Olympia, WA Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Mobile/manufactured homes not constructed to HUD standards
- Detector standard
- Building Code Standard No. 43-6
- Placement
- On or near ceiling, central to corridor serving sleeping rooms
- Installation permit from
- Community Planning and Development Department
- Circuit rule
- Not the only load on a branch circuit (OMC 16.24.200(F))
Summary
In the City of Olympia, Washington, OMC 16.04.410(B) requires an approved smoke detector in every mobile/manufactured home not constructed to HUD standards. The detector must conform to Building Code Standard No. 43-6 and be mounted on or near the ceiling, centrally located in the corridor or area giving access to sleeping rooms.
A. The owner or the installer of the mobile/manufactured home(s) must obtain an installation permit from the City Community Planning and Development Department before installing mobile homes that will be used as a residence in a mobile home park. ... B. Smoke Detectors. All mobile/manufactured homes not constructed to HUD standards shall have or be provided with an approved smoke detector, conforming to the Building Code Standard No. 43-6. The detector shall be mounted on or near the ceiling at a point centrally located in the corridor or area giving access to rooms used for sleeping purposes. Detectors not factory installed may be either self-contained or plug in types so that no alteration of the mobile housing is required for their installation.
Full Breakdown
Olympia's own smoke detector text for housing sits in the mobile and manufactured housing article of the Building Code chapter. OMC 16.04.410(B) says all mobile/manufactured homes not constructed to HUD standards shall have or be provided with an approved smoke detector conforming to the Building Code Standard No. 43-6. The detector is mounted on or near the ceiling at a point centrally located in the corridor or area giving access to rooms used for sleeping purposes. Detectors not factory installed can be self-contained or plug in types, so that no alteration of the mobile housing is required for installation.
The HUD line matters because OMC 16.04.390(E) defines mobile/manufactured housing as a residential unit that bears an insignia issued by a state or federal regulatory agency indicating compliance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development construction standards. Under OMC 16.04.400(B), mobile/manufactured housing installed in the city before June 1, 1983 that does not comply with the article is nonconforming, and such homes can stay where they are, but any move to a new location, including a new footing layout on the same site, requires a permit from the Department of Public Works and full compliance.
The same section governs the installation permit. The owner or installer must obtain an installation permit from the Community Planning and Development Department before installing a mobile home used as a residence in a mobile home park, a dealer may not deliver the home until that permit is obtained, and the fee follows the approved fee schedule. Under OMC 16.04.450, a permit expires if work is not commenced within one hundred eighty days.
One wiring rule applies to detectors in dwelling units. OMC 16.24.200(F) says smoke detectors required by the building code and installed within dwelling units shall not be connected as the only load on a branch circuit, and shall be supplied by branch circuits having lighting loads consisting of lighting outlets in habitable spaces.
Violations & Fines
A violation of OMC Chapter 16.04 is penalized under OMC 16.04.070 as a misdemeanor, with a fine not to exceed $1,000 and/or imprisonment not to exceed ninety days, and each day is a separate offense. Second and subsequent days of a continuing violation are a gross misdemeanor, with a fine not to exceed $5,000. The civil infraction track is Class 3 ($50), Class 2 ($125), Class 1 ($250), and the violation is also a public nuisance subject to injunction and abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where must the smoke detector go in an Olympia mobile home?
Can I use a plug-in detector in an older mobile home in the City of Olympia?
Do I need a permit to install a mobile home in an Olympia mobile home park?
How must smoke detectors be wired in an Olympia dwelling unit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Olympia
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