An annual wet-pipe sprinkler visit and a five-year visit at the same property need different AES reports. Choose the form when you scope the job, while there's still time to check the previous inspection and arrange access.
California AES forms are the State Fire Marshal's PDF forms for recording automatic extinguishing system inspection, testing, and maintenance. Title 19, section 906.4 specifies their use for water-based and engineered or pre-engineered systems. The OSFM regulations compilation, revised January 5, 2026, still identifies the report forms dated September 3, 2013.
That printed date alone doesn't make a form obsolete. Start with the system, the work due, and the reporting instructions for the property's authority having jurisdiction, or AHJ.
Which California AES form do you need?
For sprinklers, the form number changes with the system and inspection interval. These pairs appear in the City of Banning's official AES form library:
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Wet-pipe sprinklers: AES 2.1 for quarterly and annual reporting; AES 2.2 for five-year reporting.
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Dry-pipe sprinklers: AES 2.3 for quarterly and annual reporting; AES 2.4 for five-year reporting.
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Pre-action sprinklers: AES 2.5 for quarterly and annual reporting; AES 2.6 for five-year reporting.
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Deluge systems: AES 2.7 for quarterly and annual reporting; AES 2.8 for five-year reporting.
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Standpipes and hose systems: AES 3 for quarterly and annual reporting; AES 3.1 for five-year reporting.
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Fire pumps: AES 5.1 for weekly diesel reports and AES 5.2 for annual diesel reports; AES 5.3 for monthly electric reports and AES 5.4 for annual electric reports.
The state's form directory in Table 906.4 also lists AES 4 and 4.1 for quarterly/annual and five-year private fire service main reports, AES 6 for water storage tanks, AES 7 for water spray fixed systems, and AES 8 for foam-water sprinklers.
Treat this as a form selector. The applicable inspection and testing requirements still determine the work to perform.
AES 2.1 vs. AES 2.2: the wet-pipe distinction
AES 2.1 is the quarterly and annual wet-pipe report. The official AES 2.1 PDF separates quarterly observations from annual inspection, testing, and maintenance. It includes riser identification, main-drain readings, deficiency entries, and signatures. The annual section includes the quarterly inspections.
AES 2.2 is the five-year wet-pipe report. The official AES 2.2 PDF includes applicable quarterly and annual work as well as five-year items. Its fields address internal check-valve inspection, internal pipe inspection, and other applicable work. A five-year booking needs enough time for the actual scope.
Both forms provide space for five risers' main-drain results and reference AES 2.9 for additional entries. Check the riser count before dispatch so the technician has the space needed to record each result.
Suppose an office receives an order for an annual inspection at a warehouse, but the property's history shows five-year work is due. Before promising an appointment, confirm the scope with the customer, identify the affected systems, and plan the appropriate report package. Changing a dropdown after the visit won't supply tests that weren't performed.
Essential's fire sprinkler inspection software supports recurring inspection schedules and generated reports, so the office can connect the upcoming work to the required record.
AES 1, AES 9, and AES 10: assemble the report package
The state directory's notes require AES 1 to accompany AES forms 2 through 8 as applicable. The AES 1 cover sheet records the property, contractor, job number, included forms, and system status. It also has fields for recording when copies went to the owner and fire AHJ.
Use the cover sheet to check the whole package. Match the attached forms to the listed systems, check the job number and property details on each page, and reconcile the summary with the findings.
The wet-pipe forms distinguish the two supporting records:
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AES 9 provides additional space for deficiencies and comments.
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AES 10 records corrective action and repairs performed.
A finding and its repair need to remain traceable. If a technician identifies a damaged component and returns later to replace it, keep the original finding with the dated corrective record. A quote approval by itself doesn't document a completed repair.
Our fire inspection report checklist covers the practical details that make a finding usable by the next person: equipment identity, location, observed condition, and repair status.
AES 20, AES 21, and AES 22 cover suppression systems
The forms are specific to the extinguishing system. AES 20 is the semiannual wet-chemical pre-engineered system report commonly used for kitchen suppression. It records the protected cooking appliances, nozzles, sensing elements, and inspection and test results.
On a restaurant visit, compare the equipment in place with the report's appliance entries. A changed cooking line deserves attention before anyone carries last visit's information forward.
AES 21 covers dry-chemical pre-engineered systems. AES 22 covers specialty pre-engineered and engineered systems. Table 906.4(b) lists both as semiannual reports. Keep the system type visible in the work order so the technician opens the appropriate form.
Where to send AES reports, and what to retain
Title 19, section 904.2(j) requires the contractor to give written test and maintenance results to the owner and local fire authority at completion. Table 906.4 identifies which forms go to the AHJ; local officials may require additional forms. Section 906.4(d) permits electronic submission with AHJ approval.
Confirm the local submission process before the visit. San Diego's reporting instructions, for example, require The Compliance Engine, typed PDFs, and a single PDF containing all pages of a report. They also require AES 10 for corrections to systems reported on AES forms, with matching job numbers. These are San Diego instructions, not a statewide upload procedure.
Record the accepted forms, portal, current filing deadline, and responsible office contact against each property. Treat impairment notification as a separate task: San Diego requires immediate reporting of system impairments, rather than waiting for the routine report.
Retention also needs a precise date rule. Section 904.2(c) requires owners to retain test and maintenance records on the premises for five years after the next required test or maintenance. Don't set deletion for five years after the report was written.
Download the official AES PDFs
These links open the State Fire Marshal's blank PDF forms, hosted by the City of Banning:
The city's AES form library also links PDFs for dry-pipe, pre-action, deluge, standpipe, and fire pump reporting.
How Essential supports California AES PDF forms
Essential supports California AES PDF forms. When you review the workflow, use the exact AES PDF required for the job and check the completed document, its attachments, and any local submission instructions together.
For licensing and broader state requirements, see our California fire protection inspection guide.
Bring the AES PDF your office uses to a 30-minute Essential demo to see how Essential supports your inspection and reporting workflow.
Requirements and linked forms checked September 30, 2026. Confirm local filing instructions with the property's AHJ before submission.
