NICET state requirements: which fire alarm licenses name a level

We checked 31 states and two cities on 21 Oct 2026. The table lists the 19 states and 2 cities whose own rule or agency page names a NICET level for fire alarm work. The other 12 states are listed below the table with what we found.

Verify with your AHJ before you rely on this

This table is a starting point, not a ruling. Rules change, several of the posted documents are years old, and a county or city can add its own requirements on top of the state's. Before you bid, hire or apply, confirm the current requirement with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) for the job, usually the state fire marshal, the state licensing board or the local fire department. Ask which NICET program they accept, Fire Alarm Systems or Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems, because many rules name only a level.

NICET keeps its own Who Uses NICET? list, and says it does not guarantee that list is accurate. Many of its fire alarm links pointed to pages that had moved or no longer loaded when we checked, so every row below links to the page we actually read.

States and cities that name a NICET fire alarm level

Each source was retrieved 21 Oct 2026. "FAS" means NICET Fire Alarm Systems; "ITFAS" means Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems. Where a rule names only a level, the table says so.

State guides

We have written a longer page for each of these states, with the steps, the NICET level named and the agency source, all checked 26 Oct 2026:

• Alabama: State Fire Marshal permit, Level III certificate holder, Level II technicians.
• Iowa: alarm system license, with NICET as one qualifying route per endorsement.
• Kentucky: fire alarm inspector certification, NICET Level II to IV or a state-approved exam.
• Louisiana: firm qualifier at Level III, technician routes.
• Nebraska: fire alarm inspector license, NICET Level II, state test or ESA.
• Nevada: fire alarm designers, NICET Level II, an equivalent or a Nevada engineer license.
• New Hampshire: voluntary technician certificates, NICET Level II as one route to unlimited.
• New Jersey: fire alarm systems contractor certification at Level II.
• Ohio: fire alarm system designer, Level III or IV.
• Oklahoma: fire alarm plan designer, Level III minimum, on plan submittals.
• South Carolina: alarm business license, NICET Level II course certificate or a Level I school course.
• Texas: State Fire Marshal licenses, NICET Level II or III in place of a technician or planning test. Read 26 Oct 2026; the Texas agency page loaded after the 21 Oct check.
• Utah: inspecting and testing certificates matched to NICET levels.

Where the sources disagree or are dated

• Utah. The State Fire Marshal's page says NICET levels are "equivalent" to its three certificates. The copy of rule R710-11 posted on the same site (last substantive amendment 21 Sep 2010) lets NICET replace the written exam only, and still asks Basic candidates for a skills task book. Ask the State Fire Marshal which applies to you.
• Nevada. The rule allows NICET Level II "or an equivalent certification" for fire alarm designers. The State Fire Marshal's plans submittal checklist names only NICET Level II or a professional engineer.
• Louisiana. The rule history dates to August 2007 and the technician memo to July 2009. The State Fire Marshal's laws and rules page says its rules are under review and may not be current.
• Older posted documents. The New Jersey rule notice is from 2011, the New Hampshire rule from 2010, the South Dakota rule from 2012 and the South Carolina section was last amended in 2006. The Montana rule copy is the department's own compilation as of June 2021. They were the current posted versions on 21 Oct 2026, but check with the agency before relying on them.
• Program not named. Arkansas, Florida, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina and New York City name a level without saying which NICET program. Only Nebraska, Iowa and Seattle name Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems. If you hold only the ITFAS certification, ask the AHJ before assuming it meets a rule that says "Level II".

States we checked that are not in the table

No NICET fire alarm level found on the agency source (7):

• Idaho, Minnesota and West Virginia: the rules we read name NICET for sprinkler work only (IDAPA 18.08.02, Minnesota fire protection licensing, West Virginia licensure for fire protection workers).
• Vermont: NICET appears for suppression and sprinkler design only. The fire alarm inspection and testing category asks for a Vermont electrician or fire alarm license (Division of Fire Safety).
• Kansas: the State Fire Marshal requires company registration, not a license. Its registration form (rev. 30 Mar 2026) asks for the highest NICET fire alarm level held and copies of certificates, but sets no minimum.
• Mississippi and Tennessee: we found no NICET wording for fire alarm work on the State Fire Marshal pages we could read.

