When: The new smoke alarm law went into effect January 1, 2018

What: The law requires the replacement of battery operated smoke alarms with sealed units that have a 10 year lithium-ion batteries and a silence/hush button feature.

Why: The smoke alarm law is a transition away from 9-volt battery-operated smoke alarms in an effort to achieve more reliable smoke alarm coverage in older dwellings

Who: Smoke alarms that are battery operated and presently exist by code or locations where there are no smoke alarms present must be replaced.

Keep in mind it is never acceptable to remove required hard-wired smoke alarms and replace them with any type of battery-only operated devices.

Also: Maryland’s Smoke Alarm Law also requires the replacement of all smoke alarms 10 years after the manufacturer’s date on the back of the alarm. This applies to both hard-wired and battery operated smoke alarms. If the manufacturer’s date can’t be found, the alarm is most-likely outdated and needs to be replaced, see the example below

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IF YOU STILL HAVE QUESTIONS CONCERNING YOUR SMOKE ALARMS PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICE OF THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL
410-653-8980