Which fire code does Florida use?

Florida's currently effective code is the Florida Fire Prevention Code, 8th Edition, effective 31 December 2023. It comprises Florida specific editions of NFPA 1, the Fire Code, and NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code, both based on the 2021 editions of those standards with Florida amendments. The State Fire Marshal adopts it at three year intervals under Chapter 633.202, Florida Statutes.

The thing most people get wrong about Florida

Florida does not use the International Fire Code. Most states adopt the IFC, published by the International Code Council, and most writing about fire code assumes it. Florida works from the NFPA family instead.

The practical consequence is that section numbers do not translate. An article citing an IFC chapter is not describing Florida's adopted code at all, and searching for an IFC section number will not find the corresponding Florida requirement. This is a different document, not a different edition of the same document.

A 9th Edition is in progress

The State Fire Marshal's published rulemaking shows a 9th Edition moving through the adoption process, with proposed rule hearing proceedings noticed for July 2026 and draft documents available. It is not in effect at the time of writing.

If you are reading this in late 2026 or later, check whether the 9th Edition has taken effect before relying on the 8th. Florida runs a firm three year cycle, so the change is scheduled rather than speculative.

Statewide, and then local on top

Unlike Texas, Florida genuinely does have a statewide code, which makes the base answer the same everywhere in the state. Local jurisdictions may still adopt amendments on top of it. Palm Beach County, for one, publishes its own local amendments to the 8th Edition.

So the statewide answer gets you most of the way, and your local fire marshal still decides the last part. See why the code differs by state.

Where kitchen exhaust requirements come from

NFPA 1 reaches commercial cooking operations and brings in NFPA 96, which is where the cleaning frequency bands come from. The route is different from an IFC state, and the destination is the same standard. See how NFPA 96 sets the four frequencies.

Worth asking locally

• Which local amendments apply to commercial kitchen exhaust in your county or city.
• Whether inspection reports must be filed electronically by your contractor. Several Florida jurisdictions run third party reporting programmes. See how those work.

Verified August 2026 against the Florida State Fire Marshal's published Florida Fire Prevention Code pages. The 9th Edition was in rulemaking at that time. Confirm the current edition before relying on this.