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Last reviewed 2026-10-13. Informational only, not legal advice.

Yellow tags and red tags on Texas fire protection systems

After every inspection, test or service visit, a Texas-licensed fire protection company has to leave a tag (or, on fire alarm panels, a label) that shows the system's status. A plain service or ITM tag means the work was done. A yellow or red tag means something is wrong, and it starts a notification clock. This guide explains the difference and what you, the owner or manager, should do next.

The rules below are the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO / TDI) rules in Title 28, Chapter 34 of the Texas Administrative Code, linked section by section. General information only, not legal advice.

Fire sprinkler systems

Yellow tag: non-compliant, not an emergency. Attached to each affected riser when the system does not comply with the applicable NFPA standards, is not being tested or maintained to the adopted standards, or contains manufacturer-recalled equipment, and the problem is not an emergency impairment. The inspector must notify the building owner (or representative) and the local AHJ in writing within five business days (28 TAC §34.721).

Red tag: emergency impairment. Attached when the system has an emergency impairment as defined in the adopted edition of NFPA 25. The inspector must tell the owner and, where available, the local AHJ orally right away, then give written notice within 24 hours (28 TAC §34.722).

Taking the tag off. Either tag can only be removed by an authorized employee of a registered firm (or an authorized government representative) after a service tag shows the conditions were corrected, and the local AHJ must be notified within five business days of the removal (§34.721(d), §34.722(d)).

Fire alarm systems

Fire alarm systems get labels on the control panel instead of hang tags. If during service the system does not comply with the standards adopted when it was installed, has a fault condition, or is impaired, the owner (or representative) and the local AHJ must be notified, and the licensee attaches a yellow or red label in addition to the service label. When later service corrects the condition, the service label records it and the yellow or red label is removed (28 TAC §34.621).

SFMO's FAQ adds that a system does not need a yellow label just because it does not meet current code, if the AHJ does not require the upgrade; the test is the applicable codes and adopted standards (SFMO FAQ).

Fire extinguishers and fixed extinguishing systems

Red tag: unsafe or inoperable. If impairments make a portable extinguisher or a fixed system unsafe or inoperable, the registered firm must notify the owner in writing and immediately, notify the local AHJ within 24 hours by phone, fax or email, and send the AHJ a copy of the written notice within three business days. A service tag cannot go back on until the impairment is fixed and the equipment re-inspected. The AHJ must be notified within five business days when the red tag is removed (28 TAC §34.521).

What Houston and Harris County add

  • City of Houston. HFD's Life Safety Bureau Standard 02 repeats the State's red-tag timing for the Houston Fire Marshal's Office: notify within 24 hours by phone, fax or email, and send a copy of the written notice to the owner within 3 business days (HFD LSB Standard 02, §2.3.2.1).
  • Unincorporated Harris County. Harris County Fire Code §109.3.1 requires yellow and red tag notifications to be reported through the County-approved online platform, The Compliance Engine, and treats that as the AHJ notification under State rules (Harris County Fire Code). See Harris County §109.3.1 explained.

Not sure which applies? See Houston Fire Marshal vs. Harris County Fire Marshal.

What to do when your building gets a yellow or red tag

  1. Read the tag. It must list what is non-compliant (yellow) or what the emergency impairment is (red), plus the company, its registration number and the inspector's name.
  2. Treat a red tag as urgent. The system may not work in a fire. Ask the contractor what interim protection is needed, and follow your AHJ's rules for systems out of service (in Houston, LSB Standard 02 §2.3.6 requires calling 713-884-3143).
  3. Get the repair quoted and scheduled with a contractor licensed for that system. Do not let anyone remove the tag before the repair is done; only an authorized employee of a registered firm or a government representative may remove it.
  4. Make sure the AHJ hears about the fix. Removal or revision of a yellow or red tag has to be reported to the local AHJ within five business days. In unincorporated Harris County that update goes through The Compliance Engine.
  5. Keep the paperwork (tag photos, the written notice, the repair invoice and the new service tag) with the building's ITM records for at least 3 years.

How FireMarket helps

FireMarket's Harris County ITM compliance tracker has a field for an outstanding yellow or red tag on each property, so open tags stay visible until the repair is recorded. When you post the repair job, you invite contractors from your list or share a private job link (not a public RFQ), and each bid shows the contractor's TX SFMO/TDI license class and a Verified or Failed/expired badge, checked daily at bid. FireMarket does not notify the AHJ for you; the licensed contractor does.

Sources

All sources checked October 13, 2026.

Informational only, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with your AHJ and the Texas State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO / TDI).

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