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Moore, OK Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Minimum coverage
1 detector per apartment unit (§ 5-205)
Pre-1982 units
Battery detectors tested every 30 days
Post-1982-permit units
Must be hardwired to electrical system
Records
Test logs kept in manager's office
Enforcement
Building official under § 5-208
Penalty
Up to $500 per violation under § 1-108

Summary

In the City of Moore, Oklahoma, Sec 5-205 requires at least one working smoke detector in every separate unit or living area of an apartment building. Detectors installed before March 4, 1982 run on battery power and must be tested by the owner every 30 days with logged records; any detector added under a permit issued after that date must be wired into the building's electrical system.

All apartment structures and buildings shall have not less than one smoke detector installed and maintained in working order in each separate unit or living area within the apartment building. The smoke detectors required by this section shall be approved prior to their installation but shall be powered by the following methods, to wit: For all apartments in existence on March 4, 1982, the smoke detector shall be powered by a battery and shall be tested by the owner of such apartment building every 30 days, and the documentation of such testing shall be kept in the office of the manager of such apartment; and All smoke detectors installed in apartments which receive a building permit after March 4, 1982, shall be powered by the electrical system of such apartment building. ... All smoke detectors shall be of a type approved by the chief of the fire department, the International Fire Safety Code as adopted by the city or the residential building code as adopted by the city, but must be suitable to warn the occupants of the unit in which such detector is installed of the presence of smoke and the possibility of fire danger.

Full Breakdown

Sec 5-205, titled Smoke Detectors Required In Apartment Dwellings, applies to every apartment structure and building in the city and sets a floor of one approved smoke detector per separate unit or living area, kept in working order at all times. The section splits the power source by the age of the building: apartments that existed on March 4, 1982 may keep battery-powered detectors, but the owner must test each one every 30 days and keep the test documentation in the manager's office; any apartment building that received its building permit after March 4, 1982 must have detectors wired to the building's electrical system instead of running on batteries.

Every detector, whichever power source it uses, must be a type approved by the fire chief or that meets the International Fire Safety Code or the residential building code the city has adopted, and it must be capable of actually warning occupants of smoke and fire danger. Sec 5-208 puts the building official in charge of enforcing this and the rest of the city's building codes, and Sec 5-115 folds the cost of any related inspection into the council-set fee schedule kept on file with the city clerk.

The rule traces to Prior Code Sec 5-4 and was last amended by Ordinance 857(17) on June 19, 2017, and it sits inside the same Part 5 building regulations chapter that adopts the IBC and IRC for the rest of the city's construction code.

Violations & Fines

Failing to install a required smoke detector, failing to keep one in working order, failing to test a battery-powered unit every 30 days, or failing to keep the test log is declared unlawful under Sec 5-205. Any owner, manager, firm or corporation convicted of a violation is subject to the general penalty in Sec 1-108, a fine up to $500 for each offense, applied separately to each day the violation continues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every apartment unit in Moore need a smoke detector?
Yes. Sec 5-205 requires at least one approved, working smoke detector in every separate unit or living area of an apartment building in the city, and it must be maintained in working order at all times, with no exception for the size or age of the unit.
Can an older Moore apartment use a battery smoke detector?
Yes, but only if the apartment existed on March 4, 1982. Sec 5-205 requires the owner to test each battery-powered detector every 30 days and keep the test documentation on file in the apartment manager's office; any newer building permitted after that date must hardwire detectors instead.
Who checks smoke detector compliance in Moore apartments?
The city's building official, designated under Sec 5-208 as responsible for enforcing all city building codes, oversees compliance with Sec 5-205, and a failure to install, maintain, or test a required detector is punishable under the Sec 1-108 general penalty of up to $500 per offense.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Moore

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