Hong Kong FS251 certificate: annual inspection & forms

FS251 is the Certificate of Fire Service Installations and Equipment. After completing applicable installation, maintenance, repair or inspection work, a registered fire service installation contractor issues the certificate to the person who instructed the work and forwards a copy to FSD within the prescribed period under Cap. 95B.

When the certificate arrives, check the equipment list, locations, work, completion date and contractor registration. New buildings and other projects may need additional forms; ask the contractor to list the documents required for your work.

Start with the address, premises use and whether you need an annual inspection, repairs or licensing documents. The contractor can then confirm the work, access arrangements and documents needed.

Share the records you have when you enquire; an old certificate or equipment list can follow if needed. Before booking, confirm who will commission the work, arrange access and approve any additional repairs.

FSD Circular 4/2026 requires contractors to prepare and submit FS251 through the designated online system from 1 July 2026. The transition from paper and older electronic forms has ended. Contractors should now follow FSD's online submission guidance.

The new certificate has an anti-counterfeiting QR code at the bottom left for checking its details. Report suspicious verification details, or certificates issued on or after 1 July 2026 without that code, to FSD. Official circulars, form samples and explanatory notes are linked below.

The registered contractor must issue FS251 to the person who commissioned the work and forward a copy to FSD within 14 days of completing it. When booking, confirm the expected completion date and how you will receive the certificate.

If the inspection finds defects, ask the contractor to explain the equipment's condition, proposed repairs and any retesting needed. Agree the work and costs before arranging access, then keep the repair and retest records.

Cap. 95B Regulation 8 requires installation and equipment owners to keep equipment working efficiently and have it inspected by a registered contractor at least every 12 months. Arrange completion by the Part 1 due date, allowing time for access, tests and defect follow-up.

Circular 5/2025 Appendix III says the due date normally falls one year after work completion unless FSD specifies otherwise. For example, if the contractor signs the certificate two weeks after the inspection, plan the next inspection from the actual completion date and the Part 1 due date. Do not restart the interval from the signature date.

The due date and current equipment condition need separate attention. Faults arising before the due date still need action. Keep service reports, defect lists, repair records and equipment lists together; holding a certificate alone does not establish that every installation is working today.

Check the address, contractor registration and equipment locations, then read the scope in each part. A certificate recording a repair to selected equipment does not replace annual inspection records for other installations.

Use the form samples and explanatory notes in Circular 5/2025 to identify the fields. Where Part 3 records defects, ask the contractor to explain their effects, repairs and retesting, and retain the follow-up records.

FS251 is the form reference; each equipment entry also uses an installation code. These common examples come from Circular 5/2025 Appendix IV. Refer to the original FSD document for the complete list.

A code alone does not establish that every installation in a building was inspected. Read it with the equipment name, location, completion date and condition, and compare the equipment list with the agreed work scope.

Share the defect report, equipment locations and recent drawings with the contractor. Distinguish local repairs, replacements and layout changes. Chung Kwun and Cypress can review the tests, work and documentation within their respective scope.

For a building or institutional enquiry, include the programme, access restrictions and tender deadline. Compare the inspection, additional repairs, retesting and documentation as separate parts of the quote.

FS251 records the fire service installations and work listed on the certificate. Escape routes, fire-resisting construction, Fire Safety Directions, licence conditions and alteration approvals need to be checked against their own requirements and documents.

If the certificate or service report lists a fault, isolation or outstanding work, ask the contractor to explain the effect and recommended action. The person responsible should arrange the repairs and keep the completion and retest records.

File the original certificate or an electronic copy by property address and date, together with equipment lists, service reports and repair records. Keep the contractor's contact details, next inspection deadline and outstanding work easy to find.

When ownership, management or tenancy changes, hand over past certificates, equipment lists, repair records and outstanding work. Explain any work already booked and inspections coming due to the person taking over.