Fire door drop test requirements: the rules, the edition that applies to you, and what a complete record shows

A rolling steel fire door is drop tested at installation, then not less than annually under DASMA’s published guidance. Two drops check full closure and correct reset; the guidance gives an average closing speed of 6–24 inches per second. Apply the adopted code, referenced NFPA 80 edition and installed door’s instructions.

Three things change what the fire door drop test requirements actually mean for you: which fire code your jurisdiction has adopted, which edition of NFPA 80 that code points at, and what the door's own manufacturer tells you to do. Those three answers are not the same for a hospital, a warehouse and a federal building, and this page walks through how to find yours.

Scope: rolling steel fire doors and rolling counter fire doors. Sliding and swinging fire doors are covered where the boundary matters; do not apply the rolling-door two-drop procedure or speed range to a different assembly.

Last verified: September 2026. The source-linked claims and calculations were checked on 17 September 2026. Source editions and document dates are identified where they appear.

By Uptime Dock & Door Research · Print the report-review checklist · Download the data

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The short answer, in one table

Sources: as linked per row; verified 17 September 2026. "In/sec" means inches per second. DASMA is the Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association, the trade association that publishes technical data sheets for this equipment. NFPA 80 is the National Fire Protection Association's Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives. The authority having jurisdiction, or AHJ, is the organization, office or individual responsible for enforcing requirements or approving equipment and installations; a fire marshal or building official may fill that role.

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Changes and edition differences worth checking

Six things worth knowing before you read any older guidance on this topic. Each one is checkable at the link.

1. NFPA issued amended technician wording for its 2025 edition, effective 24 December 2024. The 2022 wording as published required a technician employed in the rolling steel fire door industry. The 2025 amendment adds a definition requiring documented training and qualification through experience, without that employment condition. NFPA Tentative Interim Amendment 25-1 ★ Source-reported
2. The printed book may not match. DASMA's current FAQ sheet states plainly that the printed versions of NFPA 80-2022 and NFPA 80-2025 may vary from the more recent and official electronic version, and prints the amended definition. DASMA TDS #295, FAQ 1 ★ Source-reported
3. A related 2022-edition proposal challenged the employment restriction. The proposal was submitted by the American Society for Healthcare Engineering, which argued in writing that the original wording was a restraint of trade creating "a monopoly on the periodic inspection of rolling steel fire door systems." NFPA Proposed TIA Log No. 1762 ★ Source-reported
4. An older door’s installation criteria and its ongoing inspection duties are different questions. DASMA describes NFPA 80 as nonretroactive and points to the installation instructions and requirements in place when the door was installed. That does not remove current maintenance and testing duties: the New York code example expressly covers existing required opening protectives. DASMA TDS #295, FAQ 16; 2025 Fire Code of New York State §§705.1–705.2.7 ★ Source-reported
5. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hospital framework references NFPA 80-2010, not simply the newest edition. Federal regulation incorporates the 2012 Life Safety Code; CMS’s fire-door memorandum identifies NFPA 80-2010 for the health care occupancies it covers. This does not establish every state or local requirement for the same building. 42 CFR 482.41(e)(1)(vii); CMS memorandum S&C 17-38-LSC ★ Source-reported
6. DASMA’s older and newer drop-test sheets are both still accessible. The versions compared here are Rev. 09/17 and Rev. 6/25. 93 months — 7 years 9 months — separate those revision dates. That comparison does not show which form most facilities use. Compare them below. ★ Source-reported · ● Calculated

★ Source-reported — checked in the cited document on 17 September 2026; the source’s authority and edition still matter. ● Calculated — computed by us from the named inputs, with the formula shown. Neither label means an unverified claim.

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Contents

• What "drop test" actually means
• Which doors get a drop test — and which don't
• How often the test is required
• Who is allowed to perform it
• Which rulebook and which edition applies to your building
• What happens during the test
• How fast the door has to close
• What a complete test report should show
• What makes a door fail — and who pays for the parts
• Records: what to keep and for how long
• Check the version of the form you're using
• Where every requirement on this page comes from
• How we built this
• Limitations
• Sources
• How to cite this
• Download the data
• More questions about fire door drop testing

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What "drop test" actually means

A drop test checks whether the door closes automatically when its release system is tested using the manufacturer’s procedure.

A rolling fire door may also serve as an everyday access door. Its fire-protection job is different from that daily use: normal opening and closing does not show whether every automatic-closing function still works (DASMA TDS #252; TDS #271).

Here is the machinery in plain terms. The arrangement varies by door and operator.

