Smoke Detector Laws by State: What Each Statute Requires (2026)

The coded map of smoke detector laws by state

The highest scores sit in the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the upper Midwest and the West Coast. Eight of the 11 states with no statewide statute are in the South or the Mountain West, and six Southern states (Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia) regulate rentals only.

Each state was coded on nine questions from the statute text we opened on 2026-10-27, then scored from 0 to 100. Massachusetts scores highest at 75.0 because its statute covers every one- and two-family home, adds a seller duty at transfer, and its fire rules require photoelectric, 10-year sealed alarms in older homes at sale. California, Maine, Maryland and New York follow at 70.0.

Coverage score: 2 points if the statute covers existing owner-occupied homes (1 if only at sale or another trigger), plus 1 point each for rentals, a 10-year sealed battery rule, a photoelectric rule, interconnection in existing homes, a landlord duty, a tenant duty, a point-of-sale rule and a stated penalty; partial codes earn half. The sum is multiplied by 10.

A low score does not mean homes in that state lack alarm rules. Alabama, for example, has adopted the International Fire Code, which the Alabama Fire College says requires working smoke alarms in homes. The score measures what the legislature wrote into statute. Our separate tracker of fire code adoption by state shows which code editions are in force.

Owner-occupied homes, rentals, or only homes being sold

Rental housing is the most common target. 31 coded jurisdictions cover rentals in full, but only 16 reach an owner-occupied house that is not being sold or remodeled.

9 states regulate only rental housing: Florida, Idaho, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. 8 more cover rentals and catch owner-occupied homes when they change hands, such as Washington (sold on or after July 1, 2019), Nebraska (pre-1982 homes at sale or remodel) and Vermont (single-family homes at sale).

Arizona and Nevada show how narrow some statutes are. A.R.S. 36-1637 applies to new residential units and to existing units only when a permitted remodel touches a sleeping area. NRS 477.140 covers apartment buildings with at least three units and hotels with at least six guest rooms, not houses.

Ten-year sealed battery mandates and when they took effect

10 jurisdictions require 10-year sealed batteries in some form, but no two rules use the same trigger. Some regulate what stores may sell, others apply at sale, at replacement, or to landlords only.

Oregon was first among the rules we could date: ORS 479.297, enacted in 1997, requires solely battery-operated ionization alarms sold in the state to be packaged with a 10-year battery. Seven of the 8 dated rules took effect from 2013 to 2019.

Recalled alarms are a separate issue from the statute. Our smoke alarm and extinguisher recall registry lists the units the Consumer Product Safety Commission has recalled.

Who installs, who tests: landlord and tenant duties

Most statutes that address rentals split the work the same way: the landlord installs and hands over a working alarm, the tenant tests it and replaces batteries. 32 jurisdictions put a duty on the landlord and 24 on the tenant.

Illinois is typical. The owner supplies and installs all required detectors and makes sure batteries work at move-in; the tenant tests, replaces batteries and reports problems in writing (425 ILCS 60/3). Oregon requires tenants to test landlord-provided alarms at least once every six months (ORS 90.325). Texas puts the start-of-tenancy test on the landlord and says the landlord need not supply batteries afterward (Prop. Code 92.258).

Several statutes protect landlords who follow the rules. Maine and Alaska say a landlord who did not know an alarm needed repair cannot have that failure used as evidence of negligence. Kansas makes an owner's failure to provide an alarm inadmissible in civil liability actions. Iowa lets an owner require a tenant with residency over 30 days to supply the battery.

Property and HOA managers can match these duties to the building checklist in our apartments and HOA guide. State pages for Florida, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and New York add the local inspection rules.

Sale and transfer rules: affidavits, certificates and buyer installs

12 jurisdictions use the sale of a home to force compliance. The mechanism ranges from a one-page seller affidavit to a fire department inspection and certificate.

Massachusetts is the most procedural: the seller must equip the home (c.148 s.26F) and the local fire department inspects and issues a certificate of compliance, which state fire marshal guidance says will probably be required at closing. Maine reverses the duty: the buyer must install alarms within 30 days and certify at closing. California's remedy for a missing seller statement is capped at $100 in actual damages, and Louisiana and Washington say noncompliance does not stop the transfer.

