Background
Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Act, 2025 is a comprehensive new State legislation that supersedes the Tamil Nadu Fire Service Act, 1985, modernising and consolidating the framework for fire prevention, fire safety, and rescue services in Tamil Nadu. The Act introduces a three-tier building categorisation system — Category A, Category B, and Category C — under which different regulatory pathways apply depending on the fire risk profile of the building: Category A buildings require a fire licence issued by the Fire and Rescue Services authority through an online portal; Category B buildings require a fire safety certificate issued by an empanelled fire safety audit agency and uploaded on the portal; and Category C buildings are covered by a self-certified fire safety protocol that is auto-generated upon submission of the required documents. The Act also introduces a self-regulation regime for pandal erectors, making them statutory self-regulators for fire prevention measures, and requires them to display signed declarations of compliance. Separate provisions govern temporary fire licences for event organisers, the appointment of Fire Safety Officers for hazardous industries and high-risk commercial and public buildings, the empanelment of fire safety audit agencies, and the maintenance of fire prevention and firefighting installations in accordance with the National Building Code of India. Transitional provisions allow buildings holding existing fire licences under the 1985 Act to submit applications under the new Act within one hundred and eighty days of commencement or before the expiry of the existing licence, whichever is later.
Applicability
Act applies to a wide range of regulated persons and entities in Tamil Nadu. Owners and occupiers of all buildings in the State — categorised as A, B, or C — must obtain the appropriate fire safety authorisation (fire licence, fire safety certificate, or self-certified fire safety protocol) and display it at their premises. Owners and occupiers of Category A buildings must also comply with all conditions of their fire licence under Section 25 at all times. Erectors of pandals are designated statutory self-regulators, must implement prescribed fire prevention and life safety measures, and must display a signed declaration of compliance at the pandal. Event organisers must obtain a Temporary Fire Licence before conducting public events and display it prominently at the venue. Owners and occupiers of hazardous industries, factories, and high-risk commercial or public buildings must appoint a qualified Fire Safety Officer and file compliance reports with the Director. Persons and companies intending to offer fire safety audit services for Category B buildings must obtain a certificate of empanelment. All owners and occupiers must provide and maintain prescribed firefighting installations and fire safety measures in operational condition at all times per the National Building Code of India. All regulated persons must comply with fire precautionary measures specified in Government notifications, and the universal prohibition on creating fire risks through negligence or carelessness applies to all licensees.
Compliance Requirement Under the act in Accordance with the Rules & Regulations:
The owner or occupier of a Category A building must apply for a fire licence in the prescribed electronic form through the online portal notified by the Government in the Tamil Nadu Government Gazette. The application must be accompanied by the prescribed fee and documents. For buildings already in existence on the date of commencement of the Act for which a fire licence is required, the application must be submitted before the expiry of the existing fire licence or within one hundred and eighty days from the date of commencement of the Act, whichever is later.
The owner or occupier of a Category B building must apply for a fire safety certificate in the prescribed electronic form through the online portal. The application must be accompanied by the prescribed fee and documents. For existing Category B buildings, the application must be submitted within one hundred and eighty days from the date of commencement of the Act. Where an existing building holds a valid fire licence under the Tamil Nadu Fire Service Act, 1985, the application must be submitted before the expiry of that licence or within one hundred and eighty days from the date of commencement of the Act, whichever is later.
The owner or occupier of a Category C building must submit the self-certified fire safety protocol through the prescribed online portal. Subject to the genuineness of the documents uploaded, the self-certified fire safety protocol is auto-generated in the prescribed form and manner. For existing Category C buildings for which a self-certified fire safety protocol is required under the Act, the application must be submitted within one hundred and eighty days from the date of commencement of the Act.
The Government may, by notification, require the erector of a pandal or the owner or occupier of any premises — in any area or of any class of premises used for purposes likely to cause a risk of fire — to take such precautions as may be specified in the notification. Every licensee and every person to whom such a notification applies must comply with all fire safety requirements and must not, by any act of negligence, carelessness, omission, or commission, create or contribute to a risk of fire. Authorised Fire Service personnel who identify violations may report them to the Director. After providing the owner or occupier up to thirty days to submit representations, the Director may order the seizure, detention, or removal of objectionable objects or goods. With the Director’s approval, an officer not below the rank of Assistant Divisional Fire Officer may file a complaint before the competent court based on the records prepared by the Station Fire Officer.
Notwithstanding anything contained in the Act, the erectors of pandals are deemed to be self-regulators for the purposes of taking fire prevention and life safety measures. Every erector of a pandal must implement all fire prevention and life safety measures as may be prescribed by the Government, as a self-regulatory obligation, irrespective of any other licence or certificate requirement under the Act.
Every erector of a pandal must display, at a prominent place in the pandal and under their own signature, a declaration in the prescribed form stating that all prescribed fire prevention and fire safety measures have been taken. The declaration must remain displayed throughout the period the pandal is in use. Any erector who falsely declares compliance with the prescribed fire prevention and fire safety measures is deemed to have committed an offence under Section 24(4) of the Act.
