Tippecanoe County, IN Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Local smoke-alarm rule
- None written; state Fire/Residential Code adopted
- Adopting sections
- §151.05(H) Fire Code, (B) Residential Code
- Enforcing official
- County Building Commissioner
- Fine per violation
- $100, each day separate (§151.99)
- Appeal path
- County Commissioners, then State Fire/Building Safety Commission
Summary
Tippecanoe County has no standalone smoke alarm ordinance. County Code § 151.05(H) incorporates the Indiana Fire Code, 675 IAC Article 22, by reference for the unincorporated county, and that state code, together with the incorporated Residential Code, sets the smoke alarm requirements the Building Commissioner enforces.
§ 151.05 ADOPTION OF REGULATIONS BY REFERENCE. Pursuant to I.C. 22-13-2-3(b), the rules Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission as set out in the following Articles of Title 675 of the Indiana Administrative Code are hereby incorporated by reference in this subchapter and shall include later amendments to those Articles as the same are published in the Indiana Register or the Indiana Administrative Code with dates as fixed therein:
(H) Article 22 Indiana Fire Code. (Ord. 2005-14-CM, passed 5-16-05) § 151.99 PENALTY.
(A) If any person, firm or corporation shall violate any of the provisions of §§ 151.01 through 151.17 or shall do an act prohibited therein...for each violation, failure or refusal, such person, firm or corporation shall be fined in the sum of $100. Each day of such unlawful activity as is prohibited by the first sentence of this section shall constitute a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-17: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 2025-25-CM, passed 8-1-25; and State legislation current through 2025 Acts, Pamphlet No. 3).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 151 is the county's Building Code, and like the rest of that chapter, its fire-safety standard is adopted rather than locally drafted. C. " Division (H) names Article 22, the Indiana Fire Code, and division (B) separately names Article 14, the Indiana Residential Code, so both the general Fire Code and the dwelling-specific Residential Code apply depending on the structure. Smoke alarm placement, power source, and testing requirements come from whichever of those incorporated articles governs the building, not from separate text drafted into the county code.
The County Building Commissioner administers and enforces the incorporated codes across the unincorporated area and will not authorize occupancy of a new or altered structure without confirming compliance. 99(A): a $100 fine per violation, with each day of the condition treated as a separate offense. 14.
Violations & Fines
Failing to install or maintain a smoke alarm as required by the incorporated Indiana Fire Code or Residential Code is a violation of County Code §§ 151.01 through 151.17. Section 151.99(A) fines each violation $100, and counts every day the condition continues as a new, separate offense until corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tippecanoe County have its own smoke alarm ordinance?
Who enforces the smoke alarm requirement in unincorporated Tippecanoe County?
What's the penalty for not meeting the adopted smoke alarm requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tippecanoe County
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