Approvals by Jurisdiction

Fire protection approvals are the permits, plan examinations, inspections, witnessed tests and closeout documents that an authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) issues before a sprinkler, standpipe, fire pump, fire alarm or special hazard system can be installed and placed in service. Every project in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware goes through some version of that sequence, but the office that reviews the plans, the code edition it reviews against, the form it wants and the clock it runs on change at every state line, and in New York City they change between two agencies on the same project.

This guide is for owners, developers, architects and construction managers who need to know, before a project starts, who approves what and how long the path is likely to take. It explains the three layers every approval has, compares the six jurisdictions DGA Fire Protection Engineering works in plus federal projects, and gives each jurisdiction its own section with links to the DGA guides that answer the narrower questions.

How Fire Protection Approvals Work: Three Layers

Every fire protection approval in the region has three layers, and a submittal has to get each one right. The first is the adopted code: the code and edition a jurisdiction has written into law, which is the edition the design is reviewed against regardless of what is newest. The second is the reviewing office: the building official, fire official, state agency or federal engineer with the power to examine the plans and inspect the work. The third is the filing and sign-off: the application or portal that starts the review and the closeout document that ends it.

The sequence through those layers is the same in every jurisdiction even though the names change. The design team fixes the code basis, prepares sealed drawings and calculations, and files them with the office that has jurisdiction over that work type. A plan examiner issues objections or comments, the designer answers them, and the office issues a permit or plan approval.

After the permit, the installer builds, the inspector checks rough-in and concealed work, and the AHJ witnesses the acceptance tests the adopted standards require. The jurisdictions differ in who holds each step: in New York City the sprinkler permit sits with the Department of Buildings (DOB) while the fire alarm plan sits with FDNY, and in most of Delaware the State Fire Marshal reviews the fire protection plans in a submittal separate from the county building permit. DGA's guide to how AHJ review works in NYC, NJ and Philadelphia shows what reviewers there expect in a submittal.

From Code Basis to Certificate of Occupancy

1. Code basisAdopted code and edition, occupancy, hazard classification, water supply data and any alternative method, fixed before drawing

2. FilingSealed drawings and calculations filed with the office for that work type: DOB NOW: Build, FDNY Business, a municipal permit office or a State Fire Marshal division

3. Plan reviewObjections or comments answered in writing; a statutory clock runs only where the jurisdiction sets one

4. PermitPermit or plan approval issues once any approvals required first from other agencies are in place; work starts

5. Inspections and testsRough-in and concealed-work inspections, then acceptance tests to the adopted NFPA standards, witnessed by the AHJ

6. Sign-offEach permit signed off and any fire agency letter issued, such as FDNY's Letter of Approval; the certificate of occupancy follows

Who the AHJ Is in Each Jurisdiction

An authority having jurisdiction is the office or official with the legal power to enforce a code on a project and to accept or reject the work done under it. Most fire protection projects have at least two: the building official who issues the permit and the certificate of occupancy, and a fire official, fire marshal or state reviewer who reviews the fire protection systems, witnesses tests or enforces the fire code once the building is in use. DGA's guide to what an AHJ is and how to find the right one covers the definition and the search.

Two other authorities are easy to forget until they stop a project. The water purveyor decides whether a fire service connection, backflow preventer and meter arrangement are acceptable, and its flow data sets the design basis. The insurer is not a public authority, but a carrier recommendation written into a lease or loan has the same effect on the design, and FM Global data sheets often ask for more than the code minimum.

The table names the building reviewer, the fire protection reviewer, the filing system and the path for alternatives in each jurisdiction. Each row is expanded in its own section below.

