NBC 2016 Part 4: the fire and life safety rules states still apply

NBC 2016 Part 4 at a glance

NBC 2016 Part 4 and NBCS 2026 Part F in brief

How to check a building against NBC 2016 Part 4

1. 1

   Find the state instrument that names the code

   Read your state's fire act, its rules and the building bye-laws for the words National Building Code. If they name the 2016 edition, Part 4 below is your yardstick; the 17 states and union territories Flamekite found are listed on this page.

2. 2

   Fix the occupancy group and subdivision

   Place the building in one of the 9 groups and 29 subdivisions. If uses are intermingled, the whole building takes the strictest group's fire protection and each use is separated by 240 min construction.

3. 3

   Measure the height the way the code does

   Measure from the average ground level to the terrace of the last livable floor. At 15 m the building is a high-rise; at 9 m a school or hospital is already a special building.

4. 4

   Read your Table 7 row and its notes

   Find the row for your group, height and floor area, then read the notes it points to: a sprinkler marked Note 4 is needed only in a basement over 200 m². Read the row off a page image, never an OCR text copy.

5. 5

   Check exits against Tables 3, 4 and 5

   Work out the occupant load from Table 3, the exit width from Table 4 and the travel distance from Table 5, then the staircase widths for your occupancy.

6. 6

   Add the high-rise layer

   From 15 m add the firefighting shaft and Annex E; above 24 m plan refuge areas; at the heights in clause 4.10.1 appoint a Fire Officer.

Is NBC 2016 mandatory? The legal position after withdrawal

Not by itself. BIS withdrew SP 7:2016 on 30 April 2026, and even before that the code bound a building only through a state's fire act, rules or bye-laws.

This is how the code binds. The DG Fire Services describes the National Building Code as a recommendatory document and, by an advisory of 18 April 2017, asked every state to write NBC 2016 Part 4 into its building bye-laws. A state rule that names the 2016 edition keeps it as that state's yardstick until the state amends the rule: the withdrawal changed the BIS catalogue, not the state's law. Where the rule adds "as amended from time to time" or "or its latest version", as in Bihar, Kerala and Jammu and Kashmir, whether it now reaches NBCS 2026 is unsettled.

Which state rules still name NBC 2016 Part 4

Flamekite found 17 states and union territories whose fire act, rules, bye-laws, forms or orders name the 2016 edition, as read on their reviewed fire NOC pages by 24 October 2026.

• Rules 2021, rule 15

  Bihar

  The NOC is compulsory under NBC 2016 Part 4 "as amended from time to time", and other owners may opt in to the same measures. 20Bihar Rules 2021

• Notification of 29 Nov 2022

  Chhattisgarh

  The section 14(2) notification sets NBC 2016 Part 4 measures for each of its 12 building classes. An Amendment Bill of 15 July 2026 would drop the NBC; its passage is not confirmed. 21Home Department, Chhattisgarh

• Inspection procedure

  Goa

  DFES checks fire plans against NBC 2016 Part 4 and its 2014 notification at the Initial NOC. 22DFES Goa

• Annual report 2023-24

  Himachal Pradesh

  The department names NBC 2016 Part 4 as its NOC standard; it issued 2,597 NOCs that year. 23HP Fire annual report

• Bye-laws 2021, clause 14.2

  Jammu and Kashmir

  Fire and life safety follow Part 4 of NBC 2016 "or its latest version". 5J&K H&UDD

• Fire Force Act, s.13(4)

  Karnataka

  The high-rise NOC, for buildings of 21 m and above, is issued subject to the NBC 2016 fire and life safety provisions. 19Government of Karnataka

• KMBR rule 5(4)

  Kerala

  A building over 1,000 m² or over 15 m needs a fire certificate that it meets NBC 2016 Part 4 and later amendments; restated on 29 October 2025. 24KMBR amendment 2025

• Circular MFS/2017/60

  Maharashtra

  The 17 May 2017 circular tells municipal and planning authorities to enforce NBC 2016 Part 4 strictly. 25Maharashtra Fire Services

• Bye-laws 2024, 6(2)

  Manipur

  Every non-residential building, whatever its height, needs fire safety to NBC 2016 Part IV approved before the occupancy certificate; the NOC line is 15 m. 26Manipur UBBL 2024

