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Richland, WA Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)

Q: Does Richland require carbon monoxide detectors in apartments?

Yes. Table 20.05.020 under RMC § 20.05.020 lists carbon monoxide detection for the R2 occupancy group, which covers non-transient apartments, citing the Washington Administrative Code as the authority. The requirement applies to every apartment building in that occupancy class regardless of size.

Q: Are single-family homes in Richland required to have CO alarms?

Yes. The R3 row of Table 20.05.020 covers single-family dwellings, duplexes, and small child care uses, and lists carbon monoxide detection alongside a single-station smoke alarm, both required under the code cited in that row of RMC § 20.05.020.

Q: Who enforces the carbon monoxide detector requirement?

The fire code official, who under RMC § 20.02.020 is the chief of the Richland fire and emergency services department, the fire marshal, or a designee, administers Table 20.05.020's detection requirements. Violations are civil infractions under RMC § 20.05.040, with the fine set by RMC § 10.02.050(E).

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Occupancies requiring CO detection: R1 hotels/motels, R2 apartments, R3 homes
Authority cited: Washington Administrative Code, Ch. 51-54
Size threshold: None, applies to all buildings in group
Testing record deadline: 14 calendar days after completion
Violation type: Civil infraction, RMC § 10.02.050(E)

Summary

Table 20.05.020 under RMC § 20.05.020 requires carbon monoxide detection in hotels and motels (R1), apartments (R2), and single-family homes, duplexes, and small child care (R3), citing the Washington Administrative Code as the authority for each. The requirement applies regardless of building size, unlike the square-footage thresholds that trigger sprinklers and alarms in most other occupancy groups.

Table 20.05.020 ... R1 Hotels & motels (transient) 2 All Carbon monoxide RMC WAC Any building containing this occupancy group IFC R2 Apartments (non-transient) 2 All Carbon monoxide RMC WAC Any building containing this occupancy group IFC R3 Single-family, duplex, child care ≥ 5 persons < 24 hours 2 Single station smoke alarm Carbon monoxide IFC WAC Any building containing this occupancy group WAC ... WAC = Chapter 51-54 Washington Administrative Code

View official code

Full Breakdown

Richland's Table 20.05.020, part of RMC § 20.05.020 in the fire alarm and sprinkler chapter, lists carbon monoxide detection as a fire alarm requirement for three residential occupancy groups: R1 (transient hotels and motels), R2 (non-transient apartments), and R3 (single-family dwellings, duplexes, and child care serving five or more persons for under 24 hours). For each of these groups the table cites the 'Carbon monoxide' requirement against the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) as its authority, distinct from the RMC- and IFC-sourced alarm and sprinkler triggers used elsewhere in the same table, and the table's footnote identifies WAC as Chapter 51-54 of the Washington Administrative Code.

Unlike the square-footage or occupant-load thresholds that gate sprinkler and alarm obligations for commercial and institutional occupancies, the carbon monoxide line for R1, R2, and R3 applies without any size qualifier, meaning it reaches every hotel, motel, apartment building, single-family home, and duplex that falls in those occupancy classes within Richland. All fire alarm and detection systems installed to satisfy Table 20.05.020, including carbon monoxide detection, must be maintained and documented under RMC § 20.05.020(E), with a 14-calendar-day deadline for submitting test records to Richland fire and emergency services, and owners must keep current contact information on file under subsection F so testing notices are not missed.

Violations & Fines

Failing to install or maintain required carbon monoxide detection under Table 20.05.020 is a violation of RMC Chapter 20.05, treated as a civil infraction under RMC § 20.05.040(A) and subject to the penalty schedule in RMC § 10.02.050(E). Each day the deficiency continues is a separate offense under RMC § 20.05.040(B), and the fire code official administers enforcement under RMC § 20.02.020.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Richland require carbon monoxide detectors in apartments?

Yes. Table 20.05.020 under RMC § 20.05.020 lists carbon monoxide detection for the R2 occupancy group, which covers non-transient apartments, citing the Washington Administrative Code as the authority. The requirement applies to every apartment building in that occupancy class regardless of size.

Are single-family homes in Richland required to have CO alarms?

Yes. The R3 row of Table 20.05.020 covers single-family dwellings, duplexes, and small child care uses, and lists carbon monoxide detection alongside a single-station smoke alarm, both required under the code cited in that row of RMC § 20.05.020.

Who enforces the carbon monoxide detector requirement?

The fire code official, who under RMC § 20.02.020 is the chief of the Richland fire and emergency services department, the fire marshal, or a designee, administers Table 20.05.020's detection requirements. Violations are civil infractions under RMC § 20.05.040, with the fine set by RMC § 10.02.050(E).

Sources & Official References

[1]Richland Municipal Code § 20.05.020, Table 20.05.020

Other rules in Richland

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