Fire NOC check before buying a flat in Andhra Pradesh, Vizag or Vijayawada: APDPMS, Occupancy and Renewal
Short answer: in Andhra Pradesh, a fire No Objection Certificate (NOC) is mandatory for all high-rise buildings and some other building types under the AP Building Rules, 2017, and on the online building permission system (APDPMS) the permit fee cannot be paid until the fire NOC is approved. The department's NOC portal lists Provisional, Occupancy and Occupancy Renewal NOCs. Before you pay for a flat in a tall apartment block in Vizag, Vijayawada or elsewhere in AP, ask the builder for the fire NOC letter and the Occupancy NOC.
Read this first. We have not read the AP Building Rules, 2017, so the height at which a building counts as "high-rise" in AP is to verify. Ask the builder for the height on the sanctioned plan and ask the local fire office whether a NOC applies.
When a fire NOC applies in AP
The APDPMS Fire NOC user manual says "Fire NOC is a mandatory clearance for certain categories of buildings under the Andhra Pradesh Building Rules, 2017" and lists them:
| # | Condition (manual wording) |
|---|---|
| 1 | "All High Rise Buildings as per AP Building Rules, 2017 and Amendments" |
| 2 | "All Educational, Institutional, Assembly, Industrial, and Hazardous buildings" |
| 3 | "Special buildings (Business, Mercantile, Storage, Residential other than Apartments, Mixed Occupancies) with floor built-up area > 500 m² on any one or more floors" |
| 4 | "Buildings with incidental assembly occupancy area > 300 m² on any floor" |
| 5 | "Buildings of all occupancies with two or more basements, or one basement with area > 500 m²" |
Note row 3 excludes apartments; for an apartment block, rows 1 and 5 are the ones to ask about: is it high-rise, and how many basements does it have?
How it shows up in the building permit
The manual says APDPMS "automatically determines Fire NOC applicability after drawing scrutiny". If it applies, "attaching a NOC (Yes) or applying for one (No) is mandatory before proceeding to Permit Fee payment", and "Fire NOC must be Approved by Fire Dept before Permit Fee payment step is unlocked." The status shows as:
| Status | Manual wording | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | "Awaiting Fire Department review." | The permit cannot be complete yet. Ask how the builder has a permit if the NOC is still pending. |
| Approved | "Download the NOC Letter. You may now proceed to Permit Fee payment." | Ask for the NOC letter with its application ID. |
| Rejected | "Resubmit revised drawings and re-apply for Fire NOC." | Ask what changed in the drawings and for the later approval. |
| NA | "If Fire NOC is Not Applicable — system auto-sets the field to NA." | Ask for the building height and basement count so you can see why. |
After construction: occupancy and renewal
The AP fire NOC portal lists guides for "How to Apply Occupancy FIRE NOC Online" and "How to Apply Occupancy Renewal". So for a completed building, ask for the Occupancy NOC too, and for the latest renewal. How often AP renewal is due is to verify; we did not read it.
Questions to send the builder in writing
- What is the building height on the sanctioned plan, in metres, and how many basements are there?
- Was a fire NOC applicable on APDPMS? Please share the NOC letter and application ID.
- Please share the Occupancy NOC and the latest renewal, if any.
- After handover, who handles renewals: the builder or the residents' association?
To verify: whether a buyer can look up a NOC by number, and the fees (the department's fee rules PDF is a scanned image we could not read). Support contacts are on the NOC portal.
Related guides
- Building permission and occupancy certificate check
- Verify the project's RERA registration
- Flat possession and handover checklist
- Builder insolvency check (NCLT / IBBI)
- Agreement of sale vs sale deed
Buying in Telangana? See the Telangana guide.
Not legal advice and not a fire safety inspection. This page summarises fire services department pages read on 22 Oct 2026. Rules and thresholds change; confirm with the fire office and a qualified professional before you rely on them.
A free sample from our Andhra Pradesh property do-it-yourself pack for NRIs: which portal to open, in what order, what to ask for, and what to keep on file.
Get it free (instant download)FAQ
Does every apartment in Vizag or Vijayawada need a fire NOC?
Not necessarily. The APDPMS manual lists all high-rise buildings under the AP Building Rules, 2017, and buildings with two or more basements or one basement over 500 m², among others. The AP high-rise height is to verify.
Can a builder get the building permit without the fire NOC?
Where APDPMS marks the fire NOC as applicable, the manual says it must be approved before the permit fee payment step is unlocked.
What does 'NA' mean for the fire NOC on APDPMS?
The manual says the system sets it to NA when a fire NOC is not applicable to that building.
Is there an Occupancy fire NOC in AP?
Yes. The AP fire NOC portal lists guides for applying for an Occupancy NOC and for Occupancy Renewal.
Can I check a fire NOC online myself?
We did not find a public search for buyers. Ask the builder for the NOC letter and application ID.
Official sources
Not legal advice. We don't check properties or certify ads. A lawyer must confirm title, and the Authority's own notices override anything on this page.