Fire safety norms in India: the central laws, and the fire Act and rules of every state and UT

Fire safety law in India at a glance

Fire Acts and rules of all 36 states and UTs, with their numbers

How to find the fire safety law that governs your building

1. 1

   Start from your state or UT

   Find its row in the 36-row table above. Fire is a State subject, so the state's own Act, Regulation or order is the base law for every building in it.

2. 2

   Check that the Act is in force

   A passed Act binds only from its start date. Madhya Pradesh's Act 16 of 2026 and Tamil Nadu's Act 37 of 2025 had no commencement on record by 24 October 2026, so their older laws still applied.

3. 3

   Read the rules and the code they name

   Rules set the forms, heights and terms. Delhi's Rules of 2010 still name NBC 2005, Kerala's building rules name NBC 2016 Part 4, and Assam's amended Act names the BIS National Building Construction Standards.

4. 4

   Check the building bye-laws

   In Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir the fire NOC duty sits in the building rules, not the fire Act: rule 5(4) of the KMBR 2019 and clause 2.18(2) of the J&K bye-laws of 2021.

5. 5

   Add the central licences for what you store or run

   Petroleum, gas cylinders, pressure vessels and explosives need PESO licences; substations, solar plants and EV chargers fall under the CEA Regulations, 2023; workplaces fall under the OSH Code 2020 and the state's OSH rules.

6. 6

   Add the sector rules for your use

   Hospitals follow the MoHFW and NDMA advisory of 23 March 2024; schools the Supreme Court's 2009 Avinash Mehrotra standards; hotels need a valid fire NOC for star classification under the 2018 guidelines.

7. 7

   Confirm against the fire service's written decision

   Run the fire NOC checker for your state's height and area line, then rely on the fire service's written approval: under the Model Bill pattern, the occupancy certificate waits for it.

Is fire safety a state subject in India? What the Constitution says

Yes. Fire services are listed as a municipal function in the Twelfth Schedule of the Constitution, so each state legislates and the Centre only advises, sets standards and funds.

What NBCS 2026 itself says about who makes fire law

The national building standard that replaced NBC 2016 on 30 April 2026 says in its own text that it does not bind anyone on fire safety.

The same text calls the whole standard "voluntary in nature and is non-binding". A state's fire norms therefore come from the edition its own Act or rules name. Assam's Act, as amended on 14 August 2026, names the BIS National Building Construction Standards; Uttar Pradesh's OSH Rules of 27 August 2026 apply Part F to employers in buildings of 5 or more floors or 20 m and above.

Central fire safety laws in India: instrument, scope and enforcer

Fourteen central instruments, one of them still a draft, carry fire duties. None replaces the state fire NOC; each adds a licence, a standard or a duty for a particular hazard or workplace.

The Factories Act, 1948 and its section 38 were repealed by the OSH Code; state factory rules made under it continue only until state OSH rules replace them. BIS product standards and quality control orders are outside this table.

The Model Fire and Emergency Service Bill 2019, section by section

MHA's Revised Model Bill of 2019 has 11 chapters and 69 sections. It binds nobody until a state enacts it, but most fire Acts passed since 2022 follow its numbering and its ideas.

SStructure

11 chapters and 69 sections: one Fire and Emergency Service per state under a Director, then response, water supply, fire prevention and life safety, a fund and penalties. 21DGFS, MHA

BBye-law (definition)

Includes the National Building Code, the Model Building Bye-Laws 2016, OISD guidelines and the Petroleum and Explosives Acts and Rules, so state Acts copied from it import those texts by name. 21DGFS, MHA

SSection 22: pandals

Pandals and other temporary structures are left self-regulatory rather than certified. 21DGFS, MHA

SSection 24: owner's duties

Buildings above 15 m, special occupancies and mixed use above 500 m² must provide fire measures through a qualified agency, file maintenance certificates every January and July, and get no occupancy certificate until they comply. 21DGFS, MHA

SSection 25: Fire Safety Certificate

Issued within 1 month of a complete application, and cancellable after a hearing; it replaces the older word NOC. 21DGFS, MHA

SSection 26: Fire Safety Officer

Notified premises must appoint one; section 32 then fines a default at Rs 10 to Rs 50 per m² per month, recoverable as land revenue. 21DGFS, MHA

SSection 47: fire tax

A fire tax levied as a surcharge on property tax. 21DGFS, MHA

SSection 51: fund

A Fire Prevention and Life Safety Fund for the state. 21DGFS, MHA

SSection 57: sealing

The fire service's power to seal premises. 21DGFS, MHA

11958 predecessor

The Model Fire Force Bill of 1958, the first template, is still listed beside the 2019 Bill as DGFS's only other model law. 7DGFS, MHA

Which fire safety law applies to which building in India

Every building starts with its state's fire law. The use of the building then adds central licences or sector rules on top; each branch links to the page that covers that building.