• Notification of 12 Jun 2018

  Meghalaya

  Pandal erectors self-regulate under an NBC 2016 checklist and file Form No. C, and face sealing if they ignore directions. 27HPL.179/2017/86

• Act 5 of 2023

  Nagaland

  Section 24(3) defines special buildings as in NBC 2016, and the Form D2 certificate is issued under it. 28Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services, Nagaland

• Application form

  Puducherry

  Applicants state the industry's degree of hazard under NBC 2016: low, moderate or high. 29Puducherry clearance form

• Act 12 of 2024

  Punjab

  Undefined words take their NBC 2016 meaning (s.2(2)), and owners keep installations to NBC 2016 Parts III and IV (s.24(1)). 30Punjab Gazette

• Rules 2025, Form A11

  Sikkim

  The certificate's conditions keep the Part IV NBC 2016 systems maintained; section 24(3) of the 2023 Act defines special buildings by NBC 2016. 31Sikkim F&ES Rules 2025

• UPF&ES FAQ

  Uttar Pradesh

  Applicants fix the occupancy group on the NBC 2016 chart and plan provisional NOC systems to NBC 2016 Part 4. 32UP Fire FAQ

• G.O. of 6 Jun 2025

  Uttarakhand

  UFES applies NBC 2016 Table 7, and the order replaces it with lighter state kits below 12 m. 33Uttarakhand GO 2025

• MC Office Order 23

  Chandigarh

  Certificate charges from 1 April 2025 are set by NBC 2016 occupancy group; the certificate itself has run under the Haryana Act since 6 May 2026. 34MCC Office Order 23

NBC 2016 Part 4 in state law, 2016 to 2026

States wrote the 2016 edition into their own laws for a decade; in 2026 five states dropped or replaced their National Building Code references.

1. 2016

   BIS publishes NBC 2016 as SP 7:2016, with fire and life safety in Part 4. 35Bureau of Indian Standards

2. 18 April 2017

   The DG Fire Services advises every state government to put NBC 2016 Part IV into its building bye-laws. 2Directorate General Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards

3. 18 August 2018

   Chhattisgarh's Fire and Emergency Service Act, 2018 is gazetted, defining the code as the 2016 edition. 36CG Gazette

4. 29 November 2022

   Chhattisgarh notifies 12 building classes and NBC 2016 Part 4 measures for each. 21Home Department, Chhattisgarh

5. 24 March 2023

   Karnataka's ordinance ties the high-rise NOC to the NBC 2016 fire provisions. 19Government of Karnataka

6. 31 August 2023

   Nagaland's Fire and Emergency Services Act, 2023 is gazetted, defining special buildings by NBC 2016. 28Directorate of Fire and Emergency Services, Nagaland

7. 26 November 2024

   Punjab's Fire and Emergency Service Act, 2024 is gazetted, naming NBC 2016 Parts III and IV. 30Punjab Gazette

8. 6 June 2025

   Uttarakhand amends NBC 2016 Table 7 for its buildings below 12 m. 33Uttarakhand GO 2025

9. 29 October 2025

   Kerala restates building rule 5(4), still naming NBC 2016 Part 4. 24KMBR amendment 2025

10. 30 April 2026

    BIS withdraws SP 7:2016 and establishes SP 7:2026 the same day. 1Gazette of India

11. 29 May 2026

    Rajasthan's UDH order replaces National Building Code references with Indian Standard codes and its 2023 fire order; listed on 2 June. 37Urban Development and Housing Department, Rajasthan

12. 14 August 2026

    Arunachal Pradesh's Ordinance No. 2 deletes the National Building Code from sections 2 and 26 of its fire Act. 38Ordinance 2 of 2026

13. 14 August 2026

    Assam's Jan Vishwas Act points its fire law to the National Building Construction Standards instead. 39Assam Act XIII of 2026

14. 25 August 2026

    Delhi's Act 09 of 2026 is assented, replacing the code with building bye-laws in section 2(i); no start notification found. 43TeamLease RegTechnews report

15. 15 September 2026

    Tamil Nadu's Act 16 of 2026 removes the National Building Code definitions from its fire law. 44TeamLease RegTechnews report

NBC 2016 occupancy groups and when Part 4 applies

Find your building's group. Each line gives the clause 1.2 trigger that brings it under Part 4, and the Flamekite page for that building's fire NOC.