Who Reviews Fire Protection Work, as of November 2026

Jurisdiction	Building reviewer	Fire protection reviewer	Filing system	Alternative or variance path
New York City	DOB	DOB for the Sprinkler (SP) and Standpipe (SD) work types; FDNY for fire alarm, fire protection plans and non-water suppression (Local Law 195 of 2018)	DOB NOW: Build; FDNY TM-1 through FDNY Business	DOB Construction Code Determination (CCD1); FDNY fire alarm variance on the TM-4
New York State (outside NYC)	City, town or village code enforcement official under 19 NYCRR Part 1203; the county or the Department of State (DOS) where a municipality opted out	The same official; a county fire marshal where one reviews, as in Nassau County	Municipal building permit application	Petition to DOS under 19 NYCRR Part 1205, decided by DOS staff or a regional board of review
New Jersey	Municipal construction official	Fire protection subcode official in the construction office; the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) for listed projects and for Class 1 and 2 structures the local office is not classified to review	Construction permit on forms F100 and F140	Variation from the construction official (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.10); appeal to the construction board of appeals
Pennsylvania	Municipal code official or its certified third-party agency; the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) for commercial work in opt-out municipalities and for state-owned buildings	The same UCC reviewer; a local fire code official only where a municipality adopted a fire code	UCC building permit application; eCLIPSE in Philadelphia	Appeal, variance or extension petition to the municipal board of appeals (34 Pa. Code 403.122); the Industrial Board for L&I decisions
Maryland	County or municipal permit office	A designated local fire official, such as Montgomery County's permitting department or the Baltimore City Fire Department; otherwise, and for State-owned property, the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM)	County permit; the Fire Marshal Plan Review form for OSFM review	Building code: the building official; fire code: alternatives approved by the State Fire Marshal or designee (COMAR 29.06.01.04B)
Delaware	County building official, or a city such as Wilmington	Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal (SFM); a city fire marshal that reviews in its place, such as Wilmington's	SFM site, building and system applications, on paper; county or city building permit	Alternative requested from the SFM (Regulation 701 section 1.7); variances and appeals to the State Fire Prevention Commission
Federal (GSA)	GSA regional fire protection engineer for GSA-owned buildings; the local building official for leased buildings	GSA regional fire protection engineer; for leases, the GSA fire protection engineer who reviews the Form 12000 package	Design review submittals; GSA Form 12000 with a lease offer	Equivalent level of safety accepted by GSA's fire protection engineer

New York City: DOB and FDNY

New York City writes its own construction and fire codes on an I-Code base and splits fire protection approvals between two agencies. The Department of Buildings (DOB) examines and permits sprinkler and standpipe work under the 2022 NYC Building Code, with NFPA 13 and 14 (2016) as modified by its Appendix Q, filed in DOB NOW: Build as the SP and SD work types. The Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) examines fire alarm plans filed on its TM-1 application through FDNY Business, a job that moved from DOB under Local Law 195 of 2018 for filings made on or after June 2, 2019. DGA's comparison of which approvals belong to DOB and which to FDNY sets out the full split, including fire protection plans and non-water suppression.

DOB and FDNY: Who Approves What in New York City

Department of Buildings (DOB)

• Sprinkler (SP) and standpipe (SD) plan examination and permits in DOB NOW: Build
• 2022 Building Code Chapter 9 with NFPA 13 and 14 (2016) as modified by Appendix Q
• 40 calendar days to approve complete, code-compliant documents (Administrative Code 28-104.2.7)
• Special inspections under Building Code Sections 1705.29 and 1705.30, certified on the Technical Report form (TR1)
• Sign-off of each SP and SD permit; Letter of Completion or certificate of occupancy for the job

Fire Department (FDNY)

• Fire alarm plan examination on the TM-1 for filings since June 2, 2019 (Local Law 195 of 2018)
• Building Code Section 907 with NFPA 72 (2016) as modified by Appendix Q, the 2022 Fire Code and FDNY rules
• 40 calendar days to act on each submission (Fire Code Sections 105.2.4 and 105.4)
• Inspection of the installed alarm; Letter of Approval when it passes, Notice of Defect when it fails
• Fire Code enforcement for every system once the building is occupied

Both agencies run review clocks set in code, as of November 2026. Administrative Code 28-104.2.7 gives DOB 40 calendar days to approve complete, code-compliant construction documents, extendable once by 20 days for good cause, and 2022 NYC Fire Code (FC) Section 105.2.4, which FC 105.4 applies to fire alarm documents, gives FDNY 40 calendar days from each submission, resubmissions included, to approve or to deny with written grounds, extendable once by 40 days for good cause. FC 105.2.3 treats an FDNY application as abandoned 180 calendar days after filing unless it is diligently pursued, and FDNY's application page says resubmission is free within six months of the Letter of Deficiency. The steps are set out in DGA's guides to fire protection plan review at NYC DOB, FDNY TM-1 fire alarm filing and responding to an FDNY plan exam objection.

