As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 18, 1999
                                                           Registration No. 333-

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                    Form S-8

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                             DETECTION SYSTEMS, INC.
             (exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                 NEW YORK                                       16-0958589

        ----------------------------------              ------------------------
          (State or other jurisdiction                     (I.R.S. Employer
         of incorporation or organization)                 Identification No.)

                 130 PERINTON PARKWAY, FAIRPORT, NEW YORK 14450
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                             DETECTION SYSTEMS, INC.
                     NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the Plan)
            ---------------------------------------------------------
                          Karl H. Kostusiak, President
                             Detection Systems, Inc.
                              130 Perinton Parkway
                            Fairport, New York 14450
                                  716-223-4060
            ---------------------------------------------------------
                     (Name, address, including zip code, and
          telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                    Copy to:
                              Justin P. Doyle, Esq.
                                Nixon Peabody LLP
                          Clinton Square, P.O. Box 1051
                            Rochester, New York 14604
                                  716-263-1000

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

                  Proposed                           Proposed        Amount of
Securities to    Amount to be  Maximum Offering  Maximum Aggregate  Registration
be registered     registered   price per share*   offering price*      fee

Common Stock
$.05 par value
and associated
options            50,000         $9.688             $484,375         $134.66
---------------
*Inserted solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to
Rule 457(h) under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as amended,  and based upon the
average of the high and low trade  prices for the  registrant's  Common Stock on
The Nasdaq Stock Market on November 16, 1999.
<PAGE>
                                     Part II
                           INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.    Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.

       The following documents which have been filed by Detection Systems,  Inc.
(the  "Company")  with the  Securities and Exchange  Commission  (the "SEC") are
incorporated herein by reference:

       (a) The  Company's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
March 31, 1999,  filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities  Exchange Act of
1934 filed with the SEC on June 29 1999;

       (b) The Company's Proxy Statement  relating to its 1999 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders filed with the SEC on July 8, 1999;

       (c) The description of the Company's  Common Stock contained in Exhibit 4
to the Company's  1993 Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No.  0-8125),  including
any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

       All  documents  subsequently  filed by the  Company  pursuant to Sections
13(a),  13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities remaining unsold shall
be deemed to be  incorporated  by reference  herein and to be a part hereof from
the date of the filing of such documents.

Item 4.    Description of Securities.

           Not Applicable.

Item 5.    Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

           Not Applicable.

Item 6.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

       The New York  Business  Corporation  Law (the "BCL")  provides  that if a
derivative action is brought against a director or officer of a corporation, the
corporation  may  indemnify him or her against  amounts paid in  settlement  and
reasonable  expenses,  including  attorneys'  fees  incurred  by him or her,  in
connection  with the defense or settlement  of such action,  if such director or
officer acted in good faith for a purpose which he or she reasonably believed to
be in the best  interests  of the  corporation,  except that no  indemnification
shall be made without  court  approval in respect of a threatened  action,  or a
pending action settled or otherwise  disposed of, or in respect of any matter as
to which such director or officer has been found liable to the corporation. In a
nonderivative  action or threatened  action, the BCL provides that a corporation
may indemnify a director or officer against  judgments,  fines,  amounts paid in
settlement and reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees incurred by him or
her in defending  such action,  if such  director or officer acted in good faith
for a purpose which he or she reasonably believed to be in the best interests of
the corporation.

       Under the BCL,  a  director  or officer  who is  successful,  either in a
derivative or nonderivative  action, is entitled to  indemnification as outlined
above.  Under  any  other  circumstances,   such  director  or  officer  may  be
indemnified  only if  certain  conditions  specified  in the BCL  are  met.  The
indemnification  provisions  of the BCL are not exclusive of any other rights to
which a director or officer seeking  indemnification may be entitled pursuant to
the  provisions  of  the  certificate  of  incorporation  or  the  bylaws  of  a
corporation or, when authorized by such  certificate of incorporation or bylaws,
pursuant to a shareholders'  resolution, a directors' resolution or an agreement
providing for such indemnification.