1. If A home, apartment block or office

   Your state's fire Act, rules and bye-laws only. Most follow the Model Bill line of above 15 m, any special occupancy, or mixed use above 500 m². Fire NOC for Residential Building 21DGFS, MHA

2. If A factory or workshop

   The OSH Code 2020 and your state's OSH rules for fire precautions and safety officers (500 workers, or 250 in a hazardous process), plus the state fire NOC. Fire NOC for Factory 37OSH Code

3. If A petrol pump or diesel store

   A PESO licence under the Petroleum Rules 2002, after the District Authority's rule 144 NOC, plus the state fire NOC. Fire NOC for Petrol Pump 24Petroleum Rules 2002

4. If An LPG godown or CNG station

   A PESO licence under the Gas Cylinders Rules 2016; since 5 June 2026 no district NOC under rule 48. The state fire NOC still applies. Fire NOC for LPG Godown 28G.S.R. 447(E) of 2026

5. If A fireworks shop or explosives magazine

   A licence under the Explosives Rules 2008 from PESO or the district authority, by quantity, on top of the state fire law. 38PESO SOP

6. If A chemical plant above MSIHC thresholds

   Safety reports and on-site and off-site emergency plans under the MSIHC Rules 1989, checked by the factory inspectorate. Fire NOC for Industry and MSME 31MSIHC Rules 1989

7. If A hospital or nursing home

   The state fire Act, plus the MoHFW and NDMA advisory of 23 March 2024, which asks for a valid fire NOC renewed every year and electrical load audits. Fire NOC for Hospital 17Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and NDMA

8. If A school

   The state fire Act, plus the safety standards the Supreme Court set on 13 April 2009 in Avinash Mehrotra v. Union of India. Fire NOC for School 16Supreme Court, 2009

9. If A hotel seeking a star rating

   The state fire Act, plus a current fire NOC for classification under the Ministry of Tourism guidelines of 19 January 2018. Fire NOC for Hotel 15Ministry of Tourism

10. If A substation, solar plant or EV charger

    The CEA Regulations 2023 on fire walls, extinguishers and fire-retardant enclosures, with battery storage rules from 1 April 2027. Fire NOC for EV Charging Station 25CEA Regulations 2023

11. If A battery energy storage system

    Chapter XA of the CEA safety regulations, added in 2026 and in force from 1 April 2027: battery management, fire detection and suppression for each installation. CEA Battery Storage (BESS) Fire Safety Rules 2026 33CEA

12. If Choosing or checking fire equipment

    The BIS Indian Standard for each system; extinguishers and several other products also need BIS certification under a Quality Control Order. Fire Safety IS Codes 1Gazette S.O. 3585(E)

13. If Insuring a building or business against fire

    IRDAI's standard fire products of 2021 for homes and small businesses; no IRDAI rule or court judgment found makes a fire NOC a condition of a claim. Fire Insurance in India 2IRDAI guidelines 2021

14. If A state drafting or replacing its fire Act

    MHA's Revised Model Bill of 2019, the template most fire Acts passed since 2022 follow. Model Fire Bill 2019 21DGFS, MHA

15. If A ship, a mine or an airport

    Their own regulators: DGMA's fire appliance rules of 2026, DGMS under the OSH Code, and AAI's rescue and fire fighting categories 1 to 10. 34DGMA

Who enforces fire safety law in India: 10 central bodies and their sites

State fire services enforce the fire Acts and are listed on each state page. These central bodies make or enforce the rest, each on the official site shown.

• Directorate General Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards (MHA) 7DGFS, MHA

  Advises states, publishes the model fire laws, services the Standing Fire Advisory Council

  Website

  dgfscdhg.gov.in/fire-service

• Bureau of Indian Standards 39BIS store

  Publishes NBCS 2026 (SP 7:2026) and the fire standards it cites

  Website

  standardsbis.bsbedge.com/BIS_SearchStandard.aspx?Standard_Number=SP%207&id=0

• Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) 40PESO online

  Licences under the Petroleum, Gas Cylinders, SMPV(U) and Explosives Rules

  Website

  online.peso.gov.in/PesoOnline

• Oil Industry Safety Directorate (MoPNG) 41OISD standards

  105 standards, among them fire protection for depots, refineries and LPG plants

  Website

  www.oisd.gov.in/oisd-standards

• Directorate General Occupational Safety and Health (MoLE) 42DGOSH

  Technical arm for workplace safety under the OSH Code

  Website

  dgfasli.gov.in

• Directorate General of Mines Safety 43DGMS

  Mine fire regulations and inspections

  Website

  dgms.gov.in

• Central Electricity Authority 44CEA

  Electrical safety regulations of 2023 and the 2026 battery storage chapter

  Website

  cea.nic.in/regulations-subcategory/7db8702f-e3c1-47da-b7f2-3f1ada6586bc?lang=en

• Directorate General of Maritime Administration 45DGMA

  Ship fire appliance rules under the Merchant Shipping Act 2025

  Website

  dgma.gov.in/mercantile-marine-law/the-merchant-shipping-act-2025

• National Disaster Management Authority 46NDMA

  Guidelines on fire services (2012), hospitals and schools (2016) and chemical disasters (2007)