On an existing building, the DOB NOW job type decides how the work is filed and closed. An Alteration-CO changes the certificate of occupancy (CO), an Alteration closes with a Letter of Completion, and a Limited Alteration Application (LAA) lets a licensed contractor file small sprinkler and standpipe jobs within the limits of Administrative Code 28-101.5, as DGA's guide to NYC alteration types and fire protection filings explains. Alteration applications filed on and after July 17, 2027 fall under the NYC Existing Building Code, enacted as Local Law 33 of 2026, which ends the owner's option to alter a prior code building under the 1968 code.

Closeout runs through both agencies. Each SP and SD permit is signed off after a passed final inspection or a certified final technical report, and the required sprinkler and standpipe special inspections are certified on the job's TR1, as DGA's guide to TR1 special inspections for sprinklers explains. The closing letter for sprinkler work comes from DOB, as DGA's article on whether FDNY issues a sprinkler Letter of Completion explains, while FDNY inspects the installed alarm, issues a Letter of Approval when it passes and lists failed items on a Notice of Defect, formerly the Letter of Defect, covered in how an FDNY Letter of Defect is cleared. A temporary certificate of occupancy (TCO) or final CO waits on those letters and sign-offs, as the guide to NYC TCO and CO fire protection sign-offs lays out.

Once a building is open, FDNY enforces the Fire Code for every system, whichever agency approved the installation, and DGA's article on whether the NYC Fire Code or Building Code Chapter 9 governs explains the split between design and operation. Owners need the right FDNY certificate of fitness holders for each system, and older buildings may owe work under retroactive laws such as Local Law 5 of 1973 and Local Law 26 of 2004, which DGA's checklist of NYC retroactive fire laws sorts by building type.

More New York City guides:

• How to get a Place of Assembly Certificate of Operation in NYC
• What a NYC Letter of No Objection confirms for a building with no CO
• What the NYC sprinkler five-year inspection involves
• How Local Law 97 projects affect fire protection systems
• What NYC requires for construction site fire safety

New York State Outside New York City

Outside the five boroughs, fire protection plans are approved by the code enforcement official of the city, town or village as part of the building permit, under the 2025 Uniform Code and the minimum program rules in 19 NYCRR Part 1203. The 2025 Uniform Code took effect December 31, 2025 with no transition period after that date, is based on the 2024 I-Codes and, through the 2024 IBC, references NFPA 13 (2022) for sprinklers. Where a municipality has opted out of enforcement under Executive Law Section 381, the county or the Department of State (DOS) enforces instead, and the State enforces for its own agencies' buildings under Part 1204.

Part 1203 requires every local program to issue permits and inspect fire protection systems, but it sets no number of days for plan review, as of November 2026. When an official fails to act within a reasonable time, the remedy is an appeal to DOS under 19 NYCRR 1205.3(a)(2). The construction documents must show, with the seal and signature, that a New York licensed architect or engineer prepared them (1203.3(a)(3)(ix)). DGA's guide to how fire protection plans are approved in New York State walks through the permit, and the article on who approves fire protection in Westchester and Long Island covers the county layer, including the Nassau County Fire Marshal's review of system drawings.

Relief from the Uniform Code comes from the State, not the local official. A variance is petitioned to DOS under 19 NYCRR Part 1205, which decides routine and alternative compliance cases itself and sends the rest to one of six regional boards of review that decide within 60 days of a complete petition unless there is good cause, as DGA's guide to getting a code variance in New York State explains.

