Tuscaloosa, AL Fire Regulations: Propane Storage (2026)

Propane (LP-gas) in Tuscaloosa is regulated through the city's adopted fire and fuel-gas codes rather than a standalone ordinance. Under Tuscaloosa Code Section 11-20, the city adopts the 2021 International Fire Code as the 'Tuscaloosa Fire Code,' and the city separately adopts the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code. IFC Chapter 61 (Liquefied Petroleum Gases) governs the storage, handling, transportation, and use of LP-gas and incorporates NFPA 58, the LP-Gas Code, and NFPA 54. These standards address container placement, separation distances from buildings and property lines, protection from physical damage, and limits on the aggregate quantity of LP-gas stored. The fire code also limits LP-gas in buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings - generally barring storage or use of cylinders over a small threshold inside or above the first floor of apartments and similar occupancies. For residential customers, the practical rules are: store propane cylinders upright outdoors, away from building openings, basements, and ignition sources; never store a filled cylinder inside an occupied dwelling; and keep larger fixed tanks at the separation distances NFPA 58 requires. Installation of fixed propane tanks and gas piping is reviewed under the adopted International Fuel Gas Code and may require a permit through the city's Building and Fire Safety review. Have propane systems installed and connected by qualified personnel.