Rules by state
Maryland
Maryland handles this mainly through its Residential Property Disclosure/Disclaimer process for most resales of one- to four-unit single-family residential property. The seller form specifically asks about smoke alarm age/compliance and, where the home uses fossil-fuel equipment, whether a carbon monoxide alarm is installed. In the official Maryland sources I reviewed, I did not find a separate statewide pre-closing alarm certificate or an ordinary home-sale fire-extinguisher requirement.
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 most Maryland resales of single-family residential property improved by four or fewer single-family units, the seller must deliver the State disclosure/disclaimer form, which asks about smoke-alarm compliance and, for fossil-fuel homes, whether a CO alarm is installed.
- Code reference
- Md. Code, Real Property § 10-702
Official resources in Maryland
State sale/disclosure law that requires the seller’s disclosure/disclaimer form and includes smoke-alarm and carbon-monoxide questions.
Official Maryland form residents and agents use; it shows the exact alarm questions asked in a sale.
State carbon monoxide alarm installation requirements for hotels/lodging and rental dwelling units.
Resident-facing State Fire Marshal page summarizing Maryland smoke/CO alarm expectations and replacement timing.
Key facts for Maryland
- RP §10-702 requires sellers of many Maryland one- to four-unit residential properties to give a disclosure or disclaimer statement.
- The Maryland sale form asks whether smoke alarms are over 10 years old and, if battery-operated, sealed hush-button long-life units.
- If the home relies on fossil fuel for heat, ventilation, hot water, or clothes drying, the sale form asks whether a CO alarm is installed.
- Smoke alarm enforcement is by the State Fire Marshal, county or municipal fire marshal, fire chief, Baltimore City Fire Department, or other authority having jurisdiction.
- The form tells purchasers seller disclosure is not a substitute for an independent home inspection.
- OSFM says battery-only smoke alarms must be 10-year sealed units, and any alarm should be replaced 10 years after manufacture.
What to do next
- Before listing, check each smoke alarm’s manufacture date and replace any unit over 10 years old with a Maryland-compliant model.
- If the home has a fossil-fuel furnace, boiler, water heater, dryer, fireplace, or similar equipment, verify a CO alarm is installed before completing the sale form.
- Ask your county or municipal fire/code office about local add-ons, because Maryland allows stricter local smoke-alarm rules.
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