International Fire Code
Virginia enforces the 2021 IFC
The 2021 International Fire Code (IFC) has been in force in Virginia since Jan 18, 2024. It applies statewide. Adopted by Board of Housing and Community Development (BHCD). The legal citation is 13VAC5-52-30 (SFPC 103.1); 13VAC5-52-9999.
Record of adoption
Edition in force
2021 IFC
2021 Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code
Verified
- In force since
- Legal citation
- 13VAC5-52-30 (SFPC 103.1); 13VAC5-52-9999
- Adopted by
- Board of Housing and Community Development (BHCD)
- Second reading
- Applies
- Statewide
- Also called
- SFPC, 13VAC5-52
The SFPC adopts the 2021 IFC with Virginia amendments; the State Fire Marshal’s Office and local fire officials enforce it.
Coming next
- 2024 IFCPartialNo date yetIn development13VAC5-52 (amendment pending)
DHCD lists a 2024 SFPC base document and SFPC sub-workgroup meetings. Projected effective date October 2027.
How Virginia adopts the IFC
BHCD adopts the SFPC by regulation in the same triennial cycle as the USBC, with a Statewide Fire Prevention Code Development Committee and the Virginia Fire Services Board involved. The General Assembly does not name the IFC edition.
Cycle. Triennial, following the ICC model code cycle.
How it was checked
Verified
Two separate readings of the state’s own record agree, and the passage is on file word for word.
Read twice: a second, blind reading of the state’s record agreed with the first on .
The state’s record was last read on , from four source pages.
Evidence 4 sources
Sources for the record itself come first, the state’s own records ahead of others. A label marks a source about something else, such as an exception. A source marked secondary is not the state’s own record.
“The International Fire Code -- 2021 Edition”
“Derived from Virginia Register Volume 40, Issue 9, eff. January 18, 2024.”
13VAC5-52-30 Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code adoptionVirginia Law (Division of Legislative Services)law.lis.virginia.gov (opens in a new tab)Administrative codeRetrieved “International Fire Code - 2021 Edition”
“NFPA 70-20, National Electrical Code”
13VAC5-52-9999 Documents incorporated by referenceVirginia Law (Division of Legislative Services)law.lis.virginia.gov (opens in a new tab)Administrative codeRetrieved “Effective January 18, 2024, Virginia adopted the 2021 I-codes as referenced in the Virginia Construction Part 1”
2021 Virginia Codes effective Jan. 18, 2024Virginia DHCDdhcd.virginia.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved “The effective date of the 2021 Uniform Statewide Building Code, Statewide Fire Prevention Code”
“is January 18, 2024.”
2021 Virginia Codes Effective DateVirginia DHCDdhcd.virginia.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved
Tracker cross-checks
Code adoption trackers are a cross-check. They are not Virginia’s own record.
ICC’s code adoption mapCross-checkAgrees with the record
State Virginia 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21