       The above is a general  summary of certain  provisions  of the BCL and is
subject,  in all cases,  to the  specific and  detailed  provisions  of Sections
721-725 of the BCL.

       Article  V,  Section  2 of  the  Company's  By-Laws  contains  provisions
requiring  indemnification  by the Company of its directors and officers against
certain  liabilities and expenses which they may incur as directors and officers
of the Company or of certain other entities in accordance with Sections  722-723
of the BCL.

       Section 726 of the BCL also contains provisions authorizing a corporation
to obtain  insurance on behalf of any director and officer against  liabilities,
whether or not the  corporation  would have the power to indemnify  against such
liabilities.  The Company maintains insurance coverage under which the directors
and  officers of the Company are  insured,  subject to the limits of the policy,
against  certain  losses,  as defined in the  policy,  arising  from claims made
against such directors and officers by reason of any wrongful acts as defined in
the policy, in their respective capacities as directors or officers.

Item 7.    Exemption from Registration Claimed.

           Not applicable.

Item 8.    Exhibits.

  EXHIBIT

  NUMBER     DESCRIPTION                           LOCATION

  --------   -------------                         ----------
  4(a)       Certificate of Incorporation          Incorporated by reference
             of Detection Systems, Inc.,           to Exhibit 3(a) of the
             as amended                            Registrant's Quarterly Report
                                                   on form 10-Q for the quarter
                                                   ended 9/30/99.

  4(b)       By-laws of Detection Systems, Inc.,   Incorporated by reference
             as amended                            to Exhibit 3(b) of the
                                                   Registrant's 1997 Annual
                                                   Report on Form 10-K

  4(c)       Detection Systems, Inc.               Filed herewith
             1997 Stock Option Plan, as amended

  5          Opinion of Nixon Peabody LLP          Filed herewith

  23(a)      Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Filed herewith

  23(b)      Consent of Nixon Peabody LLP          Included in Exhibit 5

  24         Power of Attorney                     Included on signature page

Item 9.    Undertakings.

       (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

              (1) To file,  during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective  amendment to this registration  statement to include any
material  information  with respect to the plan of  distribution  not previously
disclosed  in  the  registration  statement  or  any  material  change  to  such
information in the registration statement;

              (2) That, for the purpose of determining  any liability  under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering  of such  securities  at that time shall be deemed to be in the initial
bona fide offering thereof; and

              (3) To  remove  from  registration  by means  of a  post-effective
amendment  any of the  securities  being  registered  which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

       (b) The undersigned  registrant  hereby undertakes that, for the purposes
of determining  liability  under the Securities Act of 1933,  each filing of the
registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934  (and,  where  applicable,  each  filing of an
employee  benefit  plan's  annual  report  pursuant  to  Section  15(d)  of  the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934)  that is  incorporated  by  reference  in the
registration  statement  shall  be  deemed  to be a new  registration  statement
relating to the securities  offered herein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be in the initial bona fide offering thereof.

       (c)  Insofar  as  indemnification   for  liabilities  arising  under  the
Securities  Act of 1933 may be  permitted  to  directors,  officers  or  persons
controlling the Company  pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  the Company has
been informed that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification  is  against  public  policy  as  expressed  in the  Act  and is
therefore  unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities  (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling  person of the registrant in the
successful  defense of any  action,  suit or  proceeding)  is  asserted  by such
director,  officer  or  controlling  in  connection  with the  securities  being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been  settled by  controlling  precedent,  submit to a court of  appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such  indemnification  by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.

<PAGE>
                                   SIGNATURES

         The Registrant.  Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of
1933, the Company  certifies  that is has reasonable  grounds to believe that it
meets all of the  requirements  for filing on Form S-8, and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly  authorized,  in the Town of Perinton,  State of New York,  on November 18,
1999.

                                  DETECTION SYSTEMS, INC.