New Jersey: The UCC, the Fire Protection Subcode and the Uniform Fire Code

New Jersey enforces the Uniform Construction Code through municipal construction offices, and the fire protection work on every permit falls under the fire protection subcode, N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.17, with its scope set by the responsibility tables in 5:23-3.4. A licensed fire protection subcode official in the construction office enforces it, as DGA's guide to the NJ fire protection subcode and who enforces it explains. The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Bureau of Construction Project Review takes the plan review instead for listed project types and for Class 1 and 2 structures the local office is not classified to review (5:23-4.24).

The application is the F100 permit jacket with the F140 Fire Protection Subcode Technical Section and sealed plans, and the construction official must grant or deny it within 20 business days and act on resubmitted plans within 7 (5:23-2.16(a)). A missed deadline counts as a denial that can be appealed, not as an approval, and no permit issues until every required prior approval under the NJ UCC, such as zoning, is in place. The filing steps are in DGA's guide to fire protection plan review under the NJ UCC.

The UCC moved to the 2024 I-Codes on August 17, 2026, which puts sprinkler and fire alarm design on NFPA 13 (2022) and NFPA 72 (2022), and a complete application submitted through February 17, 2027 may still be reviewed under the prior codes, as covered in what NJ's 2024 code adoption changed for fire protection. Work in existing buildings follows the NJ Rehabilitation Subcode, where the category of work decides which sprinkler and alarm rules apply, and relief from a UCC provision is a variation applied for on DCA form F160.

Once the building is in use, the Uniform Fire Code takes over, enforced by the local fire official on a 2018 IFC basis, so a project designed under the 2024 IBC is inspected under a fire code on a 2018 IFC basis once it opens. The Uniform Fire Code carries life hazard use registration for listed uses and the New Jersey sprinkler retrofit laws in its Fire Safety Code, and DGA's comparison of the NJ UCC and the Uniform Fire Code shows which one applies to a given project.

New Jersey's Two Codes: The Work and the Building in Use

Uniform Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23)

• New construction, additions, alterations and changes of use, including sprinkler, standpipe and fire alarm installation
• 2024 I-Codes since August 17, 2026; NFPA 13 and 72 (2022)
• Construction official and fire protection subcode official; DCA review for listed projects
• Forms F100 and F140; decision within 20 business days
• Variation on form F160; certificate of occupancy or approval at the end

Uniform Fire Code (N.J.A.C. 5:70)

• Buildings in use: maintenance, fire inspections and permits for listed activities
• 2018 IFC basis
• Local fire official, with DCA's Division of Fire Safety
• Life hazard use registration (5:70-2.6) and fire permits (5:70-2.7)
• Retrofit rules in the Fire Safety Code (5:70-4), installed under a UCC permit

Pennsylvania: The UCC, Who Reviews and No Statewide Fire Code

Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code moved to the 2021 I-Codes on January 1, 2026, and fire protection plans for a commercial building are reviewed as part of the building permit. The building code official must grant or deny a commercial application within 30 business days of filing, extendable by written agreement (34 Pa. Code 403.43(a)), as DGA's guide to fire protection plan review under the PA UCC explains. Sprinkler design under the 2021 IBC references NFPA 13 (2019), one of the changes covered in what PA's 2021 code adoption changed for fire protection.

Who reviews depends on how the municipality chose to enforce the UCC. In municipalities that enforce it, the reviewer is the municipal code office or a certified third-party agency it retains; where a municipality opted out, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry (L&I) reviews commercial work, and L&I reviews every state-owned building. L&I's Municipal Elections and Contact List shows each municipality's choice, and DGA's comparison of who reviews fire protection plans in Pennsylvania sets out each path.

Who Reviews Fire Protection Plans in Pennsylvania?

Commercial fire protection plans for a Pennsylvania building

Is the building state-owned?

YesL&I reviews34 Pa. Code 403.141(a)

No: does the municipality enforce the UCC?

