal

• Jharkhand, s.29(h)

  Fire Safety Officer

  Jharkhand's 2024 Act lists amusement parks among the public buildings that must appoint a trained Fire Safety Officer. 31Government of Jharkhand

How a Gujarat gaming zone gets its licence: 9 stops

The order the 2024 rules and the fire regulations set, from the building to the gate board. Each stop names its clause.

Gaming zone fire NOC worked cases: 8 premises

Flamekite’s working from the official rules; no government publishes this figure.

Each case applies one instrument to a described gaming zone. They are Flamekite's worked examples, using the occupant loads of NBCS 2026 Table 2, not decisions of any fire service or licensing authority.

1. Case 1

   A 600 m² trampoline park in Ahmedabad, 8 m high

   One floor, 600 m² at 1.40 m² a person: about 428 people.

   What applies Over 300 under 10 m: plan approval Rs 1,500, the certificate Rs 9 x 600 = Rs 5,400, plus the Rs 10,000 police licence; above 200 persons a fire officer is on site daily. 9Gujarat Fire Safety Compliance Portal

2. Case 2

   A steel-frame game zone on an open plot in Rajkot

   Ground plus one, steel sheets, called temporary, running for years.

   What applies The Rajkot pattern: it needs building permission, Building Use and a fire certificate; GRUDA cannot regularise it without fire and structural certificates. 8Gujarat High Court

3. Case 3

   A 1,200 m² bowling alley in Delhi

   8 lanes, a cafe, room for 300 or more without fixed seats.

   What applies D-3 assembly in NBC 2016, and Rule 27 lists every assembly building: a DFS certificate at any height, renewed every 3 years until 20 May 2027. 10DFS

4. Case 4

   A 150 m² VR arcade on a second floor in Jaipur

   Nagar Nigam area, about 1,615 sq ft; at 1.40 m² a person about 107 people.

   What applies Over Rajasthan's 50-person assembly line: a fire NOC at Rs 2 per sq ft, about Rs 3,230, generally renewed every year. 17Rajasthan UDH

5. Case 5

   A Navratri fair in Vadodara with 6 rides and 2 tents

   20 days on an open ground.

   What applies Each ride takes a licence of at most 3 months at Rs 5,000, notified 7 days before installation; each tent files the Rs 2,000 checklist and displays Form C1 48 hours before opening. 6DM Dahod notification

6. Case 6

   A 250 m² soft play centre in Kochi

   One floor of a shopping building, for children and parents.

   What applies Over 200 m² with assembly use it is Group D under the Kerala rules, which needs the fire NOC irrespective of storeys. 27KMBR 2019

7. Case 7

   A 2-floor gaming centre in Lucknow, 400 m²

   Arcade games and a cafe in a commercial complex.

   What applies Section 26(3)(ii) names every assembly building, so a fire certificate, valid 1 year, and the January and July Form A-8. 25UP Rules 2024

8. Case 8

   A bowling alley in Hyderabad, 7 m, on an 800 m² plot

   A single tall hall.

   What applies Above 6 m, so on Telangana's assembly row: a fire NOC, at Rs 10 per m² of built-up area. 28TSDRFS circular 2016

Gaming zone fire NOC myths, checked against the rules

6 claims heard after Rajkot, and what the instruments say.

• You may have read

  A police permission for tickets is enough to open.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  The High Court found Rajkot's zone had only a section 33(x) ticket permission and no section 33(w) licence; Gujarat's 2024 rules now require the licence, with a fire certificate in the file. 8Gujarat High Court

• You may have read

  A temporary structure needs no fire paper.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Gujarat makes the owner file an online checklist with Rs 2,000 and display a declaration 48 hours before use; Delhi lists pandals over 50 persons or 50 m². 9Gujarat Fire Safety Compliance Portal

• You may have read

  A small game zone is just a shop.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Once 50 people can gather it is Group D assembly, and NBC 2016 names bowling alleys and pool parlours in D-3 and D-4. 1BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

• You may have read

  A game zone inside a mall is covered by the mall's NOC.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  In Gujarat the gaming zone's own licence asks for a fire department certificate and a gate board showing the fire NOC's validity. 6DM Dahod notification

• You may have read

  Gujarat issued no gaming-zone rules after Rajkot.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  The Home Department drafted model rules on 11 June 2024, and District Magistrates notified them, Dahod on 24 July 2024. 6DM Dahod notification

• You may have read

  Holding a fire NOC means the systems work.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  The Gujarat rules ask the hydrant or sprinkler system to be kept in working condition all the time, and committees to inspect every 6 months. 6DM Dahod notification

Gaming zone checks after Rajkot: Gujarat 2024 to Lucknow 2026

From news reports, not yet an official source.

Where a gaming zone applies or checks papers: 6 official pages

Apply for the fire certificate on the fire service's own portal. These 6 are official pages Flamekite read on 25 October 2026.

• Gujarat

  GujFireSafety CoP

  Fire Safety Plan Approval, the certificate and the temporary-structure checklist online. 32Directorate of Gujarat State Fire Prevention Services

  gujfiresafetycop.in ↗

• Gujarat, verify

  Valid Certificate

  Search a building's fire certificate by region and name before you lease a floor for a game zone. 33Gujarat Valid Certificate

  gujfiresafetycop.in/ValidCertificate.aspx ↗

• Gujarat, rules

  Dahod Collectorate: gaming zone rules

  The notified text of the 2024 rules, with Forms A to E and the Schedules. 6DM Dahod notification

  collectordahod.gujarat.gov.in/news/rules-for-the-gujarat-amusement-rides-and-gaming-zone-activities-safety-rules2024 ↗

• Delhi

  Delhi Fire Service

  Links the Fire Safety Certificate application and renewal portal. 34DFS

  dfs.delhi.gov.in ↗

• Uttar Pradesh

  UP Fire and Emergency Services

  The online fire NOC dashboard; it lists the service and its fee as nil. 22UP Fire dashboard

  upfireservice.gov.in/upfire/dashboard_brap ↗

• Kerala

  Kerala Fire and Rescue NOC portal

  Online NOC applications, for assembly buildings at any height. 35Kerala Fire and Rescue

  noc.fire.kerala.gov.in ↗

What Flamekite could not confirm about gaming zone fire NOCs

These 8 points are where a reader would expect an answer and no official source gave one on 25 October 2026.