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Delaware sprinkler inspections and the Annual Certificate of Inspection

Updated · General information, not legal advice

Delaware makes sprinkler inspection compliance visible to the State Fire Marshal. After each annual inspection, the licensed company you hire files a certificate for each system. Here is how the program works and what to check.

The rule

Under 1 Del. Admin. Code § 703-5-8.0, a licensed fire protection company must send the Office of the State Fire Marshal a separate Certificate of Inspection for each fire suppression system it inspects, tests, or maintains. The certificate is filed annually, with the required fees, within 30 days of the annual inspection. It must note any deficiencies found and any corrective action taken. One- and two-family dwellings are exempt.

A separate system is one controlled by a single main control valve, so a building with several risers may need several certificates.

In areas served by a Jurisdictional Assistant State Fire Marshal, certificates go to that office.

Standards behind it

The Delaware State Fire Prevention Regulations adopt NFPA standards by reference, including NFPA 25 for sprinkler inspection, testing, and maintenance. The State Fire Marshal's Quality Assurance Program reviews submitted certificates and inspection work.

Owner checklist

  • Hire a company licensed by the Delaware State Fire Marshal for fire suppression systems.
  • Get a copy of the annual report and confirm the certificate was submitted for every system.
  • Track deficiencies to correction; major impairments must be reported promptly.
  • Keep quarterly and five-year NFPA 25 records with the annual reports.

Note

Frequencies below summarize recent editions of NFPA 25. Your jurisdiction may enforce an older or newer edition, and your insurer or the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) can require more. Treat this as a checklist to discuss with your contractor, not as legal advice.

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New York

New Jersey

Connecticut

Pennsylvania

Delaware

Maryland

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Sources

  1. 1 Del. Admin. Code § 703-5-8.0, Submission of Certificates of Inspection
  2. 1 Del. Admin. Code § 701-7-1.0, NFPA Codes and Standards (Delaware State Fire Prevention Regulations)
  3. Delaware State Fire Marshal, Quality Assurance Program
  4. NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems (NFPA)

NFPA standards are available to read free online from NFPA. Requirements depend on the edition your jurisdiction adopts; confirm with your authority having jurisdiction.

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