Columbia, MO Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 6-72, amending IPMC § 704.7
- Replacement clock
- 10 years from manufacture date
- Applies to
- one- and two-family dwellings
- Adopted code
- 2018 Intl Property Maintenance Code
Summary
Columbia's Property Maintenance Code requires every smoke alarm to be tested and maintained per the manufacturer's instructions and replaced within 10 years of manufacture: sooner if it fails or its age can't be confirmed.
704.7 Single and multiple-station smoke alarms. Single- and multiple-station smoke alarms shall be tested and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Smoke alarms that do not function shall be replaced. Smoke alarms installed in one- and two-family dwellings should be replaced not more than 10 years from the date of manufacture marked on the unit, or should be replaced if the date of manufacture cannot be determined.
(Ord. No. 22829, § 1, 6-6-16; Ord. No. 24002, § 1, 9-3-19; Ord. No. 25587, § 2, 2-19-24)
Secs. 6-73—6-225. - Reserved.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 138).
Full Breakdown
Under Code of Ordinances § 6-72, amending IPMC § 704.7 ('Single and multiple-station smoke alarms'), Columbia requires smoke alarms to be tested and maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions, with any alarm that stops functioning replaced right away. For one- and two-family dwellings specifically, the code sets a 10-year replacement clock from the manufacture date marked on the unit, or immediate replacement if that date can't be determined. Columbia adopted the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code by ordinance, and the Department of Community Development enforces this rule inside city limits in Boone County, Missouri.
Violations & Fines
Failing to maintain or replace a nonfunctioning or over-age smoke alarm is a Property Maintenance Code violation, enforceable as a municipal offense with compliance orders and fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must smoke alarms be replaced in Columbia?
What if the manufacture date is unreadable?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbia
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