• The curtain is the door itself — interlocking steel slats that coil onto a barrel above the opening.
• The counterbalance springs balance the curtain’s weight; on the systems described in DASMA’s safety guidance, they are part of the barrel assembly.
• The release device starts automatic closing. A fusible link responds to heat and can release the attached sash chain or cable. An electrical release can respond to a detector or fire alarm signal. A door may have both types.
• The governor, or the operator’s speed-control mechanism, controls the descent.
• The bottom bar is the steel bar at the base of the curtain that must land on the sill or floor.

The test checks whether the door closes completely at the required controlled speed and rests on the sill or floor (DASMA TDS #271). It does not measure a smoke-leakage rating. Everything else on this page is about proving the test results, recording them, and knowing which rulebook you are being measured against.

Two things a drop test is not. It is not the normal powered cycle — DASMA lists the operational test and the drop test as separate steps for a reason (TDS #271, Rev. 6/25). And it is not something you do yourself with a ladder. A rolling fire door is a stored-energy assembly. Releasing spring tension at the wrong moment can break headplate components and hurt whoever is standing under it. The published guidance is explicit that the door must be fully open before any drop, precisely to avoid permanent damage and injury (TDS #252, Rev. 8/24).

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Which doors get a drop test — and which don't

Rolling steel fire doors have a drop-test procedure. Sliding fire doors also need operation and full-closure testing under the code example below. Swinging fire doors have their own visual and functional checks, including closing and latching; they do not use the rolling-door two-drop procedure (2025 Fire Code of New York State §§705.2.4–705.2.7).

A swinging-door checklist and a rolling-door drop-test record answer different questions. Check that the report matches the assembly before accepting a generic “fire door inspection” description.

Sources: rolling-door sequence, DASMA TDS #271, Rev. 6/25; door types and operation, 2025 Fire Code of New York State §§705.2.4–705.2.7; the NFPA 80-2010 swinging-door list as quoted in a CMS Form 2567 survey record published by the Indiana Department of Health (survey completed 15 February 2021); non-rated health care doors, CMS S&C 17-38-LSC. NFPA 105 covers smoke door assemblies and other opening protectives. Verified 17 September 2026.

A door you never use still counts. DASMA's guidance says the requirement applies to all fire doors, including those that are not used and remain in the closed position (TDS #271, Rev. 6/25).

And a broken one can't just be left shut. Asked directly whether a rolling steel fire door that no longer operates can simply be left in the closed position, DASMA's answer is no. The door must be maintained or repaired as an operational door, replaced, or removed with the opening closed using approved construction (TDS #295, FAQ 14, citing NFPA 80 (2025) 5.1.2.1). A closed door is not a wall. The wall assembly is fire-tested to a different standard than the door is.

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How often the test is required

At installation, then not less than annually under DASMA’s rolling-door guidance. Repairs, field modifications and painting can also require inspection or testing; these are additional triggers, not a blanket restart of the annual schedule.

Sources: as linked per row. All read 17 September 2026.

The standard's own wording, as reprinted with an NFPA permission statement from the 2010 edition, is that fire door assemblies shall be inspected and tested not less than annually, and a written record of the inspection shall be signed and kept for inspection by the AHJ (NFPA 80-2010 §5.2.1, reprinted here).

The 2010 edition also describes a performance-based alternative. The publicly posted excerpt permits a written inspection, testing and maintenance program subject to AHJ approval (NFPA 80-2010 §5.2.2.1, permission-stated reprint). This is not permission to skip an adopted annual-testing requirement. Resolve the applicable code and approval before using a different program.

One thing "annual" does not mean: two scheduled visits because there are two drops. The drops are separate checks in the testing sequence; repairs or other problems may interrupt that sequence.

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Who is allowed to perform it

NFPA 80-2022 names a trained rolling steel fire door systems technician for periodic inspection and testing of the doors covered by Chapters 11 and 13. Apply that provision where the governing edition requires it. An amendment issued for the 2025 edition supplies different definition wording (DASMA TDS #299; NFPA TIA 25-1).

The requirement clause reads: for doors complying with Chapters 11 and 13, periodic inspections and testing shall be performed by a trained rolling steel fire door systems technician (NFPA 80-2022 §5.2.4.2, quoted verbatim in DASMA TDS #299).

Then the definition. These three documents show different wordings. Keep the edition and amendment attached to the wording you use.

Sources: as linked per row. All read 17 September 2026. TIA means Tentative Interim Amendment — a change NFPA issues between full editions. TIA 25-1 was issued 4 December 2024 and took effect 20 days later, on 24 December 2024 (● Calculated: effective date minus issue date).

Three consequences follow, and they matter in a quote conversation.

The employment condition is absent from the amended 2025 definition. That definition requires documented training plus qualification through experience, not employment in the rolling steel fire door industry.

