Dallas, TX Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)

Chapter 8A regulates boarding home facilities, defined by Sec. 8A-2(4) as an establishment that lodges three or more unrelated persons in one or more buildings and furnishes services such as community meals, light housework, transportation, or medication reminders without personal care. Under Article IV, Sec. 8A-29 (Emergency Precautions), the licensee must maintain fire escapes and exits, file a written fire and evacuation plan with Dallas Fire-Rescue when a non-ambulatory resident lives on site, post evacuation plans in every sleeping room and the kitchen, provide fire extinguishers inspected annually, and supply smoke alarms approved by the fire marshal.

' The department designated by the city manager, identified in the chapter as the director, enforces these standards through the inspection schedule set out in Sec. 8A-20, which requires an annual fire inspection of every licensed facility plus a gas pipe pressure test every three years for any facility receiving natural gas and an annual inspection for facilities with a liquefied natural gas system, both settings where carbon monoxide risk is directly relevant. A licensee that fails to maintain a required carbon monoxide detector is subject to the violations and penalty scheme in Sec.

8A-40, which classifies any offense that 'governs fire safety, public health, or sanitation' at a fine not to exceed $2,000, separate from the $500 cap on other chapter offenses. Sec. 8A-40(e)-(f) sets a minimum fine of $250 for a first conviction, doubling for a second conviction of the same offense within 24 months and tripling for a third, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense under Sec. 8A-40(g). The director may also pursue an emergency closing order under Sec. 8A-40(h) if a violation, including a missing life-safety device, creates an immediate threat to resident health or safety; that order is appealable to the permit and license appeal board on an expedited basis.