Free · Validity guide · England
How often should a fire alarm system be serviced?
Every 6 months (guidance)
No law sets a fire alarm service date, but the system must be kept in efficient working order. Government fire safety guidance, which points to BS 5839-1, says to test the alarm weekly and have a competent person test and maintain it every six months.
Work out your fire alarm service expiry date
Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent or stored.
From the engineer’s service sheet or your fire alarm log book.
Six-monthly servicing by a competent person is the interval in government guidance for offices and shops, based on BS 5839-1. It is a standard, not a date set in law. Follow your installer or fire risk assessment if it says otherwise.
Enter a date to see when it expires, how many days are left, when to book the renewal, and to add reminders to your calendar.
Who needs a fire alarm service
The responsible person for non-domestic premises, and for the common parts of blocks of flats and HMOs that have a fire detection and alarm system. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires premises to have fire detectors and alarms where appropriate, and requires those systems to be maintained. BS 5839-1 is the British Standard code of practice for these systems in non-domestic premises.
What happens if it expires
- Missing a service date is not an offence in itself. The legal risk is a system that is not kept in efficient working order, which breaches article 17 of the Fire Safety Order.
- The fire and rescue authority can serve an enforcement notice requiring the system to be put right.
- Where a failure puts people at risk of death or serious injury, it is an offence. In the Crown Court it can lead to a fine, up to 2 years in prison, or both.
- A missed service is also likely to be raised at your next fire risk assessment review.
How to renew
Keep the weekly test going
Test the system each week following the manufacturer’s or installer’s instructions. Make sure people who work outside normal hours also hear the alarm from time to time.
Warn the monitoring centre
If the system is connected to a monitoring station, tell them before testing so it does not trigger a false call-out.
Book the six-monthly service
Use a competent fire alarm engineer. Ask for a written service record of what was tested and any faults.
Record false alarms and faults
Government guidance lists false alarms and fire warning system tests among the records to keep.
Close out defects
Get faults found at the service fixed, and file the engineer’s confirmation with the service record.
When to book
3
weeks
Book the service engineer about 3 weeks ahead, and use a fixed six-monthly slot on a contract if you can. This is our suggestion, not a legal rule.
A simple reminder plan: 30 days, 14 days, 7 days before the expiry date. The calculator above puts these in your calendar.
Evidence to keep
- A fire alarm log book with weekly tests, false alarms and faults.
- Every six-monthly service record from the engineer.
- Records of faults repaired and when.
- Your fire risk assessment, which should reflect the system you have.
Common mistakes
- Stopping weekly tests because a contractor services the system twice a year.
- Testing without warning the monitoring centre, causing an unwanted fire service call.
- Not logging false alarms. Repeated false alarms are a sign the system needs attention.
- Assuming a service contract covers repairs. Check what happens to faults found.
When you would rather not remember
What this looks like when it runs itself
Add the date once and give it an owner. ExpiryEdge reminds them before it lapses, on the channel they actually read, and keeps the certificate and a record of who did what.
Try it with your own dates, free for 14 days, no cardExpiryEdge · Tracked item
Fire alarm service · Unit 4, Kingsway Trade Park
ValidOwner
Facilities manager
Expires
6 months after issue
Reminders before expiry
30d
14d
7d
Due
Fire alarm service questions, answered
Government fire safety guidance for offices and shops says a competent person should test and maintain the fire detection and warning system every six months. This follows BS 5839-1. It is guidance, not a date set in law.
The law requires fire safety equipment, including alarms, to be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair. It does not name an interval. Government guidance recommends six-monthly servicing by a competent person, following BS 5839-1.
Weekly, following the manufacturer’s or installer’s instructions, according to government fire safety guidance. Staff who work outside normal hours should also get a chance to hear it.
A competent person. Guidance says new automatic fire detection systems should also be designed and installed by a competent person.
BS 5839-1 covers non-domestic premises. It is relevant to the common parts of buildings such as blocks of flats. Alarms inside individual rented homes have their own legal rules for landlords.
Sources
Every rule on this page comes from these official sources.
1.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 17 (maintenance)legislation.gov.uk · checked 28 Sep 2026
2.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 13 (fire detection and fire-fighting)legislation.gov.uk · checked 28 Sep 2026
3.
Fire safety risk assessment: offices and shops (testing and maintenance)GOV.UK (Home Office) · gov.uk · checked 28 Sep 2026
4.
BS 5839-1:2025 Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings: non-domestic premises, code of practiceBSI · knowledge.bsigroup.com · checked 28 Sep 2026
5.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 32 (offences)legislation.gov.uk · checked 28 Sep 2026
Guidance, not legal advice. This covers England and reflects the sources as checked on 28 Sep 2026. Check the official source or take professional advice for your situation.