Need of Fire NOC for Restaurants

The Fire NOC for Restaurants is mandatory for the fire departments to comply with the authority’s requirements. The owner of the premises where the restaurants are situated or the owners of such restaurants, or the landlord do not take adequate measures to comply with the fire department’s requirements. 

The Government of India has taken measures in order to ensure that every building or any other similar occupancy has a secure form of NOC of the fire department. Every commercial or residential building, which is more than 12 meters, should have the NOC from the fire department before starting its business/operation. And hence, it is important for every restaurant to obtain NOC from the fire department of their respective state. Before granting such NOC, the authority carries out a proper inspection to ensure that the restaurant is complying with the rules or laws related to fire safety. After successfully verifying the restaurant, the fire department issues the required NOC. 

Standards related to Fire NOC for Restaurants

The standards are set by the state authority that needs to be followed. The set standards are mentioned under the BIS requirements and the concerned state authority. The BIS, on a regular basis, issues certain standards which are required to be followed. 

The fire department inspects the fire safety standards before granting the NOC to the restaurants. However, these standards are different in different states. 

Requirements of the fire NOC for Restaurants

The fire NOC is required for the following reasons:

• Fire NOC is an essential requirement for a trade license to carry out trading activities.
• For carrying out any form of activity or business, fire NOC is mandatorily required.
• Fire NOC acts as evidence that the safety precautions are there and no harm is going to be caused to any individual.
• Fire NOC ensures the health and well-being of the people working on the premises.

Checklist for the Fire NOC for restaurants 

The followings are the checklist to be taken care of before obtaining the fire NOC:

• Pre-construction Requirements
• Post-construction Requirements

Pre-construction Requirements

The applicant fulfils the following requirements before starting the construction of the building for the restaurants:

• The applicant gives information related to the premises, such as name, location, and other required information.
• The applicant provides the blueprint or the sanction plan along with the proof of proper fire systems installed.
• After receiving the application, the department sends a fire safety officer to make sure that the fire safety compliances are maintained. Such inspection is carried out after ten days of receiving the application. 
• When no issue is discovered, then a provisional NOC is granted to the applicant.
• Any recommendation or suggestion by the fire department is taken care of by the applicant. Recommendations are immediately implemented. 

Post Construction Requirements

The applicant carries out the following requirements after the construction of the restaurants:

• The fire department officer carries out the requirements of a fire safety audit. The technical officer revisits the restaurant to carry out the surveillance related to the building. 
• Recommendations are given by such officers that are forwarded to the head of the department to secure a final NOC.
• The fire NOC is granted only when the head of the department approves its application. 

Before the construction of the restaurant is completed, the provisional NOC from the fire department is granted to the applicant after conducting a proper investigation. The fire safety audit is compiled after the inspection. After obtaining the provisional NOC, the applicant commences the construction by complying with the fire safety audit report requirements. When the construction is complete, then another inspection is done by the fire department, and after a successful inspection, the final fire NOC is granted. 

Documents required for the fire NOC for Restaurants

Every state authority has prescribed different forms of documents for the fire NOC, which are required to be submitted to the required authority. However, the followings are the basic documents that are required to obtain the Fire NOC:

• Site plan with the analysis report of the property/restaurant
• Model of building/restaurant
• The registered office of the restaurant
• Fire compliance certificate
• Checklist prepared by the architect
• Copy of Aadhar Card and PAN Card
• Photographs of the building/restaurant (clicked inside and outside)
• Information on wiring in the restaurant
• Any other analysis as per the requirement by the certified/authorised officer related to safety compliance.

Procedure to obtain Fire NOC for Restaurants

The applicant may apply for the fire NOC online and offline. The following are the steps that are followed while obtaining the fire NOC:

• The applicant files the application with all the required documents and submits the same to the appropriate authority. The application is mostly submitted to the Chief Fire Officer^[1] or the Fire Service Department in offline mode. 
• Once the CFO or the department receives the document, then he verifies the documents.
• After verification of the documents, the same is forwarded to an officer of the respective state authority.
• The inspector or the officer visits the restaurant or the premises to carry out a report related to the fire safety audit. 
• After the inspection is done and it is found that all the measures of fire safety are followed, then the chief inspector issues a NOC for the restaurant. 

The fire NOC granted to a restaurant is valid for a period of 3 years.

Renewal of fire NOC for restaurants 

After the expiry of the fire NOC, the applicant renews it by following these steps:

• For renewal of the NOC, the same mode is always followed, which was opted at the time of obtaining the original one. 
• The applicant submits the renewal application with a declaration stating that all the necessary electric installations are complied with by him. 
• If the application for renewal is not made on time, then the applicant will pay charges as per the period of delay. The charges with the period of delay are mentioned here:

Delay (in days)	Charges (in Rupees)
0-7 days	No charges
7-15 days	Rs. 5/per day
More than 15 days	Rs. 15/per day

• However, the charges/penalty payable by the applicant depends on each state’s requirements. 

Conclusion

There is a need for the fire NOC for restaurants. Each restaurant, before its construction starts, must obtain the fire NOC. The provisional fire NOC is granted by the fire department of the respective state, and then the construction of such a restaurant begins. The provisional NOC is granted after the inspection of the location and verification of documents. The final NOC is granted after the restaurant is constructed and further, inspection is done. The fire NOC that is granted to the restaurant is valid for three years only. The appropriate authority grants the renewal of such NOC after inspecting the restaurant once again. The delay in applying for renewal of the NOC attracts a penalty also. 

Read Our Article:India Fire Department NOC – Application Procedure