National Building Code 2026: what changed when NBC 2016 was withdrawn

NBCS 2026 at a glance

NBC 2016 and NBCS 2026 side by side

How to find out which code applies to your building

1. 1

   Find your state's fire law

   Start with your state's fire service act and the rules made under it: they, not BIS, decide what a fire NOC needs. Flamekite's state fire NOC pages name each one.

2. 2

   Read how the rules cite the code

   Look for the words National Building Code in the definitions. A dated reference, like Delhi's rules naming the National Building Code of India 2005, fixes that edition until the state amends its rules.

3. 3

   Check your building bye-laws

   Development control and building bye-laws often set their own fire triggers. Tamil Nadu's 2026 amendment, for example, ties fire measures to its Combined Development and Building Rules, 2019.

4. 4

   Look for a state circular on NBCS 2026

   Maharashtra issued circular MFS/2017/60 in May 2017 to enforce NBC 2016 Part 4; a similar circular is how a state would adopt NBCS 2026. Check your fire service's circulars page.

5. 5

   Ask the approving authority in writing

   If your state's rules cite the code without a date, ask the fire service which edition it applies to your plans before you submit them, and keep the reply with your file.

How India's building code got here, from 1970 to 2026

NBCS 2026 is the fifth national building document, and the first to be called a standard instead of a code.

1. 1970

   The first National Building Code of India is published. 5Bureau of Indian Standards

2. 1983 and 2005

   The code is revised twice; the 2005 edition is the one Delhi's Fire Service Rules, 2010 still name. 3Delhi Fire Service

3. 2016

   NBC 2016 (SP 7:2016), the third revision, is published with fire and life safety in Part 4. 5Bureau of Indian Standards

4. 17 May 2017

   Maharashtra Fire Services circular MFS/2017/60 tells every municipal body to enforce NBC 2016 Part 4 strictly. 6Maharashtra Fire Services

5. 30 April 2026

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

6. 4 July 2026

   Maharashtra's Director of Fire Services says NBCS 2026 norms for EV parking, data centres and warehouses are set to become mandatory in the state. 14The Times of Indianews report

7. 31 July 2026

   BIS trains about 40 Madhya Pradesh PWD engineers in Indore on NBCS 2026. 7PIB

8. 20 August 2026

   BIS and IIT Roorkee hold a workshop on applying NBCS 2026. 8PIB

9. 15 September 2026

   Tamil Nadu's Act No. 16 of 2026 removes references to the withdrawn NBC 2016 from its fire law. 15TeamLease RegTechnews report

10. 30 April 2031

    The date until which SP 7:2026 is listed as valid on the BIS register. 4BIS store

What the Gazette notification actually says

The legal notice is two sentences and a one-row schedule. It says nothing about fire, heights or binding force: those come from the standard itself.

The schedule's single row: SP 7:2026, National Building Construction Standards 2026, established 30 April 2026; SP 7:2016, National Building Code of India 2016, withdrawn 30 April 2026.

When does Part F apply? Height and floor-area triggers

Part F applies to a building above either the height or the floor area listed for its occupancy. A state or local authority may change these numbers.

Part F also applies to alterations of 1,000 m² or more and to a change of occupancy. Below these triggers, a building with a single staircase must still have it as a fire-fighting shaft on the outside wall, with a 2-hour lobby door and a 1-hour stair door.

The 11 occupancy groups, A to K

Every fire requirement in Part F hangs on the occupancy group. Group K is new in 2026, and data centres now have their own subgroup.

AA, Residential

A-I lodging houses for more than 20 people, A-II dormitories (hostels go here), A-III apartment houses for 3 or more families, A-IV hotels up to 4-star, A-V hotels of 5-star and above. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

BB, Educational

Schools, colleges and training buildings with 20 or more students. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

CC, Institutional

C-I hospitals and sanatoria, C-II custodial, C-III penal and mental. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

DD, Assembly

Places where 50 or more people gather: malls, theatres, restaurants, places of worship, transport terminals, stadia and metro stations. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

EE, Business

E-I buildings occupied by people; E-II data centres, a machine environment, new in 2026. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

FF, Mercantile

F-I shops and markets; F-II underground shopping centres. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

GG, Industrial

G-I low, G-II moderate and G-III high hazard, classified by Annex B. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

HH, Storage

Warehouses and storage buildings (clause 3.1.9). The summary list in clause 3.1.1 swaps H and J by mistake; the detailed clauses and tables use H for storage. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

