# Texas fire protection licenses explained

Which State Fire Marshal's Office registrations and individual licenses Texas fire protection work requires, what each allows, and how many are active (as of October 26, 2026).

## Two layers: the company and the people

Texas licenses fire protection work through the State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO), part of the Texas Department of Insurance. The **company** needs a certificate of registration for each type of work it does, and the **individuals** doing the work need their own licenses. A legitimate job has both.

## Company registrations

| Prefix | Registration | Covers | Active now |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACR | Fire Alarm Certificate of Registration | Fire alarm and detection systems | 1,132 |
| ECR | Fire Extinguisher Certificate of Registration | Portable extinguishers and fixed extinguishing systems | 678 |
| HCR | Hydrostatic Testing Certificate of Registration | Hydrostatic testing of extinguisher cylinders | 38 |
| SCR-G | Fire Sprinkler Registration (General) | All types of fire sprinkler systems | 417 |
| SCR-U | Fire Sprinkler Registration (Underground) | Underground fire mains | 286 |
| SCR-D | Fire Sprinkler Registration (Dwelling) | One- and two-family dwelling systems | 5 |

> Active counts from TDI records as of October 26, 2026.

## Individual licenses

"Companies listing it" counts registered companies whose TDI record names at least one employee holding that license type.

### Fire alarm

| License | What it allows | Companies listing it |
|---|---|---|
| FAL | Fire alarm technician: install, service, test and certify, but not plan (design) systems | 874 |
| APS | Planning superintendent: plans (designs) fire alarm systems | 741 |
| AMT | Monitoring technician: monitors residential or commercial fire alarm systems only | 14 |
| RAL | Residential technician: one- and two-family dwelling systems | 32 |
| RAS | Residential superintendent: sells, plans, installs, certifies, services and monitors one- and two-family dwelling systems | 260 |

### Fire sprinkler

| License | What it allows | Companies listing it |
|---|---|---|
| RME-G | Responsible managing employee, general: plans, installs, maintains, services and certifies all types of sprinkler systems | 698 (any RME type) |
| RME-I | Inspector: inspection, testing and maintenance (ITM) of sprinkler systems | (included above) |
| RME-U | Underground: installs, maintains, services and certifies underground water supply piping; planning must be done by another qualified firm | (included above) |
| RME-D | Dwelling: one- and two-family dwelling sprinkler systems | (included above) |

### Fire extinguisher

| License | What it allows | Companies listing it |
|---|---|---|
| FEL-B | Portable fire extinguishers | 664 (any FEL type) |
| FEL-A | Fixed fire extinguishing systems | (included above) |
| FEL-K | Kitchen (cooking) fire suppression systems | (included above) |
| EPL | Extinguisher system planning | 103 |

## Which licenses a common job needs

| Job | Company registration | Individual license on site |
|---|---|---|
| Design and install a new fire alarm system | ACR | APS for the design; FAL for the install |
| Annual fire alarm inspection | ACR | FAL |
| Fire alarm monitoring | ACR (a monitoring-only registration is possible) | AMT |
| Annual fire sprinkler inspection | SCR-G | RME-I or RME-G |
| New sprinkler system | SCR-G | RME-G |
| Underground fire main | SCR-U | RME-U |
| Restaurant kitchen hood suppression service | ECR | FEL-K |
| Portable extinguisher inspection | ECR | FEL-B |

> Summary of TDI's license descriptions; rules change, and TDI was reviewing which sprinkler license certain projects need in 2026. Confirm with TDI before relying on it.

## Local permits

Cities and counties can't require a Texas-registered fire alarm firm to get a local registration or license, but they can require a permit and fee for an installation ([Insurance Code §6002.003](https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/IN/htm/IN.6002.htm)). Your local fire marshal also decides which inspections a building needs; see the [inspection schedule builder](/tools/inspection-schedule/).

## Check a license

- Every Texas company in [our directory](/fire-protection/texas/) shows its registration numbers and expiration dates. 1,908 companies hold an active SFMO registration.
- Step-by-step: [How to verify a Texas fire protection license](/guides/verify-a-texas-fire-protection-license/).
- Official sources: TDI's pages on [fire alarm](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/fire/information-fire-alarm-registration-license-test.html), [fire sprinkler](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/fire/information-fire-sprinkler-registration-license-test.html) and [fire extinguisher](https://www.tdi.texas.gov/fire/information-fire-extinguisher-registration-license-test.html) licensing.

## Questions

**What license does a fire alarm contractor need in Texas?** The company needs a Fire Alarm Certificate of Registration (ACR) from the State Fire Marshal's Office, and its people need individual licenses: a planning superintendent (APS) to design systems and fire alarm technicians (FAL) to install and service them.

**What license does a fire sprinkler contractor need in Texas?** A Fire Sprinkler Certificate of Registration (SCR-G general, SCR-U underground or SCR-D dwelling), plus a responsible managing employee license (RME-G, RME-U or RME-D). Inspection-only work can be done under an RME-I inspector license.

**Does a Texas sprinkler registration cover fire alarms or extinguishers?** No. Fire alarm, fire sprinkler and fire extinguisher work each need their own registration. Of Texas companies we track, 183 hold all three.