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Safety and Fire Department · São Paulo City Hall

Maintenance Certificate

Proof to City Hall that the building's fire safety system remains as it was approved, with the FICAM and the attestations for the installations.

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Quick answer

Maintenance Certificate in São Paulo at a glance

The Maintenance Certificate proves to São Paulo City Hall that the fire safety system of an existing building is still in the condition already approved. It is requested by non-residential buildings that have an AVS, Certificate of Completion, Regularization Record (Auto de Regularização) or Safety Certificate and have not changed. For the operating license, the safety document can be at most 5 years old, and the FICAM must be registered before the application.

Updated on by the MTC technical team, based on the rules cited on this page.

Basis
Decree 32.963/1993, art. 10
Source: Decree No. 32.963/1993 (Maintenance Registry and FICAM)(opens in a new tab)
Renewal
Every 5 years, for licensing purposes
Source: São Paulo City Hall (SMUL): Maintenance Certificate(opens in a new tab)
Before the application
FICAM registration, the maintenance registry form
Source: São Paulo City Hall (SMUL): FICAM registration(opens in a new tab)
Not required
Residential buildings
Source: São Paulo City Hall (SMUL): Maintenance Certificate(opens in a new tab)

What the Maintenance Certificate is

The Maintenance Certificate is the São Paulo City Hall document that proves the fire safety system of an existing building is still in the condition already approved. It applies to non-residential buildings that already have a safety document, such as the AVS, the Certificate of Completion or the Safety Certificate.

For the operating license, that safety document can be at most 5 years old. That is why a building with an older AVS or Habite-se needs the Maintenance Certificate so that the companies based in it can keep obtaining their license. The application starts with registering the FICAM, the maintenance registry form.

MTC checks the prior document, organizes the FICAM and the installation attestations with the professionals of each field, signs the declaration of the building's conditions and follows the application through to issuance.

What MTC does

  • Review of the prior document

    AVS, Habite-se or Safety Certificate, and what has changed since.

  • FICAM registration

    Maintenance registry form, with the installed system and the person responsible.

  • Installation attestations

    Electrical, lightning protection, fire brigade and equipment, with licensed professionals.

  • Application and "Comunique-se" notice

    Submission to City Hall and responses to requirements until issuance.

Understand it in one image

The 5-year cycle of the safety document

  1. 1

    Safety document

    The building's AVS, Certificate of Completion or Safety Certificate.

  2. 2

    5 years later

    For the operating license, the document passes the limit.

  3. 3

    FICAM

    Registration in the maintenance registry, with the system and the person responsible.

  4. 4

    Maintenance Certificate

    Installation attestations and the building declaration with ART.

  5. 5

    Operating License

    The companies in the building can use the safety document again.

Was the building renovated or did it change use? That is not a maintenance case: the path is the Safety Certificate.

Illustrative diagram, based on Decree 32.963/1993, Decree 49.969/2008 (art. 26) and the City Hall Maintenance Certificate page. Residential buildings are outside the requirement.

What City Hall asks for to renew

If one is missing, the application receives a "Comunique-se" notice or is denied.
  1. 01 · Prior documentAVS, Certificate of Completion or Safety Certificate
  2. 02 · FICAMRegistered before the application
  3. 03 · InstallationsElectrical and lightning-protection attestations with ART
  4. 04 · FireCurrent AVCB or equipment attestation
When the certificate is usually requested:AVS or Habite-se more than 5 years oldCompany license in the building"Comunique-se" notice from City HallChange of the person responsible for the buildingSale or leaseEnforcement summons

Which document does your building need?

City Hall separates the cases by the safety document the building already has and by what has changed since. Check yours:

  1. 1The building is residential

    Outside the Maintenance Certificate requirement.

  2. 2Non-residential with an AVS, Certificate of Completion, Regularization Record or Safety Certificate more than 5 years old, with no changes

    Register the FICAM and apply for the Maintenance Certificate.

  3. 3Non-residential with no safety document, or that was renovated or changed use

    Apply for the Safety Certificate through Aprova Digital.

  4. 4Has a Special Safety System Registry (Cadastro do Sistema Especial de Segurança) more than 5 years old

    Apply for Maintenance of the Special Safety System Registry.

The Maintenance Certificate covers the fire safety system. Elevators have their own registry, with the Annual Inspection Report (RIA) prepared by the maintenance company.

Source: São Paulo City Hall (SMUL): occupancy safety of buildings (flowchart)(opens in a new tab)

Why keep the Maintenance Certificate

From an outdated document to an up-to-date building

Tap a problem to see how it is solved.

What happens without up-to-date maintenance

Many buildings spend years with an old AVS or Habite-se, until an operating license is denied or a formal notice arrives. Even after the notice, the application can still be filed.

  1. 1

    Old document

    The safety document is past 5 years and no longer works for the license.

    What can be done

    Register the FICAM and gather the installation attestations.

