Approvals by Jurisdiction · Jurisdiction
Who Approves Fire Protection in Westchester and Long Island?
General guidance, not a code determination for any project. Confirm the adopted code and local amendments with the authority having jurisdiction.
In Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties, the code enforcement official of the city, town or village approves fire protection plans with the building permit under the 2025 New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code (the Uniform Code), and in Nassau County the County Fire Marshal’s Office also reviews the sprinkler, standpipe, fire alarm and other system drawings under the Nassau County Fire Prevention Ordinance. In Suffolk, a town fire marshal can carry the fire protection review and permit, as Huntington’s Fire Prevention Bureau does, and in Westchester and the rest of the Hudson Valley the review sits with the municipality, sometimes with a local fire prevention bureau. No statewide rule sets a number of days for the review, as of November 2026.
This article covers the suburban counties north and east of New York City (NYC). It sets out which code applies, how the county and town layers differ from the state baseline, who reviews in each county, how a filing is made, review times and enforcement.
At a Glance: Fire Protection Approvals in Westchester and on Long Island
- Jurisdiction: Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Hudson Valley counties to the north; Brooklyn and Queens are on Long Island but are NYC boroughs under the NYC codes.
- Local code and edition: as of November 2026, the 2025 Uniform Code, based primarily on the 2024 International Codes (I-Codes), in effect since December 31, 2025 with no grace period after that date; plus the Nassau County Fire Prevention Ordinance in Nassau and town fire prevention codes in Suffolk towns such as Islip and Huntington.
- Agency (authority having jurisdiction, AHJ): the city, town or village code enforcement official; also the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office for system drawings anywhere in Nassau, and a town fire marshal in Suffolk towns that assign the review, such as Huntington. The county or the New York Department of State (DOS) steps in where a municipality has opted out of enforcement.
- Filing or permit name: a building permit application with construction documents sealed by a New York Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA) under Title 19 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (19 NYCRR) Section 1203.3(a); in Nassau, also a design drawing submission to the Fire Marshal under Article XXIV of the county ordinance.
- Key difference from the model code: a county layer on top of the State’s administration. Executive Law Section 379(5) lets Nassau, alone among counties, impose construction standards stricter than the Uniform Code, and Nassau’s fire prevention regulations apply in every city and village in the county (Nassau County Charter Section 1706).
- Review time range (as of November 2026): no statewide review clock in 19 NYCRR Part 1203, and the Nassau Fire Marshal’s accelerated plan review form states no turnaround time; the remedy for an official who fails to act within a reasonable time is an appeal to DOS (19 NYCRR 1205.3(a)(2)).
What Code Applies North and East of New York City?
As of November 2026, the 2025 Uniform Code applies in every city, town and village in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk and up the Hudson Valley. DOS Legal Memorandum LG07 says the Uniform Code covers all parts of the State except New York City, which has its own construction code, and Executive Law Section 383(1)(c) keeps the existing building and fire prevention codes of cities over 1 million in force unless the State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council (the Code Council) finds them less stringent. Brooklyn and Queens sit on Long Island but are NYC boroughs, so the code changes at the city line: the Queens and Nassau border and, to the north, the Bronx and Westchester border.
The 2025 code took effect on December 31, 2025. It incorporates the 2025 Building Code of New York State (BCNYS), Fire Code of New York State (FCNYS) and the other New York books in 19 NYCRR Parts 1220 to 1229, based primarily on the 2024 I-Codes, and sprinklers are designed to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) sprinkler standard, NFPA 13 (2022).
Under Executive Law Section 381 and 19 NYCRR Part 1203, each city, town and village runs its own code enforcement program, with building permits, construction inspections and certificates of occupancy among its minimum features (Section 1203.3). A municipality may opt out by local law under Section 381(2), and the county then enforces, or DOS if the county has also opted out. DGA’s guide to how fire protection plans are approved in New York State covers the statewide rules, including state-owned buildings and schools.
How Does Regional Practice Differ From the State Baseline?
The Uniform Code’s technical rules are the same across the region. Executive Law Section 379(3) bars a municipality from making the Uniform Code more or less restrictive on its own, and a stricter local construction standard needs a local law that the Code Council approves as reasonably necessary because of special local conditions (Section 379(1) and (2)). What differs from county to county is the administrative layer around the building department.
Nassau County is the exception. Executive Law Section 379(5), which names Nassau and no other county, lets the county impose higher or more restrictive construction standards within its jurisdiction, subject to notice and a petition to the Code Council, and DOS Legal Memorandum LG07 notes that no other county has that authority. Under the Nassau County Charter, the county’s fire prevention regulations apply throughout the county, including its cities and villages, which may adopt stricter rules of their own (Section 1706), and the County Fire Marshal enforces them (Section 1705).
