--- title: "NFPA 80 Fire Door Inspections: Yearly Rules | Calibre" description: "NFPA 80 calls for fire door assemblies to be inspected and tested at least once a year, with a signed record. See what that means for owners and managers." url: https://calibre.multisites.ai/cre-inspector-insights/nfpa-80-fire-door-inspections-what-is-required-yearly publisher: Calibre Commercial Inspections phone: "+1-208-305-6245" email: Schedule@CalibreCBI.com --- Inspector Insights # NFPA 80 Fire Door InspectionsWhat Is Required Yearly October 13, 2026 / By Calibre Commercial Inspections / 5 min read NFPA 80 requires fire door assemblies to be inspected and tested at least once a year, and the inspection must be recorded in a signed written record that is kept for the authority having jurisdiction. Doors must also be inspected and tested after maintenance or repair. Your local fire code decides which edition of NFPA 80 applies to your building. This article is general information. Your fire marshal or building official has the final say on your building. ## What does NFPA 80 require? NFPA 80 is the Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives. NFPA lists 2025 as its current edition and describes the standard as covering the installation and maintenance of assemblies and devices that protect openings in walls, floors, and ceilings against the spread of fire and smoke. Four requirements matter most to an owner. **Inspect and test at least annually.** Section 5.2.1, as reproduced in a Virginia state code board document, reads: “Fire door assemblies shall be inspected and tested not less than annually, and a written record of the inspection shall be signed and kept for inspection by the AHJ.” (AHJ means authority having jurisdiction, such as the fire marshal.) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services confirmed the annual requirement under the 2010 edition when it set rules for health care occupancies. Section numbers and wording can shift between editions, so read the edition your jurisdiction enforces. **Keep a signed record.** NFPA’s 2022-edition text, as reprinted in an NFPA 1 committee report, says a record of all inspections and testing shall be signed by the inspector and kept for inspection by the AHJ. **Inspect again after repairs.** The same NFPA text says that upon completion of maintenance or repair work, fire door assemblies shall be inspected and tested. **Use someone who knows the assemblies.** The NFPA text says visual inspection and functional testing require people who are thoroughly knowledgeable about the components and systems used in fire-rated assemblies. ## What does an inspection cover? The NFPA text describes the work in two parts: - A visual inspection of the assembly from both sides to assess its overall condition. - A functional test of operation, which includes the closing device, complete closure of the door, and full engagement of the latch where the door type requires one. Our [fire door inspection service](https://calibre.multisites.ai/cre-services/fire-door-inspections) lists the parts we check on an assembly: the door leaf, frame, hinges, seals, closing mechanism, latching hardware, clearance gaps, signage and labels, glazing and vision panels, and ancillary items such as locks, panic hardware, and electromagnetic hold-open devices. ## Which rules apply to my building? NFPA 80 is a standard, not a law by itself. A fire code or another rule has to adopt it, and the edition adopted matters. Use the table to find where to look. Question Where the answer comes from Is annual inspection required? NFPA 80 (as adopted by your jurisdiction’s fire code) Which edition applies? The edition your state or city has adopted Who enforces it? The authority having jurisdiction, usually the fire marshal or building official Do health care rules add anything? In certified health care facilities, CMS requires annual inspection and testing under the 2010 edition of NFPA 80 Does my insurer set its own rules? Ask your carrier In Idaho, Idaho Code 41-253 adopts the International Fire Code, in the 2000 edition and in such later editions as the state fire marshal adopts, as the minimum standard for protecting life and property from fire. Confirm the edition now in force with the State Fire Marshal. In Washington, Oregon, and Montana, ask your local fire marshal or building official which fire