                                  /s/ Karl H. Kostusiak
                                  Karl H. Kostusiak

                                  Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & President

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW  ALL MEN BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that  each  person  whose  signature
appears below hereby  severally  constitutes  and appoints Karl H. Kostusiak and
Frank J.  Ryan,  and each of them,  his true and  lawful  attorneys-in-fact  and
agents,  with  full  power  of  substitution,  to sign  any  and all  amendments
(including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and to file
the  same,  with  all  exhibits  thereto,  and  other  documents  in  connection
therewith,  with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission,  granting  unto said
attorneys-in-fact  and agents,  and each of them, full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing  requisite  or  necessary  fully to all
intents and  purposes as he might or could do in person,  hereby  ratifying  and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them or their or
his  substitute  or  substitutes,  may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.

Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,  this  registration
statement has been signed by the following  persons in the capacities and on the
dates indicated.

/s/ Karl H. Kostusiak       Chairman, CEO, President and Director       11/18/99
Karl H. Kostusiak               (Principal Executive Officer)


/s/ Frank J. Ryan           Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer      11/18/99
Frank J. Ryan                   (Principal Financial Officer)


/s/ Christopher P. Gerace   Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer 11/18/99
Christopher P. Gerace           (Principal Accounting Officer)


/s/ Donald R. Adair         Director                                    11/16/99
Donald R. Adair

/s/ Mortimer B. Fuller, III Director                                    11/16/99
Mortimer B. Fuller, III


/s/ David B. Lederer        Director                                    11/17/99
David B. Lederer

/s/ Edward C. McIrvine      Director                                    11/16/99
Edward C. McIrvine
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "REGISTRATION STATEMENT", "secsgml_size_bytes": 14420}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "DETECTION SYSTEMS INC", "cik": "0000028365", "assigned-sic": "3669", "irs-number": "160958589", "state-of-incorporation": "NY", "fiscal-year-end": "0331"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-91223", "film-number": "99760511"}, "business-address": {"street1": "130 PERINTON PKWY", "city": "FAIRPORT", "state": "NY", "zip": "14450", "phone": "7162234060"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "130 PERINTON PARKWAY", "city": "FAIRPORT", "state": "NY", "zip": "14450"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 18, 1999
                                                           Registration No. 333-

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                    Form S-8

             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                             DETECTION SYSTEMS, INC.
             (exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                 NEW YORK                                       16-0958589

        ----------------------------------              ------------------------
          (State or other jurisdiction                     (I.R.S. Employer
         of incorporation or organization)                 Identification No.)

                 130 PERINTON PARKWAY, FAIRPORT, NEW YORK 14450
                    (Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                             DETECTION SYSTEMS, INC.
                     NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION PLAN
                            (Full title of the Plan)
            ---------------------------------------------------------
                          Karl H. Kostusiak, President
                             Detection Systems, Inc.
                              130 Perinton Parkway
                            Fairport, New York 14450
                                  716-223-4060
            ---------------------------------------------------------
                     (Name, address, including zip code, and
          telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                    Copy to:
                              Justin P. Doyle, Esq.
                                Nixon Peabody LLP
                          Clinton Square, P.O. Box 1051
                            Rochester, New York 14604
                                  716-263-1000

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

                  Proposed                           Proposed        Amount of
Securities to    Amount to be  Maximum Offering  Maximum Aggregate  Registration
be registered     registered   price per share*   offering price*      fee

Common Stock
$.05 par value
and associated
options            50,000         $9.688             $484,375         $134.66
---------------
*Inserted solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to
Rule 457(h) under the  Securities  Act of 1933,  as amended,  and based upon the
average of the high and low trade  prices for the  registrant's  Common Stock on
The Nasdaq Stock Market on November 16, 1999.
Part II
                           INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3.    Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.