Could not verify from the agency page on 21 Oct 2026 (5; Texas has since been read, see its state guide):

• Arizona, California and Michigan: the agency pages refused our request or did not load, so we left them out rather than rely on third-party copies. Texas did not load on 21 Oct 2026 and was read on 26 Oct 2026; see its state guide. If you work in Arizona, California or Michigan, go straight to the state fire marshal or licensing board.
• Wyoming: the pages that loaded do not mention NICET, but the department's fire alarm plan checklist and rules are hosted as files we could not open.

One related California source did load. The Division of the State Architect's IR A-21 (revised 14 Dec 2023), which covers its own school and state building projects, recommends NICET fire alarm Level III or IV and says that is not a minimum requirement. It is guidance for those projects, not a license.

What this means for your plan

For how these rules read in design and plan-review work, see the Level II to Level III guide. The rules that name Level III or IV for designers (Alaska, New Mexico, Ohio and Oklahoma) are summarised in the Level III exam guide.

1. Find your AHJ first. Use the table to see whether your state ties its credential to NICET, then confirm the current rule with that office.
2. Match the program and level. Note whether the rule says Fire Alarm Systems, Inspection and Testing, or only a level. Our comparison of the two NICET tracks shows how they differ.
3. Check the experience you can document. A state credential that relies on Level II or III still needs the NICET certificate, which needs qualifying experience. The level requirements guide lists what each level asks for, and the certification lookup guide shows how an AHJ or employer will check your status.
4. Plan your study. If your state needs Level II, the free 10-question check scores you by FAS Level II domain so you know where to start.

Sources

Show the list

All retrieved 21 Oct 2026.

• Who Uses NICET?, NICET: list of jurisdictions and its accuracy disclaimer.
• Fire Alarm Section 34-33A, Alabama State Fire Marshal.
• 13 AAC 50 to 13 AAC 55, Fire Prevention, Alaska Department of Public Safety.
• Code of Arkansas Rules, Part 350, Arkansas State Police.
• Examination Requirements for Fire Alarm Signaling System Certification and Fire Alarm Certificate Application, Delaware State Fire Marshal.
• Electrical Contractors FAQs, Florida Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board.
• 481 IAC Chapter 267, Iowa Legislature, and Alarm System Licensing, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing.
• 815 KAR 10:060, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission.
• LAC 55:V Chapter 30, Licensing Memo 3-2009 and Laws and Rules, Louisiana State Fire Marshal.
• ARM Chapter 144, Fire Protection Licensing, Montana Department of Labor and Industry.
• Fire Alarm Inspector License, Nebraska State Fire Marshal.
• NAC Chapter 477, Nevada Legislature, and Plans Submittal Checklist, Nevada State Fire Marshal.
• Saf-C 1200, New Hampshire rules.
• Fire Protection Equipment Contractor Certification Requirements and N.J.A.C. 5:74-2.3, New Jersey Division of Fire Safety.
• Plan Submittal Information, New Mexico State Fire Marshal's Office.
• OAC 4101:7-1-02 and OAC 4101:7-5-01, Ohio Board of Building Standards.
• Fire Alarm Plan Submittal Checklist, Oklahoma State Fire Marshal.
• S.C. Code Title 40, Chapter 79, South Carolina Legislature.
• ARSD 20:38:38:05, South Dakota Legislature.
• Fire Alarm Systems and R710-11, Utah State Fire Marshal.
• S-87 Certificate of Fitness, FDNY.
• Certification Information Packet, Seattle Fire Department, version July 2026.
• IDAPA 18.08.02, Idaho; Fire protection licensing requirements, Minnesota; Licensure for Fire Protection Workers, West Virginia; Division of Fire Safety, Vermont; Fire Alarm / Sprinkler Company Registration, Kansas.
• IR A-21, California Division of the State Architect.