The book on your shelf may be wrong. DASMA's own FAQ sheet carries a note saying the printed versions of NFPA 80-2022 and NFPA 80-2025 may vary from the more recent and official electronic version — and then prints the amended definition (TDS #295, FAQ 1). If someone shows you a printed page as proof, check the date on the page and the definition against the amendment.

In-house staff are not automatically excluded. The amended annex note says manufacturers or vendors of listed rolling steel fire doors, and other organizations including in-house resources, with appropriate training materials and programs acceptable to the AHJ, are viable options for training individuals (TIA 25-1).

Read that carefully, because it is easy to over-read. Annex material in an NFPA standard is explanatory. It is not part of the requirements. It does not say your maintenance lead can run a drop test tomorrow. It identifies in-house resources as a possible training route when the program is appropriate and acceptable to the AHJ. Documented training and relevant experience still matter.

The related 2022 proposal

The proposal challenged the industry-employment condition.

A proposed amendment against the 2022 edition was submitted by the American Society for Healthcare Engineering. It proposed deleting the industry-employment definition. Its written substantiation argued that the definition restricted who could perform the work and created a restraint-of-trade problem (Proposed TIA Log No. 1762, comments closed 19 December 2023).

That is the submitter's argument on the public record, not a finding by NFPA. We could not locate an NFPA-issued document confirming the final disposition of that particular 2022-edition proposal. What we can confirm is that an amendment with a new definition was issued against the 2025 edition, and that DASMA's current sheet says both printed editions may differ from the official electronic version.

What a CMS surveyor actually looks for

A historical CMS survey shows how the personnel criteria were stated under the older edition. In a 2021 survey of one ambulatory surgical center, the criteria under tag K 0761 called for knowledge, training or experience demonstrating ability (CMS Form 2567 survey record, form printed 9 March 2021).

That record cites NFPA 80-2010. It is evidence of the wording used in that survey, not proof of every current survey form or every requirement that also applies to the facility. More on the CMS edition chain next.

And some jurisdictions add their own

Los Angeles maintains a list of certified Chief's Regulation 4 testers, with a separate certification category for Automatic Closing Fire Assemblies. Under that program, a required test must be performed by a certified tester (LAFD Chief's Regulation 4). Check your own jurisdiction before you book, not after the invoice arrives.

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Which rulebook and which edition applies to your building

Not automatically the newest one. Start with the adopted code or federal requirement, then identify its referenced standard and applicable amendments. A building can have more than one governing requirement.

Sources: federal regulation, eCFR 42 CFR 482.41 (Title 42 displayed as current through 15 September 2026); health care edition, CMS S&C 17-38-LSC; historical IFC 2009 locator, University of Colorado’s NFPA 80-2007 / IFC 2009 summary; current code example, 2025 Fire Code of New York State §§705.1–705.2.7; federal program, GSA PBS Fire Protection Program Policy; installation-era guidance, DASMA TDS #295, FAQ 16. Checked 17 September 2026. The historical university summary is not a local adoption finding. The insurance row is an editorial check, not a sourced policy term.

Is NFPA 80 actually the law?

Not by itself. NFPA 80 is a standard, not a code. It becomes enforceable where a building code requires it — which DASMA says is usually the case (TDS #295, FAQ 8).

That is why the fire code section matters as much as the standard. Here are verified examples, not a complete section-number history:

• Historical IFC 2009 reference: the University of Colorado’s guidance identifies §703.4 for annual inspection and full-closure testing of sliding and rolling fire doors, with records retained. This confirms what that institutional summary cites, not what every jurisdiction adopted.
• 2025 New York code, sliding and rolling doors: §705.2.6 requires annual inspection and testing for proper operation and full closure, with records maintained (issuer-hosted code text).
• 2025 New York code, rolling steel doors specifically: §705.2.7 adds the trained rolling steel fire door systems technician requirement and directs testing to applicable NFPA 80 provisions (issuer-hosted code text).

The International Door Association reported in July 2021 that its proposal to add trained-technician language had received committee approval in May and was scheduled for the September consent agenda (IDA press release, 21 July 2021). That release reports the proposal’s status at the time; it is not evidence of the later vote.

The health care trap, spelled out

For health care, the citation path matters.

The 2012 Life Safety Code added Section 7.2.1.15, Inspection of Door Openings, requiring annual inspection and testing of certain fire and smoke doors. CMS says that provision is not directly invoked by the health care occupancy chapters. Section 7.2.1.15.1 applies only where Chapters 11 through 43 require it, and the health care occupancy chapters — 18, 19, 20 and 21 — do not directly reference it.