States with no statewide smoke alarm statute

In 11 states we found no statute that requires smoke alarms in existing homes or rentals. That is 23.4 percent of the jurisdictions we could code.

The gap is legislative, not necessarily practical. The Alabama Fire College says Alabama's adopted International Fire Code requires working smoke alarms in residential homes and that the landlord duty runs through the general building-code clause of the landlord-tenant act. Kentucky's legislature has seen repeated bills: 2024 HB 23 passed the House 79-16 and was last sent to a Senate committee in February 2024, and 2026 HB 474 sits in a House committee.

Ohio is coded as limited rather than absent: Ohio Rev. Code 3781.104 requires smoke detection only in existing apartment and condominium buildings taller than 75 feet. For fire death outcomes by state, see our separate fire deaths by state report, which this atlas does not duplicate.

How many smoke alarms a home needs under these statutes

Where a statute sets placement, the common minimum is one alarm on every level plus one outside each sleeping area. A few states also require one inside every bedroom.

• Kansas: at least one on every story of every single-family residence (K.S.A. 31-162).
• Illinois: within 15 feet of every sleeping room and on every story including basements (425 ILCS 60/3).
• Indiana: outside each sleeping area and on each additional story, including basements and habitable attics (IC 22-11-18-3.5).
• Texas rentals: one in each bedroom, one in the corridor serving bedrooms, and one on each level (Prop. Code 92.255).
• Maryland: one in each sleeping room in homes built on or after July 1, 2013, and one on each level in all homes (Public Safety 9-103, 9-104).
• Massachusetts: each level, the basement, the base of each stairway and outside each sleeping area (c.148 s.26E).

A two-story house with a basement and one sleeping area therefore needs at least three alarms under the Illinois and Indiana rules, and more under Texas rental rules if it has several bedrooms. For new construction, Maryland's statute already requires an alarm in each sleeping room plus interconnection (Public Safety 9-103); elsewhere the building code your state has adopted sets the rule.

Statute registry: smoke alarm laws in 50 states and DC

Checked quarterly and after each state legislative session. Last checked 2026-10-27. Entries are neutral records of public data; each links to its source record.

State-by-state findings

1. 11 of 47 coded jurisdictions have no statewide smoke alarm statute for existing homes or rentals: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming (statutes checked 2026-10-27).^{[1][2][26][28]}
2. 16 jurisdictions require smoke alarms in every existing dwelling including owner-occupied homes, among them Alaska, California, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland and Minnesota (2026).^{[1][2][6][10][13][16]}
3. Maryland required every existing residential occupancy to have alarms on each level by January 1, 2018, and battery units must be sealed long-life alarms with a hush button (Public Safety 9-104, 2026 text).^[10]
4. California has required battery-only alarms approved by the State Fire Marshal to carry a nonreplaceable battery lasting at least 10 years since July 1, 2014 (H&S 13114).^[2]
5. North Carolina landlords installing or replacing an alarm after December 31, 2012 must use a tamper-resistant 10-year lithium battery alarm unless the unit has hardwired alarms with battery backup (G.S. 42-42).^[1]
6. New York bans the sale of battery-only smoke alarms with removable batteries; the current text of General Business Law 399-ccc is dated April 5, 2019.^[21]
7. New Jersey requires 10-year sealed battery alarms in homes built before January 1, 1977, checked before sale or change of occupancy, under a rule effective January 1, 2019.^[24]
8. Louisiana requires an operable ten-year sealed lithium battery smoke detector in existing one- and two-family dwellings at the time of sale or lease (R.S. 40:1581, amended 2022).^[8]
9. 12 jurisdictions attach smoke alarm duties to the sale of a home, through a seller affidavit (New York, Connecticut, South Carolina), a fire department certificate (Massachusetts) or a buyer install-and-certify rule (Maine).^{[1][9][18][20][25]}
10. Washington has required at least one smoke detection device in every dwelling unit sold since July 1, 2019, with fines up to $200 and a $5,000 owner fine if a later fire injures a tenant (RCW 43.44.110).^[17]
11. Statutory repair deadlines after a tenant's written notice range from 5 days in Maryland and Wisconsin to 30 days in Iowa; the median of 7 stated deadlines is 7 days.^{[11][15][18][1]}
12. Only Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts require photoelectric alarms: Maine within 20 feet of kitchens and bathrooms, Vermont in all new and sold single-family homes, Massachusetts in pre-1975 homes at sale.^[9][1][25]
13. Kansas caps the fine for failing to place or maintain a smoke detector at $25, while Delaware fines owners or tenants $100 to $500 per offense (2026 statute text).^[7][16]

