FDNY Certificate of Fitness · Code P-99
P-99 Low Pressure Oil Burner Operator
The card for the person who operates a low-pressure oil-fired boiler in a New York City building. Most residential and commercial buildings that heat with oil have one, and the FDNY requires a certificate holder wherever the burner is not fully automatic.
Course price
$350
6 months access
Studied in the Tauris Training app.
Who needs it
Who holds the P-99
Superintendents, building engineers and maintenance staff who run an oil burner. The FDNY’s own rule for who does not need it is precise: the P-99 is not required if the boiler is fully automatic, meaning it starts from a thermostat signal, and does not burn No. 6 fuel oil. No. 6 oil has been prohibited in New York City since 30 June 2015, so in practice the certificate is required wherever a low-pressure oil burner still needs a person to start it.
The FDNY study material covers the operation and controls of a low PSI oil burner system, the relevant sections of the Building Code, chimneys and remote controls, and the safety procedures for the plant. The same material also prepares for the P-14, P-16 and P-20 certificates for complex-wide, supervisory and mobile emergency oil burner operation.
What the FDNY asks
To apply
You are at least 18
With a reasonable understanding of English.
Government-issued photo ID
Presented when you apply and when you take the exam.
A $25 FDNY application fee
Paid to the FDNY, on top of the course price.
Exam day
35 questions at FDNY Headquarters
- Format
- 35 multiple-choice questions on a touch-screen computer, with 53 minutes to complete it.
- Pass mark
- 70%
- Where
- FDNY Headquarters, 9 Metrotech Center, Brooklyn
- FDNY application fee
- $25 per attempt, paid to the FDNY
- Valid for
- Three years, then $15 to renew
Questions people actually ask
About the P-99
Who needs a P-99 Certificate of Fitness?
Whoever operates a low-pressure oil burner in a New York City building that is not fully automatic. The FDNY states the exception exactly: the P-99 is not needed if the boiler is fully automatic, started by a signal from a thermostat, and does not use No. 6 fuel oil. Since No. 6 oil has been prohibited in the city since June 2015, the certificate is required wherever the burner needs an operator.
What is the P-99 exam like?
Thirty-five multiple-choice questions on a touch-screen computer at FDNY Headquarters, 9 MetroTech Center, Brooklyn, with 53 minutes to complete it. Four answer options per question, one correct, no penalty for guessing. The pass mark is 70%, and the $25 FDNY application fee is paid online before you arrive.
Do I need experience to get a P-99?
No. The FDNY lists no special requirements for the P-99. The general requirements for every Certificate of Fitness apply: at least 18 with a reasonable understanding of English, government photo ID, and the application fee.
Your building has more than one system
The FDNY issues a Certificate of Fitness per system or hazard. All 36 courses, or group enrollment for a whole crew.