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Alarm Permits & False Alarm Fines: What Your City Requires
Many cities and counties require a permit for a home alarm and charge for repeat false alarms. Find your city or county to see what it requires, what it costs and how to register — with a link to the official source for every number.
Published so far
| City or county | Permit required? | Home permit fee | False alarms before a fee | First false-alarm fee | Charge with no permit | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL † | No | — | (any rolling 12 months) | — | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Mesa, AZ | Yes | $10 / year | None | $50 | $100 | October 28, 2026 |
| Phoenix, AZ | Yes | $17 / year | 1 (any rolling 12 months) | $96 | $96 | October 27, 2026 |
| Scottsdale, AZ | Yes | $10 / year | 2 (each permit year) | $50 | $50 | October 28, 2026 |
| Little Rock, AR | Yes | Free | 3 (each calendar year) | $25 | $100 | October 28, 2026 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Yes | $60 new / $31 renewal | None | $260 | $360 | October 27, 2026 |
| Sacramento County (unincorporated), CA | Yes | $50 new / $45 renewal | 2 (each calendar year) | $75 | $25; $250 | October 28, 2026 |
| San Diego, CA | Yes | $31 / year | None | $100 | $300 | October 27, 2026 |
| Denver, CO | Yes | $25 / year | No fines | No fine | — | October 27, 2026 |
| Hartford, CT | Yes | $25 / year | 2 (each permit year) | $50 | $99; $100 | October 28, 2026 |
| New Haven, CT | Yes | Free | 1 | $75 (doubles if not paid within 60 days of the due date; false alarms caused by an alarm company's on-scene employees are the company's responsibility, not yours) | $99; $99 | October 28, 2026 |
| Washington, D.C. | No | — | None | $100 (Class 4 civil infraction fine, only if the District issues a notice of infraction) | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Jacksonville, FL | Yes | $10 new / Free renewal | 2 (Sources differ: calendar year (code fine table) vs. permit year (code text and JSO program page)) | $50 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Miami, FL | Yes | $79 new / $26.50 renewal | 2 (each permit year) | $52.50 | $210; $157.50 | October 28, 2026 |
| Orlando, FL | Yes | Free | 3 (a one-year period that starts with your first false alarm) | $50 | $50 | October 28, 2026 |
| Palm Beach County (unincorporated and PBSO-patrolled areas), FL † | Yes | $25 / year | 2 (each permit year) | $50 | Sources differ: $250 plus court costs (county code) vs. $260 (PBSO form) | October 27, 2026 |
| St. Petersburg, FL | Sources differ | Free | 2 (each calendar year) | $50 | $200; $400; $500 | October 28, 2026 |
| Tampa, FL | No | — | 3 (per alarm system, no yearly reset) | — | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Atlanta, GA | Yes | Free | 2 (any rolling 12 months) | $50 | $75 | October 28, 2026 |
| Cobb County (unincorporated), GA | Yes | Free | 1 (each calendar year) | $50 | $100 | October 27, 2026 |
| Boise, ID | No | — | 1 (each calendar year) | $50 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Chicago, IL | Not confirmed | — | 2 | $115 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Indianapolis, IN | No | — | 1 (each calendar year) | $50 (civil penalty if you admit the violation) | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Ames, IA | No | — | 3 | $50 (police department false alarm fee; the schedule doesn't say when the count resets) | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Des Moines, IA | No | — | None | $50 (administrative penalty; if you refuse to fix the problem and pay, or police decide prosecution is needed, the code allows a civil penalty of up to $500 instead) | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Hutchinson, KS | Yes | — | (each calendar year) | — | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Wichita, KS | Yes | $25 / year | 1 (each permit year) | $40 | $150 | October 28, 2026 |
| Alexandria, LA † | Sources differ | — | 2 (Sources differ: twelve-month period (city code) vs. "each year" (police page)) | $25 | $100 | October 28, 2026 |