Rankings and ratios we derived

Download the calculations (CSV)

Executive summary

• We coded 47 of 51 jurisdictions from statute text; 4 (New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Hawaii) could not be verified because their code sites refused our requests.
• 36 jurisdictions have a statewide smoke alarm statute; 11 have none we could find, so smoke alarm rules there come from adopted fire codes and local ordinances.
• Only 16 statutes cover every existing home including owner-occupied houses; 8 more reach owner-occupied homes only at sale, remodel or another trigger.
• 31 coded jurisdictions cover rental housing in full and 32 assign the landlord a duty to install or test.
• 10 jurisdictions require 10-year sealed batteries in some form, 12 attach a rule to the sale of a home and 3 require photoelectric alarms.
• No statute we opened requires interconnected alarms in existing one- and two-family homes; interconnection is required only in newer construction or multifamily common areas.
• The mean coverage score is 37.1 out of 100 (median 40.0); among states that have a statute the mean is 48.5.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides, services and research

• Fire alarm inspection requirements
• Apartment and HOA fire safety requirements
• Fire code by state
• Workplace Fire Deaths in the U.S.
• Fire Alarm Technician Salary by State and Metro
• Fire Deaths by State, 2013 to 2023
• Fire Department Response Time in 8 U.S. Cities

Methodology

Scope. We looked for a statewide statute or state fire rule on smoke alarms in homes and rental housing for each of the 50 states and DC. Carbon monoxide rules are mentioned only where the same statute covers both. Fire alarm contractor licensing and commercial fire alarm systems are out of scope.

Sources. Every coded row cites the statute page we opened on 2026-10-27 and a raw copy is saved in raw/statutes. We used official legislature sites where they responded (Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Iowa, Delaware, Washington, South Carolina, North Dakota, New York, Virginia). Where official sites blocked or timed out, we used FindLaw or Public.Law copies of the statute text and recorded the currency date shown on the page. NFPA and USFA summaries and manufacturer pages were used only as pointers.

Coding. Each jurisdiction was coded Yes, Partial or No on nine fields: existing owner-occupied homes, rental housing, 10-year sealed battery rule, photoelectric rule, interconnection in existing homes, landlord duty, tenant duty, point-of-sale rule and stated penalty. Partial means the rule applies only to a subset (for example multifamily common areas, or homes at sale). 'No statewide statute found' means the code sections we opened, typically the fire safety chapter and the landlord-tenant act, contain no smoke alarm requirement; adopted fire codes and local ordinances are not coded.

Verification gaps. New Hampshire (RSA 153:10-a), Oklahoma (74 O.S. 324.11), Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws 23-28.35) and Hawaii (HRS chapter 132) could not be opened: their sites returned HTTP 403 or refused connections, and no mirror was reachable. They are shown as not verified and excluded from counts and scores. Illinois and Louisiana 10-year rules are in force but the copies opened do not show an effective year.

Derived metrics. The coverage score is 10 times the sum of the nine coded fields, with existing owner-occupied coverage weighted double. Counts, shares, the timeline and the median repair deadline are computed by scripts/build_data.py from scripts/coding.jsonl and written to derived_metrics.csv and the table CSVs.

Conflicts. Where manufacturer or blog summaries disagreed with statute text (for example, pages saying Arizona requires alarms in all dwellings), we followed the statute text and noted the gap in pages to beat. Where a mirror copy and a session-law history disagreed on dates, we used the date printed in the statute or agency notice.

Keywords. 'Smoke detector laws by state' and '10 year smoke detector law' do not appear in our Ahrefs exports; we used the plainest searcher phrasing. 'How many fire alarms do i need' does appear and is answered in the questions section.

Not legal advice. This report summarizes statutes as published on the date opened. It is not legal advice. Requirements depend on the fire and building code edition your state and local authority have adopted, and on local ordinances; confirm with your authority having jurisdiction or an attorney. Last updated 2026-10-27.

