To ensure and maintain compliance with Life Safety Codes, Fire Prevention Codes and State Standards for the safety and welfare of all employees, residents, visitors, and emergency responders in Miami Dade County, all businesses are required to have an annual inspection and receive a Life Safety Operating Permit.

The codes and standards are applied equally and with consistency to all applicable occupancies.

Inspection Process
The assigned Fire Safety Specialist I (FSSI) goes to an existing business facility and conducts a thorough inspection of the facility.  Any violations found are recorded on a Fire Inspection Report along with the applicable codes and the required corrective action needed to come into compliance.  The FSSI will discuss the report in detail with the occupant to assure that the information is clearly understood.  The FSSI will then return in thirty days for a re-inspection of the noted violations.  If the violations have been corrected, the FSSI will note compliance and the occupant will be mailed the annual operating permit.  However, failure to correct the violations will result in the issuance of a Final Notice of Violation, and the case will be forwarded to a Code Compliance Officer to manage until the facility becomes compliant.

Permittable Occupancies
Inspectors are responsible for inspecting all existing commercial and multi-family occupancies within the County's jurisdiction on an annual basis. Only single and double family residences are exempt. Permittable occupancies include, but are not limited to: 

• hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other medical centers
• schools, daycare facilities and other recreational or educational centers
• apartment and condominium buildings
• industrial and manufacturing facilities
• retail stores, business offices, dining and entertainment establishments

Request an Inspection
Businesses or multi-unit residential buildings needing inspection should contact the Fire Prevention Division at 786-331-4800. Please note that inspections are conducted in order of priority based on the type of occupancy.