Suffolk adds a county licensing layer. The Suffolk County Fire Extinguisher Licensing Board, created by local law in 2004 and given authority over installation in 2010, licenses each technician who services portable fire extinguishers or services or installs automatic fire extinguishing systems in the county (Suffolk County Code Chapter 471, Article III). Several Suffolk towns also have fire prevention codes of their own, such as Islip’s Town Code Chapter 19 (Fire Prevention) and the Town of Huntington’s Fire Prevention Code.
Figure 1: Model Code, State Baseline and Regional Practice
| Topic | 2024 I-Codes (model) | 2025 Uniform Code (state baseline) | Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code books | International Building Code (IBC), International Fire Code (IFC) and the other I-Codes as published by the International Code Council (ICC) | 2025 BCNYS, FCNYS and the other New York books (19 NYCRR Parts 1220 to 1229), in effect December 31, 2025 | The same state books everywhere; Nassau adds its county Fire Prevention Ordinance, and Suffolk towns such as Islip and Huntington add town fire prevention codes |
| Administration | Chapter 1 of each code, adopted with local changes | 19 NYCRR Parts 1201 to 1205 under Executive Law Article 18 | Municipal programs under Part 1203, with county rules in Nassau and town fire marshal rules in some Suffolk towns |
| Who reviews fire protection drawings | The building official named by the adopting jurisdiction | The city, town or village code enforcement official, with the building permit | The municipal official everywhere; also the County Fire Marshal in Nassau, a town fire marshal in Suffolk towns such as Huntington, and a local fire prevention bureau in some Westchester communities |
| Stricter local standards | Local amendments made at adoption | Only by local law approved by the Code Council (Executive Law Section 379(1) and (2)) | Nassau alone among counties may impose stricter construction standards (Section 379(5)); its fire prevention regulations reach every city and village (Charter Section 1706) |
| Variances | Alternative methods approved by the code official | Petition to DOS; board cases go to one of six regional boards of review, including Long Island and the Hudson Valley (19 NYCRR Part 1205) | The Nassau Fire Commission may not grant variances from the Uniform Code (Fire Prevention Ordinance Section 2.6.4) |
| Review clock | Set locally on adoption | None in Part 1203; appeal to DOS when an official fails to act within a reasonable time (Section 1205.3(a)(2)) | None published on the county and town pages cited here, as of November 2026; Nassau offers accelerated plan review for an added fee |
Who Reviews Fire Protection Plans in Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk and the Hudson Valley?
In Nassau County, the office of the County Fire Marshal, who acts as the executive officer of the Nassau County Fire Commission (Charter Section 1705), reviews fire protection system drawings in addition to the municipal building permit. Its contractor guidance covers plan submissions for automatic extinguishing and suppression systems, fire alarm, sprinklers, grease hood and duct systems and smoke and heat detection, plus site plans, tanks and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) installations. Article XXIV of the Fire Prevention Ordinance sets the design drawing requirements, with separate sections for fire alarm, sprinkler, standpipe and hose, automatic fire extinguishing and emergency responder radio coverage systems, among others.
Under Charter Section 1706 the ordinance applies throughout the county, including its cities and villages, and a city or village that creates its own fire prevention bureau and files the establishing law with the Fire Commission may enforce the ordinance within its limits (ordinance Section 1.4.1). Sections 2.0.2 and 2.1.3 leave the interiors of detached one- and two-family dwellings, townhouses of up to three stories above grade with separate means of egress and their accessory structures to the local building department.
In Suffolk County, the county Fire Marshal’s Office sits in the Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (FRES). Its page lists building code inspections and enforcement, fire investigations and public education, does not describe a plan review service, and links a list of town chief fire marshals for Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold.
A town fire marshal can carry the fire protection review in Suffolk. The Town of Huntington’s Fire Prevention Code makes the Chief Fire Marshal responsible for reviewing all system plans and design specifications tied to a construction permit, and the town’s Fire Prevention Bureau issues permits for fire alarm, fire sprinkler and fire suppression systems. Islip’s Chapter 19 carries a permit requirement and a licensing section in its article on fire protection systems (Article XXVII). For a site in another town or in an incorporated village, the municipality’s building department is the place to confirm which office takes the drawings.
In Westchester County, the county Department of Emergency Services’ Fire Services division covers fire coordination, training, mutual aid and cause and origin investigation, and its pages do not describe fire code enforcement or plan review. The review sits with the city, town or village: the City of White Plains Department of Building, for example, lists the Uniform Code among the State laws it enforces through its permit procedure. Some local fire departments take part as well; the Eastchester Fire District’s Fire Prevention Bureau lists plan reviews for new construction and renovations and witnesses fire alarm and kitchen suppression system tests.
