Fire extinguisher inspection
Every portable extinguisher in a workplace needs two kinds of attention: a quick monthly look by you or your staff, and a yearly maintenance visit by a trained technician who services the unit and hangs a dated tag on it.
On top of the yearly visit, some extinguishers have longer cycles: a six-year teardown for stored-pressure dry chemical units, and hydrostatic tests every five or twelve years depending on the type. The tag on each unit is the record an inspector looks at first.
Rules last checked Oct 23, 2026. Sources are at the foot of the page.
What the code asks for
- Applies when
- Portable fire extinguishers on site (required by the fire code or OSHA for a workplace).
- What the pro does
- The technician checks, weighs or tests each unit, replaces worn parts, recharges where needed, and attaches a dated service tag.
- Who may do it
- OSHA makes the employer responsible but sets no licence. NFPA 10 expects trained, qualified service people. Many states license the company and technician (see Texas and Florida entries).
- Also on its own cycle
- Six-year emptying and full maintenance (stored-pressure dry chemical): every 6 years. Applies to stored-pressure dry chemical units that need a 12-year hydrostatic test. Disposable non-refillable units are exempt.
- Hydrostatic test every 5 years (CO2, water, stainless steel dry chemical and similar): every 5 years.
- Hydrostatic test every 12 years (stored-pressure dry chemical in mild steel, aluminum or brass shells, halon): every 12 years.
- Your own checks
- Visual check every month: unit in place, gauge in the green, pin and tamper seal intact, no damage. Initial a tag or log each time.
- Kept on site as your record
- The service company tags each unit and keeps its report. The employer keeps the annual maintenance record for one year after the last entry or the life of the shell, whichever is less. Some cities also want reports submitted to the fire marshal.
- Source: National code baseline
- OSHA portable fire extinguisher rule, 29 CFR 1910.157(e) and Table L-1 (monthly visual check, annual maintenance, 6-year emptying, hydrostatic test intervals). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Phoenix Fire Department, Fire Protection Systems ITM Frequency Chart (2018), Sprinkler and alarm frequencies citing NFPA 25 (2017) and NFPA 72 (2016); hood suppression citing IFC Table 609.3.3.1. Read Oct 23, 2026.
NFPA sells its codes rather than publishing them, so these are fire and health authorities quoting the code. They are national code, not rules for that city or state.
What it costs to miss
- In Texas, a unit with a problem gets a red tag, and the technician has to tell the local fire marshal within 24 hours.
- OSHA makes the employer, not the service company, responsible for the annual maintenance record.
Where the local rule differs
The state and city rules we have on file for fire extinguisher inspection, and how the paperwork gets filed in each.
| Where | How often | Who may do it | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | Every year | A fire equipment dealer licensed by the Division of State Fire Marshal (Class A, B or C for extinguishers) and a technician with a valid permit. | It is unlawful to service a unit without attaching a completed tag. Each six-year maintenance is recorded on a decal on the shell naming the agency. |
| Texas | Every year | A Type B (portable extinguisher), Type A or Type PL licensee working for a company with a Texas State Fire Marshal's Office Extinguisher Certificate of Registration. DOT cylinder hydrostatic tests need a Type C registered company. | The licensee attaches a signed service tag after any service. For a red tag the licensee must tell the owner in writing, and tell the local fire marshal within 24 hours and send a copy of the owner notice within three business days. |
When is yours due?
Pick your state, add the month from your tag, and see the next date and the rule behind it. Then book a licensed pro if you want one.
Questions about fire extinguisher inspection
How often do fire extinguishers need to be inspected?
A visual check every month by you or your staff, and maintenance by a trained technician once a year. Stored-pressure dry chemical units also get a six-year internal maintenance, and shells are hydrostatically tested every five or twelve years depending on the type.
Who is allowed to inspect fire extinguishers?
Nationally, OSHA sets no licence, but NFPA 10 expects trained, qualified service people. Texas requires a licensee working for a company registered with the State Fire Marshal's Office, and Florida requires a licensed fire equipment dealer and a permitted technician.
What does the extinguisher tag show?
The month and year of the last service, the company and technician, and in Texas the extinguisher's type, size and location. The punched month is when it was serviced, so the next yearly visit falls due in that month a year on.
Can I do the monthly check myself?
Yes. The monthly check is yours: confirm each unit is in place, the gauge is in the green, the pin and tamper seal are intact and there is no damage, then initial the tag or a log.
Sources
- OSHA portable fire extinguisher rule, 29 CFR 1910.157(e) and Table L-1 (monthly visual check, annual maintenance, 6-year emptying, hydrostatic test intervals). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- City of Phoenix Fire Department, Fire Protection Systems ITM Frequency Chart (2018), Sprinkler and alarm frequencies citing NFPA 25 (2017) and NFPA 72 (2016); hood suppression citing IFC Table 609.3.3.1. Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 633.304, fire suppression equipment licence, Fla. Stat. 633.304 (Class A to D fire equipment dealer licences; individual permit for each worker). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Florida Statutes 633.308, service tags and inspection tags, Fla. Stat. 633.308 (tag required on every extinguisher and pre-engineered system service; report copy to AHJ within 30 days if violations). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Fla. Admin. Code 69A-21.237, extinguisher inspection, maintenance and hydrostatic tests, Rule 69A-21.237 (annual maintenance per NFPA 10; six-year maintenance record decal). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Fla. Admin. Code 69A-3.012, NFPA standards adopted, Rule 69A-3.012 (NFPA 10-2018, 17A-2021, 25-2020, 72-2019, 96-2021; effective 12/31/2023). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Florida Division of State Fire Marshal, Regulatory Licensing, Fire equipment dealers and service technicians; fire protection system contractors and water based inspectors; public portal. Read Oct 23, 2026.
- 28 TAC 34.507, NFPA standards adopted (fire extinguisher rules), 28 Tex. Admin. Code 34.507 (NFPA 10-2018, 17A-2021, 25-2020, 96-2021; effective 9/1/2023). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- 28 TAC 34.520, service tags, 28 Tex. Admin. Code 34.520 (service tag contents, size, attach after every service). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- 28 TAC 34.521, red tags, 28 Tex. Admin. Code 34.521 (red tag contents, owner and AHJ notice deadlines). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDI State Fire Marshal's Office, fire extinguisher registration, license and test information, Insurance Code ch. 6001; 28 TAC ch. 34 subch. E (licence types Type B, Type K, Type A, Type PL; company Certificate of Registration). Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Texas Insurance Code ch. 6001, Fire Extinguisher Service and Installation, Tex. Ins. Code 6001.051 and chapter headings (registration, licensing, renewal, enforcement). Read Oct 23, 2026.
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