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Licensing rules you can actually trust.
Most licensing info online is copied from other blogs — and a lot of it is wrong. Every guide here was checked against the issuing state agency, with a source link on every claim. Verified September 2026.
State Lookups
Every state, every discipline, every row source-linked. The lookup tables nobody else publishes accurately.
State LookupsSprinkler Licensing: All 50 States
Fire sprinkler fitter and inspector licensing requirements in all 50 states, with NICET's role in each and a source link for every state. Verified September 2026.
State LookupsFire Alarm Licensing: All 50 States
Fire alarm technician licensing requirements in all 50 states plus NYC, with NICET's role in each and a source link for every state. Verified September 2026.
State LookupsExtinguisher & Special Hazards: All 50 States
Fire extinguisher and special hazards licensing in all 50 states: which states license individuals, where NICET Special Hazards is the key, and a source for each.
State LookupsERCES/BDA Requirements: All 50 States
No state licenses ERCES/BDA individuals — so what governs the work? IFC 2024 §510.5.3, AHJ policy, the FCC, and NICET IB-PSC, with all 50 states verified.
Texas Licensing
Zion's home state, verified straight from TDI and the State Fire Marshal's Office.
State Licensing
Deep dives into the states with the trickiest rules.
State LicensingLouisiana: Where NICET Is the License
Louisiana fire alarm and sprinkler licensing runs through NICET certification. LASFM requirements, the technician and qualifier paths, and CE rules — verified.
State LicensingGeorgia's Low Voltage Alarm License
Georgia LV-A alarm license: the Board-approval-before-exam trap, $110 application, notarized paperwork, references, renewal costs, and where NICET fits. Verified.
State LicensingWashington's Two-Agency System
Washington sprinkler fitter certification: 8,000 hours, a free SFMO exam, the L&I electrical path for fire alarms, and where NICET II and III are named in statute.
ERCES / BDA
The newest discipline in fire protection — and the least understood.
ERCES / BDABDA vs DAS vs ERCES, Explained
BDA, DAS, and ERCES explained in plain English: what each term means, how emergency responder communication systems work, and which codes govern them.
ERCES / BDADo You Need a GROL for ERCES Work?
Does ERCES/BDA work require an FCC GROL? What federal law says, what IFC 2024 §510.5.3 requires, and why the GROL is the one credential a newcomer can earn alone.
Careers
How people actually get into this industry and move up.
Why we publish these
Reading about a license won't get you one.
The guides tell you the rules. The Academy teaches you the work — with the people who do it every day, the books, the hands-on hours and a plan. When you're ready, pick your license.