Indianapolis, IN Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Both local and state law mandate smoke detection in residential dwellings. Indiana Code 22-11-18-3.5 requires a dwelling to have at least one functional smoke detector installed per the manufacturer's instructions, located outside each sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms, on the ceiling or a wall not less than 4 inches and not more than 12 inches from the ceiling, on each additional story (including basements, cellars and habitable attics), and not recessed into a ceiling. The owner, or the owner's manager or rental agent, is responsible for installing a required smoke detector and for repairing or replacing it within a set number of working days after written notification by an occupant. Indianapolis enforces these requirements locally through Marion County Revised Code Sec. 591-421. Indiana does not require carbon monoxide detectors in one- and two-family dwellings by statute, though combination smoke/CO alarms are commonly installed.