No person or company shall carry out fire safety audits for the purposes of issuing fire safety certificates for Category B buildings without first obtaining a certificate of empanelment as a fire safety audit agency. Every application for such a certificate must be made in the prescribed electronic form through the online portal and must be accompanied by the prescribed fee and documents. No certificate of empanelment shall be granted unless the applicant fulfils the prescribed qualifications and other requirements.
Every owner or occupier — or an association of such owners or occupiers — of a hazardous industry or factory, or of a commercial or public building or premises falling under the prescribed substantive fire risk categories, must: (a) appoint a Fire Safety Officer having the prescribed qualifications; and (b) submit a compliance report of such appointment to the Director in the prescribed electronic form. Where a vacancy arises in the position of Fire Safety Officer, the owner or occupier must fill the vacancy promptly and submit a fresh compliance report. If the appointment is not made within thirty days of receiving a notice from the Director or Fire and Rescue Services Officer, each owner and occupier shall be deemed to be in default jointly and severally.
The owner or occupier of a Category B building must upload the fire safety certificate issued by the empanelled fire safety audit agency on the online portal referred to in Section 27, within such time as may be prescribed. In addition to uploading on the portal, the owner or occupier must display the fire safety certificate in a prominent place at the premises in the prescribed manner.
Every event organiser intending to conduct a public event must obtain a Temporary Fire Licence from the competent authority before conducting the event. The licence must remain valid for the entire duration of the specified period. The event organiser must comply with all terms and conditions set out in the Temporary Fire Licence, and must display the licence prominently at the event venue or site throughout the event.
Every owner or occupier of a building or premises must provide all prescribed fire prevention measures, life safety measures, and firefighting installations at the building or premises. All such measures and installations must be maintained in fully operational condition at all times, in accordance with the National Building Code of India, other applicable laws, and the specifications prescribed under the Act. Failure to maintain fire safety installations in operational condition constitutes a continuing contravention.
The owner or occupier must prominently display the applicable fire safety document at the premises throughout the period of its validity, in the prescribed manner: the Fire Licence for Category A buildings, the Fire Safety Certificate for Category B buildings, and the Self-Certified Fire Safety Protocol for Category C buildings.
Every owner or occupier holding a fire licence for a Category A building must at all times comply with all conditions subject to which the fire licence was granted. No person shall use or allow to be used any Category A building without a valid fire licence, or in contravention of the terms and conditions of the fire licence. Contravention of Section 25 attracts the penalty under Section 37 of the Act.
Penalty & Consequences
The following penalty provisions and financial consequences apply across the compliance obligations covered in this blog.
Section 37 — Contravention of Sections 25, 27, and 28
Whoever contravenes any provision of Section 25 (conditions of fire licence for Category A buildings), Section 27 (fire licence for Category A buildings), or Section 28 (fire safety certificate for Category B buildings) shall, without prejudice to any other action under the Act, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with a fine which may extend to ₹50,000, or with both. Where the offence is a continuing one, an additional fine which may extend to ₹3,000 for every day after the first conviction shall also be imposed.
Section 39 — Failure to Appoint Fire Safety Officer
Where the owner or occupier — or an association of owners or occupiers — of a building or premises fails to appoint a Fire Safety Officer under Section 33 within thirty days of the receipt of a notice from the Director or the Fire and Rescue Services Officer, each of them shall be deemed to be in default jointly and severally. On such deemed default, an amount of not less than ₹10 and not exceeding ₹50 per square metre of the area owned or occupied — including proportionate common areas — as determined by the Director, may be recovered as a penalty for each month of default or part thereof.
Section 42 — Failure to Comply with Notification-Specified Fire Precautions
Whoever fails, without reasonable cause, to comply with any of the requirements specified in a notification issued by the Government under Section 23 shall be liable for a penalty which may extend to ₹10,000. Where the contravention continues after imposition of the penalty, a further penalty which may extend to ₹1,000 for every day after the imposition of such penalty shall also be imposed.
Section 24(4) — False Declaration of Fire Safety Compliance by Pandal Erector
Any erector of a pandal who falsely declares — whether by signature on the displayed declaration under Section 24(2) or otherwise — that all prescribed fire prevention and fire safety measures have been taken in the pandal shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under the Act.
Section 45 — General Penalty for Contraventions Without Specific Punishment
Whoever contravenes any other provision of the Act, or any rule or notification made thereunder, for which no specific punishment is provided, shall, without prejudice to any other action under the Act, be liable for a penalty which may extend to ₹10,000. Where the contravention continues after the imposition of the penalty, a further penalty which may extend to ₹1,000 for every day after the imposition of such penalty shall also be imposed. This residual penalty applies to contraventions relating to self-certified protocols, empanelment requirements, temporary fire licence display, pandal self-regulation, and maintenance of fire safety installations.
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