Spokane County, WA Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Statute
- RCW 19.27.530, adopted via SCC 3.01.030
- New construction deadline
- Alarms required by Jan. 1, 2011
- Existing residential deadline
- Alarms required by Jan. 1, 2013
- Owner-occupancy exemption
- Homes occupied before July 26, 2009
- Exemption ends at sale
- Seller must install alarms before occupancy
- Battery/maintenance duty
- Tenant, per manufacturer instructions
- Penalty for noncompliance
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 or 90 days
Summary
Spokane County enforces Washington's statewide carbon monoxide alarm mandate as part of the state building code it adopts wholesale under SCC 3.01.030. RCW 19.27.530 required new residential construction to carry CO alarms by 2011 and all other residential occupancies by 2013, exempting only owner-occupied homes lived in before July 26, 2009.
(1) By July 1, 2010, the building code council shall adopt rules requiring that all buildings classified as residential occupancies, as defined in the state building code in chapter 51-54 WAC, but excluding owner-occupied single-family residences legally occupied before July 26, 2009, be equipped with carbon monoxide alarms. (2)(a) ...by January 1, 2011, all newly constructed buildings classified as residential occupancies will be equipped with carbon monoxide alarms, and all other buildings classified as residential occupancies will be equipped with carbon monoxide alarms by January 1, 2013. (b) Owner-occupied single-family residences legally occupied before July 26, 2009, are exempt from the requirements of this subsection (2). However, for any owner-occupied single-family residence that is sold on or after July 26, 2009, the seller must equip the residence with carbon monoxide alarms in accordance with the requirements of the state building code before the buyer or any other person may legally occupy the residence following such sale.
Full Breakdown
530, the state's carbon monoxide alarm statute. It required the state building code council to adopt rules requiring carbon monoxide alarms in all buildings classified as residential occupancies, with newly constructed residential buildings covered by January 1, 2011, and all other residential occupancies covered by January 1, 2013. 530(2)(b) requires the seller of such a home to equip it with carbon monoxide alarms meeting the state building code before the buyer or anyone else may legally occupy it after the sale. 530(3) to exempt categories of residential buildings it finds don't need alarms to protect occupant health and welfare.
530(4)). Because Spokane County incorporates this chapter directly into Title 3, county building inspectors verify carbon monoxide alarm compliance the same way they verify any other adopted building code requirement, during construction, alteration, and change-of-occupancy inspections administered by the Department of Building and Planning.
Violations & Fines
Because RCW 19.27.530 is adopted into Title 3 "as if fully set forth herein," a failure to install or maintain a required carbon monoxide alarm is treated as a violation of the codes adopted by Title 3. SCC 3.02.090 makes any violation of the codes adopted under this title a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does unincorporated Spokane County require carbon monoxide alarms?
Am I exempt if I've owned my Spokane County home since before 2009?
Who is responsible for CO alarm batteries in a Spokane County rental?
What's the penalty for not having a required CO alarm in Spokane County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
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