The requirement reaches health care through Section 8.3.3.1 instead, which applies to all occupancy chapters. Same annual fire-door requirement, different citation path (CMS S&C 17-38-LSC).

Three more details from the same memo:

• Non-rated doors are out of that annual requirement. The memo’s non-rated corridor doors to patient care rooms and non-rated smoke barrier doors are not subject to the annual NFPA 80 or NFPA 105 testing requirement. They should be routinely inspected as part of the facility maintenance program.
• Mixed occupancies are in. If a health care building contains a separated assembly, education, day care or residential board and care occupancy, Section 7.2.1.15 does apply to that part. Two rules, one building.
• The deadline was 1 January 2018, extended from 6 July 2017 — a 179-day extension that CMS described as six months (● Calculated from the two dates in the memo).

The 2017 memo directs deficiencies to tag K211. A later, dated example uses K 0761, Maintenance, Inspection & Testing – Doors: an Indiana CMS Form 2567 statement of deficiencies for an ambulatory surgical center, surveyed on 15 February 2021. It cites Life Safety Code 8.3.3.1 and NFPA 80-2010 sections 5.2 and 5.2.3. The record says 19 of that facility’s 19 fire door assemblies failed its 20 August 2020 inspection and repairs remained incomplete at the February 2021 survey. Those are fire-door assemblies at one facility, not a rolling-door failure rate or a statement of today’s universal survey tag.

What OSHA requires here

The cited OSHA rule requires working safeguards, not a drop-test schedule.

OSHA requires that safeguards designed to protect employees during an emergency — the regulation names sprinkler systems, alarm systems, fire doors and exit lighting — be in proper working order at all times (29 CFR 1910.37(a)(4)). The same section requires exit routes to be free and unobstructed.

That is a condition requirement, not a testing schedule. Section 1910.37(a)(4) does not set a testing interval or describe a drop-test procedure. It should not be cited as the source of an annual two-drop requirement.

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What happens during the test

Four steps, in order, with problems fixed between steps rather than after.

This is DASMA's published sequence (TDS #271, Rev. 6/25). It is written for the technician. It is here so you know what to look for in the report, not so you can release or reset the door yourself.

Step 1 — Pre-test visual inspection. The technician blocks access to the area on both sides of the door using caution tape and recommends that the facility contact relocate flammable substances near the firewall opening. The visual check verifies that mounting and assembly bolts are not missing or loose; welds comply with the manufacturer’s installation instructions; fusible links are located per those instructions; guide assemblies have the required fire expansion clearance; links and sash chain or cable are not painted, greased, kinked, pinched or twisted and raceways are clear; nothing outside the assembly is attached to it; and operating mechanisms and automatic-closing features are free of paint, dust, grease and debris. The technician also checks for damage to slats, endlocks, the bottom bar (including a missing listing agency label), guide assembly, hood and fascia, the automatic-closing mechanism and the operating mechanism.

Step 2 — Operational test. Defects found in the visual inspection are corrected first. The technician then checks normal opening and closing, with the doorway clear, for abnormal behaviour or damaged parts.

Step 3 — Drop test #1. Defects found during normal operation are corrected before the drop. The technician uses the manufacturer’s drop-test instructions. The door must be fully open before the drop. It must close completely and rest on the sill or floor. Average closing speed must not exceed 24 inches per second and must be at least 6 inches per second in DASMA’s published guidance. The technician tests each automatic-closing option and confirms that detectors and release devices function, then resets and reopens the door by the manufacturer’s procedure.

Step 4 — Drop test #2. Before the second drop, the technician checks for components damaged during the first and addresses any damage using the applicable parts and repair requirements. The second drop checks correct reset; the door is then restored according to the manufacturer’s procedure.

Two points people miss.

Every activation path gets tested, not just the convenient one. Asked whether a door with a fail-safe release device and fusible links can be tested using only the release device, DASMA's answer is no: testing must include closing the door by all means of activation, at acceptance and at the annual test (TDS #295, FAQ 3). In the manufacturer examples below, fail-safe closing includes automatic closure under the specified power-loss conditions; backup behavior depends on the model.

Two doors on one opening are dropped together. If two rolling steel fire doors are located at the same opening, they must be drop-tested simultaneously (TDS #295, FAQ 17).

A note on doing this yourself. Nothing on this page is a release or reset procedure, and that is deliberate. Do not improvise on springs, cables, the release device, the governor or the alarm interlock, and do not attempt to bypass an interlock to make a door test. Where a manual or the installation history is missing, DASMA's guidance is to contact the manufacturer to obtain the installation and maintenance manual before drop-testing, and to exercise great care (TDS #295, FAQ 7).

