Clark County, IN Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

56(A) requires smoke detectors in all dwellings rented for occupancy, effective six months after the ordinance took effect in 1982, though dwellings already meeting the state Uniform Building Code's smoke detector standard are exempt under (B). 57 sets installation standards: only ionization or photoelectric detectors listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory may be used; wall-mounted units must sit within 12 inches, but no closer than six inches, of the ceiling; and where sleeping areas are separated, a detector must be installed adjacent to each one, with rooming units requiring a centrally located ceiling unit.

58 splits maintenance duties: the owner must supply and install operable detectors and give tenants the manufacturer's testing instructions, and remains responsible for maintaining detectors in common areas or in units where any one tenancy runs under a month. For tenancies of a month or longer, the tenant must test and maintain the detector and notify the owner in writing by registered mail if it becomes inoperable, after which the owner has ten days to repair or replace it; battery replacement in battery-powered units is the tenant's job.

At every change of tenancy of a month or more, the owner must verify the detectors are operable before re-letting. 59 makes the Fire Prevention Bureau of each fire department in the county primarily responsible for enforcement, with the county Building Inspector assisting through referrals made during regular building inspections.