       The following documents which have been filed by Detection Systems,  Inc.
(the  "Company")  with the  Securities and Exchange  Commission  (the "SEC") are
incorporated herein by reference:

       (a) The  Company's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
March 31, 1999,  filed pursuant to Section 13 of the Securities  Exchange Act of
1934 filed with the SEC on June 29 1999;

       (b) The Company's Proxy Statement  relating to its 1999 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders filed with the SEC on July 8, 1999;

       (c) The description of the Company's  Common Stock contained in Exhibit 4
to the Company's  1993 Annual Report on Form 10-K (File No.  0-8125),  including
any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

       All  documents  subsequently  filed by the  Company  pursuant to Sections
13(a),  13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities remaining unsold shall
be deemed to be  incorporated  by reference  herein and to be a part hereof from
the date of the filing of such documents.

Item 4.    Description of Securities.

           Not Applicable.

Item 5.    Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

           Not Applicable.

Item 6.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

       The New York  Business  Corporation  Law (the "BCL")  provides  that if a
derivative action is brought against a director or officer of a corporation, the
corporation  may  indemnify him or her against  amounts paid in  settlement  and
reasonable  expenses,  including  attorneys'  fees  incurred  by him or her,  in
connection  with the defense or settlement  of such action,  if such director or
officer acted in good faith for a purpose which he or she reasonably believed to
be in the best  interests  of the  corporation,  except that no  indemnification
shall be made without  court  approval in respect of a threatened  action,  or a
pending action settled or otherwise  disposed of, or in respect of any matter as
to which such director or officer has been found liable to the corporation. In a
nonderivative  action or threatened  action, the BCL provides that a corporation
may indemnify a director or officer against  judgments,  fines,  amounts paid in
settlement and reasonable expenses, including attorneys' fees incurred by him or
her in defending  such action,  if such  director or officer acted in good faith
for a purpose which he or she reasonably believed to be in the best interests of
the corporation.

       Under the BCL,  a  director  or officer  who is  successful,  either in a
derivative or nonderivative  action, is entitled to  indemnification as outlined
above.  Under  any  other  circumstances,   such  director  or  officer  may  be
indemnified  only if  certain  conditions  specified  in the BCL  are  met.  The
indemnification  provisions  of the BCL are not exclusive of any other rights to
which a director or officer seeking  indemnification may be entitled pursuant to
the  provisions  of  the  certificate  of  incorporation  or  the  bylaws  of  a
corporation or, when authorized by such  certificate of incorporation or bylaws,
pursuant to a shareholders'  resolution, a directors' resolution or an agreement
providing for such indemnification.

       The above is a general  summary of certain  provisions  of the BCL and is
subject,  in all cases,  to the  specific and  detailed  provisions  of Sections
721-725 of the BCL.

       Article  V,  Section  2 of  the  Company's  By-Laws  contains  provisions
requiring  indemnification  by the Company of its directors and officers against
certain  liabilities and expenses which they may incur as directors and officers
of the Company or of certain other entities in accordance with Sections  722-723
of the BCL.

       Section 726 of the BCL also contains provisions authorizing a corporation
to obtain  insurance on behalf of any director and officer against  liabilities,
whether or not the  corporation  would have the power to indemnify  against such
liabilities.  The Company maintains insurance coverage under which the directors
and  officers of the Company are  insured,  subject to the limits of the policy,
against  certain  losses,  as defined in the  policy,  arising  from claims made
against such directors and officers by reason of any wrongful acts as defined in
the policy, in their respective capacities as directors or officers.

Item 7.    Exemption from Registration Claimed.

           Not applicable.

Item 8.    Exhibits.

  EXHIBIT

  NUMBER     DESCRIPTION                           LOCATION

  --------   -------------                         ----------
  4(a)       Certificate of Incorporation          Incorporated by reference
             of Detection Systems, Inc.,           to Exhibit 3(a) of the
             as amended                            Registrant's Quarterly Report
                                                   on form 10-Q for the quarter
                                                   ended 9/30/99.