| New Orleans, LA | Yes | Free | 1 (each calendar year (the count resets in January only if all fines and fees are paid)) | $75 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Baltimore, MD † | Yes | Free | 1 (any rolling 12 months) | $75 | $500; $100 | October 28, 2026 |
| Hagerstown, MD | Yes | — | — | — | October 28, 2026 | |
| Boston, MA | No | — | 2 (each calendar year) | $50 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| New Bedford, MA | Yes | Free if you live at the home; $25 if you don't | 2 (a period that restarts once you go 12 months without a false alarm) | $50 | $50 | October 28, 2026 |
| Detroit, MI | No | — | Not billed as fees; more than 3 is an offense (any three-month period) | up to $500 court fine per violation if convicted (a misdemeanor; up to 90 days in jail is also possible) | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Minneapolis, MN | After 1st false alarm | $30 | None | $30 (registration fee) | — | October 28, 2026 |
| St. Paul, MN | Yes | $43 / year | 1 (each calendar year) | $75 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Jackson, MS | No | — | 2 (each calendar year) | $25 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Kansas City, MO | Yes | $52 new / $20 renewal | 2 (any rolling 12 months) | $60 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| St. Louis, MO | Yes | $25 / year | 1 (each registration year (the count restarts at each annual registration, except for an alarm on a 12-month suspension)) | $25 | $100 | October 28, 2026 |
| Las Vegas, NV | No | — | — | — | October 28, 2026 | |
| Albuquerque, NM | Yes | $25 / year | 3 (each permit year) | $150 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Santa Fe, NM | Yes | $25 / year | 2 (each 365-day period) | Sources differ: $100 (city code) vs. $150 (program FAQ) | $100; $100 | October 28, 2026 |
| New York City, NY | Not confirmed | — | — | — | October 28, 2026 | |
| Asheville, NC | Yes | $25 new / $10 renewal | 2 false alarm days (each July-to-June year) | $50 (per false alarm day: all false alarms in the 24 hours after the first count as one) | $100 | October 28, 2026 |
| Durham, NC | After 1st false alarm | Free | 2 (each calendar year) | $100 | $100 | October 28, 2026 |
| Raleigh, NC | No | — | 1 (each July-to-June year) | $50 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Akron, OH † | No | — | 3 | $50 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Cleveland, OH † | Sources differ | $25 / year | 2 (each calendar year) | Sources differ: $130 (city code) vs. $150 (city registration form) | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | Yes | $27 new / $17 renewal | 3 (any rolling 12 months) | $82 | — | October 27, 2026 |
| Tulsa, OK | Optional | $35 / year | No fines | No fine | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Clackamas County (unincorporated), OR | Yes | $20.50 / year | 1 (each permit year) | $102 | $77 | October 28, 2026 |
| Philadelphia, PA | Yes | $50 / year | 2 (each permit year) | $75 if paid within 8 days of receiving the notice without contesting it; otherwise the code penalty is $150 | $150 if paid within 8 days without contesting; otherwise the code penalty is $300 | October 28, 2026 |
| Providence, RI | Yes | $10 / year | 2 (each permit year) | $100 | $100 | October 28, 2026 |
| Greenville, SC | Yes | $10 new / Free renewal | 1 (each permit year) | $50 | $100; $200; $300; $400 | October 29, 2026 |
| Nashville, TN | Yes | $20 / year | 3 (each permit year) | up to $25 | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Arlington, TX | Yes | $50 / year | 3 (any rolling 12 months) | $50 | — | October 27, 2026 |
| Austin, TX | Yes | $50 / year | 3 (any rolling 12 months) | $50 | $220 | October 27, 2026 |
| Bexar County (unincorporated), TX † | Yes | $40 / year | 5 (each permit year) | $75 | $75 | October 27, 2026 |
| Carrollton, TX | Yes | $50 new / $25 renewal | 3 (any rolling 12 months) | $50 | $1000 maximum | October 28, 2026 |
| Dallas, TX | Yes | $50 / year | 3 (any rolling 12 months) | $50 | — | October 27, 2026 |
| Fort Bend County (unincorporated), TX | Yes | $35 new / $10 renewal | 5 (each permit year) | at least $75 | $75 | October 27, 2026 |
| Fort Worth, TX | Yes | $50 / year | 3 (any rolling 12 months) | $50 | — | October 27, 2026 |