North and west of Westchester, in Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess and the other Hudson Valley counties, the Executive Law default governs. Each city, town or village enforces the Uniform Code and reviews fire protection drawings with the building permit, unless it has opted out under Section 381(2) and left enforcement to the county or DOS.
| County | Building permit and certificate | Fire protection drawing review | County layer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau | City, town or village building department (19 NYCRR Part 1203) | County Fire Marshal’s Office under Article XXIV of the Fire Prevention Ordinance, in addition to the municipal review; a city or village fire prevention bureau may also enforce the ordinance within its limits | Fire Marshal’s Office: plan review, permits, inspections, contractor licensing, certificates of fitness and fire investigation; county power to impose stricter construction standards (Executive Law Section 379(5)) |
| Suffolk | Town or village building department | A town fire marshal where the town assigns the review, as Huntington does; otherwise the municipal building department | FRES Fire Marshal’s Office: building code inspections and enforcement, fire investigations and public education; Fire Extinguisher Licensing Board licenses extinguishing system technicians |
| Westchester | City, town or village building department | The municipal building department, sometimes with a local fire prevention bureau, as in Eastchester | Department of Emergency Services, Fire Services: coordination, training, mutual aid and cause and origin investigation |
| Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess and the rest of the Hudson Valley | City, town or village; the county or DOS where a municipality opted out (Executive Law Section 381(2)) | The municipal code enforcement official, with the building permit | No county power to impose stricter construction standards (Section 379(5) names only Nassau) |
Roles as the county and town pages cited in this section describe them, as of November 2026.
DGA prepares sealed sprinkler, standpipe and fire alarm drawings and code analyses for municipal and county review 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 →
How Is a Fire Protection Filing Made on Long Island and in Westchester?
Every filing starts with the municipality: the building permit application goes to the city, town or village with construction documents that show compliance. 19 NYCRR 1203.3(a)(3)(ix) requires evidence that a New York licensed and registered architect or engineer prepared them, including the seal, signature and license number, and Education Law Section 7209(1) bars officials from accepting unsealed engineering plans. Each municipality sets its own forms, fees and submittal format.
In Nassau, the fire protection drawings also go to the County Fire Marshal. A Fire Marshal bulletin dated February 24, 2022 requires the design drawings to carry the stamp and signature of a New York PE or RA, citing Education Law Section 7209, together with a stamped and signed letter on the design professional’s letterhead, with original signatures, attesting to the drawings; a submission without the letter is rejected. The bulletin exempts grease hood and duct exhaust drawings, kitchen extinguishing system drawings and LPG drawings under 500 gallons water capacity from the stamp. Review fees follow the ordinance’s own schedule in Article XXII.
The county publishes a form for each stage. Rough-out work permit applications for sprinkler and fire alarm systems let preliminary work proceed before final plan approval, and the county also publishes a fire alarm permit application, an amended plans form, an accelerated plan review application and a request for inspection for final approval. Sprinkler installation contractors and sprinkler inspection, testing and maintenance (ITM) contractors must hold a Fire Marshal license under the ordinance, and the Fire Marshal runs its own certificate of fitness testing.
Figure 2: One Nassau Project, Two Approvals
- Building permit under 19 NYCRR 1203.3(a)
- Construction documents sealed by a New York PE or RA
- Construction inspections, including fire protection systems (Section 1203.3(b))
- Certificate of occupancy or compliance after the final inspection (Section 1203.3(d))
- Design drawings under Article XXIV of the Fire Prevention Ordinance
- PE or RA stamp plus a signed letter on the designer’s letterhead
- Rough-out work permit where preliminary work starts before final plan approval
- Licensed sprinkler contractor; request for inspection for final approval
In Suffolk, the town sets the route: Huntington takes fire alarm, sprinkler and suppression permit applications through its Fire Prevention Bureau and the town’s online permit portal, and technicians who service extinguishers or install or service automatic extinguishing systems in Suffolk County need a Fire Extinguisher Licensing Board license. In Westchester and the rest of the Hudson Valley, the filing goes to the municipal building department, such as the White Plains Department of Building, and a local fire prevention bureau may also review the plans, as Eastchester’s does.
How Long Does Fire Protection Plan Review Take Outside New York City?
No statewide rule sets a number of days for fire protection plan review in the region, as of November 2026. 19 NYCRR 1203.3(a) requires building permits to carry an expiration date but sets no review period, and when an official fails to act within a reasonable time, the remedy is an appeal to DOS under 19 NYCRR 1205.3(a)(2) and 1205.4(b).