1. If A-1 lodging and rooming houses: guest houses, inns, motels

   Not in clause 1.2's special-building list, so Part 4 reaches it through two basements, one basement over 500 m² or 300 m² of incidental assembly. Table 7 still prints A-1 rows below 15 m, and Note 3 bars A-1 above 15 m. Fire NOC for Guest House 15NBC 2016, Part 4

2. If A-2 one or two-family private dwellings sleeping up to 20

   Table 7 requires nothing, and Note 3 bars A-2 above 15 m. Homestays usually sit here. Fire NOC for Homestay 17NBC 2016, Table 7

3. If A-3 dormitories: hostels, school dormitories, barracks

   Part 4 applies from 15 m as a high-rise, or through the basement rules. Fire NOC for Hostel 15NBC 2016, Part 4

4. If A-4 apartment houses for 3 or more families

   Part 4 applies from 15 m, where Table 7 adds a down-comer and a manual alarm. Fire NOC for Apartment 15NBC 2016, Part 4

5. If A-5 hotels up to four-star, A-6 five-star and above

   A special building once any floor exceeds 500 m², and every hotel of 15 m or more. Fire NOC for Hotel 15NBC 2016, Part 4

6. If B educational: B-1 schools with 20 or more students, B-2 other institutions with 100 or more

   From 9 m in height, or over 500 m² on any floor. Fire NOC for School 15NBC 2016, Part 4

7. If C institutional: C-1 hospitals and sanatoria, C-2 custodial, C-3 penal and mental

   From 9 m in height, or over 500 m² on any floor. Fire NOC for Hospital 15NBC 2016, Part 4

8. If D assembly for 50 or more people: D-1 to D-5 halls, theatres and stadia, D-6 malls with cinemas or food courts, D-7 metro

   Every assembly building, whatever its size. Restaurants, banquet halls and places of worship fall here. Fire NOC for Cinema Hall 15NBC 2016, Part 4

9. If E business: E-1 offices and banks, E-2 laboratories and outpatient clinics, E-3 IT and data processing, E-4 exchanges, E-5 broadcasting

   Over 500 m² on any floor, or 15 m and above. Fire NOC for Office 15NBC 2016, Part 4

10. If F mercantile: F-1 shops up to 500 m², F-2 over 500 m², F-3 underground shopping

    Over 500 m² on any floor, or 15 m and above. Fire NOC for Shop 15NBC 2016, Part 4

11. If G industrial: G-1 low, G-2 moderate, G-3 high hazard, graded by Annex B

    Over 500 m² on any floor, or 15 m and above. Table 7's industrial rows cover small-scale units only. Fire NOC for Factory 15NBC 2016, Part 4

12. If H storage: warehouses and godowns

    Over 500 m² on any floor; Table 7 Note 20 bars storage buildings above 15 m. Fire NOC for Warehouse 15NBC 2016, Part 4

13. If J hazardous: LPG, gas and flammable liquid storage, explosives, fireworks

    Over 500 m² on any floor; Note 20 also bars hazardous buildings above 15 m. Fire NOC for LPG Godown 15NBC 2016, Part 4

NBC 2016 Table 7: minimum fire installations by building

Twenty-six of Table 7's rows, the ones Indian fire NOC files meet most, read off the page images. Fire extinguishers are required in every row except A-2.

Add 5,000 litres to the terrace tank where a basement exceeds 200 m² (Note 6). Pumps: Note 14 asks one electric and one diesel pump of 1,620 l/min, Note 10 the same at 2,280 l/min, Note 11 two electric and one diesel at 2,280 l/min and Note 12 at 2,850 l/min, each with 180 l/min jockey pumps; smaller rows use a 450 or 900 l/min pump at terrace level. Height caps: A-1 and A-2 up to 15 m; B, C, D and F up to 30 m; G-1 and G-2 up to 18 m; G-3, H and J up to 15 m; car parks up to 45 m.

NBC 2016 fire zones and types of construction

Clause 3.2 has the local authority map up to 3 fire zones by hazard, and clause 3.2.6 limits the type of construction allowed in each.

NBC 2016 travel distance, exits and occupant load in numbers

Tables 3 to 5 and clause 4.4.2 set how far people walk and how wide the way out must be.

