Fire codes

North Dakota Fire Code & Departments

Legacy adoption vintage (2018) with a volunteer-heavy roster (242 volunteer vs 7 career departments).

International Fire Code (IFC) Adopted 2018

International Fire Code (IFC)

North Dakota adopts the IFC through the State Fire Marshal. Enforcement coordinated with local fire departments.

International Fire Code (IFC) · fires rank #46 of 51

North Dakota adopts International Fire Code (IFC) (2018), shared by 33 of 51 states in this extract. 328 fire departments; the state ranks #46 of 51 nationally by annual fires (USFA).

  • Annual-fires rank #46 of 51 nationally
  • 33 of 51 states share this code type
  • 7 career / 242 volunteer depts
328
Fire Departments
7,271
Total Personnel
242
Volunteer Depts
7
Career Depts

Largest Fire Departments in North Dakota

#1
Hazelton Fire Prot District
Hazelton
138 personnel
#2
Butte Fire Protection District
Butte
100 personnel
#3
Fargo Fire Department
Fargo
88 personnel
#4
Bismarck Fire and Inspections
Bismarck
75 personnel
#5
Sanborn Fire Department
Sanborn
71 personnel
View all 328 departments in North Dakota →

North Dakota: volunteer-led legacy code desk

Legacy vintage (2018) with volunteer share 97% (242 volunteer vs 7 career among typed orgs). Rural companies often rely on the state fire marshal for plan review while the statewide floor ages in place.

Enforcement capacity is volunteer-dominant: 242 volunteer vs 7 career departments (3% career among typed orgs), with 7,271 personnel on HIFLD. In this mix, statewide code language matters most where the state fire marshal or county inspector fills gaps rural companies cannot staff full-time. Largest roster in-state: Hazelton Fire Prot District (138 personnel, 1.9% of the state total).

USFA annual-fires rank for North Dakota is #46 of 51 (~6,600 fires/year ; 13 fire deaths; 31 injuries). Pair that incident load with the adoption vintage above when judging how hard the code is tested in the field. Figures: HIFLD Open Data ( FEMA / U.S. Fire Administration ), USFA published statistics, and state code-adoption records in this portal's extract.

Same International Fire Code (IFC) family: nearest adoption peers

  • AK · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • AZ · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • HI · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • ID · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • KS · adopted 2018 (same model year)
  • KY · adopted 2018 (same model year)

Frequently Asked Questions

What fire code does North Dakota use?
North Dakota adopts the International Fire Code (IFC) (adopted 2018). North Dakota adopts the IFC through the State Fire Marshal. Enforcement coordinated with local fire departments.
How many fire departments are in North Dakota?
North Dakota has 328 fire departments registered in the HIFLD database, including 7 career departments and 242 volunteer departments with 7,271 total personnel.
How current is North Dakota's adopted fire code?
North Dakota shows adoption year 2018 in this extract (legacy band, 2018 or earlier). Local amendments can still tighten sprinkler or wildland rules beyond the statewide floor.
How does North Dakota's fire load compare nationally?
USFA ranks North Dakota #46 of 51 by annual fires (~6,600 fires/year in this extract). Pair that load with the adoption vintage and department mix on this page, high-load states stress code enforcement differently than low-load peers on the same code family.
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFireData

Keep reading: Methodology (HIFLD + USFA join notes for this extract).