What should a fire door register include?
A fire door register should list every fire door with a unique reference, its location, rating such as FD30 or FD60, type and make, hardware fitted, glazing, signs, last inspection date and result, faults found, repairs done and the date the next check is due. One row per door, photographed, kept up to date after every visit.
By Sebastian Grabowski, DC Fire & Security, Luton. Updated November 2026.
Is a register a legal requirement?
No law we could find names a fire door register as a document. The Fire Safety Order requires the responsible person to keep premises and their safety equipment in efficient working order and good repair (article 17), and regulation 10 of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 requires records of the flat entrance door checks in buildings over 11 metres.
A register is how most buildings meet those duties without losing track. Without one, nobody knows how many fire doors the building has, so nobody can say that all of them were checked.
The columns
Set it up as a spreadsheet with one row per door.
| Column | What to record |
|---|---|
| Door reference | A unique number that matches a label or a drawing, for example G-03 for ground floor door 3 |
| Location | Floor, corridor, room or flat number, and which way the door opens |
| Door type | Flat entrance, stair door, corridor door, riser or cupboard, plant room, kitchen or final exit |
| Rating | FD30, FD30S, FD60 or other, taken from the certification label or the fire strategy and not guessed |
| Evidence of rating | Label or plug found, certificate held, or none found |
| Make and doorset type | Manufacturer and model if known, and whether it is a doorset or a leaf hung on a separate frame |
| Size and construction | Leaf and frame size, timber or steel, single or double leaf |
| Hardware | Hinges, closer type, latch or lock, handles, any hold open device |
| Glazing and seals | Whether there is a vision panel or letterbox, and the type of seals fitted |
| Signs | Fire door keep shut sign present or not |
| Last inspected | Date and name of the inspector |
| Result | Pass, pass with advisory, or fail |
| Faults | What was found, with a photo reference |
| Repairs done | Date, what was done and who did it |
| Next due | The date of the next full inspection and the next routine check |
Numbering and photographs
Number the doors in a system that makes sense to a stranger. Floor, then corridor, then position along it works. Put the same number on a drawing, then on the register. Do not put the number on the door itself in a way that damages it, since drilling or large stickers on a fire door can affect it.
Photograph the whole door and both faces if it is a flat entrance door, then the closer, the hinges and the label. Photos make a register useful because anyone can match the door to the entry in seconds.
Where the data comes from
The first fill of a register is the hardest. The best source is a fire door inspection, where an inspector walks the building and records every door. Our fire door inspections page explains what we record. Quarterly checks then update the status, which is easier with a quarterly check log.
If doors have no label, do not assume the rating. A plain flush door with no markings may be a fire door or an ordinary one, and the fire strategy or the original drawings may be the only way to tell. Our guide on how to identify a fire door shows what to look for.
Keeping it alive
A register that is filled in once and forgotten is worse than none, because it gives false comfort. Update it after every inspection, every repair and every door replacement. Date each change.
Keep the register with the fire risk assessment so the assessor and the fire service can see both. A fire risk assessment is separate from a door inspection, and neither replaces the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a fire door register for a small building?
Who should keep the fire door register?
How often should the register be updated?
What if I do not know the rating of a door?
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Email your report or photos to info@dcsecurity.co.uk, or use the form. We usually come back with a fixed price the same day. Luton, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London.
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