Certificate of Compliance and Inspections

On this page

• Certificate of Compliance

• Fire Inspections

• Life Safety Inspection

• Certificate of Occupancy Applicants For Home Occupancy Businesses

• Itinerant mobile food vendors/food trucks

There are many steps to obtaining a business license. The steps in this process are outlined in the following areas.

• Applying For a New Business License or Renewing a Business License

For questions regarding your Certificate of Compliance, call 505-955-6150.

Certificate of Compliance

The Fire Marshal’s Office is only one portion of the Certificate of Compliance Process. Your business will be assigned to the Fire Marshal’s Office once all of the previous steps have been completed. Please note that once your application is in our system, we will contact you to arrange a time to do the inspection.

For questions that are specifically regarding your fire inspection, email us at sffd_fmo@santafenm.gov or call 505-955-3310.

Fire Inspections

The Fire Prevention Division provides three categories of fire inspections:

Annual Fire Inspections: Annual Inspection are conducted on buildings in excess of 1,500 square feet based on the International Fire Code (IFC) 2021 occupancy designation, including:

• • (A1)   Large Assembly Structures
  • (A2)   All Restaurants
  •  (E)    Educational Facilities
  • (M)    All Stores
  • (R1)   Hotels/Motels

Businesses are required to obtain a Fire Safety Inspection before acquiring a Business Registration. The Inspector conducts the Fire Safety Inspection to ensure compliance with the IFC 2021. If deficiencies are found, the applicant must correct them before scheduling a re-inspection.

Deferred Submittal Inspections: the deferred submittal inspection is related to the deferred submittal plan review process.  These inspections typically consist of the following:

• • Rough-Ins,
  • Finals
  • Acceptances

In compliance with the IFC 2021 and NFPA Standards, they are designed.  Once you are ready, please contact the City of Santa Fe Fire Marshal’s Office.

Inspection Rates

Life Safety Inspection

The following is a list of potential inspection points that the Fire Marshal’s office will inspect. There can be additional life-safety items that the inspector will address. Some of these items may also not apply to your particular business. 

Click here to download the Life Safety Inspection Instructions.

 Extinguishers

• 2A10BC This means it is the equivalent of 2 gallons of water for an ordinary combustible fire(A) and can cover 10 sqft for an electrical or flammable liquid fire (BC).
• It should be visible and reachable within 75ft in most cases.
• It must be mounted or in a cabinet with a sticker indicating its location. The bottom of the extinguisher should be no lower than 4” and no higher than 48.”
• Shall be readily visible with a sign showing the location if it isn’t
• Shall be inspected annually with a tag indicating the last inspection

Exit signs

• Where required, exit signage must be in place and operable
• Exit signs shall operate for no less than 90 minutes while in emergency operation. This can be tested on some devices by cutting power to the unit by depressing an emergency test switch.
• If you are using photoluminescent exit signs in place of electrically powered signs, they must display a UL sticker.

Alarm Systems

• Facilities that have an alarm system in place must provide evidence of the system being inspected annually. This can be through stickers placed on the equipment or by providing documentation.

Hood Systems

• must provide documentation of regular inspection and cleaning
• cleaning regularity depends on how much cooking takes place and the type of cooking
• cleaning should be the space over the hood, vent pipe, and exterior vent cover (roof-level exhaust)

Hood Extinguishing System

• Annual Inspection should be documented with a tag on the manual activation pull station.
• Regularly inspected Class K extinguishers must be located within 30 feet of cooking surfaces.

Electrical Panels

• Electrical panels must be properly labeled.
• Any open breaker locations must have a knockout cover in place.

Emergency Lights

• Where required, emergency lighting must be maintained in operable condition.
• Emergency lighting shall operate for no less than 90 minutes while in emergency operation. This can be tested on some devices by cutting power to the unit by depressing an emergency test switch.

Extension Cords/Electrical Appliances

• Extension cords are not suitable for long-term use and shall not be utilized for longer than 90days
• Powerstrips with a UL listing and included breaker are suitable
• Portable-space heaters must be located a minimum of 36” from any combustible materials, have a tip-over protection switch, and UL listing

Fire Protection Systems

•  The area directly in front of the Sprinkler Riser shall remain clear and accessible.
• When Sprinkler Riser is located in a separate room, the door shall be labeled and easily identified.
• There shall be a Replacement Sprinkler Head Box with the appropriate amount of replacement heads and a wrench next to the Sprinkler Riser.
• Documentation of quarterly inspections must be on the tag attached to Sprinkler Riser.
• Fire Department Connection shall not have anything within 72” of it in any direction. If the FDC is not easily visible from the arrival point of the fire apparatus, an FDC sign must be placed in a conspicuous location.

Furnaces and Water Heaters

• Furnaces and water heaters with a flame component must not have any combustible materials stored within 36” of appliances.
• No combustible/flammable fuels/gases are to be stored in the mechanical room (furnace/water heater room)
• Doors to the mechanical room must be labeled and easily identifiable.

To request a fire inspection, call 505-955-6150.

Certificate of Occupancy Applicants For Home Occupancy Businesses

Click here to read the Certificate of Occupancy Home Occupation Fire Inspection guidelines.

Itinerant mobile food vendors/food trucks

Click here to read about SFFD Itinerate Mobile Food Vendors-Food Trucks.