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Do You Need an Alarm Permit in Millsboro? False Alarm Fees and Rules
Millsboro's town code doesn't require a home alarm permit. Delaware State Police say all Delaware alarm users should register free with Cry Wolf, but the 2007 state law exempts towns like Millsboro that had their own ordinance first unless they opt in, and we couldn't confirm whether the state program covers Millsboro addresses. Your first 3 false alarms each calendar year are free. After that, the town charges a fee set by Town Council (no amount published); if the state program does apply, its fines run $50, $75, $100, then $250 each.[1,2,3]
Millsboro alarm permit at a glance
| Is a permit required? | Sources differ Millsboro's town code doesn't require you to register a home alarm. Delaware State Police say every Delaware home and business with a security alarm must register (free) with their vendor Cry Wolf, but the 2007 state law exempts towns that already had their own false-alarm ordinance, which Millsboro did (1990). Registering with Cry Wolf costs nothing; call (877) 665-2979 to confirm whether your address is covered.[1,5,3,4] |
|---|---|
| Who needs a permit | Not confirmed. Millsboro's town alarm rules apply inside the Town of Millsboro's limits. Many homes with a Millsboro (19966) mailing address are outside town limits; those homes are likely covered by the Delaware State Police alarm program instead. Check with the Town of Millsboro if you're not sure. |
| Which alarms are covered | Sources differ The town has no permit. If the state program applies to your address, each alarm site must be registered within 30 days after the alarm is activated or taken over.[4] |
| Residential permit fee | New: Free (state registration, if it applies)[2,3] |
| Fee exemptions | In Millsboro, alarms the police chief decides were caused by power interruptions, floods or other natural disasters don't count as false alarms. We found no senior or low-income fee waivers. Under state law, alarms set off by a reasonable belief of an emergency, severe weather, power restoration, or one cancelled before police arrive also don't count.[1,4] |
| Free false alarms | 3 in each calendar year[1,2,4] |
| If you have no permit | Not confirmed. We found no rule saying police will skip unregistered alarms in Millsboro. |
| Runs the program | Town of Millsboro (Millsboro Police Department; false alarm fee set by Town Council)[1] |
| When to apply | Sources differ The town has no deadline because it has no permit. Under the state program, you register within 30 days after the alarm is activated or after you take over an existing system.[4] |
False alarm fees in Millsboro
False alarms are counted over each calendar year[1,4].
Sources differ Under Millsboro's town code, the 4th and each later false alarm in a calendar year is charged a fee set by the Town Council, but the town's FY2027 fee schedule lists no dollar amount (it just says "see ordinance"). If the statewide Delaware State Police program applies to your address, fines are $50 for the 4th, $75 for the 5th, $100 for the 6th and $250 for the 7th and each after.[1,6,4]
If false alarms keep happening: Millsboro's police chief can require your alarm to be disconnected after 10 false alarms in any 12-month period.[1]
How to get or renew a permit in Millsboro
- The town has no registration portal. The statewide Delaware State Police program registers alarms free through Cry Wolf (crywolfservices.com/delawarede); confirm whether it covers your Millsboro address.[3]
- Not confirmed. Millsboro has no town permit to renew. If the state program applies to your address, the state's CryWolf FAQ says a registration is permanent, so we found no renewal requirement; state law requires you to report changes to your registration within 5 days.[4,7]
Good to know
- Self-installed and self-monitored systems: Millsboro's rules cover any alarm system that sounds or signals outside the building, whether professionally installed or self-installed. Devices that only alert inside the home don't count. Fees apply only when police or fire respond.[1]
- Panic and hold-up alarms: In Millsboro, false robbery and hold-up alarms count the same as burglar alarms.[1]
- Before police are sent: Not confirmed. Millsboro's town code doesn't require alarm companies to verify alarms before calling police. Under the state program, monitoring companies must try two phone numbers before requesting dispatch (not for hold-up or duress alarms).[4]
- Not sure which rules apply to your address?: Not confirmed. We didn't find an official address lookup for Millsboro town limits.
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.
Thinking about a professionally installed, monitored system? See how SafeStreets installation works.
SafeStreets serves this area: home security in Millsboro.
Sources
- Town of Millsboro (eCode360), Code of the Town of Millsboro, Chapter 47 (Alarms), Article I (Alarm Systems) — Article I adopted 6-4-1990 by Ord. No. L; eCode360 code includes legislation through 06-02-2025; New Laws list (checked 2026-10-29) shows no pending alarm amendments. § 47-1 Definitions; § 47-2 Fee for response to false alarms; disconnection. ecode360.com. Checked October 29, 2026.
- Delaware State Police, Delaware False Alarm Reduction Program - False Alarm FAQ (PDF) — File last-modified 2020-05-13. FAQ. dsp.delaware.gov. Checked October 29, 2026.
- Delaware State Police, False Alarm Reduction Program. Program page. dsp.delaware.gov. Checked October 29, 2026.
- State of Delaware (Delaware Code Online), Delaware Code Title 24, Chapter 12, Subchapter II. False Alarms — 76 Del. Laws c. 179 (2007), amended 81 Del. Laws c. 73 (2017). §§ 1221-1230. delcode.delaware.gov. Checked October 29, 2026.
- Delaware General Assembly, 76 Del. Laws, c. 179 (House Substitute No. 1 for HB 224), Act creating Title 24 Ch. 12 Subchapter II (False Alarms) — Approved August 2, 2007. Uncodified Sections 6-8. legis.delaware.gov. Checked October 29, 2026.
- Town of Millsboro (linked as 'Schedule of Fees' from millsboro.org), Town of Millsboro FY 2027 Schedule of Fees — FY 2027 (file last-modified 2026-07-28). Police Department. cms3.revize.com. Checked October 29, 2026.
- CryWolf / CentralSquare for the Delaware State Police False Alarm Reduction Program, State of Delaware CryWolf - Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) — Current PDF read 2026-10-30. FAQ PDF, page 1. www.crywolfservices.com. Checked October 30, 2026.
Updates
- October 30, 2026 — first published from official sources.