Mandatory certification for fire risk assessors: where it stands

Short answer: Mandatory certification for fire risk assessors in England is coming, but it isn't law yet. The government accepted the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's recommendation in full, consulted from March to June 2026, and says it intends to publish its response between October and December 2026. Legislation will follow when parliamentary time allows. Until then, certification is voluntary.

Why is mandatory certification being introduced?

Because review after review has found that too many fire risk assessments are carried out by people who can't show they are competent to do them.

The government's own consultation on the fire risk assessor profession sets out the history. It recalls Dame Judith Hackitt's finding that fire risk assessments "often consist of little more than a 'tick box' exercise undertaken by someone without demonstrable competence of fire safety". It notes that the Grenfell Tower Inquiry's Phase 2 report "identified serious shortcomings in the fire risk assessments produced", and that the Inquiry recommended the government "establish a system of mandatory accreditation to certify the competence of fire risk assessors". The government accepted that recommendation in full.

Today there is no legal requirement for an assessor to hold any particular qualification or certificate. The responsible person can still carry out the assessment themselves. In a Home Office survey of fire risk assessors, carried out in 2023 and published in 2024, fewer than half (46%) of respondents said they were individually certificated or registered as competent. The sample was self-selecting and the figures are self-reported, so treat that as an indication rather than a census.

What did the 2026 consultation propose?

It proposed turning fire risk assessment into a regulated profession, with competence checked by independent bodies, a central register and powers to act against people who fall short.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government launched the consultation on 26 March 2026 and it closed on 18 June 2026. The main proposals and questions were:

• A competency framework. Tiers of competence could mirror the Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced levels in BS 8674, matched to how complex a building is.
• Independent verification. Certification bodies would themselves be accredited before they could verify an assessor's competence. The consultation notes there are currently only two UKAS-accredited bodies certifying fire risk assessors.
• Who gets certified. It asked whether individual assessors, their employers or both should be certified.
• A central register. Proposed details include a registration number, competency level, registration dates, the awarding body, and previous breaches and sanctions. It asked whether breach records should be public.
• Offences and sanctions. Proposed offences include failing to meet competency requirements, impersonating a certified assessor and breaching a code of conduct, including failing to declare a conflict of interest. Sanctions could include fines, suspension and removal from the register.
• Responsible persons. It asked whether, and to what extent, responsible persons who aren't registered professionals should still be able to assess their own premises.
• A route for existing assessors. An "existing proficient worker" route would let current assessors gain certification by demonstrating their skills.

None of this is final until the government responds.

When will certification become mandatory?

No date has been set, and the next milestone is the government's response to the consultation.

In its September 2026 Grenfell progress report, the government says: "We intend to publish the government's response in Q4 (October to December) 2026." The same report confirms it will legislate to make certification mandatory, with competence "independently verified by a UKAS (UK Accreditation Service)-accredited Certification Body". When we checked on 26 October 2026, the response had not yet been published. We will update this post when it is.

After the response, the rules need legislation, and the consultation says that will come "when parliamentary time allows". A Fire Protection Association article from August 2026 suggests full requirements "could potentially come into force by 2028–2029". It is an estimate, not a commitment.

It is also unlikely to arrive all at once. The consultation set out phased options, including starting with assessors at the Advanced level or with those working on the highest-risk premises. With around 3 million buildings in scope of the Fire Safety Order, according to the consultation, a single switch-over would need a long transition.

What can assessors do before the rules arrive?

Get your competence independently verified now, and make sure your reports show the standard you work to.

BS 8674:2025 already defines Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced competence for individual fire risk assessors, and the consultation points to those levels as the likely basis for any statutory tiers. Assessors who are already certified against a recognised framework will have less to do when the rules land. With only two UKAS-accredited bodies certifying fire risk assessors at the time of the consultation, leaving it late could mean delays.

The legal duties on records have already changed. Since 1 October 2023, under section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022, every responsible person must record the full findings of the assessment, not just the significant ones. London Fire Brigade's guidance adds that they must record the identity of the person who carried it out and that anyone they appoint must be competent.

What this means for your reports

Certification checks the person. The report is the evidence of the work. If assessors are named on a public register, as proposed, with a stated competence level, clients, enforcing authorities and certification bodies will be able to set a report alongside the level its author holds.

That is where today's lack of standardisation starts to matter. FRA reports in England follow no required format, and quality varies a lot from one report to the next. A report that follows a recognised method, such as PAS 79-1 for non-domestic premises or BS 9792 for housing, in the same order every time, with each finding tied to its evidence and each action given a priority and an owner, makes the assessor's judgement easy to see.

Certification is about raising the floor, and so is a consistent report structure. Most assessors already do careful work. A clear, standards-aligned report makes sure that work shows.

Cindr turns an assessor's site notes, photos and judgement into consistent PAS 79-1 and BS 9792 reports. The assessor sets every rating and signs off every report.

Frequently asked questions

Is certification for fire risk assessors mandatory now?

No. The government has committed to making it mandatory and consulted on the details in 2026, but no law requires it yet. Certification is currently voluntary.

When will the government respond to the consultation?

The government's September 2026 progress report says it intends to publish its response in October to December 2026. It had not been published as of 26 October 2026.

Will responsible persons still be able to do their own fire risk assessment?

That hasn't been decided. The consultation asked whether, and to what extent, responsible persons who aren't registered professionals should keep doing their own assessments.

What competence levels will certification use?

The consultation suggests tiers could mirror the Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced levels in BS 8674:2025, matched to building complexity. The final framework will be set out in the government response and later legislation.