JJ, Hazardous

Gas storage above 0.1 N/mm² and 70 m³, LPG, explosives, fireworks and similar (clause 3.1.10). 2BIS, SP 7:2026

KK, Mixed use

Intermingled occupancies, with a fire-separation matrix (clause 3.1.11). New in 2026. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

MMinor occupancy

A secondary use in a building, capped at 30% of the floor area (clause 3.1.1.1). 2BIS, SP 7:2026

The numbers that changed

• 24 m

  New high-rise threshold, up from 15 m 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• 11

  Occupancy groups and terms, A to K, including the new mixed-use group 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• 30 %

  Maximum floor area a minor occupancy may take 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• 1,000 m²

  Alteration size that brings a building under Part F 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• 10

  Occupancy tables, 7A to 7J, replacing one Table 7 for fire-fighting installations 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• 1

  State instrument found applying Part F by 24 October 2026: Uttar Pradesh's OSH Rules, for workplaces; none for fire NOCs 9UP Gazette

Is NBCS 2026 mandatory? The legal position

No, not by itself. Fire is a state subject, and Part F says it is only for guidance and referral for the state government or local authority.

Which edition does your building follow?

Find the line that matches your state's rules.

1. If Your state's rules name a dated edition, such as NBC 2005 or NBC 2016

   That edition applies to your fire NOC until the state amends its rules, even though BIS has withdrawn it. 3Delhi Fire Service

2. If Your state's rules say National Building Code with no date

   It is unsettled whether this now means NBCS 2026. Ask the fire service in writing before you submit plans. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

3. If Your state has removed NBC references from its fire law

   Follow the instrument it named instead. Tamil Nadu's 2026 amendment points to its Combined Development and Building Rules, 2019, OISD guidelines and other laws. 15TeamLease RegTechnews report

4. If Your state issues a circular adopting NBCS 2026

   Part F then applies through that circular. None had been found for fire NOCs by 24 October 2026; Maharashtra has said it intends to. 14The Times of Indianews report

5. If Your building is a workplace in Uttar Pradesh with 5 or more floors or a height of 20 m or more

   Rule 12 of the UP OSH Rules 2026 already binds the employer or owner to Part F for fire emergencies and lift failures, whatever edition your fire NOC was judged against. OSH Code 2020 9UP Gazette

Has any state adopted NBCS 2026?

From news reports, not yet an official source.

What changed inside Part F

The foreword of Part F lists what the 2026 revision changed. These are the changes that alter a design.

• Clause 3.1.11

  Mixed use gets its own group

  Group K and a fire-separation matrix replace case-by-case handling of mixed occupancy. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• Table 4

  Travel distances updated

  The maximum distances to an exit were revised, and BIS describes them as liberalised. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• Clause 4.5

  Compartmentation rewritten

  The rules on dividing a building into fire compartments were rewritten, and water curtains for basement compartmentation were deleted. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• Tables 7A to 7J

  Fire-fighting installations by occupancy

  The single Table 7 became ten occupancy tables, with water quantities in Tables 7K and 7M. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• Clause 5.4

  Hazard-specific industrial protection

  Detection and suppression for industry are now set by the specific hazard. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• Annex F

  Data centres

  A new annex covers data centres, classified as business subgroup E-II. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• Annex M

  Performance-based design

  Engineered fire design, directly applicable only to heritage buildings opened to the public or converted. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• IS 18271:2023

  Commercial kitchens

  Kitchen fire protection now follows IS 18271:2023 by reference. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

What the 15 m to 24 m change does not mean

The new high-rise number is the easiest part of NBCS 2026 to misread.

Four myths about NBCS 2026

• You may have read

  Fire safety was taken out of the national building standard.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  It was recommended for removal but kept as Part F after pushback from fire safety experts. 11The Times of Indianews report

• You may have read

  NBCS 2026 is now the law across India.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  It is voluntary and non-binding; it applies only where a state or local body adopts it. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

• You may have read

  NBC 2016 no longer matters.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  It is withdrawn by BIS but still named in state rules and bye-laws, so it still decides many fire NOCs. 1Gazette of India

• You may have read

  Height limits for buildings were removed, so any height is now allowed.

  Myth

  What the sources say

  Part F stopped setting height restrictions; local development rules still limit height. 2BIS, SP 7:2026

How Part F is organised

Six clauses, then annexes for the building types that need their own rules.

For architects, builders and owners in 2026

Before you submit building plans in 2026