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How fast the door has to close

For rolling steel fire doors, DASMA reports an average closing-speed range of 6 to 24 inches per second. The installed system’s instructions also matter.

The range concerns the door’s average descent speed. It is not a claim that a drop test measures smoke leakage or reproduces fire conditions.

The figures come from DASMA's data sheets, which attribute them to NFPA 80 (TDS #271, Rev. 6/25; TDS #299, p. 2).

The stopwatch table

Use the travel-time calculation to check a reported measurement or to understand a test performed by a qualified technician. It is not a reason to operate the door yourself.

Formula: travel time in seconds = actual curtain travel in inches ÷ average closing speed in inches per second.

The examples assume the bottom bar travels exactly the distance shown. Opening height is only a substitute when it equals that actual travel. Time the movement interval, not an alarm delay before movement.

● Calculated by Uptime Dock & Door Research: travel in inches ÷ the 6 and 24 in/sec reference values reported in DASMA TDS #271, Rev. 6/25. “s” means seconds. For 12 ft (144 in) of actual travel: 144 ÷ 24 = 6.0 s and 144 ÷ 6 = 24.0 s. The full lookup, 6 ft to 24 ft in one-foot steps, is in the downloads.

What this table cannot do: it converts an average speed into an average travel time, nothing more. A door that stalls halfway and then accelerates can still land inside the window, because averaging hides it. This is a sanity check, not a pass or fail determination, and it does not replace the manufacturer's drop test instructions.

Your operator may have a tighter number

The 6-to-24 window is the general reference. Your installed operator may have its own manufacturer-stated rate — and a report that says "within range" against the general window may not tell you whether the door is running to its own specification.

Source: the linked Clopay Corporation product pages, checked 17 September 2026. These are manufacturer statements for the named models in the configurations described on those pages. They are not independent testing, not a universal specification, and not a substitute for your installed system's manual. “Not stated” means the checked page did not give a value; it does not mean zero.

The product pages contain inconsistencies. The FireGard page’s introduction says no more than 9 in/sec, while its feature list prints 6' - 12" per second, mixing a foot mark and an inch mark and giving different numbers. We have not silently corrected that entry or treated it as an accepted speed range. The AlarmGard motor page also gives different lower endpoints for its delay. Resolve these against the installed model’s instructions or the manufacturer before judging a test.

Two practical takeaways. The AlarmGard introduction’s 9-to-12 in/sec interval is 3 in/sec wide against a general interval of 18 in/sec — one sixth the width (● Calculated: 12−9 compared with 24−6). That compares the published intervals; it does not establish a tolerance for every configuration. And where a delay precedes descent, alarm-to-closure time is not movement time. Keep the delay and travel measurements separate.

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What a complete test report should show

A complete record identifies each opening, shows the visual, operational, first-drop and second-drop results separately, and names the person who did the work with a date and a signature.

When you are reading a report afterwards and deciding whether to pay it and file it, this section is the one to print.

Below is the short version. The full 28-row checklist, with what to do about each gap, is available as a printable report-review worksheet and in the downloads. This is our review aid, not a universally required form; the “if it’s missing” prompts are editorial next steps.

Sources: record fields and the visual/operational/two-drop sequence, DASMA TDS #271, Rev. 6/25; speed criterion, TDS #299, p. 2; activation paths, TDS #295, FAQ 3; component failure, TDS #295, FAQ 10. Checked 17 September 2026. The numeric-speed review request, assembly/basis checks and all suggested responses to missing information are our editorial prompts, not additional mandatory form fields.

A missing box is not a failed door. This is worth saying clearly, because it cuts both ways. A blank second-drop field means you have a documentation gap and should ask the tester to clarify. It does not mean the door failed. A recorded failure is a different thing entirely and needs correction and a documented retest. Keep those two situations apart in your own files.

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What makes a door fail — and who pays for the parts

A door fails if it will not close completely, will not rest on the sill or floor, closes outside the speed range, will not reset, or does not respond to any one of its means of activation. And if a component breaks during the test, the assembly fails.

That last one is the answer to the question most owners are actually worried about, and the published answer is blunt:

If a component fails or breaks during periodic inspection and testing, the door assembly fails. This is evidence that the door would not have worked properly when activated to self-close during a fire event, and that repair, retrofit or replacement is required without delay. The owner assumes responsibility for repair because the owner is responsible for maintenance and repairs. — paraphrased from DASMA TDS #295, FAQ 10, citing NFPA 80 (2025) 5.5.6

A part can fail during a properly performed test without the service provider causing the failure. That does not establish who is at fault in every case or settle every invoice. DASMA’s facility-manager guidance says the contract should acknowledge possible component failure through no fault of the provider and that repair may be outside the testing price (TDS #271, Rev. 6/25). Get the scope and repair authorization terms in writing before the visit, not after.

