Updated Smoke Detector Act takes effect in 2023

Starting January 1, 2023, Illinois will be ringing in the new year with an amended smoke detector law.

The state’s Smoke Detector Act will soon require Illinois homeowners to replace their old smoke detectors with new and improved alarms that use a 10-year sealed battery.

Homes built after 1988 that have removable battery-powered detectors can keep them in use as long as the alarm is still working properly and doesn’t exceed the 10-year mark from the manufacturing date.

Detectors that fail to respond to operability tests or malfunction must be replaced.

According to the bill, homeowners who don’t replace their old alarms with a new model will have 90 days to make the change, or they could face a fine of up to $100.

And additional fines can be applied every 30 days, possibly reaching up to $1,500, until homeowners comply with the new law.

The Illinois Fire Safety Alliance, along with the General Assembly, said the updated law was meant to reflect advances in alarm technology.

Fire officials say that sealed battery detectors could eliminate the need to replace batteries every six months and help prevent fire-related deaths.