CS/CS/HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-02-c2
Page 1 of 6
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to fire prevention; amending s. 2
553.7932, F.S.; defining the term "alteration"; 3
revising the definition of the term "fire alarm system 4
project"; requiring a local enforcement agency to 5
issue a permit for a fire alarm system project or fire 6
sprinkler system project within a specified time 7
period; authorizing work to commence immediately; 8
requiring the local enforcement agency to provide an 9
inspection within a specified timeframe; requiring 10
that certain plans and specifications be available fo r 11
an onsite plans review during an inspection; requiring 12
a contractor to provide additional documents, if 13
necessary, within a specified timeframe; prohibiting a 14
local enforcement agency from requiring additional 15
plans reviews or documentation outside the s cope of 16
the permitted work; requiring that permit fees be 17
refunded by a certain percentage if a local government 18
fails to meet certain deadlines; providing exceptions; 19
requiring local enforcement agencies to establish a 20
simplified permitting process by a s pecified date; 21
amending s. 633.202, F.S.; providing that a county or 22
municipality may only enforce an ordinance that has 23
been sent to the Florida Building Commission and the 24
State Fire Marshal as of a certain date; amending s. 25
CS/CS/HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-02-c2
Page 2 of 6
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
633.312, F.S.; requiring a un iform summary inspection 26
report to include specified information; removing the 27
requirement for a brief summary of deficiencies; 28
requiring a contractor's detailed inspection report to 29
be provided with a uniform summary inspection report; 30
removing an exception from submitting certain 31
information within a detailed inspection report; 32
providing an effective date. 33
34
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 35
36
Section 1. Paragraphs (a) through (d) of subsection (1) of 37
section 553.7932, Florid a Statutes, are redesignated as 38
paragraphs (b) through (e), respectively, present paragraph (c) 39
of subsection (1), subsections (3) and (4), and paragraphs (a) 40
and (b) of subsection (5) are amended, and a new paragraph (a) 41
is added to subsection (1) and sub sections (6) and (7) are added 42
to that section, to read: 43
553.7932 Simplified permitting processes. — 44
(1) As used in this section, the term: 45
(a) "Alteration" means to add, install, relocate, replace, 46
or remove. 47
(d)(c) "Fire alarm system project" mean s a fire alarm 48
system alteration of a total of 20 or fewer initiating devices 49
and notification devices ;, or the installation or replacement of 50
CS/CS/HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-02-c2
Page 3 of 6
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
a fire communicator connected to an existing fire alarm control 51
panel in an existing commercial, residential, apa rtment, 52
cooperative, or condominium building ; or the replacement of an 53
existing fire alarm panel using the same make and model as the 54
existing panel. 55
(3) A local enforcement agency must issue a permit for a 56
fire alarm system project or fire sprinkler sys tem project in 57
person or electronically within 2 business days after submission 58
of a completed application. A contractor may commence work 59
authorized by the permit immediately after submission of a 60
completed application . 61
(4) The a local enforcement agenc y must provide an 62
inspection within 3 business days after such inspection is 63
requested, require at least one inspection of a fire alarm 64
system project or fire sprinkler system project to ensure 65
compliance with applicable codes and standards. If a fire alar m 66
system project or fire sprinkler system project fails an 67
inspection, the contractor must take corrective action as 68
necessary to pass inspection. 69
(5)(a) For a fire alarm system project, a contractor must 70
keep a copy of the plans and specifications at th e fire alarm 71
system project worksite and make such plans and specifications 72
available to the inspector for an onsite plans review at each 73
inspection. If the local enforcement agency determines that it 74
needs additional documents for recording purposes, the 75
CS/CS/HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-02-c2
Page 4 of 6
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
contractor must provide such documentation in paper or 76
electronic form to the local enforcement agency within 4 77
business days after the inspection or 4 days after the 78
documentation is requested, whichever is later. The local 79
enforcement agency may not requ ire additional plans reviews or 80
documentation of areas or devices outside the scope of permitted 81
work, as needed on permit applications. 82
(b) For a fire sprinkler system project to alter an 83
existing fire protection system , a contractor must keep a copy 84
of the plans and specifications at the fire sprinkler system 85
project worksite and make such plans and specifications 86
available to the inspector at each inspection. If the local 87
enforcement agency determines that it needs additional documents 88
for recording purposes, the contractor must provide such 89
documentation in paper or electronic form to the local 90
enforcement agency within 4 business days after the inspection 91
or 4 days after the documentation is requested, whichever is 92
later. The local enforcement agency may not require additional 93
plans, reviews, or documentation of areas or devices outside the 94
scope of permitted work, as needed on permit applications. 95
(6) A local government that fails to meet a deadline under 96
subsection (3) or subsection (4) must refund the permit fee by 97
10 percent for each business day after such failure, unless the 98
local government and contractor agree in writing to a reasonable 99
extension of time, the delay is caused by the applicant, or the 100
CS/CS/HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-02-c2
Page 5 of 6
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
delay is attributable to a force majeure or other extraordinary 101
circumstances. Each 10 -percent refund shall be based on the 102
original amount of the permit fee. 103
(7) By October 1, 2025, a local enforcement agency must 104
establish a simplified permitting process that complies with 105
this section. 106
Section 2. Subsection (9) of section 633.202, Florida 107
Statutes, is amended to read: 108
633.202 Florida Fire Prevention Code. — 109
(9)(a) The State Fire Marshal shall make rules that 110
implement this section and ss. 633.104 and 633.208 for the 111
purpose of accomplishing the objectives set forth in those 112
sections. 113
(b) A county or municipality may only enforce an ordinance 114
providing for a loca l amendment to the Florida Fire Prevention 115
Code if such ordinance was transmitted to the Florida Building 116
Commission and the State Fire Marshal pursuant to subsection (8) 117
as of the date that the permit was submitted. 118
Section 3. Paragraph (b) of subsect ion (3) of section 119
633.312, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 120
633.312 Inspection of fire control systems, fire hydrants, 121
and fire protection systems. — 122
(3) 123
(b) The State Fire Marshal shall adopt rules to implement 124
a uniform summary inspection repor t and submission procedures to 125
CS/CS/HB 551 2025
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
hb551-02-c2
Page 6 of 6
F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
be used by all third -party vendors and local authorities having 126
jurisdiction. For purposes of this section, a uniform summary 127
inspection report must record the address at which where the 128
fire protection system or hydrant is l ocated, the company and 129
person conducting the inspection and their license number, the 130
date of the inspection, and the fire protection system or 131
hydrant inspection status, including the total number of 132
deficiencies found, separated into critical and noncri tical 133
categories, and a brief description of impairment deficiencies a 134
brief summary of each deficiency, critical deficiency, 135
noncritical deficiency, or impairment found . A contractor's 136
detailed inspection report must also be provided, but is not 137
required to follow the uniform summary inspection report format. 138
The State Fire Marshal shall establish by rule a submission 139
procedure for each means provided under paragraph (a) by which a 140
local authority having jurisdiction may accept uniform summary 141
inspection reports. Each of the submission procedures must allow 142
a contractor to attach additional documents with the submission 143
of a uniform summary inspection report, including a physical 144
copy of the contractor's detailed inspection report. A 145
submission procedure ma y not require a contractor to submit 146
information contained within the detailed inspection report 147
unless the information is required to be included in the uniform 148
summary inspection report . 149
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025. 150