The rules on repairs

Sources: as linked per row. All read 17 September 2026. "Without delay" is the published wording; only the local program above attaches a number to it.

A repair invoice is not a retest record. If your file has the first but not the second, the loop is still open.

If a door has released on its own and will not reset, do not force it open or improvise a reset. Have a trained technician and the responsible authority resolve its safe status, including required exit access. Our page on commercial roll-up and rolling-steel door repair explains Uptime’s service-request scope; confirm fire-door testing capability with whoever handles the job.

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Records: what to keep and for how long

Two files, two retention periods in DASMA’s 2023 summary of NFPA 80-2022: the acceptance test record is kept for the life of the assembly, and periodic inspection records for a minimum of three years. Confirm the rules governing your facility before disposing of either.

Sources: as linked per row, checked 17 September 2026. The lifetime/three-year figures are from TDS #299, dated 13 April 2023 and discussing NFPA 80-2022. Confirm your governing retention obligation and any separate contractual requirement before disposing of anything.

Three details worth having:

• Electronic is fine. Paper and electronic media are both permitted. DASMA adds that videos of inspections are "invaluable evidence" of door condition and functionality during operation or under alarm (TDS #295, FAQ 20, citing NFPA 80 (2025) 5.2.2.1 and 5.2.2.3–4). If your contractor can hand you a clip of the curtain landing, take it.
• A dated sticker alone does not show the full test results. Keep the inspection and test record, not just the date on the door.
• The tester's training now goes on the form. The current DASMA drop test form has a Training or Certification Date field, required only for periodic inspection and drop-testing, with documentation verifying training available on request (TDS #271, Rev. 6/25).

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Check the version of the form you're using

DASMA’s Rev. 09/17 and Rev. 6/25 drop-test sheets are both accessible. They are not the same document, and the newer revision changes how the sequence and some record fields are presented.

We compared both on 17 September 2026. The older version remains at DASMA’s legacy file path. 93 months — 7 years 9 months — separate the two revision dates (● Calculated: 2025×12+6 minus 2017×12+9). The newer sheet also lists intervening revisions in February 2021 and January 2024, so this is not a claim that nothing changed for 93 months. NFPA’s edition list includes 2019, 2022 and 2025; those edition labels are not a substitute for checking actual publication dates (NFPA publication list).

Sources: DASMA TDS #271, Rev. 6/25 and the superseded Rev. 09/17, both read in full 17 September 2026. Full 16-row comparison in the downloads.

What to do with this: read the revision history printed at the foot of page 1 and compare your copy with the version DASMA currently posts. Keep records already completed on an older form. For a new test, confirm that the form and supporting documentation capture the applicable results and technician qualifications; a custom form without the same field layout is not automatically obsolete.

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Where every requirement on this page comes from

Every requirement here traces to a document you can open. And the clause numbers have moved between editions, which is why an unsourced citation tells you nothing.

Here is the trap in one line: §5.2.4.2 in the 2007 and 2010 references below is the item-verification checklist for swinging doors. §5.2.4.2 in DASMA’s quotation of the 2022 edition concerns who performs periodic testing. For 2025, the directly verified NFPA amendment changes annex A.5.2.4.2; an annex reference alone does not verify the full requirements clause. Same-looking numbers need an edition and a source.

Sources by column. 2007: University of Colorado Boulder Fire and Life-Safety Group summary, which states its basis as NFPA 80-2007. 2010: NFPA 80-2010 text reprinted with an NFPA permission statement, plus the CMS Form 2567 survey record that quotes 5.2.4.1 and the full eleven-item 5.2.4.2 list. 2022: DASMA TDS #299, quoting 5.2.4.2 and 3.3.131 verbatim. 2025: the printed NFPA 80 (2025) reference list inside DASMA TDS #295, plus NFPA TIA 25-1. A dash means we did not confirm a number for that requirement in that edition, not that the requirement is absent. Full 31-row crosswalk in the downloads.

The 2025 clause numbers attributed to DASMA are its published citations, not a claim that we independently read those clauses in the full standard. The table is a source-and-edition locator, not a complete comparison of every edition.

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How we built this

We started from this reference question and listed the distinct requirements and documentation questions for rolling fire doors. We checked them against the named documents: federal regulation, the CMS memorandum, the dated state-published survey record, NFPA’s amendment files, DASMA technical sheets, the issuer-hosted New York code example, GSA’s program page and manufacturer product information. The source register records what was checked on 17 September 2026 and distinguishes full-document retrieval from issuer-page text returned through search.