YesMunicipal code office or its third-party agency403.102(g); Philadelphia and Pittsburgh run their own city departments

No, opted outL&I reviews commercial work403.103(g) and 403.141(c); residential work goes to a third-party agency the owner hires

Pennsylvania has no statewide fire code. The UCC brings in the IFC only to the extent the other adopted codes reference it (34 Pa. Code 403.21), so operational permits, fire inspections and maintenance rules apply only where a municipality has adopted a fire code by ordinance, as DGA's article on whether Pennsylvania has a statewide fire code explains. The older Pennsylvania Fire and Panic Act no longer governs design or permits, though it still matters as a record for buildings approved before 2004.

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh run their own city departments. Philadelphia's Department of Licenses and Inspections (Philadelphia L&I) reviews sprinkler, standpipe and fire pump work under a Fire Suppression Systems Permit filed in eCLIPSE, against Title 4 codes built on the 2021 IBC and the 2018 IFC, as covered in how Philadelphia fire protection approvals work. The city's high-rise retrofit and yearly certification rules are in Philadelphia's own sprinkler and fire alarm laws, and Pittsburgh's Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections issues suppression and fire alarm permits through OneStopPGH, as described in how Pittsburgh fire protection approvals work.

A code official's decision is challenged by petitioning the municipal board of appeals for an appeal, variance or extension under 34 Pa. Code 403.122, or the Industrial Board when L&I made the decision. A municipal board must hear the matter within 60 days of the request, and DGA's guide to appeals and variances under the PA UCC covers the grounds and the evidence.

Maryland: Two Codes, County Review and the State Fire Marshal

Maryland applies two state codes to one building. The Maryland Building Performance Standards (COMAR 09.12.51) adopt the 2021 IBC with Maryland amendments effective May 29, 2023 and are enforced through the county or municipal building permit, while the State Fire Prevention Code (COMAR 29.06.01) adopts NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 (2024), effective June 23, 2025, and is enforced by the State Fire Marshal or a designated local fire official. Neither code says it overrides the other, so each item is designed to the stricter limit, as DGA's comparison of Maryland's building code and NFPA 1 and 101 explains.

In Maryland, the county building permit reviews sprinklers to NFPA 13 (2019) through the 2021 IBC, while the State Fire Prevention Code (NFPA 1, 2024) references NFPA 13 (2022). The building code also carries Maryland amendments; for example, COMAR 09.12.51.04B(17) lowers from 1,000 to 300 the Group A occupant load at which activation of the fire alarm must initiate a signal through an emergency voice/alarm communication system (IBC Section 907.2.1.1). On the fire code side, Maryland deletes NFPA 1 Section 1.12 (Records and Reports) and makes the Section 1.13 permits discretionary under each AHJ's own policies (COMAR 29.06.01.08), so the State issues no NFPA 1 operational permits as a matter of course.

Review starts at the county or city permit office. Where a local fire official is designated, that office reviews the fire protection plans; elsewhere, and for all State-owned property, the Engineering Services Section of the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) does, as DGA explains in how fire protection plan review works in Maryland and when the Maryland State Fire Marshal reviews plans.

The largest jurisdictions run their own review. Montgomery County's Department of Permitting Services issues separate Fire Protection System and Fire Alarm System permits filed through ePlans, under a county fire code on NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 (2021), one edition behind the State code. Prince George's County's Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement requires fire protection shop drawings to pass a third-party reviewer the owner hires before it issues the permit, as covered in how Montgomery and Prince George's approve fire plans.

Baltimore City sits outside the State Fire Prevention Code except for buildings under Public Safety Article Title 6, Subtitle 4, and the Baltimore City Fire Department reviews fire protection plans under the city's own fire code, the 2021 IFC. Baltimore County applies NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 (2024), and DGA's guide to how Baltimore City and County approve fire protection covers both.

In most of Montgomery and Prince George's counties, WSSC Water (the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission) approves the fire service connection separately from the county permit, as DGA's article on what WSSC requires for fire service connections explains. New one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses must be sprinklered under International Residential Code Section R313 as adopted in the Building Performance Standards, covered in Maryland's sprinkler law for new homes.

