Chapter V of the draft Andaman and Nicobar Islands Fire and Emergency Service Rules, 2026 sets out which buildings must hold a Fire Safety Certificate and how it is issued, either by the Fire Service or by a registered Qualified Agency.
Official draft (PDF): Draft A&N Fire and Emergency Service Rules 2026
Which Buildings Need a Certificate (Rule 11)
| Type of building | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Multistoried / high-rise | Height over 15 m |
| Apartments and dormitories | Height over 15 m or floor area over 500 sq m |
| Hotels, resorts, lodges, guest houses, educational, assembly, institutional, business, mercantile and mixed-use | Height over 7 m or floor area over 500 sq m (a group under one management is counted together) |
| Industrial and storage | Floor area over 250 sq m (group counted together) |
| Hazardous buildings | All, whatever the size |
Key Timelines and Fees
- A Provisional Fire Safety Certificate (no fee) is needed before construction of such buildings, and no Occupancy Certificate can be issued until its conditions are met.
- Existing buildings must obtain a Fire Safety Certificate within six months of the rules coming into force.
- Inspection fee charged by a Qualified Agency: Rs 20 per sq m of built-up area, or a revised rate set by the Government.
- Deficiencies must be fixed within a maximum of two months; applications are decided within one month, not counting time taken by the applicant to fix observations.
- The certificate is valid for five years, with a yearly maintenance certificate (Form L) due every July. Renewal (Form F) must be applied for at least two months before expiry.
- Fire Service officers will randomly inspect at least 5% of certified buildings every quarter.
Qualified Agencies (Rules 12 to 17)
- Eligibility: the agency needs at least one permanent technical person who is either a graduate with the Divisional Officers Course from the National Fire Service College plus three years’ service in a fire service at Assistant Divisional Fire Officer level or equivalent, or a B.E/B.Tech or graduate in a listed discipline such as fire engineering, civil, electrical or architecture with at least three years of fire service or fire protection experience. It must also have the equipment and testing tools needed.
- Application: Form H to the Chief Fire Officer with a non-refundable fee of Rs 5,000, a solvency certificate of Rs 5,00,000, a partnership deed or proprietorship affidavit, proof of the technical person’s full-time appointment, photographs and an affidavit that the firm is not blacklisted.
- Registration: issued in Form I after approval by a committee chaired by the Director; non-transferable and valid for the whole of the Islands unless cancelled.
- Conflict rule: an agency cannot certify a building where it has also provided design, installation or maintenance services.
- Cancellation: a show-cause notice (Form M) can be issued for misconduct or false reporting; certificates issued by a cancelled agency become invalid where the fault concerns inspection, and those buildings are re-inspected by the Fire Service.
Cancellation of a Certificate (Rule 19)
After a complaint or inspection, the Assistant Divisional Officer issues a show-cause notice within 48 hours of approval. The owner has 15 days to respond. If the problems are not fixed, the Deputy Director can cancel the certificate, and at once where there is an imminent threat. The owner must then reapply.
Source: draft Andaman and Nicobar Islands Fire and Emergency Service Rules, 2026, A&N Administration. This is a summary of a draft that may change before final notification; please read the official PDF for exact wording. AndamanJobs is an independent site and is not connected to the Administration.