Cass County, MO Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Fuel-fired equipment, attached garage, wood fireplace
- Detector type
- Hardwired, battery backup
- Testing frequency
- At least monthly
- Placement rule
- 5+ feet from gas-fueled appliances
- Enforcing agency
- Cass County Health Department
- Max fine
- $1,000 per violation per day
Summary
Cass County Code Section 225.710(A)(9) requires lodging establishments in the unincorporated county, meaning hotels, motels, cabins and similar facilities with fuel-fired equipment, attached parking garages or wood-burning fireplaces, to install carbon monoxide detectors. Detectors must be hardwired with battery backup, tested monthly, and kept at least five feet from gas-fueled appliances and away from cooking or bathing areas.
9. Facilities using fuel-fired equipment or appliances that pose a potential carbon monoxide risk, including facilities with attached parking garages or wood burning fireplaces, shall install a carbon monoxide detector(s). Carbon monoxide detectors shall be installed according to manufacturer's specifications and should not be placed within five (5) feet of gas-fueled appliances or near cooking or bathing areas. a. Carbon monoxide detectors shall be in good working condition. Detectors must be hardwired with a battery backup. b. Carbon monoxide detectors shall be tested at least monthly or as needed to ensure they are operating properly and batteries shall be changed as needed. c. Carbon monoxide detectors shall be required in rooms adjoining or sharing a common ventilation system with an attached parking garage, but shall not be required to be installed in the attached parking garage area.
Full Breakdown
710, Life Safety, sits in the Health Department's Lodging Code, Chapter 225, Article III, and its Subsection A(9) requires any lodging establishment using fuel-fired equipment or appliances that pose a potential carbon monoxide risk, including facilities with attached parking garages or wood-burning fireplaces, to install carbon monoxide detectors. This covers hotels, motels, cabins, tourist courts, bed and breakfasts and similar buildings of five or more guest rooms in unincorporated Cass County, not private residences. Detectors must be installed according to the manufacturer's specifications and kept at least five feet away from gas-fueled appliances and away from cooking or bathing areas.
706(G). Subsection (c) specifically requires carbon monoxide detectors in guest rooms that adjoin or share a common ventilation system with an attached parking garage, though a detector is not required inside the parking garage area itself. 712(C)(3), which requires a carbon monoxide detector wherever an existing unvented fireplace installation is allowed to continue in use. 725.
Violations & Fines
Failing to install or maintain required carbon monoxide detectors is an ordinance violation under Sections 225.729 and 225.730 of the Lodging Code. A conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, and each day a violation continues is charged as a separate offense. The Health Department can suspend or revoke the establishment's operating permit for repeated safety violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every lodging establishment need a carbon monoxide detector?
Where can a carbon monoxide detector not be placed?
Do rooms next to an attached parking garage need a detector?
What happens if a lodging establishment skips this requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cass County
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