None of the county or town pages cited in this article publishes a review time either. The Nassau County Fire Marshal accepts an Application for Accelerated Plan Review, for an added fee, for sprinkler and standpipe, fire alarm, clean agent and other plan types, but the form states no turnaround time. Inside NYC, by contrast, the city’s codes set review periods, and DGA’s comparison of fire protection plan review times by state sets New York beside its neighbors.
Schedules therefore depend on the municipality, the completeness of the sealed set and, in Nassau, the second review by the Fire Marshal. DGA’s fire protection project timeline estimator gives a project-specific range.
What Compliance Dates and Enforcement Apply in Westchester and on Long Island?
The 2025 Uniform Code took effect on December 31, 2025, with no grace period after that date: the option to comply with the 2020 code ended that day, and every building permit application since then must comply with the 2025 code. The Nassau County Fire Prevention Ordinance was enacted as Ordinance 28-2016, effective June 12, 2016, and the county’s published copy records amendments in 2017 and 2024, the later one effective April 1, 2024.
Enforcement runs on two tracks. Municipal programs issue stop work orders (19 NYCRR 1203.3(c)) and orders to remedy, which give 30 days to comply (Section 1203.5(c)). In Nassau, the Fire Marshal enforces the county ordinance, and trained fire marshals and county fire inspectors may issue appearance tickets for fire prevention offenses (Charter Sections 1704(b) and 1705); Suffolk’s county fire marshals are sworn peace officers who enforce State and County fire laws.
Variances from the Uniform Code come from the State, not the county. Section 2.6.4 of the Nassau ordinance bars the Fire Commission from granting them, and petitions go to DOS under 19 NYCRR Part 1205, whose six regional boards of review include boards for Long Island and the Hudson Valley. DGA’s guide to getting a code variance in New York State covers the petition and the board process.
Key Takeaway: North and east of New York City, the city, town or village approves fire protection plans with the building permit under the 2025 Uniform Code, on drawings sealed by a New York PE or RA, and no statewide rule sets a review deadline. Nassau adds the County Fire Marshal’s drawing approval under a Fire Prevention Ordinance that reaches every city and village, Suffolk towns such as Huntington issue fire protection permits through the town fire marshal, and Westchester and the Hudson Valley rely on the municipal review, sometimes with a local fire prevention bureau.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Nassau County Fire Marshal review sprinkler plans?
Yes. The Nassau County Fire Marshal’s Office reviews design drawings for sprinkler, standpipe, fire alarm and other fire protection systems under Article XXIV of the Nassau County Fire Prevention Ordinance, which applies throughout the county, including its cities and villages (Nassau County Charter Section 1706). The drawings need a New York PE or RA stamp and a signed letter on the designer’s letterhead, and the county review is in addition to the building permit from the city, town or village.
Do towns or the county issue the permit?
Conditional: the city, town or village issues the building permit in Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk under 19 NYCRR Part 1203, unless the municipality has opted out of enforcement under Executive Law Section 381(2). Nassau County adds Fire Marshal approvals and permits of its own, and in Suffolk a town fire marshal can issue the fire protection permit, as Huntington’s Fire Prevention Bureau does for fire alarm, sprinkler and suppression systems.
Does the NYC code apply anywhere outside the five boroughs?
No. The New York City codes apply only in the five boroughs, including Brooklyn and Queens on western Long Island. Every other municipality in the State, including all of Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk, is under the 2025 New York State Uniform Code. DOS Legal Memorandum LG07 notes that the Uniform Code covers all of the State except New York City, and Executive Law Section 383(1)(c) keeps the existing building and fire prevention codes of cities with a population over 1 million in force.
Is there a deadline for fire protection plan review on Long Island or in Westchester?
No. 19 NYCRR Part 1203 sets no number of days for a code official to act on a building permit application, as of November 2026, and the Nassau County Fire Marshal’s accelerated plan review form states no turnaround time. When an official fails to act within a reasonable time, the remedy is an appeal to the Department of State under 19 NYCRR 1205.3(a)(2).
Can the Nassau County Fire Commission grant a variance from the Uniform Code?
No. Section 2.6.4 of the Nassau County Fire Prevention Ordinance says the Fire Commission shall not grant variances from the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code. Uniform Code variances are petitioned to the Department of State under 19 NYCRR Part 1205 and decided by DOS or a regional board of review.
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This article is general information, not a code determination for any project. Codes, county and town ordinances and reviewer practice change; confirm the adopted code and the authority having jurisdiction for the project.
Filing Fire Protection Plans on Long Island or in Westchester?
Send the address, the municipality and the scope. DGA confirms which offices review the work under the 2025 Uniform Code and any county or town ordinance, prepares the sealed sprinkler, standpipe or fire alarm drawings and answers the reviewers’ comments. Project briefs get confirmation and preliminary code feedback within one business day.