Fire Safety

Fire NOC for a Factory in Maharashtra: MFS Act 2006, Form B and the Licensed Agency Rule

Name: Secured Engineers Private Limited — Noida (Delhi NCR)
Address: Supertech, Astralis Supernova, Sector 94, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, 201301, IN
Telephone: +91 70099 85817

22 October 2026 · 5 min read · by Secured Engineers Editorial Team

Title card reading fire NOC for a factory in Maharashtra: MFS Act 2006, Form B and the Licensed Agency rule, on a dark red background with a fire safety shield. — Title card. Not a photograph of a Secured Engineers site.

A factory in Maharashtra gets its fire approval under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006: a Provisional Fire Safety Approval at plan stage, a Final Fire Safety Approval before the completion certificate, and then a Form B maintenance certificate every January and July. All fire-system work, and Forms A and B, must come from a Licensed Agency approved by the Director of Maharashtra Fire and Emergency Services.

What does the Act require of a factory owner?

Section 3(1) puts the duty on the owner, or the occupier where the owner cannot be traced. For a building classified in Schedule I, which includes industrial buildings, the owner must obtain Provisional, Final or Renewal of Fire Safety Approval from the Chief Fire Officer of the local authority or planning authority, or from the Director where there is no Chief Fire Officer. The measures provided must not be less than the minimum fire safety installations in Part 4 of the National Building Code and the Schedule I requirements, and they must be maintained in good repair and efficient condition at all times.

Two further provisions matter for larger plants. Section 45 requires the owner to appoint a fire officer or fire supervisor for an industrial building of moderate hazard with a built-up area of 30,000 sq m or more, and for a high-hazard industrial building of 10,000 sq m or more. Section 45A then asks those buildings for a fire and life safety audit by a licensed auditor every two years. If your plant is near those thresholds, the classification of hazard becomes a design question, not a formality.

For plots inside MIDC estates, MIDC's own single-window page routes the fire application to the Divisional Fire Officer, MIDC for the region. It lists Form B for existing factories at the provisional stage and Form A for final approval, and states timelines of 30 and 15 days subject to documents and fee. Check that page, and your local office, for the current position.

Which document comes at which stage?

Stage	Document	Issued by	What it confirms
Plan stage	Provisional Fire Safety Approval	Chief Fire Officer or Director	The fire measures recommended at building-plan approval, before construction
Before completion certificate	Final Fire Safety Approval	Chief Fire Officer or Director	The installed measures match the provisional approval
Supporting the final approval	Form A	Licensed Agency	Compliance of the fire prevention and life safety measures
Every January and July	Form B	Licensed Agency, with owner or occupier	The systems are maintained in good repair and efficient condition
As the rules require	Renewal of Fire Safety Approval	Chief Fire Officer or Director	Continued approval where the relevant Acts or rules make renewal mandatory

What is the Licensed Agency rule?

The Act defines a Licensed Agency as a person or association licensed by the Director to carry out fire prevention and life safety measures. Section 9 provides for licences of two years. Section 10(1) says no one else may carry out that work, with one proviso: if the owner genuinely cannot get the work done through a Licensed Agency, the Director may authorise another person, in writing. Section 10(2) bars a Licensed Agency from certifying compliance or maintenance that has not actually taken place.

The penalty is real. Section 36 lists these contraventions, including doing the work without a licence and giving a certificate without actual compliance, and punishes them with rigorous imprisonment of six months to three years and a fine of ₹20,000 to ₹50,000. The Form B declaration an owner signs also names Section 36.

The Directorate's circular of 7 July 2026 adds practical rules. Pump, hydrant, sprinkler and other water-based systems should be maintained by one agency for the whole building; detection, alarm and suppression by one agency; and passive measures, such as fire doors, sealants, pressurisation and smoke management, by one agency. If you change agencies, give one month's notice, and the incoming agency should obtain a no-objection from the earlier one, unless the Director authorises it otherwise.

What does a Form B submission contain?

