The Answer in 60 Seconds Per the SCDF Fire Certificate page, an FC is mandatory under Section 35 of the Fire Safety Act 1993 for designated buildings - public buildings with occupant load >200, industrial buildings with occupant load of 1,000 or more (or floor/site area of 5,000 square metres or more, or habitable height above 24m), and several other categories. Per SCDF: "For FCs with validity start date from 1 April 2026 and after, the validity is for a period of 36 months unless otherwise stated, with revised application fees payable once every three years when all the FC requirements have been complied with."

The Sourced Detail

Two different "fire" certificates - don't mix them up

SCDF issues two related but distinct certificates, often confused:

Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) - per the SCDF Fire Safety Certificate & Temporary Fire Permit page, issued at completion of fire safety works, before a building is used or occupied. It certifies that fire safety installations and works comply with approved plans. Issued via CORENET.

Fire Certificate (FC) - per the SCDF FC page, issued for continued occupation of designated buildings under Section 35 of the Fire Safety Act 1993. Renewed periodically, subject to Professional Engineer (PE) inspection of fire safety systems.

This article focuses on the FC because it's the recurring obligation that interacts with insurance. The FSC application itself is covered in how to apply for a Fire Safety Certificate (FSC).

Which buildings need an FC

Per the SCDF Fire Certificate page, under Section 35 of the Fire Safety Act 1993, the owner or occupier of any public building such as offices, hospitals, shopping complexes, industrial buildings and private residential buildings that fall within the following criteria is required to apply for and obtain a Fire Certificate:

  1. Public buildings (except residential) with occupant load > 200 persons - excluding compliant serviced apartments, standalone carparks, and non-fully-enclosed hawker centres / wet markets
  2. Industrial buildings with: occupant load of 1,000 or more; OR floor/site area of 5,000 square metres or more; OR habitable height above 24m
  3. Foreign dormitories with the same thresholds
  4. Hospitals (any size)
  5. Residential buildings with habitable height >24m AND installed with automatic fire alarm/sprinkler/wet riser, that are not HDB flats
  6. Engineered timber buildings with automatic fire alarm/sprinkler/smoke control/detection or suppression systems
  7. Fully automated mechanised car parks meeting various size/height thresholds

Per Section 35 of the Fire Safety Act, no designated building may be occupied or used unless a valid FC has been obtained.

What changes from 1 April 2026

Per SCDF's circular introducing the regime: "To help businesses reduce regulatory compliance costs, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will extend the Fire Certificate (FC) validity period from one year to three years from 1 April 2026 onwards for buildings that require an FC and which have a good compliance track record."

Before 1 April 2026: 12-month FC validity, annual renewal, annual fees. From 1 April 2026: 36-month FC validity for renewals, with revised application fees payable once every three years when all FC requirements have been complied with. Annual PE inspections still mandatory; SCDF still conducts random audits in non-renewal years.

Per the GoBusiness FC licence directory: "Under the current 1-year FC regime, we charge $11 per storey annually for residential buildings and $33 per storey annually for non-residential buildings. With the introduction of a 3-year FC regime, the application fees will be $11 per storey for residential buildings and $36 per storey for non-residential buildings, with certificates valid for up to three years."

If your FC is revoked due to late or incomplete submission, per SCDF: "Upon rectification of the issue(s), obtaining PE certification and successful FC application, the premises will be placed on a 1-year FC regime until consistent compliance is achieved. You will be eligible for a 3-year FC regime once you demonstrate a good record of timely FC renewals."

Penalties for non-compliance

Per the Ministry of Home Affairs press release on the Fire Safety (Amendment) Act commencement (14 September 2020): SCDF can issue a Fire Hazard Abatement Notice; if the hazard is not addressed, a Notice of Composition is issued; for serious cases, court action follows. For five categories of serious offences (including unauthorised change of use that renders existing fire safety measures inadequate, and failures by QPs/RIs to discharge their duties), penalties have been increased to align with comparable offences under the Building Control Act.

How fire insurance interacts with FC compliance

This is the key practical link for SMEs. Note: the points below describe common market practice, not a regulator-published rule. You should confirm specifics with your appointed FA and read your own policy wording.

1. FC status as a policy condition. A Fire or Property All Risks (PAR) policy may include a condition or warranty that refers to a Fire Certificate, a Fire Safety Certificate or compliance with the Fire Code; the policy schedule and conditions say whether yours does. Breach of warranty can affect cover or claim payout. Exact wording varies by insurer; this is not a uniform regulatory clause.

2. Fire Code 2023 compliance. Per the SCDF Fire Code 2023 page, the Code of Practice for Fire Precautions in Buildings 2023 establishes minimum fire safety provisions.

3. Change-of-use trigger. If you change premises use (e.g., from warehouse to retail or to F&B), the existing FC may no longer reflect current usage. Under section 61 of the Fire Safety Act, a change of use that would make the existing fire safety measures inadequate needs SCDF's approval before the change is made, and making it without approval is an offence with a fine of up to $200,000, imprisonment of up to 2 years, or both. MHA lists unauthorised change of use among the serious offences whose penalties rose from 14 September 2020. What a change of use does to your fire cover is set by the policy wording.

4. Renewal timing. Per the SCDF FC page, applications must be submitted at least 2 months before existing FC expiry. Under the three-year regime, missing the deadline for the annual FC Form in a year between renewals results in SCDF revoking the FC with immediate effect (SCDF circular). An FC that lapses because the renewal was late leaves the building without a valid FC, and SCDF states that occupying it then may make the owner or occupier liable to prosecution. Whether your policy requires notice of an FC lapse is set by its wording.

What a Property/Fire policy typically covers (generally)

For home insurance, the General Insurance Association of Singapore describes two types of cover, insured perils and all risks, the second including accidental damage. A Fire or Property All Risks policy for a business, and the covers written alongside it, can include:

  • Fire - accidental fire damage to insured property
  • Lightning, explosion, aircraft impact: lightning sits with fire in the core cover, per GIA; explosion and aircraft impact are named perils, and the policy schedule shows which are included
  • PAR perils - broader, covering accidental physical damage (not just fire)
  • Business Interruption - loss of profits during the indemnity period (the period the policy states) following an insured peril
  • Public Liability - third-party injury or property damage on insured premises (liability cover, written as its own policy or section rather than as part of the property cover)

Specific limits, deductibles, and warranties vary by insurer.

What This Means for Your Business

Companies typically need to consider four interactions between SCDF compliance and fire insurance:

  1. FC status as a policy warranty : ensure your FC is valid and renewals are timely
  2. Fire Code 2023 compliance : insurers' underwriting may treat non-compliance as a material change in risk
  3. Change-of-use disclosures : notify your insurer before changing premises use
  4. PE inspection records : keep pre-test reports, RI certifications, and the FC submission audit trail; an insurer may ask for them after a loss

A licensed adviser can tell you what an insurer will ask about your premises.

Questions to Ask Your Adviser

  1. "My FC renewal is on the new 3-year cycle from April 2026 - does my fire policy require me to refresh proof annually anyway?"
  2. "We're a F&B business in a multi-tenant building - does my landlord's FC cover me, or do I need my own?"
  3. "We've just gone through an A&A and changed from retail to F&B - what's the right sequence: SCDF re-certification first, then update insurer, or both in parallel?"
  4. "What does my Fire/PAR policy say about FC warranty, and what happens if my PE inspection is delayed by a contractor?"
  5. "If fire damages cause Business Interruption, what's the typical indemnity period in the local market and what triggers it?"

Related Information

Published 3 May 2026. Source verified 3 May 2026.