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Outagamie County, WI Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

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

Key Facts

Alarm required
Every dwelling unit
Multi-story rule
Alarm on each floor
Standard followed
Wisconsin Administrative Code
Governing section
Sec. 28-24(3)

Summary

The county's minimum housing code requires every dwelling unit to have a working smoke alarm, with one on each floor of a two-story or taller dwelling.

City-specific rules exist: Appleton has its own smoke detectors rules that differ from Outagamie County's county-level regulations. If you live in Appleton, check the city-specific page instead.

Sec. 28-24. - Safety requirements. Safety requirements are as follows:

(1)There shall be two means of egress provided for each floor of a dwelling.(2)Entry doors shall be provided with a locking device.(3)Each dwelling or dwelling unit shall be equipped with a properly operating smoke alarm as per Wisconsin Administrative Code. In two-story or higher dwellings, a smoke alarm shall be installed on each floor.(4)Any repairs or renovations made to a dwelling shall be made using an acceptable means of protection to the occupants from hazards, such as lead and asbestos.(5)Dwellings or dwelling units that have received damage by fire or other natural events, severe insect damage, have structurally unsound foundations, roofs, or walls, shall be considered dangerous dwellings. Dangerous dwellings will be referred to a local building or fire inspector to confirm the damage and the extent of the damage. The environmental health sanitarian will work with the building or fire inspector to determine habitability, repair options, or condemnation. Based upon the recommendation of the building inspector, the sanitarian may declare the building condemned. Condemned buildings shall be conspicuously placarded by the sanitarian as condemned on two locations on the building.(6)Occupants shall not allow interior dwelling, open burning, charcoal fires, or the use of unvented combustion sources due to the dangers of noxious fumes from those sources.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26).

Full Breakdown

Section 28-24(3) requires that each dwelling or dwelling unit 'be equipped with a properly operating smoke alarm as per Wisconsin Administrative Code,' and mandates an alarm on every floor of dwellings that are two stories or higher. The rule sits inside the county's Article II minimum housing standards, enforced by environmental health sanitarians who may inspect a dwelling under section 28-25 and issue a written notice of violation under section 28-26 for a missing or non-functioning alarm, with penalties under section 1-10.

Violations & Fines

A missing or non-functioning smoke alarm draws a written notice of violation under section 28-26 and is subject to the general penalty provisions of section 1-10.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is one smoke alarm enough in a two-story rental?
No. Section 28-24(3) requires an alarm on each floor of any dwelling that is two stories or higher.
Who has to install the alarm?
The dwelling's owner. Section 28-24(3) puts the equipping duty on the dwelling itself, enforced through county sanitarian inspections.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Outagamie County

All Outagamie County rules

Compare Outagamie County to another location·View the Wisconsin fire regulations overview

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