The Urban Development and Urban Housing Department of Gujarat has amended the Gujarat Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Rules, 2014. The amendment took effect immediately on publication on 23 October 2026. It redefines which buildings need a fire safety compliance certificate, rewrites the minimum fire safety standards, updates the rules for temporary structures, and brings industrial buildings into the certificate regime from 1 April 2027.
1. Notification Details
| Notification No. | GH/V/198 of 2026/UDUHD/TGP/e-file/18/2023/10537/L1 |
|---|---|
| Dated | 23 October 2026, Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar |
| Gazette | Gujarat Government Gazette, Extraordinary No. 298, Part IV-B, 23 October 2026 |
| Department | Urban Development and Urban Housing Department |
| Parent Act | Gujarat Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2013 (Guj. 11 of 2013), section 57 |
| Rules amended | Gujarat Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Rules, 2014 |
| Signed by | Hitesh Patel, Deputy Secretary to Government |
The Government notified these rules without the usual prior publication of a draft, citing circumstances that called for immediate action (proviso to section 57(1)).
2. Does My Building Need a Fire Safety Certificate?
A quick check against the new Third Schedule. Enter what applies to your building or premises.Main occupancy Residential Business / office Mercantile / shop / mall Hotel Educational Institutional (hospital, nursing home, etc.) Storage / warehouse Hazardous Mixed occupancy Assembly (hall, cinema, etc.) Multilevel car parking Fuelling station Industrial – low hazard Industrial – moderate hazard Industrial – high hazard Building height (m)Total built-up area (m²)Number of basementsLargest basement area (m²)Incidental assembly area on any floor (m²)
Not listed in the Third Schedule on these inputsA certificate doesn’t appear to be required. You must still meet the applicable fire safety standards, and the fire officer may require additional measures.
This is an indicative guide only. Occupancy definitions follow the regulations under section 58 of the Act, and some occupancies may be specifically excluded from the high-rise category. Please confirm with your Chief Fire Officer or Regional Fire Officer.
3. Buildings Requiring a Certificate (New Third Schedule)
Substituted Third Schedule · see rule 14(1)
A certificate of compliance with fire prevention, life safety and fire protection measures is required for:
(a) High-rise buildings
All buildings 15 m or taller, except occupancies or buildings specifically excluded from the Schedule.
(b) Special buildings
| # | Building type | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hotel, educational, institutional, business, mercantile, storage, hazardous and mixed-occupancy buildings | Built-up area more than 500 m² on one or more floors, cumulatively |
| 2 | Educational buildings | Height 9 m or more |
| 3 | Institutional buildings (hospitals, nursing homes and mental institutions with beds, with or without ICU) | Height 9 m or more |
| 4 | Assembly buildings | All |
| 5 | Multilevel car parking | All |
| 6 | Buildings with incidental assembly occupancy | More than 300 m² on any floor |
| 7 | Buildings with basements | Two or more basements, or one basement of more than 500 m² |
| 8 | Fuelling stations | All |
| 9(a) | Industrial – low hazard | Built-up area more than 500 m² |
| 9(b) | Industrial – moderate hazard | Built-up area more than 500 m² |
| 9(c) | Industrial – high hazard | Built-up area more than 50 m² |
Industrial buildings: the certificate requirement for the three industrial categories applies from 1 April 2027. That gives factories and warehouses classed as industrial about five months to get their installations certified.
Notes to the Schedule
- Terms are defined by the regulations made under section 58 of the Act.
- Owners and occupiers are advised to provide the fire-fighting, life safety and fire protection installations required by the section 58 regulations, and to keep them in working order at all times.
4. Minimum Fire Safety Standards for Buildings (New Rule 22)
The minimum standards under section 18(1) of the Act, as set out in the GDCR or the section 58 regulations, apply to the following:
- Access to the building
- Number, width, type and arrangement of exits
- Protection of exits by fire check doors and/or pressurisation
- Compartmentation
- Smoke management system
- Fire extinguishers
- First-aid hose reels
- Automatic fire detection and alarm system
- Public address system
- Automatic sprinkler system
- Internal and yard hydrants
- Pumping arrangements
- Captive water storage for firefighting
- Exit signage
- Provision of lifts
- Standby power supply
- Refuge area
- Fire control room
- Special fire protection systems for special risks
Additional powers
- Gaps in the bye-laws: where the building bye-laws or regulations don’t cover a class of occupancy, the Director can require international standards specified by the Fire Prevention Wing.
- Relaxation: the Government may relax, modify or annul requirements by order, with written reasons, for special areas or for buildings built or under construction before this amendment took effect.
- Extra measures: the Regional Fire Officer or Chief Fire Officer may require additional fire safety measures, with written reasons.
5. Temporary Structures: Mandaps, Shamiyanas, Tents and Pandals (New Rule 27)
Minimum fire safety standards for temporary structures under section 27(2) must follow IS 8758:1993 (BIS) and the section 58 regulations, covering:
- Access to the structure
- Open space around it
- Distance from medium and high voltage lines and hazardous installations
- Means of exit
- Construction material
- First-aid firefighting arrangements
- Water storage for firefighting
- Electrical wiring
- Trained fire-fighting staff on site
The promoter, organiser, owner or occupier must provide and maintain these measures.
6. Definitions (Amended Rule 2(2))
Words not defined in the Rules now take their meaning from, in turn, the Act, the GDCR, the regulations under section 58, or the relevant BIS Indian Standards for building construction and fire safety of buildings, premises and pandals.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When did the amendment come into force?
On publication in the Gujarat Government Gazette on 23 October 2026. For industrial buildings, the certificate requirement starts on 1 April 2027.
- Does my office building need a fire certificate?
Yes, if it is 15 m or taller, has a built-up area of more than 500 m², has two or more basements (or one basement over 500 m²), or has an incidental assembly area of more than 300 m² on any floor.
- Are schools and hospitals treated differently?
Yes. Educational and institutional buildings need a certificate at a lower height of 9 m. They also need one if their built-up area is more than 500 m².
- What about small high-hazard industrial units?
High-hazard industrial buildings need a certificate once their built-up area is more than just 50 m², from 1 April 2027.
- Do event organisers have obligations?
Yes. Promoters and organisers of pandals, mandaps, shamiyanas and tents must meet IS 8758:1993 and the section 58 regulations, including trained fire-fighting staff and water storage.
- Can older buildings get relief?
The Government may, by a reasoned order, relax, modify or annul requirements for buildings built or under construction before this amendment, or for special areas.
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