  Website

  ndma.gov.in/sites/default/files/PDF/Guidelines/ndmafireguideline.pdf

• Airports Authority of India 36AIP India

  Aerodrome rescue and fire fighting under AIP India AD 1.2

  Website

  aim-india.aai.aero/eaip/eaip-v2-10-2026/eAIP/IN-AD%201.2-en-GB.html

How a fire safety norm reaches your building: from BIS or MHA to the fire officer

A national standard binds a building only after a state writes it into law. The 2017 chain for NBC 2016 shows each step, and NBCS 2026 has so far completed it only in Assam.

Indian fire safety law from the Explosives Act 1884 to 2026

Central law grew hazard by hazard from 1884; building fire law stayed with the states, which have rewritten most of it since 2022.

1. 1884

   Explosives Act, whose section 9B still punishes breaches of rules made under it. 94Courtbooknews report

2. 1934

   Petroleum Act (Act 30 of 1934), the parent of today's Petroleum Rules. 49Petroleum Act 1934

3. 1948

   Factories Act, with section 38 on precautions in case of fire; repealed in 2025. 50DGOSH

4. 1950

   West Bengal Fire Services Act, the oldest state fire Act still in force. 95Indian Kanoonnews report

5. 1955

   MHA constitutes the Standing Fire Advisory Committee, later the Council. 6DGFS, MHA

6. 1958

   Model Fire Force Bill, the first template for state fire Acts. 7DGFS, MHA

7. 1989

   MSIHC Rules for major accident hazard units under the Environment (Protection) Act 1986. 31MSIHC Rules 1989

8. 1 August 1996

   Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules, G.S.R. 347(E). 32NDMA

9. 13 March 2002

   Petroleum Rules, G.S.R. 204(E). 24Petroleum Rules 2002

10. 22 November 2016

    Gas Cylinders Rules, G.S.R. 1081(E). 51Gas Cylinders Rules

11. 2019

    MHA revises the Model Bill: 69 sections, Fire Safety Certificates and Fire Safety Officers. 21DGFS, MHA

12. 8 June 2023

    CEA Safety and Electric Supply Regulations replace the 2010 regulations. 25CEA Regulations 2023

13. 21 November 2025

    OSH Code 2020 comes into force and repeals the Factories Act. 23PIB

14. 30 April 2026

    BIS withdraws NBC 2016 and establishes NBCS 2026. 22Gazette of India

15. 5 June 2026

    G.S.R. 447(E) and 448(E) drop the district NOC from the Gas Cylinders and SMPV(U) Rules. 28G.S.R. 447(E) of 2026

16. 14 August 2026

    Assam becomes the only state to write NBCS 2026 into its fire Act. 9Assam Act XIII of 2026

Indian fire safety law in numbers: 36 regimes, 15 new laws

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

Flamekite's counts from the 36-row state table above, as verified on 24 and 25 October 2026.

• 36

  State and UT fire regimes: 28 states and 8 union territories 3Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice

• 15

  Regimes with a fire Act or Regulation made in 2022 or later, from Haryana and UP to the 3 UT Regulations of 2026 52Government of Manipur

• 6

  Of those, passed but with no start date found: MP, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Nagaland, Jharkhand, A&N 53Government of Madhya Pradesh

• 2

  With no fire Act at all: Rajasthan and Puducherry 96LawGistnews report

• 3

  State Jan Vishwas Acts that amended a fire Act: Tripura 2025, Goa and Assam 2026 54Tripura Act 12 of 2025

• 1,950

  Year of the oldest state fire Act still in force, West Bengal's 95Indian Kanoonnews report

Penalties under India's central fire-related laws

Central laws punish breaches of their own licences and duties; fines for running a building without a fire NOC come from the state Acts and are set out state by state on the penalties page.

Every state's fines, sealing powers and compounding are on the fire NOC penalties page. The OSH Code figures are from the 2020 text.

One building, several fire laws: six worked examples

Most premises answer to two or three fire laws at once. These examples apply the instruments in the tables above.

