Evanston, IL Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- IPMC § 704.6.1.2, City Code § 5-1-3
- Covered occupancies
- Groups R-2, R-3, R-4, I-1
- Required locations
- Bedrooms, sleeping areas, every story
- Stairway rule
- Alarm above top interior stair landing
Summary
Evanston requires working smoke alarms in every dwelling unit's sleeping areas, each bedroom, every story, and above interior stairways under the adopted Property Maintenance Code's fire safety chapter.
Single or multiple-station smoke alarms shall be installed and maintained in Groups R-2, R-3, R-4 and I-1 and in dwellings not regulated in group R occupancies, regardless of occupant load, at all of the following locations:
1.On the ceiling or wall outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of bedrooms.2.In each room used for sleeping purposes.3.In each story within a dwelling unit, including basements and cellars but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics. In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level.4.On the ceiling above the top landing in each interior stairway that serves dwelling, rooming or dormitory units.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 21).
Full Breakdown
Under Section 704.6.1.2 of Evanston's Property Maintenance Code (Chapter 7, Fire Safety Requirements), single- or multiple-station smoke alarms are mandatory in Groups R-2, R-3, R-4 and I-1 occupancies and in dwellings outside those groups regardless of occupant load. Required locations include the ceiling or wall outside each sleeping area, inside every room used for sleeping, on every story of the dwelling unit including basements and cellars, and above the top landing of interior stairways serving dwelling, rooming, or dormitory units. A single upper-level alarm can cover an adjacent lower split level with no intervening door if the drop is less than one full story.
Violations & Fines
The Building & Development Services Division cites missing or non-functioning alarms as a Property Maintenance Code violation, issuing a notice of violation and pursuing prosecution under the code's violations section if uncorrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are smoke alarms required in every bedroom in Evanston?
Does a split-level home need an alarm on each level?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Evanston
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