LOCAL RULES: TITLE 19 CCR

California fire extinguisher inspection report requirements

Your California fire extinguisher inspection report has 9 rules to meet. ReportDraft puts every one on your checklist and checks your draft before you sign.

  • Condemned units get a red Condemned tag; obsolete types come out of service
  • Owner keeps inspection records until the next maintenance
  • A visual inspection every month
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California licenses fire extinguisher concerns and registers every technician through the Office of the State Fire Marshal under Health and Safety Code 13160 and following and Title 19, Chapter 3 of the California Code of Regulations. The rules apply the same everywhere in the state. Here is each rule with a link to the official text, and what a California fire extinguisher service report should record.

Last reviewed October 15, 2026 against the official sources listed below.

Fire extinguisher inspectionCALIFORNIA / SAMPLE

Sample notes, 100 words

Building: Riverside Plaza, 410 Market St
Date: 10/06/2026, monthly check
Inspected by: Dana Cole, facilities
Lobby by front doors: 10 lb ABC, serial A44120, gauge in green, pin and seal OK, tag current
Kitchen: class K 6 L, gauge OK, tag punched
...
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46%of your draft is ready from these notes

We sorted 17 items into 2 sections and flagged 1 to fix soon.

  • Fix soonInspection items (all units)

    Tamper seal missing

9 California rules on your checklist, including condemned units get a red Condemned tag; obsolete types come out of service.

Still to add

  • California lawLicensed concern (name as on the license, business location and local phone)
  • California lawConcern's license number (E number) and license type
  • California lawCertificate of registration (EE) number of the person who serviced

Filled in for you

Building or facilityRiverside Plaza, 410 Market St
Address410 Market St
Inspection dateOct 6, 2026
Person who performed or supervised the serviceDana Cole, facilities
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What California requires

  • No one may service, charge or test portable fire extinguishers as a business or for a fee without a State Fire Marshal license, with a separate license for each place of business; maintenance, servicing and recharging of required extinguishers are done by licensed concerns with the right manuals, tools, agents and parts, and the concern trades only under the name on its licenseHealth and Safety Code 13163, 13164, 13171, 13190.3 (b)
  • Every person who services, charges or tests a portable fire extinguisher holds a State Fire Marshal certificate of registration (an EE number), shown on request to the State Fire Marshal or a local fire official; new employees of a licensee may work up to 90 days only in the presence and under the direct supervision of a registered personHealth and Safety Code 13175, 13175.1, 13184
  • Every person who services, charges or tests a portable extinguisher affixes a tag with the date and their signature. The State Fire Marshal approved annual maintenance tag (not red, about 4 3/4 by 2 3/8 inches) carries, machine printed on one side, "Do Not Remove by Order of the State Fire Marshal" at the top, the concern name and business location, the E number and license type, the service/new extinguisher block, the date, the EE number with space for the individual's number, the Seal of Registration, a signature line and a local phone; on the day of service the date, EE number and signature are written in (no rubber stamp)Health and Safety Code 13183 · 19 CCR 576.1, 596.1 (a), (b), 596.2, 596.5 (OSFM Fire Extinguisher Law & Regulations, January 2022 edition)
  • The annual maintenance tag gives the concern's name as listed on the license, its business location and a valid local telephone number19 CCR 596.1 (a) (2), (3), (10) (OSFM Fire Extinguisher Law & Regulations)
  • An extinguisher repaired, converted or altered against the rules is removed from service and tagged with a red tag reading "Condemned" on each face, then destroyed by or at the direction of the owner; obsolete types (soda acid, chemical foam other than AFFF and FFFP, vaporizing liquid, cartridge-operated water and loaded stream, soldered or riveted copper or brass shells and others listed) are removed from service; a unit permanently removed from service gets no maintenance tag, and no tag goes on unless the service was actually done or supervised by the person tagging it19 CCR 577.1, 577.2, 596.6 (OSFM Fire Extinguisher Law & Regulations)
  • The owner or occupant is responsible for inspection, maintenance and recharging of the extinguishers, keeps records of all extinguishers inspected (including those needing corrective action) until the next required maintenance, and records at least monthly the inspection date and the inspector's initials on a tag, a checklist or an electronic systemHealth and Safety Code 13190.3 (a) · 19 CCR 574.5 (OSFM Fire Extinguisher Law & Regulations)
  • A unit that had an internal examination or was recharged gets a verification of service collar (E number, month and year, EE number, signature, concern name), trapped under the valve; low-pressure units passing a hydrostatic test get a hydrostatic test label with the concern, E number, any DOT RIN, month and year, and test pressure; after annual maintenance a safety pin held by a seal is installed, and units taken away for service are replaced with suitable ones of at least equal rating19 CCR 575.10, 575.11, 596 (c), (d), 596.1 (c), (d), 596.3 (OSFM Fire Extinguisher Law & Regulations)
  • The State Fire Marshal's extinguisher rules apply uniformly statewide (no inconsistent local rules, and no special local fee beyond an ordinary business license), and each violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to one thousand dollars, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day a separate offenseHealth and Safety Code 13161, 13190, 13190.4

E numbers and EE numbers

The business needs a State Fire Marshal license (its E number) for each place of business, and every person who services, charges or tests an extinguisher needs a certificate of registration (an EE number). A new hire can work up to 90 days only alongside a registered technician.

The annual maintenance tag

The approved tag carries the State Fire Marshal warning at the top, the concern's name, location, E number and license type, the service block, the EE number, the Seal of Registration and a local phone. On the day of service the date, EE number and signature are written in by hand; a rubber stamp is not allowed.

Units opened or recharged also get a verification of service collar, and low-pressure units passing a hydrostatic test get a test label.

Condemned and obsolete extinguishers

A unit repaired, converted or altered against the rules comes out of service with a red Condemned tag and is destroyed at the owner's direction. Obsolete types such as soda acid, chemical foam and carbon tetrachloride also come out of service, and no maintenance tag goes on a unit removed from service.

From the walkthrough to a finished California report

Note each unit's serial number, the service and what went on it, plus anything condemned or obsolete. ReportDraft puts your E and EE numbers in the header and lists the work by serial number. The owner keeps inspection records until the next maintenance, and violations are misdemeanors.

Common mistakes

  • Signing the tag with a rubber stamp.
  • No EE number written on the tag.
  • Tagging a unit that was condemned or removed from service.
  • Leaving an obsolete extinguisher in service.
  • Forgetting the verification of service collar after a recharge.

Sources

Last reviewed October 15, 2026. Next review due January 15, 2027. This page explains published rules to help you write your report. It is not legal advice; the official text linked above governs.