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Smoke alarm laws, state by stateFind your state, then the rule that applies to you.

Every state and territory sets its own smoke alarm rules, so the right answer depends on where the home is and whether you live in it, rent it out or are selling. Pick your state below. Wherever you are, a hardwired (240-volt) alarm is a job for a licensed electrician, and every alarm should carry AS 3786, the Australian Standard.

The rule to know first in each state

The headline ruleWho it catches
QueenslandInterconnected photoelectric alarms by 1 January 2027Every home, owner-occupied included
New South WalesWorking AS 3786 alarms on each levelEvery home, with yearly checks for landlords
VictoriaThe type depends on when the home was builtEvery home, with a yearly check for rentals
Western AustraliaMains-powered, no more than 10 years old, linkedHomes being sold, rented or hired out
South AustraliaNot yet confirmed from an official sourceCheck before you buy, sell or lease
ACTHardwired in houses built after 1 November 1994Every home, with landlord duties at the start of a tenancy
TasmaniaThe standard that applied when the home was builtEvery home, with mains or sealed 10-year alarms in rentals
Northern TerritoryApproved photoelectric alarms, with ionisation phased outEvery home, tested at least every 12 months

Which page do you need?

Selling? Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory all have rules that kick in at sale, so start with your state page if that's you.

Renting a home out? Most state pages have a landlord section, and Victoria's rentals also need a separate electrical safety check every 2 years.

Just after alarms that meet the rules? Read photoelectric smoke alarms explained and 10-year lithium smoke alarms, then check your state.

Who's allowed to fit what

Queensland's and Victoria's fire services both say sealed wireless battery alarms can go up without an electrician, and changing a battery is a household job everywhere. Anything wired to the home's power is licensed electrical work in every state and territory, including swapping one hardwired alarm for another.

If you'd rather not work through the rules yourself, the smoke alarm rules checker asks your state and situation, and an electrician who does smoke alarm installation can look at what you've got.

Your state

Pick your state

Smoke alarm laws in QueenslandQueensland's 2027 deadline, what a compliant alarm looks like, and who can fit hardwired or wireless ones.Smoke alarm laws in New South WalesAlarms on every level, the yearly landlord check, the two-business-day repair rule and hardwired repairs in NSW.Smoke alarm laws in VictoriaVictoria's 1997 and 2014 build-date rules, the yearly rental alarm check, and who's allowed to fit what.Smoke alarm laws in Western AustraliaWA's sale and rental trigger, mains power, the 10-year limit, and who's allowed to connect the alarms.Smoke alarm laws in South AustraliaSA's rules aren't confirmed here yet. The national standard, the SA licence check and the eCoC you should get.Smoke alarm laws in the ACTThe ACT's 1994 hardwired rule, linked alarms on every level, and who does what in a Canberra rental.Smoke alarm laws in TasmaniaTasmania's build-date standard, the rental rules under the Residential Tenancy Act, and what's still unclear.Smoke alarm laws in the Northern TerritoryWhat counts as an approved alarm in the NT, when ionisation alarms go, yearly testing and the 2028 safety switch rule.

Related help

Helpful next

Smoke alarm installationHardwired or 10-year battery, interconnected or not: the rules by state and what needs an electrician.Smoke alarm rules checkerYour state plus owner, landlord, seller or tenant: the smoke alarm rules that apply to you.Interconnected smoke alarmsWired or wireless, who can fit them, and where your state requires interconnected alarms.Hardwired (240V) smoke alarms240 volt smoke alarms: when your home needs them, who fits them, and replacing an old set.Electrical rules for landlordsWhat landlords must do in each state: electrical checks, smoke alarms, safety switches and repairs.Smoke alarm beeping?Chirping every minute? Find the alarm, change the battery or the alarm, and know when it's electrician work.

Where this information comes from

Rules change, so check with your state regulator if something matters to your job. How we write and check these pages.

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