South Bound Brook Borough

Certificate of Occupancy Required

Certificate of Legal Use (combined with Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Compliance) · Borough of South Bound Brook Bureau of Fire Prevention (Fire Prevention Officer)

• Inspection for a Certificate of Legal Use for continued use of the property, requested with the new owner's name, block and lot, number of dwelling units and an appointment date
• Same inspection covers smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and the secondary power source label (see fire certificate)

• Phone: 732-356-0258 x 105
• Timing: The Bureau asks for at least two weeks' notice from receipt of the application and fee. Inspections are Tuesdays and Thursdays between 4pm and 6pm, by appointment.
• Application: https://sbbnj.com/wp-content/uploads/Documents/BuildingDept/CertificateOfLegalUseRev08_2026.pdf

Smoke and CO alarm certificate Required

• Smoke alarms per the age of the home (Table B): before January 1977 10-year sealed battery alarms on all levels; later homes need electric, then interconnected, then interconnected with battery backup in sleeping areas, matching original construction
• Replace smoke alarms older than 10 years or past the replacement date; electric alarms may not be replaced with battery alarms; defective interconnected alarms must be replaced with compatible units
• Basement and non-sleeping levels: alarm near the stairway to the floor above; two-family common hallways and stairways need alarms at each landing
• Alarms listed to UL 217 or ETL, mounted flush, not painted, not within 5 feet of a kitchen or 3 feet of a bathroom door, fan or air vent
• Homes relying on a fire alarm system need a contractor report showing it is fully operational; the Bureau will not test alarm systems
• Carbon monoxide alarms (UL 2034) on sleeping levels within 10 feet outside every sleeping area
• Secondary power source label (such as CAUTION: MULTIPLE SOURCES OF POWER, not handwritten) within 18 inches of the main panel and meter if the home has a secondary power source; labels available at the counter
• Portable fire extinguisher, 2A-10B:C, no more than 10 lbs, mounted within 10 feet of the kitchen (older 2020 instruction sheet still lists it)