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Sacramento County Alarm Permit: Cost, False Alarm Fees and How to Register
In unincorporated Sacramento County, every home alarm that could bring a Sheriff response needs a Sheriff's alarm permit within 15 days of connecting it: $50, renewed for $45 every two years. The first two false alarms each calendar year are free; then burglar alarms cost $75, $100, $200 and $250 each from the sixth.[1,2,3]
Sacramento County alarm permit at a glance
| Who needs a permit | Unincorporated Sacramento County. The cities of Sacramento, Folsom, Galt and Isleton are excluded. The Sheriff also covers the City of Rancho Cordova, which has its own alarm permit rules (no renewals).[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Which alarms are covered | Any alarm meant to (or that could reasonably be expected to) bring a Sheriff response, including self-installed and self-monitored systems. Not covered: alarms that only alert the people inside, and vehicle alarms unless the vehicle is permanently located at the site.[1] |
| Residential permit fee | New: $50 Renewal: $45 (every two years) · valid 24 months[3,2] |
| Other permit charges | Late: $5 (added to the $45 renewal after the due date)[2] |
| Fee exemptions | Public agencies exempt under California Government Code 6103 pay no permit fee. Alarms caused by violent acts of nature (earthquakes, gale-force winds, tornadoes) aren't false alarms, nor is an alarm during a service, test or maintenance you told the Sheriff about in advance. Several false alarms on one calendar day count as one. No senior or low-income exemption is listed.[1] |
| Free false alarms | Burglar alarms: 2; Panic and hold-up alarms: 2 in each calendar year[1] |
| If you have no permit | The Sheriff's discontinued-response rule applies to unpermitted alarms as well as permitted ones. The ordinance says nothing requires a Sheriff response to any alarm, and a permit doesn't guarantee one.[1] |
| Runs the program | Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, Alarm Ordinance Bureau[2] |
| When to apply | Within 15 days of connecting or starting to use the alarm. Your alarm company may not ask for a Sheriff response to burglar alarms during the first 7 days after installation (panic, duress and hold-up excepted).[1] |
False alarm fees in Sacramento County
False alarms are counted over each calendar year[1]. Each fee below is charged per false alarm.
Residential burglar alarms (with a permit)
Residential panic and hold-up alarms (with a permit)
If false alarms keep happening: After 4 false alarms in 12 months, the Sheriff requires verification before sending a deputy (except at Sheriff-monitored, government and licensed-firearms-business sites); unverified burglar alarms are only broadcast. After 6 or more in a calendar year, the Sheriff may stop responding for up to six months (shortened if you show the problem is fixed). False-alarm fees paid late add $25, and another $25 after 60 days; fees still unpaid 60 days after the invoice can stop response until paid plus five business days. You must have the system inspected after 2 false alarms in a calendar year and modified after 4. Permits can be suspended for up to a year for violations or unpaid fees.[1]
Charges without a permit
- $25 — charged surcharge added to the $50 permit fee when you get the permit after a Notice to Obtain Permit (within 30 days).[1]
- $250 — charged additional fee if you have not obtained the permit within 30 days of the notice. The FAQ totals this at $325 with the permit and surcharge.[1]
How to get or renew a permit in Sacramento County
- Apply or renew online at www.crywolfservices.com[2].
- The Sheriff's alarm pages do not give a mailing address for permit applications; apply through the online portal.
- Give your permit number to your alarm monitoring company.
- Renew every two years for $45. A courtesy notice comes at least 45 days ahead, and there is no grace period: after the due date it costs $50 to reactivate ($45 plus a $5 late fee). Permits do not transfer to a new owner or address.[1,3,2]
Who files: The person who owns or occupies the protected property; the alarm company helps collect the first application and fee.[1]
Good to know
- Self-installed and self-monitored systems: Self-installed and self-monitored systems are covered and need a permit; alarms that only sound inside for the occupants are not.[1]
- Panic and hold-up alarms: Panic and robbery alarms get two free false alarms each calendar year, then $150, $200, $250 and $300. Misusing a robbery or panic alarm is a misdemeanor, and single-action non-recessed hold-up buttons are not allowed.[1]
- Before police are sent: Alarm companies must use enhanced call verification (two calls, the second to a different number) before requesting a deputy, for every alarm except duress and hold-up. After 4 false alarms in 12 months, the Sheriff requires the alarm to be verified (by someone on site or by video) before dispatching, except at sites monitored by the Sheriff, government premises and licensed firearms businesses.[1]
- Not sure which rules apply to your address?: Look up your address in the county's Assessor Parcel Viewer, which shows your jurisdiction. The Sheriff covers unincorporated areas and Rancho Cordova.[2]
Business and other non-residential alarms
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| New permit | $50[3] |
| Renewal | $45 — every two years[3] |
| Late fee | $5 — added to the $45 renewal after the due date[2] |
| Alarm | False alarm | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Burglar alarms | 1st–2nd | Free[1] |
| Burglar alarms | 3rd | $75[1] |
| Burglar alarms | 4th | $100[1] |
| Burglar alarms | 5th | $200[1] |
| Burglar alarms | 6th and each after | $250[1] |
| Panic and hold-up alarms | 1st–2nd | Free[1] |
| Panic and hold-up alarms | 3rd | $150[1] |
| Panic and hold-up alarms | 4th | $200[1] |
| Panic and hold-up alarms | 5th | $250[1] |
| Panic and hold-up alarms | 6th and each after | $300[1] |
Avoiding false alarms
- Make sure everyone who has a code knows how to disarm the system and cancel an alarm.
- Keep your monitoring company's contact list up to date so they can reach someone quickly.
- Let your monitoring company know before guests, contractors or pet sitters use the house.
- Check that doors and windows are fully closed before you arm the system.
- Replace low sensor batteries promptly.
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SafeStreets serves this area: home security in Sacramento.
Sources
- Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, Sacramento County Emergency Alarm Ordinance (County Code Ch. 9.96), as posted by the Sheriff — Ordinance adopted September 4, 2007 (SCC 1086 and earlier). Secs. 9.96.010-9.96.170. www.sacsheriff.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, Alarm Ordinance Bureau, Alarm Ordinance Bureau. Alarm permit applications and FAQ. www.sacsheriff.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, Sacramento County Sheriff's Office Alarm Bureau Fee Schedule (Attachment G) — linked from the Alarm Ordinance Bureau page; no date printed. Secs. 9.96.100, 9.96.106, 9.96.110. www.sacsheriff.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
Updates
- October 28, 2026 — first published from official sources.