  2. 2

    Comunique-se

    On filing, City Hall issues requirements with a 30-day deadline, extendable once.

    What can be done

    Respond with the documents within the deadline.

  3. 3

    Notice and fine

    Without the registry and maintenance, inspectors give 30 days to file the application; after that comes the fine.

    What can be done

    File the application and show the progress.

  4. 4

    Loss of the document

    An inoperative system and work not done take away the validity of the safety document.

    What can be done

    Do the work with a Technical Safety Report and apply again.

Beyond City Hall: where overdue maintenance shows up

For the companies in the building

  • License deniedWithout a valid safety document, the license is not issued.
  • Contracts at riskTenants depend on the license to operate.

In safety

  • Idle equipmentWithout maintenance, the system fails precisely in an emergency.
  • Person responsible for useWhoever is listed in the FICAM answers for maintenance.

In property value

  • Harder to leaseCompanies avoid buildings with pending issues.
  • Slower saleBuyers ask for up-to-date documentation.

AVS or Habite-se older than 5 years? Check whether the building needs to renew.

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What up-to-date maintenance brings to the building

  • Licenses cleared

    Companies in the building obtain and renew their licenses.

  • System checked

    Installations inspected and attested.

  • Document preserved

    The building's AVS or Habite-se remains valid.

  • No fine

    Registry and maintenance up to date at City Hall.

  • Responsible person registered

    The FICAM makes clear who takes care of maintenance.

  • Appreciated property

    A building with up-to-date documents rents better.

When it is needed

  • Safety document more than 5 years old
  • Company in the building applying for an operating license
  • "Comunique-se" notice or formal notice from City Hall
  • Change of the person responsible for the building's use
  • Sale or lease of the property

Documents that help you get started

You do not need all of them. The team will tell you what is missing.

  • AVS, Certificate of Completion or Safety Certificate
  • Property record or ownership document
  • Minutes of the election of the building manager (síndico) or articles of incorporation
  • Current AVCB, if any
  • Installation attestations, if any

How we handle your case

  1. 1

    Initial analysis

    Prior document and what changed in the building.

  2. 2

    FICAM

    Registration in the maintenance registry.

  3. 3

    Attestations

    Electrical, lightning protection, fire brigade and equipment.

  4. 4

    Declaration and application

    Building conditions with ART, and submission.

  5. Issuance

    Follow-up until the certificate is issued.

Important
  • A residential building does not need the Maintenance Certificate.
  • The electrical and lightning-protection attestations come from an electrical engineer; MTC organizes them with partners.
  • If the building was renovated or changed use, the path is the Safety Certificate.

Questions about the Maintenance Certificate

The questions that come to the team and show up in searches most often, with the answer and the source.

See all questions

It is the document that proves the fire safety system of an existing building is still in the condition approved by City Hall.

Source: São Paulo City Hall (SMUL): Maintenance Certificate (opens in a new tab)

For licensing purposes, it is renewed every 5 years. For the operating license, Decree 49.969/2008 accepts safety documents that are at most 5 years old.

Source: Decree No. 49.969/2008 (operating license) (opens in a new tab)

Residential buildings are outside the requirement. A commercial or office condominium that has an earlier safety document is covered.

Source: São Paulo City Hall (SMUL): Maintenance Certificate (opens in a new tab)

It is the Registration Form for the Safety System Maintenance Registry (Ficha de Inscrição no Cadastro de Manutenção do Sistema de Segurança), with the building's use, the installed system and the person responsible for maintenance. It is registered before the certificate application and updated in case of a sale, a change of use or a change of the responsible person.

Source: São Paulo City Hall (SMUL): FICAM registration (opens in a new tab)

The AVCB comes from the Fire Department, a state agency. The Maintenance Certificate comes from City Hall. A current AVCB is one of the documents accepted in the certificate application.

Source: São Paulo City Hall (SMUL): Maintenance Certificate (opens in a new tab)

The declaration of the building's conditions is signed by the person responsible for the use and by a licensed professional, with an ART or RRT. The electrical and lightning-protection attestations come from an electrical engineer.

Source: São Paulo City Hall (SMUL): Maintenance Certificate (opens in a new tab)

No. It covers the fire safety system. Elevators have their own registry and an Annual Inspection Report (RIA), prepared by the maintenance company; the RIA is only attached when the building has an elevator.

Source: Law No. 10.348/1987 (elevators and Annual Inspection Report) (opens in a new tab)

City Hall may order the person responsible to apply for the registry and maintenance within 30 days. If they do not comply, it applies the fines in Annex III of the Building Code.

Source: Decree No. 57.776/2017, which regulates the Building Code (opens in a new tab)

Legal basis and sources

Informational content, reviewed on October 22, 2026. The rules may change; the analysis of each case considers the rule in force on the date of the application. MTC is a private company, not affiliated with government agencies.

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