Bartow County, GA Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered occupancies
- CLAs, personal care homes, lodging houses, board-and-care
- Excluded
- ordinary one- and two-family private homes
- CO trigger 1
- gas, LP gas, or heating oil heat/cooking
- CO trigger 2
- solid-fuel fireplace or fixed heating device
- Enforced by
- county fire marshal with building official
Summary
Bartow County's fire code requires carbon monoxide detectors in community living arrangements, personal care homes, lodging and rooming houses, and board-and-care occupancies that use gas, LP gas, heating oil, or a solid-fuel fireplace. The rule explicitly does not reach an ordinary one- or two-family home used as a private residence.
(a)Scope. This document covers all new buildings or portions thereof and all existing one- and two-family dwellings being converted to be used as personal care homes, community living arrangements, lodging or rooming houses and residential board and care homes of six or less residents who are not related to the owners or operators by either blood or marriage, whether licensed by a state agency or not. ... No portion of this document should be construed to refer to one- or two-family dwelling units used as a private residence. ... (2)Carbon monoxide detectors shall be provided in the residence where natural gas, LP gas or heating oil is used to heat the residence or for cooking.(3)Carbon monoxide detectors shall be provided in the residence if a solid fuel burning fireplace or fixed heating device is installed in the residence.
Full Breakdown
Bartow County Code § 18-6 governs fire and life-safety equipment for a defined set of group-living occupancies: community living arrangements, personal care homes, lodging or rooming houses, and board-and-care homes serving six or fewer unrelated residents, whether or not the operator is state-licensed. ' These occupancies must also carry a household fire alarm system meeting NFPA 72 under (d)(1), post fire-department-approved signage under (e), and provide a primary and secondary means of escape from every bedroom and living area under (f). A related, narrower rule in § 18-7 requires a carbon monoxide detector in the living space above a drive-under garage whenever the garage itself is fitted with a residential fire sprinkler system.
The county fire marshal, working with the building official, administers and enforces § 18-6, and can withhold or revoke a certificate of occupancy for a noncompliant group home.
Violations & Fines
§ 18-6 sets no dedicated fine of its own; the fire marshal and building official enforce it through citations under Bartow County Code § 1-19, and the building official can withhold or revoke a certificate of occupancy for a group home that lacks the required detectors. Operating a noncompliant occupancy is treated as a public nuisance the county can seek to abate or close through magistrate or superior court action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bartow County require carbon monoxide detectors in every house?
What triggers the carbon monoxide detector requirement for a group home?
Are drive-under garages covered by a carbon monoxide rule too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bartow County
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