NFPA 80 is copyrighted. We did not read the complete standard and do not claim a complete clause-by-clause verification. We read the NFPA-issued amendment and identified publicly posted excerpts and summaries. Where a clause comes from a quotation, the source names the document carrying it and the edition that document identifies. DASMA’s references and the university’s historical summary remain attributed to those publishers; they are not relabeled as our direct reading of NFPA 80. The commercial reprint states that it has NFPA permission; that statement does not give us a license to reproduce the standard.

Where a clause number could not be tied to a verified document and edition, we omitted the asserted mapping or identified the narrower source evidence. We did not add a price, national failure rate, fine or insurance consequence. The historical survey example is explicitly one facility, not a population estimate.

Every figure we computed rather than read is marked ● Calculated and its formula is printed beside it. The travel-time table was generated in a script from the published speed limits; the revision gap was computed from the printed revision dates.

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Limitations

What this page does not settle, stated plainly.

• It does not determine your building’s governing requirements. Check the actual adopted text, referenced edition and amendments with the responsible authority. A publisher’s newest edition is not automatically the one that applies.
• There is no fifty-state table here. The code examples and historical references are identified individually. They are not a complete jurisdiction inventory.
• We could not confirm the disposition of the 2022-edition amendment proposal. We confirmed the proposal itself, and we confirmed that an amendment with a new definition was issued against the 2025 edition. We did not find an NFPA-issued document stating what happened to the 2022-edition proposal.
• The current code example is the 2025 Fire Code of New York State. Its §705.2.7 is not presented as every jurisdiction’s rule. The referenced NFPA 80 edition for the New York example was not independently verified; check its referenced-standards chapter before assigning an edition.
• Annex material is explanatory. The note about in-house training is guidance attached to the standard, not a requirement, and it does not override your AHJ.
• The operator table is one manufacturer family. It is not a cross-brand benchmark, and manufacturer statements are not independent testing.
• The survey record is one survey of one facility. We used it for the printed tag wording and the standard text the surveyor quoted, not as a national statistic.
• This does not interpret your insurance contract. Read any separate inspection or recordkeeping condition in the actual policy.
• This is a document-review aid, not a compliance certificate. Nothing here certifies a door, and the authority having jurisdiction has the final say on acceptance.

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Sources

The register contains 20 source records, including a grouped set of five manufacturer pages. Claims were checked on 17 September 2026. The full register records the access method, edition and limitation for each source.

Federal regulation and agency records

• Office of the Federal Register / CMS. 42 CFR 482.41 — Condition of participation: Physical environment. eCFR current text; Title 42 shown as current as of 15 September 2026. Link
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Survey and Certification memorandum S&C 17-38-LSC — Fire and Smoke Door Annual Testing Requirements in Health Care Occupancies. 28 July 2017. Link
• Indiana Department of Health / CMS. Form 2567 Statement of Deficiencies and Plan of Correction, Event ID Y0F323. Survey completed 15 February 2021; form printed 9 March 2021. Link
• OSHA. 29 CFR 1910.37 — Maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes. Current text. Link

Standards and amendments

• NFPA. NFPA 80 Tentative Interim Amendment 25-1 (TIA Log #1802). NFPA 80-2025; issued 4 December 2024, effective 24 December 2024. Link
• NFPA. Proposed Tentative Interim Amendment, NFPA 80-2022, TIA Log No. 1762. Submitter: Chad Beebe, American Society for Healthcare Engineering. Comments closed 19 December 2023. Link
• NFPA. NFPA LiNK — Available Publications, NFPA 80 edition entries. The listing includes the 2025 edition and prior editions. Link
• Overhead Door Company of Raleigh. Rolling Fire Door Inspections and Drop Tests — reprinting NFPA 80-2010 clause text with an NFPA reprint permission statement. Link
• University of Colorado Boulder Fire and Life-Safety Group. Fire Door Maintenance — summary based on the 2009 International Fire Code and the 2007 edition of NFPA 80. Link

Trade association technical data sheets (DASMA)

• TDS #271 — Rolling Steel Fire Doors: Periodic Inspection and Drop-Testing. Rev. 6/25. Link
• TDS #271 — Drop Testing and Annual Follow-Up (superseded). Rev. 09/17. Link
• TDS #295 — Rolling Steel Fire Doors: Frequently Asked Questions. Rev. 6/25. Link
• TDS #299 — Rolling Steel Fire Door Periodic Inspection and Technician Training Requirements. Dated 4/13/23. Link
• TDS #252 — Test Rolling Fire Doors in the Fully Open Position ONLY. Rev. 8/24. Link
• TDS #2502 — Rolling Steel Fire Door Repair and Parts Replacement. Rev. 6/24. Link

