Rules by state
Maine
In Maine, home-sale alarm compliance is governed mainly by 25 M.R.S. §2464 for smoke detectors and 25 M.R.S. §2468 for carbon monoxide detectors. Maine’s transfer rule is buyer-centered: the purchaser signs the closing certification and then has up to 30 days after acquisition or occupancy to install missing devices. I did not find a separate statewide fire-extinguisher-at-closing statute for ordinary residential sales in the sources below.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- At sale or transfer
- For a Maine sale or exchange of a single-family dwelling or multiapartment building, the purchaser must certify at closing that missing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will be properly installed within 30 days after acquisition or occupancy, whichever is later.
- Code reference
- 25 M.R.S. §2464(10); 25 M.R.S. §2468(6)
Official resources in Maine
Primary Maine statute for smoke-detector requirements, including the transfer-of-dwelling rule.
Primary Maine statute for carbon-monoxide-detector requirements, including the transfer-of-dwelling rule.
State Fire Marshal summary of placement and power requirements for smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Maine’s residential seller-disclosure statute, useful for checking what transfer disclosures are expressly required.
Buyer certification form commonly used at closing for the transfer requirements in §§2464 and 2468.
Key facts for Maine
- Buyer signs and dates the smoke-alarm certification at closing. 25 M.R.S. §2464(10).
- Buyer signs and dates the carbon-monoxide certification at closing. 25 M.R.S. §2468(6).
- Missing smoke or CO alarms must be installed within 30 days after acquisition or occupancy, whichever is later. 25 M.R.S. §§2464(10), 2468(6).
- Transferred smoke alarms may be powered by building electrical service or by battery. 25 M.R.S. §2464(10).
- Transferred CO alarms must be in each area within, or giving access to, bedrooms and powered by electrical service and battery. 25 M.R.S. §2468(6).
- No inspector is named in §§2464(10) or 2468(6); Maine REALTORS publishes a buyer certification form.
What to do next
- Use the Maine REALTORS smoke/CO certification form at closing and keep a signed copy with your closing papers.
- Before closing, check every bedroom area and every level against the State Fire Marshal placement summary so the buyer knows what still must be installed.
- If you plan to use 10-year sealed-battery CO units in a transferred home, confirm acceptability with the local code or fire official because the current statute text is stricter than the older Fire Marshal summary.
Helpful guides
- Massachusetts 26F smoke and CO certificate: how it works
- New Jersey smoke, CO and fire extinguisher certificate for resale
- Where smoke alarms must go: levels, bedrooms and hallways
- Carbon monoxide alarm placement rules