Requirement 01
Photoelectric
Ionisation alarms are no longer permitted. Photoelectric sensors detect smouldering fires earlier — the kind of fire that starts overnight.
The Legislation
What the law actually requires.
A plain-English breakdown of Queensland's smoke alarm legislation, the deadline, and what every owner-occupier needs to know.
How We Got Here
Three stages over ten years.
Queensland's smoke alarm legislation has rolled out in stages since 2017. Owner-occupiers are the final group.
- 1 January 2017Stage 1
New builds and substantially renovated homes required to install photoelectric, interconnected alarms.
- 1 January 2022Stage 2
Homes being sold, newly leased, or renewed under an existing tenancy required to comply with the new standard.
- 1 January 2027Stage 3 — Final
All remaining domestic dwellings in Queensland must comply.
The Core Requirements
What your alarms must be.
Every required alarm in a Queensland home must meet the product, power, age, testing, and interconnection rules.
Requirement 02
Interconnected
When one required alarm triggers, every required alarm in the dwelling sounds. This is the biggest change — and the one that catches people out.
Requirement 03
Less than 10 years old
Every compliant alarm has a manufacture date stamped on it. If yours is older than 10 years, it must be replaced regardless of whether it still works.
Requirement 04
Works when tested
A smoke alarm that fails a test must be replaced immediately. Pressing the test button is part of the legal maintenance standard.
Requirement 05
AS 3786:2014 compliant
Must meet the current Australian Standard for residential smoke alarms. Look for the AS 3786:2014 mark on the unit.
Requirement 06
Approved power source
Existing dwellings can use either mains-powered alarms or alarms with a non-removable battery designed to power the alarm for at least 10 years.
Placement
Where every alarm must go.
- 01In every bedroom
- 02In hallways that connect bedrooms to the rest of the dwelling
- 03If no hallway exists, between the bedrooms and other parts of the level
- 04On storeys with no bedrooms, in the most likely path of travel to exit
Hardwired or Battery?
Both are legal. There's one exception.
The legislation permits either hardwired (240V mains with battery backup) or sealed 10-year lithium battery alarms in existing homes.
The Exception
If you're replacing an existing hardwired alarm, the replacement must also be hardwired. That's a specific provision in the Act and requires a licensed electrician.
For homes that currently have battery-operated alarms, or need alarms in newly required locations (like bedrooms), sealed 10-year wireless units are allowed when they meet the required standard and interconnect with the other required alarms.
If You Don't Comply
The fine is the smaller risk.
$834
Up to 5 penalty units · rounded infringement value
Maximum penalty is 5 penalty units. At the current $166.90 penalty unit value, infringement amounts round down to $834.
Your home
Some home insurance policies exclude losses connected with not obeying smoke alarm laws. The fine is one number; your policy conditions are the bigger document to get right.
Next Step
Find out what your home needs.
Two-minute calculator. Get a kit match from your bedrooms, bedroom zones, and levels.
AS 3786:2014Rules-Based Match