Adopted codes and code development

• University of Colorado’s historical summary identifies IFC 2009 §703.4; see the institutional document listed above. The current adopted-code example is the 2025 Fire Code of New York State, Chapter 7, especially §§705.1–705.2.7.
• General Services Administration. Public Buildings Service Fire Protection Program Policy, 5921.1 PBS. Issued 2 January 2020; listed as active when checked. Link
• International Door Association. IDA Fire Door Proposal Moving Towards Approval. 21 July 2021. Link
• Los Angeles Fire Department. Chief's Regulation 4 — Testing of Fire Protection Equipment. Link

Manufacturer product information

• Clopay Corporation. Manufacturer pages for AlarmGard Motor Operator, AlarmGard Plus Operator, AlarmGard Chain and Crank Manual Operator, FireGard Motor Operator and AlarmGard Conceal. The fifth model is included in the downloadable operator table.

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How to cite this

Dataset name: Fire Door Drop Test Requirement Ledger, version 1.1.0

Uptime Dock & Door Research, Fire Door Drop Test Requirement Ledger, version 1.1.0, compiled 17 September 2026. Fire door drop test requirements.

This download contains Uptime’s reference compilation, editorial review prompts and calculations. The underlying codes, standards and manufacturer documents retain their own rights. Cite the compilation when referencing our work and cite the original issuer when relying on its requirement. No license to reproduce a third-party standard, manual, table or diagram is granted here.

Publisher note. Uptime Dock & Door Research is the research and reference section of uptimedockanddoor.com. Uptime Dock & Door is an independent commercial service-referral publisher for loading docks and commercial doors. It is not a repair contractor, manufacturer, testing laboratory, standards body or government agency, and it has no affiliation with NFPA, DASMA, CMS, OSHA or any manufacturer named on this page. About Uptime Dock & Door · Editorial policy · Contact information.

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Download the data

Fire Door Drop Test Requirement Ledger, v1.1.0 — 189 rows across seven tables. The total includes reference rows, review prompts, calculations and source records; it is not a count of 189 legal requirements. Free, no sign-up, no email.

Source: the accompanying version 1.1.0 file manifest. CSV and JSON rows were compared field by field; the printable worksheet uses the same 28 checklist prompts.

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More questions about fire door drop testing

Is a drop test the same as a fire door inspection? Inspection and testing work together. For a rolling steel fire door, the visual and normal-operating checks do not replace the separate drops that verify automatic closure and reset (DASMA TDS #271). Sliding and swinging assemblies follow their applicable procedures.

Do fusible links have to be replaced every year? Not necessarily. DASMA's answer is that links should be inspected for wear and general condition and replaced if necessary, and should be free of grease, paint or dust that may affect performance (TDS #295, FAQ 21). If a quote lists annual link replacement as automatic, ask what condition the existing links were in.

Where do fusible links go? DASMA says fusible links belong on both sides of the wall unless otherwise acceptable to the AHJ (TDS #295, FAQ 2). The qualified technician must use the installed assembly’s instructions and listed components. Do not size, stack or alter links from a generic description.

Our smoke-rated door only has fusible links. Is that OK? No. S-labeled doors — the S label marks a door rated for smoke leakage — must be activated electrically by smoke or heat detectors or by a fire alarm control panel, and are required to be a fail-safe system (TDS #295, FAQ 5).

Can we mount a light fixture or run conduit off the door hood? No. Items that are not part of the fire door assembly shall not be field attached to any component of a rolling steel fire door (TDS #295, FAQ 24, citing NFPA 80 (2025) 11.3.4). Ask the tester to document any foreign attachment and the approved way to correct it.

Can the door be painted? Yes, within limits. Painting must not inhibit operation or automatic closing, care is needed around gears and headplate-mounted mechanisms, and fusible links and door labels are never painted. Field painting counts as maintenance work, so the door must be inspected and tested afterwards (TDS #295, FAQ 11).

Does the fire department perform the test? The owner is responsible for arranging the required inspection and keeping the record. Do not assume the fire department provides the testing service. The responsible authority decides acceptance, and a local program may require an authorized tester (DASMA TDS #271; LAFD Chief’s Regulation 4).

We have no manual and no idea when it was last tested. Now what? Have a qualified technician obtain the manufacturer’s installation and maintenance instructions where available and resolve the missing history before testing. DASMA calls for great care, with a thorough visual and operational check and correction of defects that could prevent operation, activation, closing or reset (TDS #295, FAQ 7). Do not substitute a generic release procedure for missing instructions.

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Uptime Dock & Door Research · Last verified September 2026

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