Forsyth County, NC Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing clause
- Forsyth County Code § 7-116(b)
- CO detector trigger
- Attached garage or fossil-fuel heat
- Smoke detector rule
- Each floor level, outside sleeping areas
- Enforcer
- County housing administrator (§ 7-120)
- Penalty
- Class 3 misdemeanor (§ 7-125)
Summary
Forsyth County requires carbon monoxide detectors in every home with an attached garage or fossil-fuel heat, plus smoke detectors on each floor level outside every sleeping area and in the kitchen, under section 7-116(b) of the minimum housing standards article. The county's housing administrator enforces the rule as part of a habitability inspection.
(a)Habitable rooms. Every habitable room shall have at least one (1) window or skylight which can easily be opened, or such other device, such as air conditioning, as will adequately ventilate the room, unless otherwise approved by the housing administrator. Windows that can be opened must have operable screens in homes without central heating and cooling systems. Window frames and glass shall be reasonably weather tight, with no cracked or broken glass.(b)Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Smoke detectors shall be required on each floor level, outside of each sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedroom and the kitchen area. Additionally, carbon monoxide detectors shall be required in all homes with attached garages and homes heated with fossil fuels.(c)Any bathroom lacking a window that opens must contain a properly installed mechanical fan that moves interior air and moisture through an approved system to the exterior of the dwelling.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
" That CO detector trigger is functional, not optional: it applies whenever a home has an attached garage, where a running vehicle or stored fuel can produce carbon monoxide, or when the home's furnace, water heater, or fireplace burns a fossil fuel rather than running on electricity alone. Section 7-116(a) separately requires every habitable room to have an openable window, skylight, or equivalent ventilation such as air conditioning, and section 7-116(c) requires a working exhaust fan in any bathroom without an opening window. These ventilation and detector standards sit within the same minimum-housing article as the structural, plumbing, and heating rules in sections 7-114 and 7-115, and are enforced the same way: the county's housing administrator inspects dwellings under section 7-120, can order corrective action after a hearing under section 7-122, and a dwelling can be found unfit for human habitation if it lacks required detectors, triggering the repair-or-demolish process.
Violations & Fines
Failing to install required smoke or carbon monoxide detectors is a violation of this article, a Class 3 misdemeanor under section 7-125(a). Where the missing detectors contribute to a finding that a dwelling is unfit for human habitation, the housing administrator can order repairs or closure under section 7-122, and occupying a dwelling posted as unfit is a separate Class 1 misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Forsyth County home need a carbon monoxide detector?
Where do smoke detectors have to be installed?
Who checks whether a rental has the required detectors?
What's the penalty for not having a required detector?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Forsyth County
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