Smoke Detector Act

Overview of Public Act 200

To be used as a reference to answer questions regarding the Smoke Detector Act (425 ILCS 60/).

  • Every dwelling unit shall be equipped with at least one smoke alarm in an operating condition within 15 feet of every room used for sleeping purposes.
  • On every story of the dwelling unit, including basements, but not including unoccupied attics.
  • The detector shall be installed on the ceiling and at least 6 inches from any wall or on a wall located between 4 and 6 inches from the ceiling.
  • The smoke alarm can be combined with CO detecting devices, provided each unit has a distinct alarm that differentiates the hazard.
  • Failure to install or maintain is a Class B misdemeanor.
  • The owner of the property must supply, install, and maintain all required alarms.
  • Tampering with, removing, destroying, disconnecting, or removing the batteries from any installed smoke alarm is a Class A misdemeanor in the case of the first conviction and a Class 4 felony in the case of a second subsequent conviction.
  • The smoke alarms required under this Act may be:
    • Battery powered (Dwelling units in existence before July 1, 1988)
    • By January 1, 2023, all single and multi-family homes that are still using smoke alarms with removable batteries are required to install new alarms that feature 10-year sealed batteries.
    • Wired into structure AC power and interconnected (Dwelling units newly constructed, reconstructed, or substantially remodeled after December 31, 1987)
    • Wired into the structure AC power line, interconnected, with battery back-up (Dwelling units newly constructed, reconstructed, or substantially remodeled after January 1, 2011)

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