Aiken County, SC Fire Regulations: Smoke Detectors (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- used mobile homes moved into county
- Standard
- 14-item state Manufactured Housing Board list
- Smoke detector
- listed at Sec. 13.5-2(b)
- Enforced at
- certificate of occupancy stage
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 99-10-35 (Oct. 19, 1999)
- Issuing dept
- Planning and Development
Summary
Aiken County requires every used mobile home moved into or within the unincorporated county to include a working smoke detector, one of fourteen minimum habitability standards, before the county issues a certificate of occupancy under Code Section 13.5-2, which adopts the South Carolina Manufactured Housing Board's standards.
(a)Effective with the date of adoption of this section, all used mobile homes moved to or within any unincorporated area of the county and intended for use as dwellings must provide a safe and sanitary living environment. Therefore, such used mobile homes must comply with the minimum habitability requirements of section 19-425.43.B (1) through (14) of the regulations of the South Carolina Manufactured Housing Board, as authorized by section 40-29-50 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976, as amended.(b)These minimum standards concern sanitary facilities, hot and cold water supply, water heating, heating, cooking facilities, smoke detector, windows, ventilation, electric service, exterior walls, roofs, windows sashes, interior floors, walls and ceilings, and structural supports. Used mobile homes moved to or within any unincorporated area of the county after the date of adoption of this section and intended for use as dwellings must comply with these minimum standards before being issued the certificate of occupancy referred to in section 13.5-62(a) of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 119).
Full Breakdown
5's mobile home regulations, sets minimum habitability standards for any used mobile home moved to or within an unincorporated area of the county for use as a dwelling. B of the South Carolina Manufactured Housing Board's regulations, adopted under state authority at South Carolina Code Section 40-29-50. Subsection (b) lists what those fourteen items cover: sanitary facilities, hot and cold water supply, water heating, heating, cooking facilities, a smoke detector, windows, ventilation, electric service, exterior walls, roofs, window sashes, interior floors, walls and ceilings, and structural supports.
5-62(a) until it meets all fourteen standards, meaning the smoke detector requirement is enforced at the point of occupancy, not merely at sale. The rule was adopted by Ordinance No. 99-10-35 on October 19, 1999 and amended by Ordinance No. 5's general article. It applies specifically to used units relocated into or around the county, not to new manufactured homes sold directly from a dealer's lot or to conventional site-built houses, which fall instead under the building codes Aiken County separately adopted for new construction. 5-64.
Violations & Fines
There is no stand-alone fine listed for a missing smoke detector; instead, noncompliance blocks issuance of the certificate of occupancy under Section 13.5-62(a), so the home cannot be legally occupied as a dwelling until the deficiency is corrected and the unit is reinspected. Occupying a used mobile home without the required certificate exposes the owner to the mobile home article's enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Aiken County require smoke detectors in mobile homes?
What happens if a used mobile home fails the smoke detector check?
Does this rule cover new mobile homes or site-built houses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aiken County
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