DeKalb County, GA Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Hotel, motel, extended-stay guest rooms
- Power source
- Non-removable, 10-year minimum battery
- Installation deadline
- 180 days after March 16, 2018
- Approval required from
- County fire marshal
Summary
Every guest room in a DeKalb County hotel, motel or extended-stay hotel must have a hard-wired, tamper-resistant smoke detector powered for at least ten years, installed and approved by the fire marshal.
Each new and existing guest room of a hotel, motel, or extended-stay hotel shall be equipped with a hard wired smoke detector or smoke alarms whose device housing is tamper-resistant and is powered by a non-replaceable, non-removable energy source capable of powering the alarm for a minimum of ten (10) years from the manufacture's date on the device. All smoke detectors or alarms must be installed and approved by the fire marshal within one hundred eighty (180) days after March 16, 2018.(i)All new hotels, motels and extended stay hotels must have in place laundry facilities consisting of washer and dryer machines which shall be made available to patrons for a fee. This equipment shall be maintained and in good repair at all times. Laundry supplies (detergent, softener, etc.) may also be made available to patrons for a fee. Washers and dryers should be provided at a ratio of one (1) washer and dryer for every one hundred fifty (150) rooms. For existing hotels, motels and extended-stay hotels, laundry equipment must be installed and in working conditions within one hundred eighty (180) days after March 16, 2018. (Ord. No. 17-04, Pt. I, 11-14-17)
Full Breakdown
Code § 18-138(h) requires each new and existing guest room of a hotel, motel or extended-stay hotel in the county to carry a hard-wired smoke detector or alarm with tamper-resistant housing, powered by a non-replaceable, non-removable source rated for at least ten years from its manufacture date. All units had to be installed and approved by the fire marshal within 180 days of the article's March 16, 2018 effective date, and the same guest rooms built before that date also had a three-year window to add sprinklers meeting NFPA 101 (2012) under § 18-138(g). The rule sits in Article VI, adopted specifically for transient lodging rather than as a general residential mandate.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliant rooms risk citation under the general Code § 1-10 penalty, up to a $1,000 fine and/or 120 days in jail, enforced through the fire marshal's inspection and approval process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do DeKalb County hotels need hard-wired smoke detectors?
Is this rule limited to hotels?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DeKalb County
Compare DeKalb County to another location·View the Georgia fire regulations overview
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