Delaware: State Fire Marshal Review and County Building Codes

Delaware splits a project between two reviews. The Delaware Office of the State Fire Marshal (SFM) reviews the site plan, the building plans and each fire protection system before construction under the Delaware State Fire Prevention Regulations (Regulation 701, 2026 edition), while the county or city issues the building permit under its own building code. Submittals go on paper to the New Castle, Kent or Sussex division, and the SFM witnesses the hydrostatic test and performs the acceptance test before the building is occupied, as DGA's guide to Delaware State Fire Marshal plan review explains.

The 2026 edition took effect January 1, 2026 and adopts NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 (2024), NFPA 13, 20 and 72 (2025) and NFPA 25 (2023), with permit and plan submittal rules moved into a new Regulation 701A, as covered in what changed in Delaware's 2026 fire prevention regulations. Regulation 701 deletes NFPA 1 (2024) Chapter 1 except Section 1.13, rewrites 1.13.1 to point to the Delaware regulations and deletes 1.13.2 to 1.13.8 (sections 3.2.1.1 to 3.2.1.3), so Delaware issues its own licenses and permits instead of NFPA 1 permits.

Delaware has no statewide building code: as of November 2026, New Castle and Sussex counties enforce the 2021 IBC, Kent County and Wilmington the 2018 IBC, and towns with their own building departments can set their own edition, as shown in which building code applies in each Delaware county. Inside Wilmington, the city Fire Marshal's Office reviews fire protection plans in place of the SFM, because Regulation 701 leaves plan review to city fire marshals that hold exclusive jurisdiction under Title 16, Section 6612(c) of the Delaware Code, as covered in how fire protection approvals work in Wilmington. Alternatives of equivalent safety are requested from the SFM under Regulation 701 section 1.7, and variances and appeals go to the State Fire Prevention Commission.

Federal and GSA Projects

Federal work runs on its own track, and ownership decides which rules apply. A building on federal property follows the codes and criteria its agency adopts, with the agency deciding compliance, while a privately owned building with a federal tenant stays under the state and local codes with the lease requirements added on top, as DGA's comparison of federal and local fire codes on a federal site explains. Under 40 U.S.C. 3312, local officials may review a federal agency's plans on request for up to 30 days, inspect during construction and recommend changes, but they cannot bring an action, impose a fine or collect fees.

GSA rescinded the P100 Facilities Standards on February 24, 2025, and GSA-owned and lease-construction projects awarded on or after October 1, 2026 follow the 2026 PBS Core Building Standards: the I-Codes, NFPA 101 for egress and listed NFPA standards, reviewed by GSA's regional fire protection engineers, who act as the AHJ under GSA order PBS 5921.1. DGA's article on whether GSA P100 is still required covers the transition, and the sector guide to fire protection for federal and GSA buildings sets out each ownership case.

Space GSA leases in an existing building answers to the lease. The current GSA lease template (L100, May 2026) requires a building-wide fire alarm when any Government space is on the 3rd floor or higher, sprinklers up to the highest Government floor when any space is on the 6th floor or higher, and a fully sprinklered building when that space comes with 35,000 ANSI/BOMA Occupant Area (ABOA) square feet or more of Government occupancy, as DGA's guide to GSA lease fire protection requirements explains. The offeror documents the building on GSA Form 12000, with Part B prepared by a licensed fire protection engineer when the space is on the 6th floor or higher (DGA's GSA Form 12000 Part B guide), and the review steps from offer to acceptance are in how federal agencies review leased-space fire protection.

Military facilities follow the Department of Defense (DoD) Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) instead of state and local fire codes: UFC 1-200-01 as the DoD building code and UFC 3-600-01 for fire protection. DGA's guide to what UFC 3-600-01 is and when it applies covers scope and review.

Fire Protection Plan Review Times and Faster Paths

Three jurisdictions in the region write a plan review deadline into law, as of November 2026. New Jersey's construction official must grant or deny an application within 20 business days and act on resubmitted plans within 7 (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.16(a)), and Pennsylvania's building code official must grant or deny a commercial application within 30 business days of filing (34 Pa. Code 403.43(a)).

