Fire Safety Requirements in Uzbekistan: Laws, Standards and Fines in 2026

Sooner or later every business owner asks: must my building have a fire alarm, which standards apply, and what happens if there is none or it doesn't work?

This article brings together the key laws and standards in Uzbekistan, the owner's obligations and the current fines.

Which laws and standards govern fire alarms in Uzbekistan?

The main law is "On Fire Safety" (ZRU-226 of 30.09.2009). General requirements for buildings are set out in the Fire Safety Rules approved by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 649 of 20 October 2020.

Technical requirements for fire automation are set by the building standard ShNK 2.04.09-07 "Fire Automation of Buildings and Structures", plus standards for specific building types (for example ShNK 2.08.02-09 for public buildings). Standards are updated from time to time, so we always check the current edition before design.

Which buildings must have an automatic fire alarm?

The list of buildings and rooms that must have fire alarms and suppression systems is given in the fire automation standards. The obligation depends on the building's use, floor area, number of storeys and the fire and explosion hazard category of its rooms.

In practice almost every public building needs one: schools, kindergartens, hospitals, hotels, shopping centres, offices, warehouses and factories. To find out exactly what your building needs, order a survey — an engineer will check it against the standards and give you a list.

What are the fines for breaching fire safety rules in Uzbekistan?

From 22 July 2026 fines for officials under Article 211 of the Administrative Liability Code rose again (the law was signed on 20 April 2026). For a first offence: 1–3 BCA (base calculation amounts) for individuals and 3–10 BCA for officials. For a repeat offence within a year: 3–5 BCA and 10–20 BCA respectively.

If the breach caused a fire: 5–7 BCA for individuals and 20–25 BCA for officials. For reference, 1 BCA is currently 412,000 UZS, so a fine for a manager can reach about 10.3 million UZS. But the real risk is not the fine — it is the consequences: a shutdown, damage and liability for anyone hurt. A working alarm costs less than one serious fire.

Who is responsible for fire safety in a company?

The head of the organisation or the building owner is responsible. Usually an order appoints a person responsible for fire safety and for keeping fire protection systems in working order.

That person makes sure the system is switched on and maintained, keeps the logbooks, and organises inspections and briefings. Large sites set up fire safety committees.

How to avoid fines: 5 practical steps

1) Order a survey of your building and a check against current standards. 2) If there is no system, or it is outdated, get a design and install a fire alarm. 3) Sign a maintenance contract and keep the logbooks. 4) Appoint a fire safety officer by internal order. 5) Keep the full document set on site: design, as-built drawings, acceptance certificates and equipment certificates.

DITI SERVICE handles all of these steps on a turnkey basis — from audit to handover and regular maintenance.

How the standards shape a fire alarm design

The standards decide not only whether a system is needed but also its parameters: which rooms to protect, which detector types are allowed, how many detectors to fit, what kind of warning system is required, which cables to use for circuits that must work in a fire, and how long the system must run on backup power.

That is why every design starts with a check against current standards — exactly what the inspector will later verify.

The most common violations

No fire alarm where one is mandatory; a faulty or disabled system; no maintenance contract or logbooks; detectors covered or removed after renovation; ordinary cable instead of fire-resistant; no alarm transmission to a staffed post; no responsible person appointed; staff who don't know what to do when the alarm sounds.

Most of these can be fixed within days if you deal with them before an inspection.