  4(b)       By-laws of Detection Systems, Inc.,   Incorporated by reference
             as amended                            to Exhibit 3(b) of the
                                                   Registrant's 1997 Annual
                                                   Report on Form 10-K

  4(c)       Detection Systems, Inc.               Filed herewith
             1997 Stock Option Plan, as amended

  5          Opinion of Nixon Peabody LLP          Filed herewith

  23(a)      Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP Filed herewith

  23(b)      Consent of Nixon Peabody LLP          Included in Exhibit 5

  24         Power of Attorney                     Included on signature page

Item 9.    Undertakings.

       (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

              (1) To file,  during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective  amendment to this registration  statement to include any
material  information  with respect to the plan of  distribution  not previously
disclosed  in  the  registration  statement  or  any  material  change  to  such
information in the registration statement;

              (2) That, for the purpose of determining  any liability  under the
Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering  of such  securities  at that time shall be deemed to be in the initial
bona fide offering thereof; and

              (3) To  remove  from  registration  by means  of a  post-effective
amendment  any of the  securities  being  registered  which remain unsold at the
termination of the offering.

       (b) The undersigned  registrant  hereby undertakes that, for the purposes
of determining  liability  under the Securities Act of 1933,  each filing of the
registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934  (and,  where  applicable,  each  filing of an
employee  benefit  plan's  annual  report  pursuant  to  Section  15(d)  of  the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934)  that is  incorporated  by  reference  in the
registration  statement  shall  be  deemed  to be a new  registration  statement
relating to the securities  offered herein,  and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be in the initial bona fide offering thereof.

       (c)  Insofar  as  indemnification   for  liabilities  arising  under  the
Securities  Act of 1933 may be  permitted  to  directors,  officers  or  persons
controlling the Company  pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  the Company has
been informed that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
indemnification  is  against  public  policy  as  expressed  in the  Act  and is
therefore  unenforceable.  In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities  (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling  person of the registrant in the
successful  defense of any  action,  suit or  proceeding)  is  asserted  by such
director,  officer  or  controlling  in  connection  with the  securities  being
registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been  settled by  controlling  precedent,  submit to a court of  appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such  indemnification  by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of
such issue.
SIGNATURES

         The Registrant.  Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of
1933, the Company  certifies  that is has reasonable  grounds to believe that it
meets all of the  requirements  for filing on Form S-8, and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly  authorized,  in the Town of Perinton,  State of New York,  on November 18,
1999.

                                  DETECTION SYSTEMS, INC.

                                  /s/ Karl H. Kostusiak
                                  Karl H. Kostusiak

                                  Chairman, Chief Executive Officer & President

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW  ALL MEN BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that  each  person  whose  signature
appears below hereby  severally  constitutes  and appoints Karl H. Kostusiak and
Frank J.  Ryan,  and each of them,  his true and  lawful  attorneys-in-fact  and
agents,  with  full  power  of  substitution,  to sign  any  and all  amendments
(including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and to file
the  same,  with  all  exhibits  thereto,  and  other  documents  in  connection
therewith,  with the  Securities  and Exchange  Commission,  granting  unto said
attorneys-in-fact  and agents,  and each of them, full power and authority to do
and perform each and every act and thing  requisite  or  necessary  fully to all
intents and  purposes as he might or could do in person,  hereby  ratifying  and
confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them or their or
his  substitute  or  substitutes,  may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue
hereof.

Pursuant to the  requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,  this  registration
statement has been signed by the following  persons in the capacities and on the
dates indicated.

/s/ Karl H. Kostusiak       Chairman, CEO, President and Director       11/18/99
Karl H. Kostusiak               (Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ Frank J. Ryan           Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer      11/18/99
Frank J. Ryan                   (Principal Financial Officer)

/s/ Christopher P. Gerace   Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer 11/18/99
Christopher P. Gerace           (Principal Accounting Officer)

/s/ Donald R. Adair         Director                                    11/16/99
Donald R. Adair

/s/ Mortimer B. Fuller, III Director                                    11/16/99
Mortimer B. Fuller, III

/s/ David B. Lederer        Director                                    11/17/99
David B. Lederer

/s/ Edward C. McIrvine      Director                                    11/16/99
Edward C. McIrvine