Nashville
Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office
In short
Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office issues 3 permits we publish for Nashville, last verified 2026-10-09. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Marshal Operational Permit — Concession Trailer / Food Truck | Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office | $151 per permit (12 months, per the Fire Marshal's Office permit table) | 12 months | 2026-10-09 |
| Fire Marshal Operational Permits (assembly, open flames, repair garages, spraying and others)only if it applies to you | Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office | Per Metro Code § 10.64.018 as amended by Ordinance BL2026-1328: places of assembly by occupant load — 50–1,000 persons $150; 1,001–5,000 $250; 5,001–20,000 $500; over 20,000 $750. Open flames and candles $151. Repair garages and motor fuel-dispensing facilities $151. Spraying and dipping $151. Hot work operations $151. High-piled storage $151. Day care operation $151. Re-inspection $65. Expedite fee $175 for applications filed fewer than ten business days ahead; at least triple the fee if operations start before the permit. | most operational permits run 12 months or the duration of the event (Fire Marshal's Office permit table) | 2026-10-09 |
| Burglar and Fire Alarm Registration Permitonly if it applies to you | Nashville Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office | Commercial premises: annual renewal $50, plus a $5 late fee for a renewal filed after the due date. Initial registration $50 — the Nashville Fire Department's Alarm Registration page states 'The permit fee is $20.00 for residential systems and $50.00 for commercial systems', while Metro Code § 10.60.020 B words the initial fee as fifty dollars 'for each alarm device if the system is maintained on commercial premises'. | one year; renewals due on or before the end of the month in which the permit was issued | 2026-10-09 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Fire Marshal Operational Permit — Concession Trailer / Food Truck
Ordinance BL2026-1328, which the Metropolitan Council passed on June 16, 2026 and which took effect on passage, replaced the Fire Marshal's Office fee list in Metro Code § 10.64.018 and lists 'Concession trailer/food truck (mobile food preparation vehicles): $151.00', the same amount as before. The Fire Marshal's Office Operational Permits page describes the permit as required 'To conduct mobile-cooking operations in Davidson County', including food trucks, concession trailers and hot dog carts, for 12 months at $151.00, and says mobile food concession vehicles may apply using a home or commissary address even outside Davidson County. Applications go through ePermits at least 15 business days before the inspection date. Under Metro Code § 10.64.019 a $175 expedite fee applies to applications filed fewer than ten business days ahead, and under § 10.64.020 a permit not obtained before operations start costs at least three times the fee. Metro Public Health requires this Fire Marshal approval of propane tanks, extinguishers and hood systems before its own final consultation.
Fire Marshal Operational Permits (assembly, open flames, repair garages, spraying and others)
The Fire Marshal's Office Operational Permits page states that under Metro Code ch. 10.64 anyone who intends to conduct an operation or business regulated by the fire code must first obtain the required permit from the Fire Marshal's Office, that all permit fees are non-refundable, and that applications are due at least 15 business days ahead through ePermits. Its table lists, among others, open flames and candles in 'dining areas of restaurants, or drinking establishments', places of assembly, repair garages and motor fuel-dispensing facilities, spray rooms and booths, and high-piled storage over 500 sq ft. The amounts above are from Ordinance BL2026-1328 (passed June 16, 2026, effective on passage), which replaced the § 10.64.018 fee list: it sets place-of-assembly fees by occupant load rather than the earlier square-footage tiers ($224 / $384) still printed on that page (last updated September 17, 2025), raises re-inspections from $59 to $65, and adds a $151 day care operation permit. Expedite and penalty fees are Metro Code §§ 10.64.019 and 10.64.020. A business that runs none of the listed operations needs none of these permits.
Burglar and Fire Alarm Registration Permit
Metro Code § 10.60.020 A requires every person who owns, operates or leases a burglar or fire alarm system in Nashville and Davidson County, 'prior to use of the alarm system', to register for a permit with the Nashville Fire Department, which took over alarm registration from Metro Codes under Ordinance BL2025-1003. Section 10.60.020 B sets annual renewal fees of fifty dollars for commercial users, due by the end of the month in which the permit was issued, with a five-dollar late fee. The Fire Department's Alarm Registration page says all residential and commercial properties with an alarm system must register, that registration and renewal are done through ePermits (a 2.3% card convenience fee applies), that permits are not transferable, and that a business that moves must cancel and reapply at the new location. Questions to NFDAlarmRegistration@nashville.gov or 615-862-6779. A business with no alarm system needs no alarm permit.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Nashville
- Phone
- 615-862-5421 (Fire Marshal); 615-862-6779 (alarm registration)
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Alarm Registration — Nashville Fire DepartmentMetropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Nashville Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Fire Marshal's Office — Operational Permits (page last updated September 17, 2025)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Nashville Fire Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Metropolitan Code, Chapter 10.60 — Burglar and Fire Alarm Systems (§ 10.60.020 registration and fees)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Metropolitan Code, Chapter 10.64 — Fire Prevention Code (§§ 10.64.019 expedite fee, 10.64.020 fees tripled)Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Ordinance BL2026-1328 — ordinance text (exhibit)Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County (Legistar) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- Ordinance BL2026-1328 — updated fee schedule for the Fire Marshal's Office, amending Metro Code § 10.64.018 (passed June 16, 2026; effective on passage)Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County (Legistar) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
Other offices serving Nashville
- Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety
- Davidson County Clerk, Business Tax Division
- Metro Public Health Department, Food Protection and Public Facilities Division
- Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT), Permit Office
- Metro Water Services, Environmental Compliance (Grease Management)
- Metropolitan Beer Permit Board
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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Tennessee jurisdictions
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