How to Get Fire Safety Certification for Your NSW Building: Step-by-Step

For those that own and/or manage a building in NSW, there is an important responsibility that only becomes apparent after a few council letters land in the inbox: maintaining and certifying fire safety measures. You might own a small commercial space or run a large residential complex, but the process of fire safety certification in NSW can only benefit you, helping to avoid unnecessary stress, fines and most importantly, keeping the people who use the building every day safe. This guide has broken down everything you need to know about this process into easily digestible and manageable steps.

What is Fire Safety Certification and Why is it Important?

The aim of fire safety certification in NSW is to ensure that all necessary fire safety features in a building, including fire extinguishers, exit signs, smoke alarms and sprinkler systems, are functioning as they should. The requirements have been laid out in accordance with the Environmental Planning and Assessment framework and are intended to safeguard those in the building if in the event of a fire. It should not only be a mere paperwork requirement for council records; a properly issued fire safety certificate is a genuine certificate of inspection by a competent person that your building is safe and its safety systems are working properly. It’s a key part of being a responsible property owner, especially if you have a high-density building, live in Sydney and have a keen focus on fire safety inspections.

Step 1: Understand Which Certificate Applies to Your Building

It is useful to realize that there are two key documents in the certification process, before starting. The first is a fire safety certificate, used for new buildings, or alterations to old ones. The purpose of this document is to document that the fire safety measures identified on your Fire Safety Schedule were installed and checked at this time. The second one is the Annual Fire Safety Statement, which is a regular obligation that needs to be supplied every twelve months for most buildings categorized 1b to 9 by the Building Code of Australia. This is an on-going requirement that is usually waived for single dwelling homes that are rated as 1a. The first practical step towards compliance is knowing what your building belongs to.

Step 2: Review Your Fire Safety Schedule

A Fire Safety Schedule will be attached to the Development Consent, Construction Certificate or Fire Safety Order for every building that needs to be certified. This Schedule shows all the necessary fire safety precautions and the minimum required for each. If the building has been altered or extended since the issue of the schedule, the list of measures that need to be certified may have been changed, so it may be advisable to ask for an up to date one from your council or registered certifier before arranging an inspection.

Step 3: Book An Accredited Practitioner For Inspection

Fire safety inspections and certification have been restricted to only an Accredited Practitioner (Fire Safety) since 2020 and further tightened as a result of changes made in 2025. These are skilled professionals who are accredited under an approved industry scheme and need to be knowledgeable in each type of measure you have on your schedule. The official Fire Safety Assessment Practitioners Register is accessible to check the credentials of practitioners prior to engagement. The decision on the assessor to use is one of the most critical steps in this entire process as certificates issued by an unqualified assessor may be rejected and could lead to penalties for the building owner.

Step 4: Complete the Inspection and Assessment

The practitioner will conduct a hands-on test and evaluation of every fire safety item on your schedule, including fire doors, hydrant systems, emergency lighting, alarm panels and more. They will conclude if each item will meet the necessary criterion. When assessing the standard, any measure that is not in compliance should be repaired or replaced before the assessment date – it is good practice to undertake basic checks on measures throughout the year, but not necessarily at the time of assessment.

Step 5: Lodge Your Statement with Council and Fire and Rescue NSW

After your Accredited Practitioner has finished assessing and determined compliance, the statement must be formally lodged. The document is required to be sent to your local council and the other to Fire and Rescue NSW via their lodgement portal. This has become much quicker than in years gone by, when all submissions had to be made in paper form, many councils now accept online submissions. Note that the date of the assessment and statement must fall within the periods of time provided for in the regulation, so don’t wait until the last minute to lodge a statement.

Step 6: Display the Certificate in Your Building

After placement a copy of the latest statement and the Fire Safety Schedule shall be prominently posted in the building, typically in the vicinity of the main entrance or the Fire Indicator Panel. This is not only a compliance box to tick – it will also enable fire services to readily access relevant information if they visit your premises during an emergency.

Step 7: Mark Your Calendar for The Next Renewal

NSW Fire Safety certification is not a single event. The Annual Fire Safety Statement must be updated on a 12 monthly basis and it is subject to the ongoing weekly penalties under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation should it not be submitted. Remind yourself a few months before your baby is born and you’ll have time to find a fire safety in Sydney accredited assessor, which is important to do during busy times when there is a high demand for fire safety inspections throughout NSW.

Key Takeaways

Once you understand the process, getting your NSW building fire certified shouldn’t seem like a daunting process. This is a simple, repeatable process: Identifying which certificate is relevant to your property; reviewing your Fire Safety Schedule; selecting a ‘genuinely accredited practitioner’ in accordance with the requirements of your certificate; conducting a comprehensive inspection; submitting your statement to council and Fire and Rescue NSW correctly; displaying your certificate; and keeping ahead of the renewal deadlines. If you have this as a continuous responsibility, and not a one-off job, then your building will always be compliant, your occupants will always be safe, and you will never have to worry about unnecessary fines.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How long does a fire safety certificate remain valid in NSW?

The fire safety certificate has to do with the time at which the building or alteration is finished. The Annual Fire Safety Statement that follows must, however, be updated every twelve months to comply with the regulations.

Q. Who is responsible for arranging fire safety certification?

The legal duty is the owner of the building, whether or not it is occupied, empty or is managed by a third party.

Q. What happens if I miss my Annual Fire Safety Statement deadline?

Penalty notices are normally issued by councils for late or missing submissions and continued non-compliance may lead to continued weekly fines in accordance with NSW regulations.

Q. Can any tradesperson certify fire safety measures?

These measures can only be inspected and certified by a person who is registered as an Accredited Practitioner (Fire Safety) under an industry accredited scheme approved by the Government.

Q. Do all buildings need an Annual Fire Safety Statement?

It’s required in most buildings that fall between 1b and 9 in the Building Code of Australia. This is a continuing requirement that is normally exempt for single dwelling houses of the 1a classification type.