Free Emergency Lighting & Exit Sign Inspection Checklist PDF

This free Emergency Lighting & Exit Sign Inspection Checklist PDF covers every test the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code expects: the monthly 30-second functional test, the annual 90-minute duration test, a placement and visibility audit, battery and fixture upkeep, and the test logs inspectors ask for first. Download it, number your fixtures, and log every test by unit.

When the power goes out during a fire or evacuation, emergency lighting and exit signs are the only thing guiding people to the door. Missing monthly test records are a common citation from fire marshals, and a sign can look fine on the wall while its battery no longer holds a charge for the 90 minutes NFPA 101 requires.

The checklist is built for single and multi-location operators and follows the way these systems are actually tested, so your team knows what to check, how often, and what to write down for the AHJ (the authority having jurisdiction, usually your fire marshal).

Run this checklist on any phone or tablet with MaintainIQ, the checklist and maintenance app for single and multi-location operators.

What’s Inside This Checklist

• Monthly Functional Test (30 Seconds): Push-to-test procedure for every fixture, 10-second activation check, lamp and exit sign illumination check, obstruction check, and self-diagnostic status review, tracked monthly across a full year (NFPA 101 §7.9.3).
• Annual 90-Minute Duration Test: Full battery-discharge procedure, illumination measurement (1 foot-candle at the start, 0.6 foot-candle at the end of the test), 40-to-1 uniformity check, battery replacement triggers, and UL 924 verification.
• Exit Sign Placement & Visibility Audit: 100-foot viewing-distance check, 6-inch letter-height check, mounting height, directional arrows, lighting levels for externally illuminated signs, and misleading-signage checks per NFPA 101 §7.10.
• Battery & Fixture Maintenance: Terminal cleaning, battery age tracking and early replacement, load testing, lens cleaning, lamp replacement, charging-circuit check, and re-testing after construction.
• Documentation & Compliance: Fixture numbering, monthly and annual test logs, repair records, battery replacement tracking, power-outage credit records, and records ready for the AHJ.

Why Emergency Lighting Inspection Matters

• Life safety: During a power failure, emergency lighting must light the exit path within 10 seconds and stay lit for 90 minutes. A dead battery means people move through a dark building during the exact emergency the system exists for.
• Code compliance: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.37 requires exit routes to be adequately lit, and NFPA 101 §7.9.3 requires the monthly 30-second and annual 90-minute tests with written records. NFPA 70 Article 700 covers the electrical system behind them.
• Documentation drives inspections: Fire marshals check records first. Missing monthly test logs lead to violations even when every light works. A documented program is the difference between a passed inspection and a citation.
• Battery failure is silent: A battery that passes a 30-second test can still fail the 90-minute duration test. Sealed lead-acid batteries typically last 3 to 5 years, and the only way to catch a weak one is the annual full-duration test.
• Liability and insurance: If someone is injured during an evacuation where emergency lighting failed, inspection records show whether the system was maintained. A documented testing history protects the operator; missing records do the opposite.

Emergency lighting is one part of your life safety program. Pair this checklist with a fire extinguisher inspection checklist and an emergency action plan checklist so your monthly walk covers the whole path out of the building.

Emergency Lighting Quick Reference

Source: NFPA 101 (Life Safety Code) §7.9 and §7.10, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.37, NFPA 70 Article 700, UL 924, IBC Section 1013. Always check against your local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ).

How to Use This Checklist

• Monthly page: Assign it to your facilities or maintenance team. Test every fixture, log the result by unit number, and flag any light that fails to come on or hold a charge.
• Annual page: Schedule the 90-minute test on a fixed date. Cutting AC power to the circuit is the only reliable method, so plan around everything else on that breaker.
• Placement audit page: Run it at least once a year and after any renovation that changes the floor plan or walls.
• Battery & fixture page: Run it quarterly. Record battery install dates so you can replace batteries before the annual test fails.
• Or go digital: set up the monthly and annual tests on a preventive maintenance schedule with next due dates, log results by fixture, record battery replacements in each fixture’s service history, and keep records for every location in one place.

Emergency lights often share circuits with the rest of the building, so it helps to run an electrical panel inspection checklist on the same schedule.

Go Digital with MaintainIQ

Paper test logs can’t tell your team that the monthly 30-second test is due, can’t track which of 200 fixtures is on its fifth-year battery, and won’t produce a clean report when a fire marshal asks for the last three years of records. MaintainIQ replaces the clipboard with scheduled tests that show as due or overdue, inspection logging by fixture number on a phone or tablet, battery replacement dates in each fixture’s service history, failed checks turned into follow-up tasks, and records organized by location. Whether you manage one building or a portfolio of properties, MaintainIQ keeps your emergency lighting program tested, documented and ready for inspection.