Ontario, CA Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- State authority
- CA H and S 13113.7
- Required locations
- Each bedroom, hallway, every floor
- Alarm type
- 10-year sealed or hardwired backup
- Rental rule
- Test before each new tenancy
- Retrofit trigger
- Work over 1,000 dollars
Summary
Ontario enforces California H and S 13113.7 requiring smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside sleeping areas, and on every floor. 10-year sealed-battery or hardwired units are required on replacement.
Health and Safety Code - HSC. 13113.7. (a) (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, smoke alarms, approved and listed by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 13114 at the time of installation, shall be installed, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions in each dwelling intended for human occupancy. (2) For all dwelling units intended for human occupancy for which a building permit is issued on or after January 1, 2014, for alterations, repairs, or additions exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), the permit issuer shall not sign off on the completion of work until the permittee demonstrates that all smoke alarms required for the dwelling unit are devices approved and listed by the State Fire Marshal pursuant to Section 13114. (4) Unless prohibited by local rules, regulations, or ordinances, a battery-operated smoke alarm, which otherwise met the standards adopted pursuant to Section 13114 for smoke alarms at the time of installation, satisfies the requirements of this section. (b) "Dwelling units intended for human occupancy," as used in this section, includes a one- or two-unit dwelling, lodging house, apartment complex, hotel, motel, condominium, stock cooperative, time-share project, or dwelling unit of a multiple-unit dwelling complex, or factory-built housing as defined in Section 19971. (d) (2) The owner of a hotel, motel, lodging house, apartment complex, or other multiple-dwelling complex in which units are rented or leased, and commencing January 1, 2014, the owner of a single-family dwelling that is rented or leased, shall be responsible for testing and maintaining alarms required by this section. (e) A violation of this section is an infraction punishable by a maximum fine of two hundred dollars ($200) for each offense.
Full Breakdown
California Health and Safety Code 13113.7 and California Building Code Section R314 require working smoke alarms in every bedroom, in the hallway or area immediately outside each sleeping area, and on every floor of a dwelling including basements. Ontario adopts the current California Fire Code through Ontario Municipal Code Title 4 and enforces these rules through Ontario Fire and Ontario Code Enforcement. Alarms installed as replacements after July 1, 2014, must be either hardwired with battery backup or a State Fire Marshal-approved 10-year sealed lithium battery model. Additions, alterations, or repairs exceeding 1,000 dollars in cost trigger a retrofit obligation for the entire dwelling. Landlords must test and verify working alarms before each new tenancy and are liable if an injury occurs in an uncompliant unit. Combination smoke plus carbon monoxide alarms meeting UL 217 and UL 2034 are accepted. Short-term rental operators must also maintain working alarms as part of city lodging requirements.
Violations & Fines
Code Enforcement and Ontario Fire can cite owners or landlords for missing or disabled smoke alarms. Fines start near 100 dollars and rental units may be red-tagged as substandard housing until corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need hardwired alarms in an older Ontario house?
Who is responsible for alarms in a rental home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ontario
California rules heatmap·Compare Ontario to another location·View the California fire regulations overview
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