New Hampshire Smoke Detector Laws

Fire warning devices are legally required in New Hampshire.fire detector on ceiling image by StarJumper from Fotolia.com

As recently as the 1960s, few Americans had even heard of smoke detectors and smoke alarms, but now they are commonplace throughout the country. New Hampshire is unexceptional in that it legally requires the installation and proper functioning of smoke detectors in residences. The government even regulates the number and placement of these detectors.

Types of Devices

According to a New Hampshire Senate bill passed in 2010 and effective January 1, 2011, all automatic fire warning devices, which is the legal term for smoke detectors, must be the photoelectric type, and must be powered by electricity. They must also be tested in a laboratory approved by the state fire marshal.

In New Hampshire, all sleeping rooms in a family home must have a smoke detector. If the home is already built and does not have any detectors in the sleeping rooms, then this rule does not apply; it is primarily a building code. However, all areas immediately outside sleeping rooms must have a smoke detector, and there must be at least one smoke detector on every floor of the home.

Every rental unit in a residential building must have at least one smoke detector. As in family homes, the detector must be located in the hallway or area immediately adjacent to where people sleep. In New Hampshire, it is the rental unit owner's responsibility to maintain the working condition of the smoke detector.