1. Case 1

   A petrol pump in Uttar Pradesh

   Retail outlet storing petrol and diesel

   What applies Needs the District Authority's rule 144 NOC and a PESO licence on Form XIV under the Petroleum Rules 2002, and a fire certificate under the UP Act 2022; hazardous storage renews every year under Rule 44 of UP's 2024 Rules. 24Petroleum Rules 2002

2. Case 2

   An LPG cylinder godown licensed after June 2026

   Store of filled LPG cylinders

   What applies Takes a Form F licence under the Gas Cylinders Rules 2016 without the district NOC, which G.S.R. 447(E) omitted on 5 June 2026. The state fire NOC is untouched. 28G.S.R. 447(E) of 2026

3. Case 3

   A 6-storey garment factory in Uttar Pradesh

   Factory on 6 floors with 300 workers

   What applies Rule 12 of UP's OSH Rules of 27 August 2026 applies NBCS 2026 Part F because the building has 5 or more floors; the UP fire Act adds its own certificate. Below 500 workers, section 22 of the OSH Code needs no safety officer unless the process is hazardous. 10UP Gazette

4. Case 4

   A 25 m apartment block in Assam

   Residential high-rise

   What applies Assam's Act, amended on 14 August 2026, asks for measures under the BIS National Building Construction Standards, so NBCS 2026 binds here although it is voluntary elsewhere. The certificate stays valid until cancelled. 9Assam Act XIII of 2026

5. Case 5

   A 200-bed private hospital

   Institutional building in any state

   What applies The state fire Act decides the certificate. The MoHFW and NDMA advisory of 23 March 2024 adds a yearly NOC renewal, bi-annual electrical load audits and quarterly alarm and hydrant tests. 17Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and NDMA

6. Case 6

   A battery storage container at a solar park

   BESS above 650 V

   What applies From 1 April 2027 the CEA's 2026 amendment needs automatic fire suppression in every battery container and an independent third-party fire safety audit reported to the Electrical Inspector. 33CEA

Sector rules that add fire duties for hospitals, schools, hotels and cinemas

These central guidelines and court orders sit on top of the state fire law. Advisories bind through the licences and accreditations that cite them.

Five myths about fire safety law in India

• You may have read

  India has one national fire safety Act.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  It has none. Fire is a State subject, so 36 regimes make their own law, and 2 of them, Rajasthan and Puducherry, have no fire Act at all. 4Lok Sabha

• You may have read

  The National Building Code is binding law everywhere.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  It is a BIS standard. NBC 2016 was withdrawn on 30 April 2026, and a code binds only through the state rule that names it: Delhi's Rules of 2010 still name NBC 2005. 11Delhi Fire Service

• You may have read

  The Model Fire Bill 2019 is in force across India.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  It is an MHA template. It binds only where a state enacts it, as Manipur did with its Act 9 of 2026. 21DGFS, MHA

• You may have read

  Section 38 of the Factories Act still governs factory fire safety.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  The OSH Code repealed the Factories Act from 21 November 2025; old state factory rules continue only during the transition. 23PIB

• You may have read

  Uttar Pradesh runs on its Fire Prevention and Fire Safety Act of 2005.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Explainers still cite it, but UP's fire law today is the Fire and Emergency Services Act, 2022 (Act 16 of 2022), with Rules of 18 January 2024. 61UP Act 16 of 2022

Where Indian fire safety law has gaps and conflicts in 2026

Six weak points a building owner or consultant should check before relying on any summary, this one included.

Reading an Indian fire law correctly: dos and don'ts

Five checks and four traps, each drawn from a 2025 or 2026 change on this page.

What Flamekite could not confirm about India's fire laws

These points were open on 25 October 2026: the official text was missing, blocked or not yet notified.

• Central Acts

  Act numbers of the Explosives Act 1884

  PESO's Acts and Rules page returned "page not found" on 25 October 2026, so this page gives the year 1884 only, and the same for the Inflammable Substances Act 1952.

• Criminal law

  Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, negligence with fire

  The official MHA and India Code copies refused access on 25 October 2026, so the BNS section on negligent conduct with fire is left out until it is read from an official copy.

• Commencement

  6 laws without a start date

  MP, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Nagaland, Jharkhand and the A&N Regulation start on a notified date that Flamekite had not found by 24 October 2026. 65Gazette of India Extraordinary, Part II Section 1, No. 19, 25 May 2026

• NBC references

  Undated references after the withdrawal

  Where a state rule cites "the National Building Code" without a year, no court or state order says whether it now means NBCS 2026. 22Gazette of India

• Factories

  State OSH rules on fire

  Only Uttar Pradesh's final rules were read for fire content; the fire chapters of other states' OSH rules were not checked. 10UP Gazette

• Karnataka

  Text of the 1964 Act

  The Act was read from a legal-database copy; the official Karnataka text was not found online. 93CaseMinestudy