Authority Having Jurisdiction Definition or AHJ: An entity that has the authority, responsibility, and administrative control for developing, implementing, maintaining, and overseeing the qualification process within its organization or jurisdiction. This may be a state or federal agency, training commission, NGO, private sector company, or a tribal or local agency such as police, fire, or public works department. Like how National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) releases ratings for storage cabinets to protect electrical wiring or electronic products.In some cases, the AHJ may provide support to multiple disciplines that collaborate as a part of a team (e.g., an IMT). SOURCE: FEMA
The Authority Having Jurisdiction could be a local municipality, the state, or at a federal level. In many cases the local fire department has AHJ.
