How to Fill Out and Submit FDNY Form TB-60: Filing and Penalties

FDNY Form TB-60 is the registration form a central station monitoring company files with the New York City Fire Department to register a new fire alarm system it will monitor. The form ties each alarm device in the building to an FDNY-assigned terminal number so that any signal the central station retransmits to the Department can be traced to a specific location and device type. One copy of the completed TB-60 must be included in the document package submitted with Form B-45 when you request the initial FDNY fire alarm inspection.¹

When TB-60 Is Required

TB-60 is for new fire alarm system installations. If the system has not previously been registered with the Department, the form has to be in the B-45 submission package.¹ Retests, follow-up inspections, and modifications to an already-registered system do not require a new TB-60.

Registration has to happen before monitoring starts. Under NYC rules, a central station company must register each fire alarm system it proposes to monitor before it begins receiving or retransmitting alarm signals from the premises, and the company itself must already hold a valid certificate of operation.²

Who Fills Out the Form

The central station monitoring company completes TB-60, not the building owner and not the installing electrician. The form is the company’s registration of a specific protected premises with FDNY, and the company is the party FDNY holds responsible for keeping the information current.²

Information the Form Must Contain

NYC rules spell out the required content of the registration:²

Premises address of the building where the fire alarm system is installed.
Number and type of fire alarm systems being monitored at the premises, regardless of how many terminals are associated with each system.
Specific floors, or portions of floors, covered by each system.
Name, address, and telephone number of the person or entity that owns or operates each fire alarm system.
Type and location of every terminal connected to the system, including manual fire alarm boxes (pull stations), sprinkler and standpipe flow alarms, tamper switches, and heat, smoke, and carbon monoxide detectors.

In FDNY terminology, a terminal is a number the Department assigns to identify a specific location and type of alarm signal at a protected premises. That is the whole point of the form. When the central station retransmits an alarm, the terminal number tells FDNY which device in which part of the building triggered it, so the terminal assignments have to be correct and complete.

Documents Submitted With TB-60

TB-60 travels inside a larger initial-inspection package. Everything below has to be submitted together, arranged neatly and secured with a standard two-hole fastener:¹

Form B-45 (Inspection Request), three copies. This is the form that schedules the inspection.
As-built riser diagram, one set at 11″ x 17″.
Form A-433 (Electrician’s Sign-Off), one original, signed and sealed by the licensed electrical contractor.
Form TM-1 (Fire Alarm Plan Examination), one original.
Form PW-1 (DOB Plan/Work Application), one original, if applicable.
ARCS Commissioning Test Report, only if you are requesting an ARCS inspection.
Post Approval Amendment, if a PAA was filed before the inspection date, include the approved amendment and all supporting documents.

For plans approved after May 22, 2020, add the Letter of Acceptance from FDNY Business plus legibly printed accepted plans at both 11″ x 17″ and 24″ x 36″. Plans approved before that date require the original approved plans at both sizes instead.¹ FDNY also expects a copy of the executed central station monitoring agreement in the package alongside TB-60.

How and Where to Submit

Initial fire alarm inspection requests, including the TB-60 package, must be submitted in person. Bring the complete hardcopy package to the FDNY Fire Alarm Inspection Unit at 9 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, NY 11201.¹ Every field must be filled in. Forms with missing information will be returned.

Electronic submission is for follow-ups, not the initial. Retests and rescheduled appointments can be emailed as PDFs to fire.alarmschedules@fdny.nyc.gov with the subject line “INSPECTION APPOINTMENT REQUEST” or “RVI.” As of November 2025, all follow-up inspections and cancellations for the Fire Alarm Inspection Unit must go through the FDNY Business portal.³ The portal requires an NYC.ID account, which you can create through the FDNY Business page.⁴

FDNY does not publish a standard fee schedule for these filings. For questions about filing or document processing fees, contact the FDNY Business Customer Service Center directly.⁵

Common Reasons a TB-60 Package Gets Rejected

The Department lists recurring defects in fire alarm submissions. Several of them show up specifically at the TB-60 stage:⁵

As-built riser diagram does not match the installation. Submit the diagram as actually built, not as originally planned.
A-433 not properly signed and sealed by the licensed electrical contractor.
TB-60 or the central station monitoring agreement missing from the package. Both have to be there.
No letter of approval for the base building fire alarm system when new devices connect to an existing system.
Missing smoke detection in required spaces such as mechanical equipment rooms, electrical rooms, transformer vaults, and telephone equipment rooms.

FDNY can also deny the TB-60 registration itself if it determines the fire alarm system was not installed or is not operating in compliance with applicable laws and rules. A denied registration means the central station company cannot legally monitor the system until the issues are resolved.²

Ongoing Obligations After Registration

Filing TB-60 is not a one-and-done. The central station company has continuing notification duties tied to the registration:²

Notify FDNY in writing at least ten days before discontinuing or temporarily suspending monitoring of a registered system. Add five days if notification is sent by mail.
Notify FDNY within seven days of any change to the information on the original registration form.
Immediately notify FDNY and the designated representative for the building if the central station becomes unable to receive or retransmit signals due to equipment failure or telephone circuit problems. The notification must include the terminal assignment numbers for the affected premises.
Log every service disruption. Any time a fire alarm system is out of service for eight hours or more, or a protective signaling system for two hours or more, the company records the terminal assignment number, date, time, and duration in the central station log.

Penalties for Skipping or Mishandling Registration

Operating a central station or monitoring fire alarm systems without a valid certificate of operation is unlawful under the NYC Fire Code, and building owners who allow an uncertified company to receive or retransmit alarm signals are also in violation.²

Fire protection system violations carry a first-offense penalty of $950, reduced to $475 if you correct the condition before the hearing date. Fail to appear and the penalty rises to the $1,000 statutory maximum. A second or subsequent violation within 18 months of the first is $2,375, with a maximum of $5,000.⁶ Violations timely certified as corrected in the manner specified on the FDNY summons, and accepted by the Department, do not require an appearance and carry no civil penalty.

Beyond fines, FDNY retains authority under NYC Fire Code Section 105 to revoke permits for hazardous facilities that fail to comply with conditions the Fire Commissioner sets for enhanced fire safety.⁷

1
NYC.gov. FDNY Fire Alarm Inspection Unit Request Form Instructions
2
American Legal Publishing. NYC Rules 901-01 Central Station Monitoring of Fire Alarm Systems
3
NYC.gov. Request Inspection
4
NYC.gov. FDNY Business
5
Fire Department City of New York. Tips for Successful Approval of a Fire Alarm System in NYC
6
American Legal Publishing. NYC Rules 109-03 Penalty Schedule for FDNY Summonses
7
American Legal Publishing. NYC Administrative Code FC 105 Permits and Other Approvals