• 30 m

  Maximum travel distance for most occupancies in Type 1 or 2 construction (Table 5) 18NBC 2016, Part 4

• 22.5 m

  Travel distance for residential, educational and institutional buildings in Type 3 or 4, and for G-3 and hazardous buildings 18NBC 2016, Part 4

• 45 m

  Travel distance for low and moderate hazard industry (G-1, G-2) 18NBC 2016, Part 4

• 50 %

  Extra travel distance allowed in a fully sprinklered building (Table 5, Note 1) 18NBC 2016, Part 4

• 6 m

  Longest dead-end corridor in educational, institutional and assembly buildings; 15 m in all others 18NBC 2016, Part 4

• 1,000 mm

  Narrowest exit door, 2,000 mm in assembly buildings, and at least 2,000 mm high 18NBC 2016, Part 4

• 500 mm

  One unit of exit width; a 1,000 mm door serves about 150 people at 6.5 mm a person (Table 4) 18NBC 2016, Part 4

• 0.65 m²

  Floor area per person in concentrated assembly without fixed seats, against 12.5 m² in homes (Table 3) 18NBC 2016, Part 4

NBC 2016 staircase rules a fire officer measures

Clause 4.4.2.4.3 sets the staircases every Part 4 building needs, with widths by occupancy.

NBC 2016 high-rise rules: Annex E, refuge areas and the Fire Officer

A building of 15 m or more is a high-rise under NBC 2016, and Annex E adds these rules on top of Table 7.

HHigh-rise building

15 m and above, whatever the occupancy, measured to the terrace of the last livable floor. 16NBC 2016, Annex E

FFirefighting shaft

One per residential tower and per compartment of institutional, assembly, business and mercantile buildings: a 120 min enclosure holding a lobby, a stair and a fireman's lift. 16NBC 2016, Annex E

RRefuge area

Needed above 24 m: at or just above 24 m and then about every 15 m, sized for the refuge floor and the floor above at 0.3 m² a person plus a 0.9 m² wheelchair space per 200 people, or 15 m², whichever is more. 16NBC 2016, Annex E

RRefuge area fit-out

Open to air on one side, fully sprinklered, kept clear, linked to the firefighting shaft and signed in letters at least 75 mm high; only area beyond the requirement counts towards FAR. 16NBC 2016, Annex E

FFlats with balconies

Need no refuge area; above 60 m they need one at 60 m and then every 30 m. 16NBC 2016, Annex E

DD-6 mall refuge

On the floor at or just above 18 m and again at 24 m, each 10% of the floor, in parts of at least 100 m² (clause 6.4.2.2). 16NBC 2016, Annex E

FFire Officer

A qualified officer with 3 years' experience on site for business buildings of 30 m and above, residential of 60 m and above, institutional of 15 m and above, starred hotels, D-6 malls and large educational complexes (clause 4.10.1). 16NBC 2016, Annex E

SStair pressurisation above 60 m

Pressure set so that a door opens with no more than 133 N of force. 16NBC 2016, Annex E

VVery tall buildings

Sprinklers fed from a main and an alternate riser above 120 m for homes and 60 m for others; intermediate tanks and pumps at 160 to 180 m once a building passes 150 to 175 m. 16NBC 2016, Annex E

HHigh-rise under construction

A dry riser of at least 100 mm, 2,000-litre water drums with 2 buckets on each floor, and a 20,000-litre tank (clause 3.4.3.2). 15NBC 2016, Part 4

Four buildings worked through NBC 2016 Part 4

Flamekite's reading of Table 7 and the egress tables for buildings in states whose rules still name NBC 2016. The fire service's own reading prevails.

1. Case 1

   A 16 m block of flats in Kerala

   Group A-4 flats, 16 m to the top livable floor, balconies, no basement. Kerala's rule 5(4) asks for NBC 2016 Part 4 above 15 m.

   What applies Table 7's 15 m to 35 m row: extinguishers, hose reels, a down-comer, a manual alarm, a 25,000-litre terrace tank and a 900 l/min terrace pump; no wet riser or yard hydrant. Two stairs of 1.25 m and 30 m of travel in Type 1 or 2 construction. No refuge area: that starts above 24 m. 17NBC 2016, Table 7

2. Case 2

   A ground plus 2 hotel in Uttar Pradesh

   Group A-5, 11 m tall, 600 m² floors, no basement. A floor over 500 m² makes it a special building under clause 1.2.