This report presents published data with its limitations. It is not legal, engineering, financial or investment advice. Requirements depend on the code edition your state and local fire marshal have adopted; confirm with your authority having jurisdiction.

Sources, ranked by quality

Tier 1: primary and official sources (25)

• [3] Arizona State Legislature. A.R.S. 36-1637 Smoke detectors; residential housing. Current statute. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [4] Florida Legislature. Fla. Stat. 553.883 Smoke alarms in one-family and two-family dwellings and townhomes. 2026 Florida Statutes. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [5] Florida Legislature. Fla. Stat. 83.51 Landlord's obligation to maintain premises. 2026 Florida Statutes. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [6] Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. K.S.A. 31-162 Installation of smoke detectors required. Current statute. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [7] Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes. K.S.A. 31-163 Violations; penalties. Current statute. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [8] Louisiana State Legislature. La. R.S. 40:1581 Smoke detectors; carbon monoxide detectors; one- or two-family dwellings. Current statute (Acts 2022, No. 458). Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [9] Maine Legislature, Office of the Revisor of Statutes. 25 M.R.S. 2464 Smoke detectors. Extracted 10/05/2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [10] Maryland General Assembly. Md. Code, Public Safety 9-104. Current statute. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [11] Maryland General Assembly. Md. Code, Public Safety 9-106. Current statute. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [12] Maryland General Assembly. Md. Code, Public Safety 9-102. Current statute. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [13] Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minn. Stat. 299F.362 Smoke alarm; installation; rules; penalty. Amended 2023. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [14] Montana Legislature. Mont. Code Ann. 70-24-303. MCA 2025. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [15] Iowa Legislature. Iowa Code 10A.518 Smoke detectors. Iowa Code 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [16] Delaware General Assembly. 16 Del. C. ch. 66, subch. IV Smoke Detectors (6631 to 6637). Current code. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [17] Washington State Legislature. RCW 43.44.110 Smoke detection devices in dwelling units. Amended 2019. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [18] South Carolina Legislature. S.C. Code Title 5, Chapter 25, Article 11 Smoke Detectors. Current code. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [19] North Dakota Legislative Branch. N.D.C.C. 23-13-15 Smoke detection systems for residential rental property. Current Century Code. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [20] New York State Senate, Open Legislation. N.Y. Executive Law 378 Standards for the uniform fire prevention and building code. Revision dated 2026-01-02. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [21] New York State Senate, Open Legislation. N.Y. General Business Law 399-ccc Smoke detecting devices. Revision dated 2019-04-05. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [22] Virginia General Assembly (LIS). Va. Code 55.1-1220 Landlord to maintain fit premises. Current code. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [23] Virginia General Assembly (LIS). Va. Code 36-99.5 Smoke alarms for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Current code. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [24] New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. New Jersey Division of Fire Safety adopts regulation requiring 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms. February 2019 release; rule effective January 1, 2019. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [25] Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. FireFactors: Smoke Alarm Requirements When Selling a One- or Two-Family Residence as of December 2016. Rules effective December 1, 2016. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [26] Kentucky General Assembly. Kentucky 2026 Regular Session, House Bill 474 (An act relating to residential safety). Last action January 30, 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [27] Kentucky General Assembly. Kentucky 2024 Regular Session, House Bill 23 (An act relating to smoke alarms). Last action February 21, 2024. Accessed 2026-10-27.

Tier 2: trade bodies, market research, company data (3)

• [1] FindLaw (Internet Brands). FindLaw Codes: state statute text (Alaska, Connecticut, D.C., Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York MDL 68, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and others; per-state URLs in registry.csv). Code text current as of dates shown per page, 2023 to 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [2] Public.Law. Public.Law statute mirrors (California H&S 13113.7, 13113.8, 13114; Oregon ORS 479 and 90; Nevada NRS 477.140; Texas Prop. Code 92; Colorado C.R.S. 38-12). Code text as published 2025 to 2026. Accessed 2026-10-27.
• [28] Alabama Fire College. Renters and landlords: do you know what your smoke alarm responsibilities are?. Undated guidance. Accessed 2026-10-27.