What Nebraska Requires Under the Carbon Monoxide Safety Act

Last verified: February 17, 2026

Nebraska carbon monoxide detector laws are anchored in the Carbon Monoxide Safety Act, especially Nebraska Revised Statutes sections 76-602 through 76-606. The framework is statewide for covered dwellings and includes clear trigger events such as qualifying new construction, sale or transfer, permit-related interior work, and rental turnover after a change in tenant occupancy. Nebraska also defines device characteristics, acceptable power options, and installation methods by statute, including references to State Fire Marshal standards and NFPA 720 installation context.

The law separates owner and tenant duties, so installation, battery supply at move-in, maintenance, and deficiency reporting should be documented as distinct workflow steps. For Nebraska operators, defensible compliance means section-level citations, dated test records, and turnover checklists linked to each dwelling unit.

In 60 Seconds

CO detector requirements for Nebraska
Applies to homes?	Yes
Applies to rentals?	Yes
Applies to hotels/STRs?	Not confirmed — check local codes

When Are CO Alarms Required?

Buildings with fuel-burning appliances
Buildings with attached garages
New construction
Home sales or property transfers
When building permits are required
Fireplace conditions are included in the statutory trigger framework for covered dwelling categories.
Rental units with change in tenant occupancy on or after 2017 trigger installation duties under section 76-606.

Where to Install CO Alarms

For qualifying new construction, alarms are required on each habitable floor or in a location allowed by an adopted building code under section 76-603.
For sale or transfer, an operational alarm is required on each habitable floor or per adopted building code under sections 76-604 and 76-605.
For permit-related interior work, alarms are required on each habitable floor where covered work occurs or per adopted building code under sections 76-604, 76-605, and 76-606.

For detailed placement guidance beyond legal requirements, see where to place carbon monoxide detectors.

Device Requirements

Distinct, audible alarm as defined in section 76-602.
Listing by a nationally recognized independent testing laboratory to standards determined by the State Fire Marshal under section 76-602.
Permitted power options include battery, plug-in with battery backup, hardwired with battery backup, or panel-connected pathways under section 76-602.
Installation must follow manufacturer instructions and NFPA 720 framework as incorporated by statute.

Landlord and Tenant Responsibilities

Landlord: Rental owners must ensure operational alarms in covered scenarios, provide batteries at move-in, replace missing or non-operational units before new occupancy, and correct deficiencies after tenant notice under section 76-606.

Tenant: Tenants must keep alarms in good working order, test and maintain devices during occupancy, and notify the owner or agent of missing or non-operational alarms under section 76-606.

The cited statute set focuses on dwellings and rental duties; hotel and short-term rental coverage remains unconfirmed in the cited statewide sources.

Enforcement

Enforced by: Nebraska State Fire Marshal standards authority plus local enforcement pathways tied to adopted code and statutory compliance.

Enforcement typically occurs:

At sale, transfer, and occupancy milestones covered by sections 76-604 through 76-606.
During inspection or complaint workflow when missing or disabled alarms are documented.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

The cited Carbon Monoxide Safety Act sections establish duties and prohibited acts but do not provide a stand-alone fine schedule in sections 76-601 through 76-607.

Nebraska Revised Statutes sections 76-601 through 76-607.

Additional Notes

Nebraska operators should map each property event to the specific section trigger before closing, leasing, or permit sign-off.
Mixed portfolios should keep separate checklists for sale, permit-work, and rental turnover scenarios.

Official Sources & References

Nebraska Revised Statute section 76-602 — 76-602 (state code, accessed 2026-02-17)
Definitions, device standards, power options, and installation framework.
Nebraska Revised Statute section 76-603 — 76-603 (state code, accessed 2026-02-17)
New construction trigger and location obligations.
Nebraska Revised Statute section 76-604 — 76-604 (state code, accessed 2026-02-17)
Single-family sale, transfer, permit-work duties, and prohibited acts.
Nebraska Revised Statute section 76-605 — 76-605 (state code, accessed 2026-02-17)
Multifamily unit sale, transfer, permit-work duties, and prohibited acts.
Nebraska Revised Statute section 76-606 — 76-606 (state code, accessed 2026-02-17)
Rental owner and tenant duties, turnover obligations, and prohibited acts.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for general guidance and is not legal advice. Requirements may vary by city, county, and building type. Always verify current rules with local authorities and official sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

In Nebraska, which occupancy categories are clearly covered by statewide alarm duties?

Yes. Nebraska Revised Statutes sections 76-603 through 76-606 establish statewide duties for covered dwellings, including owner-occupied and rental contexts. The law is event-driven, so obligations can be triggered by new construction, transfer, permit-related work, or rental turnover conditions. Teams should not treat Nebraska compliance as a one-time installation task. Instead, maintain event-based checklists with section citations for each property file so inspectors and managers can verify why alarms were installed or updated at each milestone.

Where does Nebraska law require alarm placement?

Nebraska sections 76-603, 76-604, 76-605, and 76-606 use a habitable-floor placement model, with an alternative of locations allowed by an adopted building code. In practice, that means placement analysis should follow both statutory language and any local code adoption detail. Compliance teams should document floor-by-floor location decisions and keep photos or signed installation records. Nebraska files that include statute references plus as-built evidence are easier to defend during transfer, turnover, and permit inspections.

How are landlord and tenant duties split under Nebraska section 76-606?

Section 76-606 assigns core installation and replacement responsibilities to rental owners, including providing batteries at move-in and correcting reported deficiencies. Tenants are expected to keep alarms in working order, perform routine care, and report missing or non-operational devices. Because the split is explicit, lease documents and move-in forms should mirror statutory duties instead of using generic language. Nebraska managers should keep dated notice logs and service-ticket completion records to show compliance on both sides.

In Nebraska, how should managers document citation risk for missing alarms?

In the cited Carbon Monoxide Safety Act sections 76-601 through 76-607, Nebraska defines installation duties and prohibited acts but does not provide a stand-alone fine schedule. That does not remove risk, because failures can still create inspection, transaction, and liability exposure when alarms are missing or disabled. Operators should treat corrective action timelines and documentation as essential controls. Nebraska compliance notices should reference sections 76-603 through 76-606 so remediation is tied to the exact legal trigger.

Are all-electric Nebraska units exempt from every alarm requirement?

Not automatically. Nebraska law uses trigger language that includes fuel-related and attached garage conditions, but event-based duties for transfer, permit work, and rental turnover can still require analysis before any exemption conclusion is recorded. Owners should evaluate the full dwelling context and the applicable statutory section, then preserve written reasoning in the property file. Nebraska teams that skip this review can misclassify units and create avoidable enforcement or dispute risk later.

How does Nebraska compare with Iowa for regional procedures?

Nebraska uses a detailed statewide statutory framework in sections 76-602 through 76-606 for covered dwellings, while Iowa in this workflow applies a different statewide and code-adoption mix depending on occupancy and implementation detail. Regional operators should keep separate compliance matrices rather than applying one default policy across both states. For side-by-side benchmarking before rollout, review Iowa CO detector laws and map differences in trigger events, duty allocation, and enforcement workflow. Nebraska teams should preserve section-level citations in all regional SOP files.

Practical CO Detector Guides

Beyond legal requirements, these guides help you choose, install, and maintain CO alarms:

Where to place carbon monoxide detectors — room-by-room placement recommendations
CO detector beeping patterns — what different alarms mean
What to do if your detector goes off — emergency response checklist
CO resources and links — official agencies and safety information