New York City runs two clocks: DOB has 40 calendar days for complete, code-compliant construction documents, extendable once by 20 (Administrative Code 28-104.2.7), and FDNY has 40 calendar days from each submission, extendable once by 40 (FC 105.2.4). The other three jurisdictions leave the pace to the reviewing office: New York State's Part 1203 sets no review period, Maryland has no statewide clock and OSFM publishes no review time, though Prince George's County says most commercial permit applications are reviewed within 4 weeks, and the Delaware SFM publishes no review time while Regulation 701 sets none. Each clock covers one decision, not the whole approval, so the number of resubmission rounds often decides the real schedule, as DGA's comparison of fire protection plan review times by state shows.

Plan Review Clocks by Jurisdiction, as of November 2026

1. 20New Jersey: business days to grant or denyN.J.A.C. 5:23-2.16(a); 7 on resubmission
2. 30Pennsylvania: business days, commercial work34 Pa. Code 403.43(a)
3. 40NYC DOB: calendar days, one 20-day extensionAdministrative Code 28-104.2.7
4. 40FDNY: calendar days per submission, one 40-day extensionFC 105.2.4 and 105.4
5. NoNew York State, Maryland and Delaware: no statewide clock19 NYCRR Part 1203; OSFM and SFM publish none

Three avoidable mistakes restart review, and none of them is a design error. The first is the wrong edition, such as a sprinkler design run to NFPA 13 (2022) for a Maryland county permit that reviews to the 2019 edition, or a New Jersey set drawn to the prior codes and filed after the grace period ends on February 17, 2027. The second is the wrong office, such as a New York City fire alarm filed in DOB NOW, a Delaware sprinkler plan sent to the county but not to the SFM, or a Pennsylvania commercial permit filed with an opt-out municipality instead of L&I. The third is an alternative method buried in the drawings instead of filed first on its own track, whether an IBC 104.11 alternative or a New York City CCD1, a New Jersey variation or a variance petition.

Faster paths exist, but each one is set by the jurisdiction and the AHJ keeps final authority. New York City lets a registered design professional file by professional certification, so DOB accepts the documents with less than full examination but can audit them later (Administrative Code 28-104.2.1), and Philadelphia L&I offers accelerated review of fire suppression permits for new construction in 5 business days. Prince George's County and Baltimore City use owner-paid third-party reviewers, as DGA's guide to expedited and third-party plan review explains.

Code Editions by State, as of November 2026

The editions below are the ones each AHJ reviews against as of November 2026. New Jersey's move to the 2024 I-Codes on August 17, 2026 and Pennsylvania's move to the 2021 I-Codes on January 1, 2026 are the most recent changes, and the NYC Existing Building Code takes effect July 17, 2027. Local amendments are not shown, and the Fire Code Cheat Sheet linked below adds effective dates and transition rules.

Key Concepts

Working with DGA on This

DGA's code consulting work on approvals starts before the drawings: confirming the adopted edition in each jurisdiction, identifying every AHJ with a say, deciding whether an alternative method needs its own filing and sequencing the submittals so the slowest review starts first. On New York City projects the FDNY approvals service carries the TM-1, witnessed tests and closeout letters through the Fire Department. The code consulting service page is listed under Related Reading below.

DGA manages fire protection plan review, variances and approvals across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. Project briefs get confirmation and preliminary code feedback within one business day. See where DGA works →

Two tools support the planning step. The Fire Code Cheat Sheet for NY, NJ, PA, MD and DE lists the building and fire codes in force in each jurisdiction with their editions, effective dates, transition rules and reviewers. The Fire Protection Project Timeline Estimator answers four questions with a two-phase planning range: engineering and hydraulic calculations, then the expected AHJ filing and plan review cycle.

Frequently Asked Questions

This guide is general information, not a substitute for a project-specific code analysis. Code editions, local amendments and reviewer practice change; confirm the adopted code and the authority having jurisdiction for each project.