The circular sets out the minimum package. Keep one folder per half-year:

A covering letter on the owner's or occupier's letterhead, addressed to the Director or the local Chief Fire Officer, referring to the Provisional and Final approvals.
Form B with its appendix for the hydrant, sprinkler, detection and passive systems, as applicable.
A copy of the AMC or comprehensive AMC order, without the amount, or a work-order confirmation naming the period, systems and agency.
The service or test report for the period, signed by both the agency and the owner on the day of testing.
The latest site inspection report, digitally signed by both parties.
A copy of the agency's valid licence; the digital signature on Form B should match the one on the licence.
Dated photographs of the tests, as applicable: main hydrant pump with the pressure-gauge reading, sprinkler pump, terrace booster, hose reel, fire alarm panel, talk-back system, egress routes and the switchover to the alternate power source.

The owner's declaration also states that no additions or alterations have affected the means of escape since the Final approval, and that mock drills are held periodically, with attendance attached. A factory that has added a mezzanine or racking since final approval cannot sign that line safely; see when expansion triggers a fresh fire NOC.

What does the fire service fee depend on?

The Act levies a Fire and Emergency Service Fee as a percentage of the Annual Statement of Rates for the built-up area, which varies by occupancy and height. In the schedule published on the Directorate's site, industrial buildings up to 45 m high are at 0.75% of ASR and those above 45 m at 1.00%. Treat this as a pointer, not a quote: the schedule and the ASR for your area can change, so ask the fire office for the demand note. We do not publish a company fee for this work, because it depends on the scope of drawings and site works.

How Secured Engineers helps

We design fire-fighting systems in-house and file Fire NOC applications ourselves, alongside CEIG and DISCOM net-metering filings, and MEPF and solar can sit under one contract. We work from offices in Noida (Delhi NCR) and Ludhiana, with 535+ projects across 18+ states and 89.77% repeat clients. This page is a buyer's guide to the state's rules; for work in Maharashtra we mobilise from Noida and Ludhiana. Because Forms A and B can only be signed by a Licensed Agency, ask any contractor, including us, who will sign, and for the licence number and validity.

The quickest useful step is a file review. Send your Provisional approval, the as-built fire drawings and your last Form B to our Fire NOC assistance team, and we will tell you what is missing or inconsistent before the fire office does. You can use WhatsApp, call +91 70099 85817, or ask for a free proposal. For the equivalent process in other states, see our guide to fire NOC for factories in Punjab, Haryana and UP.

Frequently asked

Is a fire NOC mandatory for a factory in Maharashtra?

Yes, for buildings classified in Schedule I of the 2006 Act, which includes industrial buildings. Section 3(1) requires the owner, or the occupier if the owner cannot be traced, to obtain a Provisional Fire Safety Approval, a Final Fire Safety Approval and renewals as applicable, and to maintain the installed systems in good repair at all times.

How often must Form B be submitted?

Twice a year, in January and July, under section 3(3) of the Act. The Directorate's circular of 7 July 2026 says the January form covers 1 July to 31 December of the previous year and the July form covers 1 January to 30 June of the current year. It must be signed by the Licensed Agency and the owner or occupier.

Can any fire-fighting contractor issue Form A or Form B?

No. Section 10 of the Act allows only a Licensed Agency, licensed by the Director, to carry out fire prevention and life safety work, and a Licensed Agency must not certify compliance or maintenance that has not actually happened. Ask for the agency's licence number and validity before you sign a contract.

What if my agency's licence has expired?

The Directorate's circular notes that Form A or Form B may be accepted by the local fire service if not more than three months have passed after the expiry of the licence. Treat that as a safety net, not a plan. Licences are granted for two years, so diarise the renewal date alongside the Form B dates.

What is the penalty for getting this wrong?

Section 36 of the Act provides rigorous imprisonment of not less than six months and up to three years, and a fine of ₹20,000 to ₹50,000, for listed contraventions. They include failing to provide and maintain fire equipment, tampering with it, and giving a certificate without actual compliance. Read the section itself, as amended, for the full list.