   What applies The 300 to 1,000 m² row: a wet riser, manual and automatic alarms, an underground tank of 10,000 litres per 500 m² of floor area with a 50,000-litre floor, a 10,000-litre terrace tank and the Note 14 pump set of 1,620 l/min. Stairs 1.50 m wide. 17NBC 2016, Table 7

3. Case 3

   A 20 m office in Punjab

   Group E-1 offices, 20 m, no basement. Section 24(1) of Punjab's 2024 Act names NBC 2016 Parts III and IV.

   What applies The above 15 m to 24 m row: wet riser, yard hydrant, sprinklers throughout, manual and automatic alarms, a 100,000-litre underground tank, a 10,000-litre terrace tank and Note 10 pumps of 2,280 l/min. No Fire Officer, who starts at 30 m for business buildings. 17NBC 2016, Table 7

4. Case 4

   An 18 m warehouse in Bihar

   Group H storage, 18 m, 2,000 m² floors. Bihar's rule 15 names NBC 2016 Part 4.

   What applies Table 7 has no row for it: Note 20 does not permit storage buildings above 15 m. The design comes down to 15 m, or the owner asks the Bihar Fire Service in writing how it will treat the height. 17NBC 2016, Table 7

NBC 2016 Part 4 figures that guides get wrong

Figures from popular NBC 2016 guides, checked against the page images of Part 4.

• You may have read

  Dead-end corridors are capped at 6 m, or 9 m in a sprinklered office.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Clause 4.4.2.2(c) sets 6 m for educational, institutional and assembly buildings and 15 m for every other occupancy. Sprinklers do not change it. 18NBC 2016, Part 4

• You may have read

  Residential travel distance is 22 m, or 30 m with sprinklers.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Table 5 gives 30 m in Type 1 or 2 construction and 22.5 m in Type 3 or 4; full sprinklers add 50% to either. 18NBC 2016, Part 4

• You may have read

  Shops and malls get 22 m of travel.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Mercantile and business buildings get 30 m in every construction type. 18NBC 2016, Part 4

• You may have read

  A refuge area is sized for the occupants of the floors below it.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Annex E sizes it for 2 consecutive floors, the refuge floor and the floor above, at 0.3 m² a person with a 15 m² minimum. 16NBC 2016, Annex E

• You may have read

  NBC 2016 is a national law every building must follow.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  The DG Fire Services calls the code recommendatory; it binds only through the state instruments that adopt it. 2Directorate General Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards

• You may have read

  The withdrawal on 30 April 2026 ended NBC 2016 everywhere.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  BIS withdrew the standard; state rules that name it, such as Karnataka's section 13(4), still apply it until they are amended. 19Government of Karnataka

Mistakes when a state still applies NBC 2016 Part 4

Six errors that send NBC 2016 plans back from a fire service.

Keeping an NBC 2016 approval in order in 2026

For owners whose fire NOC was granted under the 2016 text.

Where to read NBC 2016 Part 4 (the PDF question)

BIS is the publisher; these public bodies host copies, which carry a purchaser's licence watermark. All 5 links answered on 25 October 2026.

• Part 4 only

  Nagpur Municipal Corporation copy

  Part 4 as a 116-page BIS-licensed PDF; Flamekite read its page images for this page. 3BIS, NBC 2016 Part 4

  nmcnagpur.gov.in/assets/300/2025/03/mediafiles/NBC2016-Part-IV.pdf ↗

• Part 4

  Surat Municipal Corporation fire department

  Part 4 on Surat Fire and Emergency Services' documents page. 14Surat MC copy

  suratmunicipal.gov.in/Content/Documents/Departments/FireAndEmergencyServices/NBC_PART4.pdf ↗

• Volume 1

  Puducherry Fire Service copy

  Volume 1 of NBC 2016, about 25 MB, which includes Part 4. 40NBC 2016, Part 4

  fire.py.gov.in/sites/default/files/nbc-2016-volume-1.pdf ↗

• Publisher

  BIS National Building Code page

  The publisher's page for the National Building Code. 35Bureau of Indian Standards

  www.bis.gov.in/standards/national-building-code/?lang=en ↗

• Withdrawal

  Gazette of India No. 299 of 30 April 2026

  The BIS notice that withdrew SP 7:2016 and established SP 7:2026. 1Gazette of India

  egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/2026/272177.pdf ↗

What Flamekite could not confirm about NBC 2016 Part 4

Six points no official source settled by 25 October 2026.