Provo, UT Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)

Smoke alarms are item nine of the twelve minimum health and safety conditions in Section 6.26.100 that every rental dwelling must achieve, or be mitigated to the satisfaction of the Chief Building Official to achieve, before a business license under Chapter 6.26 issues or renews. The ordinance requires alarms to be both 'appropriately located' and 'operational,' meaning a landlord cannot satisfy the rule with a disconnected or dead unit, or with alarms placed only where convenient rather than where they will detect a fire. Compliance is verified at the initial license inspection authorized by Section 6.01.070, which the business license official may conduct on demand and without charge to the landlord.

Because a rental dwelling that passes this inspection is generally exempt from routine reinspection for the next thirty-six months, the operating smoke alarm requirement is primarily enforced at licensing and renewal rather than through ongoing spot checks, except where the City develops reasonable cause to believe conditions have changed. A dwelling missing or with nonfunctioning smoke alarms does not meet Section 6.26.100 and can be held back from licensure under the Health Department and code-compliance denial ground in Section 6.26.070(6), or, for an already-licensed rental, support suspension or revocation under Section 6.26.080.