code and which NFPA 80 edition they enforce. ## What about health care and senior living? A CMS memo dated July 28, 2017 (S&C 17-38-LSC) states that in health care occupancies, fire door assemblies must be annually inspected and tested under the 2010 edition of NFPA 80. The memo set January 1, 2018 for full compliance. It also says non-rated doors, such as corridor doors to patient care rooms and smoke barrier doors, are not subject to the annual NFPA 80 or NFPA 105 requirements, although they should be inspected as part of routine facility maintenance. The memo covers CMS-certified facilities. It does not set rules for other building types. For how fire door work fits into a larger review of a care facility, see our [assisted living facility due diligence guide](https://calibre.multisites.ai/cre-inspector-insights/assisted-living-facility-due-diligence). ## What problems do inspections find? Our service page lists these common issues: - Doors propped open or blocked, so they cannot close. - Damaged or missing seals. - Hardware that does not meet fire door standards, such as residential-grade hinges on a commercial fire door. - Excessive gaps or misaligned frames. - Closers that do not shut the door fully. Several of these relate to closing and latching, which the NFPA text tells inspectors to test. ## How does a fire door check fit a purchase or a loan? Ask the seller or owner for the last signed inspection record. A missing record is a question to raise early, because the standard says the record is to be kept for the authority having jurisdiction. If doors fail, the repair list can move into a cost estimate. Our [cost-to-cure reports](https://calibre.multisites.ai/cre-services/cost-to-cure-reports) and [commercial building inspections](https://calibre.multisites.ai/cre-services/commercial-building-inspection) give buyers a place to price and track those items. Other life safety topics we cover include [fire escapes](https://calibre.multisites.ai/cre-inspector-insights/fire-escapes-inspection) and [electric baseboard heaters](https://calibre.multisites.ai/cre-inspector-insights/electric-baseboard-heaters-and-fire-safety). ## Next step If you need an annual inspection, a pre-purchase review, or a punch list for your fire doors, see our [fire door inspections](https://calibre.multisites.ai/cre-services/fire-door-inspections) page or [request a proposal](https://calibre.multisites.ai/request-proposal). Send the building address, the number of rated openings if you know it, and the fire code edition your local official uses. ## Sources - [NFPA 80 standard page (current edition)](https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/nfpa-80-standard-development/80) - [NFPA, second revision report for NFPA 1, reprinting NFPA 80 (2022 edition) text (PDF)](https://docinfofiles.nfpa.org/files/AboutTheCodes/1/1_A2023_FCC_OCP_SD_SRReport.pdf) - [Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development board document reproducing NFPA 80 section 5.2.1 (PDF)](https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/DocX/2015-code-development-cycle/board-documents/book-5-part-1-sfpdc-9-18-2017.pdf) - [CMS memo S&C 17-38-LSC: Fire and Smoke Door Annual Testing Requirements in Health Care Occupancies](https://www.hhs.gov/guidance/sites/default/files/hhs-guidance-documents/CMS/SC17-38-LSC.Fire-and-Smoke-Door-Annual-Testing-Requirements.pdf) - [Idaho Code 41-253, Adoption of the International Fire Code](https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title41/t41ch2/sect41-253/) **Calibre Commercial Inspections** ## More Inspector Insights Condition and costOct 13, 2026 ### [Fannie Mae vs. Freddie Mac PCA Repair Deadlines](https://calibre.multisites.ai/cre-inspector-insights/fannie-mae-vs-freddie-mac-pca-repair-deadlines) EnvironmentalOct 13, 2026 ### [How Long Is a Phase I ESA Valid? 180 Days and 1 Year](https://calibre.multisites.ai/cre-inspector-insights/how-long-is-a-phase-i-esa-valid) Condition and costOct 13, 2026 ### [How Long Is a Property Condition Assessment Valid?](https://calibre.multisites.ai/cre-inspector-insights/how-long-is-a-property-condition-assessment-valid) ## Ready for your next inspection? Tell us about the property and your timeline. We will scope the right report and send a proposal. [Request a proposal](https://calibre.multisites.ai/request-proposal) [(208) 305-6245](tel:+12083056245)