| Harris County (unincorporated), TX † | Yes | $40 / year | 1 (each permit year) | $100 | $420 | October 27, 2026 |
| Houston, TX | Yes | $50 / year | 3 (any rolling 12 months) | $50 | $116.75 | October 27, 2026 |
| Little Elm, TX | Yes | $25 new; renewal $25 ($50 for all future renewals after excessive false alarms) | 4 (our reading of the town code; a separate fire code fine for fire alarm system failures starts at the 4th) (any rolling 12 months) | $50 | $500 maximum | October 28, 2026 |
| Montgomery County (unincorporated), TX | Yes | $20 / year | 5 burglar (program fee table; whether panic false alarms count toward the same total isn't confirmed) (each permit year) | $75 | $75; $100; $500 maximum | October 28, 2026 |
| Pearland, TX † | Yes | $25 / year | 3 (any rolling 12 months) | $50 | — | October 27, 2026 |
| Plano, TX | Yes | $50 / year | 3 (any rolling 12 months) | $50 | $200 | October 27, 2026 |
| San Antonio, TX | Yes | $50 / year | 3 (any rolling 12 months) | $50 | $250 | October 27, 2026 |
| Tarrant County (unincorporated), TX | Yes | Sources differ: $30 a year (Sheriff page and 2026 form) or $25 (older county order) | 5 (any rolling 12 months) | $75 | $75 | October 28, 2026 |
| Travis County (unincorporated), TX | Yes | $50 / calendar year | 5 (any rolling 12 months) | $75 | — | October 27, 2026 |
| Williamson County (unincorporated), TX | Yes | $25 / 2 years | 5 (a one-year period that starts with your first false alarm) | $75 | — | October 27, 2026 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | Yes | Free | None | $100 (each false burglar alarm that brings police; police come only after a guard or you confirm a crime, except at firearms businesses; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days) | $150 charged to the monitoring company (not you) per panic or hold-up alarm dispatch request without a valid permit; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days | October 28, 2026 |
| Seattle, WA | No | — | None | $115 (billed to your alarm company when officers arrive; the city says the fee is $30 if police are dispatched but the call is canceled before they arrive) | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Tacoma, WA | No | — | None | $115 (charged only when police arrive and find no crime, with no fee if police are canceled before they arrive; billed to your alarm company, which may pass it on to you) | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Charleston, WV | No | — | No fine — the city code's false-alarm fine applies only to business premises (this section sets no fine for homes) | No fine — the city code's false-alarm fine applies only to business premises (this section sets no fine for homes) | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Huntington, WV | No | — | 1 in the preceding month (reset not stated; after 4 in any 12 months every later false alarm is charged) | $100 (for each false alarm beyond the first in the preceding month; the code doesn't say when this count resets) | — | October 28, 2026 |
| Milwaukee, WI | No | — | 2 (each calendar year) | $50 to $100 forfeiture (citation) | — | October 28, 2026 |
Coming next
We have collected rules for these cities and counties and are re-checking each one against its official source before publishing it.
How we check this information
- Every number comes from the city or county's own published ordinance, rules, fee schedule or permit page, and each one is linked on its page.
- Each claim records the date it was checked. We re-check sources monthly and re-verify every published page at least every 90 days.
- Where official sources disagree, we say so and show both, rather than picking one.
- We show residential rules first. Fees are the government's charges, not SafeStreets prices.
Download and reuse the data
Download the data as a CSV (one row per city or county, dataset release 2026-10-29.18).
You are free to share and adapt this data, including for commercial use, under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0). Please credit SafeStreets and link to this page:
Source: SafeStreets, Alarm Permits & False Alarm Fines (safestreets.com/research/alarm-permits/), release 2026-10-29.18.