How to Complete the LA County Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Compliance Certification

The LA County smoke and carbon monoxide compliance certification is a self-certification form you file when a county building inspector cannot get inside the dwelling to verify alarm installation in person. You sign it under penalty of perjury, declaring that every dwelling unit on the property has properly installed smoke and carbon monoxide alarms meeting Sections R314 and R315 of the LA County Residential Code, then upload it through the EPIC-LA portal for the inspector to review.¹

When the Form Applies

Every building permit issued in unincorporated LA County triggers a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm inspection covering all dwellings on the property, even when the permit itself is for something unrelated like a roof or a kitchen remodel. The county tells you about the requirement at permit issuance, by email for self-issued or express permits.¹

The inspector’s first move is to try to inspect the alarms directly. The self-certification form only comes into play when interior access isn’t available at the time of inspection. If a tenant isn’t home or a locked unit can’t be opened, the inspector may offer the form as an alternative. That call is entirely the inspector’s; you can’t demand self-certification in place of an in-person visit.¹

The form covers one- and two-family dwelling projects. Condominiums and larger apartment buildings are outside its scope and follow a different inspection process.

What You Are Certifying

Your signature declares that the property complies with Section R314 (smoke alarms) and Section R315 (carbon monoxide alarms) of the LA County Residential Code. The declaration reaches every dwelling unit on the property, not only the unit tied to your permit. If a single-family home has an accessory dwelling unit in back, both need compliant alarms before you sign.¹

Before you check anything on the form, walk each unit and confirm what is actually installed.

Smoke Alarms

California law requires smoke alarms in every dwelling intended for human occupancy, and each alarm must be approved and listed by the State Fire Marshal and installed per the manufacturer’s instructions.² Under the California Residential Code, alarms belong in every sleeping room, in the hallway or area immediately outside each sleeping area, and on every story of the dwelling including the basement.

Power source depends on what you’re doing. New construction and most permit work require hardwired alarms with battery backup. Existing buildings with no construction underway may use battery-only alarms, and alterations that don’t remove interior wall or ceiling finishes qualify for that exception too. Exterior siding, a new roof, or plumbing work that doesn’t open walls can be covered by battery-operated alarms.

Since January 1, 2014, any battery-operated smoke alarm sold in California must have a nonreplaceable, nonremovable battery good for at least 10 years. It must show its manufacture date, include a space for the installation date, have a hush button, and give an end-of-life warning.³ Alarms with removable batteries no longer meet State Fire Marshal listing requirements and need to be replaced before you sign.

Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Carbon monoxide alarms must be installed on every level of the dwelling and outside each separate sleeping area. Every CO device sold or installed in California must be approved and listed by the State Fire Marshal, comply with UL 2034, and be installed following both the manufacturer’s instructions and NFPA 720.⁴

CO sensors have a shorter useful life than smoke alarm batteries. Most electrochemical sensors wear out after five to seven years regardless of battery status, and the whole device needs replacement at that point, not just a battery. Check the manufacture date printed on each unit. An alarm past its rated sensor life doesn’t meet code even if it still powers on.

Filling Out the Form

The form is short, but the signature carries weight. Have this information ready:

Assessor’s Parcel Number (APN), found on your property tax bill or through the LA County Assessor’s property search at assessor.lacounty.gov
The building permit number for the project that triggered the inspection
The full property address
Legal owner name and contact information

You’ll check boxes confirming that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are installed in the required locations throughout every dwelling unit on the property, then sign the declaration stating the residence fully complies with R314 and R315.¹

You’re signing under penalty of perjury. Perjury in California is a felony carrying up to four years in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000. If a later fire or CO incident shows alarms were missing or nonfunctional when you signed, both criminal exposure and civil liability are in play.

Who Has to Sign

Signature requirements depend on who pulled the permit and how many units are on the property.

Single-Family Dwellings

If the permittee is the homeowner or the owner’s authorized agent, that person signs alone. If the permittee is a licensed contractor, both the contractor and the dwelling’s occupant (owner or tenant) must sign.¹

Properties With Multiple Dwelling Units

Every unit’s address goes on the Multifamily Address Supplement. Accessory dwelling units without a separate address are documented on the supplement with “ADU.” If the owner or owner’s agent is the permittee, only the owner or agent needs to sign. If a licensed contractor is the permittee, either the contractor signs together with the property owner, or the contractor signs together with an occupant from each individual dwelling unit on the form and supplement.¹ Collecting tenant signatures across units takes coordination; start early rather than letting it stall your final inspection.

Uploading to EPIC-LA

The signed form goes to the inspector electronically. Upload it through EPIC-LA at epicla.lacounty.gov, the county’s online permitting and inspection portal.⁵ Log in, open the permit for your project, and upload the form along with any additional documentation the inspector requested.

Inspectors may ask for supporting evidence beyond the form itself, such as photographs of installed alarms or close-ups of UL labels showing the device meets listing requirements.¹ If photos were requested, get clear shots of each alarm mounted in place plus a close-up of the manufacturer’s label, and upload everything in one batch so the review clears in a single pass.

Once the inspector approves the uploaded documents, the alarm portion of your permit inspection is cleared. If the documentation is judged insufficient, the inspector can reject the self-certification and require an in-person inspection before finalizing the permit.

Not the Same as the Home-Sale Disclosure

Owners sometimes mix this building-permit certification up with the smoke and carbon monoxide disclosure required when selling a home. They are different documents. California law requires anyone transferring a single-family dwelling (including one- and two-unit properties) to give the buyer a written statement confirming that operable smoke alarms are installed, with a similar disclosure for carbon monoxide.⁶ That can go into the transfer disclosure statement, the sales contract, or a separate document delivered before closing. The LA County compliance form does not satisfy the transfer disclosure requirement, and the transfer disclosure does not substitute for this form.

1
Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. Administrative Manual 30.35 – Certification of Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Compliance
2
California Legislative Information. SB 1394 – California Health and Safety Code Section 13113.7
3
California Legislative Information. SB 1394 – California Health and Safety Code Section 13114
4
UpCodes. California Building Code 420.6 – Carbon Monoxide Alarms
5
Los Angeles County Public Works. Los Angeles County Building and Safety
6
California Legislative Information. SB 1386 – California Health and Safety Code Section 13265