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Minnesota · SafetyMinnesota smoke and CO alarms when selling a house: what every home needs and the city inspection

Minnesota's alarm laws apply to every home, not only at sale. Every single-family dwelling and every dwelling unit in a multifamily dwelling must have an approved and operational carbon monoxide alarm installed within ten feet of each room lawfully used for sleeping, and no one may remove its batteries or otherwise disable it; a first violation brings a safety warning and a later one is a petty misdemeanor (Minn. Stat. §299F.51). Every dwelling unit within a one- or two-unit dwelling must have a smoke alarm meeting the State Fire Code, mounted under the commissioner's location rules, and in a new dwelling each smoke alarm must be attached to a centralized power source (Minn. Stat. §299F.362, subds. 3, 3a). Local governments can't adopt different standards, except that a city may adopt, by ordinance, more restrictive rules for smoke alarm installation in single-family homes and enforce them through a truth-in-housing inspection (subds. 7, 9). No insurer may deny a fire loss claim because a person failed to comply with the smoke alarm section (subd. 11).

What the statutes set

  1. CO alarms (§299F.51, subd. 1)

    Approved and operational, within ten feet of each room lawfully used for sleeping.

  2. Smoke alarms (§299F.362, subds. 3, 3a)

    In every dwelling unit under the State Fire Code; hard-wired in new construction.

  3. City inspections (§299F.362, subd. 9)

    Stricter single-family rules may be enforced through a truth-in-housing inspection.

  4. Insurance (§299F.362, subd. 11)

    A fire claim can't be denied for failure to comply.

What the TC checks on a Minnesota sale

  • Whether the city requires a truth-in-housing or point-of-sale inspection, and its deadline.
  • That the seller has a working CO alarm within ten feet of each bedroom before the inspection.
  • Any repair items from the city report, and who completes them before closing.

Questions about Minnesota smoke and CO alarms

Where do CO alarms have to be in a Minnesota home?

Within ten feet of each room lawfully used for sleeping, in every single-family dwelling and every multifamily dwelling unit (Minn. Stat. §299F.51, subd. 1).

Can a Minnesota city check smoke alarms when a house is sold?

Yes. A city may adopt stricter smoke alarm installation rules for single-family homes by ordinance and enforce them through a truth-in-housing inspection (Minn. Stat. §299F.362, subd. 9).

Related guides

Add the city inspection and any alarm repairs as dated tasks in ClosingCode.

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Sources: Minn. Stat. §§299F.51, 299F.362 (revisor.mn.gov), read October 30, 2026.

General information, not legal advice. ClosingCode is software; it is not a law firm or brokerage. This guide is not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney.