Salem, OR Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SRC 59.220
- Triggers requirement
- any structure with a CO source
- Bedroom placement
- in room or within 15 ft of door
- Common areas
- required if linked by door/duct/vent to source
- Tampering
- separate offense under SRC 59.225
- Civil penalty ceiling
- $2,000 per violation
Summary
Salem requires an audible carbon monoxide alarm in every residential structure that contains a CO source under SRC 59.220. Alarms must sit in or within 15 feet of each bedroom and in any enclosed common area connected to that source by a door, duct or vent shaft.
An alarm which produces an audible alert when carbon monoxide is detected is required in all residential structures containing a carbon monoxide source. Carbon monoxide alarms shall be installed according to the manufacturer's specifications and in the following locations:(a)In each bedroom or within 15 feet outside of each bedroom door; and(b)In any enclosed common area within a residential structure if such common area is connected by a door, ductwork, or ventilation shaft to a carbon monoxide source.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
220 requires an alarm that produces an audible alert when carbon monoxide is detected in all residential structures containing a carbon monoxide source, such as a gas furnace, water heater, fireplace or attached garage. The alarm must be installed according to the manufacturer's specifications in two categories of location: in each bedroom or within 15 feet outside of each bedroom door, and in any enclosed common area of the residential structure if that area is connected by a door, ductwork, or a ventilation shaft to the carbon monoxide source.
003 applies to every residential structure in the City, including single-family homes, duplexes and apartment houses. 225 separately makes it unlawful to tamper with any required protection device, expressly including a carbon monoxide alarm, so removing a battery or disconnecting a unit is itself a violation independent of any failure to install one. 600, and an enforcement order can require installation where an alarm is missing from a required location.
Violations & Fines
Failing to install or maintain a required carbon monoxide alarm under SRC 59.220 is an infraction under SRC 59.990(a)(1), with each day of noncompliance a separate violation and a possible civil penalty of up to $2,000 under 59.990(b). Tampering with a carbon monoxide alarm is a separate infraction under SRC 59.225, escalating to a misdemeanor on a second conviction within six months under SRC 59.990(a)(4).
Frequently Asked Questions
When is a carbon monoxide alarm required in Salem?
Where must the CO alarm go relative to bedrooms?
Is disabling a carbon monoxide alarm illegal in Salem?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salem
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