Tracy, CA Building Safety: Carbon Monoxide Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Statute
- Cal. Health & Safety Code sec. 17926
- Trigger
- Fossil-fuel heater, fireplace, or attached garage
- Single-family deadline
- July 1, 2011
- Fine
- Up to $200 per offense infraction
- Notice required
- 30-day correction notice before fine
Summary
California law, applied to every Tracy home, requires owners to install a State Fire Marshal-listed carbon monoxide device in any dwelling with a fossil-fuel heater, fireplace, or attached garage. Health and Safety Code Section 17926 set a July 1, 2011 deadline for existing single-family homes, and violations draw up to a $200 fine per offense.
(a) An owner of a dwelling unit intended for human occupancy shall install a carbon monoxide device, approved and listed by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 13263, in each existing dwelling unit having a fossil fuel burning heater or appliance, fireplace, or an attached garage, within the earliest applicable time period as follows: (1) For all existing single-family dwelling units intended for human occupancy on or before July 1, 2011. (2) For all existing hotel and motel dwelling units intended for human occupancy on or before January 1, 2017. (3) For all other existing dwelling units intended for human occupancy on or before January 1, 2013. ... (c) (1) Notwithstanding Section 17995, and except as provided in paragraph (2), a violation of this section is an infraction punishable by a maximum fine of two hundred dollars ($200) for each offense. (2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a property owner shall receive a 30-day notice to correct.
Full Breakdown
030). Subsection (a) requires an owner of a dwelling unit intended for human occupancy to install a carbon monoxide device, approved and listed by the State Fire Marshal, in every existing unit that has a fossil fuel burning heater or appliance, a fireplace, or an attached garage. The compliance deadlines are staggered: existing single-family dwellings had to comply by July 1, 2011; existing hotel and motel units by January 1, 2017; and all other existing dwelling units, such as apartments and condominiums, by January 1, 2013.
Subsection (b) requires the number and placement of the devices to match either the building standards for new construction of that occupancy type or the manufacturer's installation instructions, whichever is technically feasible. New construction in Tracy installs the required alarms as part of the adopted California Residential and Building Codes at the time of permitting; existing homeowners carry the ongoing installation duty directly under state law rather than a separate city ordinance. The statute caps liability for noncompliance: no real estate transfer can be invalidated for a missing device, and the exclusive civil remedy is actual damages up to $100.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Health and Safety Code Section 17926 is an infraction punishable by a fine of up to $200 per offense, but subsection (c)(2) requires the property owner first receive a thirty-day written notice to correct before that fine can be assessed. Failure to install a required device does not affect title to the property and carries no separate criminal exposure beyond the infraction fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tracy require carbon monoxide detectors in every home?
What happens if a Tracy landlord skips the carbon monoxide alarm?
Where must the CO alarm go in my house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tracy
California rules heatmap·Compare Tracy to another location·View the California building safety overview
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Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle carbon monoxide detectors.