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Miami Alarm Permit: Cost, False Alarm Fees and How to Register
In the City of Miami, every burglar alarm needs a Miami Police permit: $79 to register, then $26.50 a year to renew if you had no false alarms (or $79 if you did), and the city adds $3.50 to every invoice. Your first two false alarms each October-to-September permit year are free; after that you pay $52.50, $105, $157.50 and $210. The 7th revokes your permit and ends police response, and the police fee schedule lists $157.50 for the 7th and each one after.[1,2,3]
Miami alarm permit at a glance
| Who needs a permit | Alarm systems in the City of Miami. Other cities in Miami-Dade County (such as Miami Beach) and unincorporated Miami-Dade have their own programs.[1,3] |
|---|---|
| Which alarms are covered | Any burglar or robbery alarm meant to bring a police response. Fire alarms and alarms in vehicles are excluded. A business needs a separate permit for each building at a different address.[1] |
| Residential permit fee | New: $79 (plus the city's $3.50 invoice charge, $82.50 total) Renewal: $26.50 (if no false alarms that permit year; plus the city's $3.50 invoice charge, $30 total), $79 (if you had any false alarm; plus the city's $3.50 invoice charge, $82.50 total) · October 1 through September 30 (not prorated)[1,3,2] |
| Other permit charges | Late: $26.50 (added to the renewal invoice if unpaid after September 30, for $56.50 or $109 total)[1] Reinstatement: $157.50 (after the permit is revoked at the 7th false alarm; also needs a licensed alarm company letter and payment of all outstanding charges)[1] |
| Fee exemptions | Not confirmed. Miami's alarm code and the Alarm Ordinance Unit's site list no fee waivers for homeowners. The lower $26.50 renewal applies when you had no false alarms in the permit year.[1] |
| Free false alarms | 2 in each permit year[1,3] |
| If you have no permit | After police respond to a false alarm at an unpermitted (or expired) address, they will not respond to later alarms there until the fine and permit fee are paid. Operating an alarm without a permit is also a second-degree misdemeanor.[1] |
| Runs the program | City of Miami Police Department, Alarm Ordinance Unit[1,4] |
| When to apply | Before you use the alarm. An alarm company installing your system must get the permit before installation.[1] |
False alarm fees in Miami
False alarms are counted over each permit year[1]. Each fee below is charged per false alarm.
Residential false alarms (with a permit)
| False alarm | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1st–2nd | Free[1] |
| 3rd | $52.50[1] |
| 4th | $105[1] |
| 5th | $157.50[1] |
| 6th | $210[1] |
| 7th and each after | $157.50 each (police fee schedule; the city code also revokes the permit and ends police response at the 7th)[2] |
If false alarms keep happening: The 7th false alarm in a permit year ends police response and revokes the permit (with 10 days' written notice). To reinstate, you need a letter from a licensed alarm company that the system works and you were retrained, plus a $157.50 reinstatement fee and all unpaid charges. Unpaid false-alarm charges (15 days) also stop police response until paid.[1]
Charges without a permit
- $210 — charged fine when police respond to a false alarm at an address with no permit ever issued. Plus the $79 permit fee ($289; the city invoices $292.50). Police stop responding until both are paid.[1]
- $157.50 — charged fine when police respond to a false alarm while your permit is expired. Plus the $79 renewal fee ($236.50; invoiced at $240).[1]
How to get or renew a permit in Miami
- Apply or renew online at apps.miami.gov[4,3].
- Questions: call the Miami Police Alarm Ordinance Unit at 305-603-6488[4].
- Address: In person: Miami Police Department, Alarm Ordinance Unit, 400 NW 2 Ave., Office 208, Miami, FL 33128, on weekdays (the unit's site lists opening as 8 a.m. on one page and 9 a.m. on another, closing at 3 p.m.; call 305-603-6488 to confirm). By mail: Department of Police, Alarm Ordinance Unit, P.O. Box 016777, Miami, FL 33101.[4,3]
- Give your permit number to your alarm monitoring company.
- All permits expire September 30, and the renewal invoice is mailed in August. Renewal is $26.50 if you had no false alarms that permit year, or $79 if you had any; the city adds a $3.50 charge to each invoice, so you pay $30 or $82.50. If you pay after September 30, a $26.50 late fee is added to that same invoice: $56.50 if you had no false alarms, $109 if you had any. Separately, if police respond to an alarm while your permit is expired, you are billed a $157.50 fine plus the $79 renewal fee ($240 with the invoice charge).[1,3,2]
Who files: The alarm user (whoever controls the home or business). If an alarm company installs and services the system, the company must get the permit for you before installation.[1]
Good to know
- Self-installed and self-monitored systems: Not confirmed. Miami's code covers any alarm meant to bring a police response; it does not say how self-monitored systems are treated. If your alarm company installs the system, it must get the permit for you before installation. Ask the Alarm Ordinance Unit (305-603-6488) about a self-monitored system.[1]
- Panic and hold-up alarms: Not confirmed. Miami's code covers burglary and robbery alarms under the same permit and false-alarm schedule; it has no separate panic or hold-up rule.[1]
- Before police are sent: Not confirmed. Miami's alarm code does not set a verification step for alarm companies before police are called.
- Not sure which rules apply to your address?: Not confirmed. The Alarm Ordinance Unit's site has no address lookup. If you are not sure your address is in the City of Miami (not Miami-Dade County or another city), call 305-603-6488.[4]
Business and other non-residential alarms
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| New permit | $79 — plus the city's $3.50 invoice charge, $82.50 total[1] |
| Renewal | $26.50 — if no false alarms that permit year; plus the city's $3.50 invoice charge, $30 total[1] |
| Renewal | $79 — if you had any false alarm; plus the city's $3.50 invoice charge, $82.50 total[1] |
| Late fee | $26.50 — added to the renewal invoice if unpaid after September 30, for $56.50 or $109 total[1] |
| Reinstatement | $157.50 — after the permit is revoked at the 7th false alarm; also needs a licensed alarm company letter and payment of all outstanding charges[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.
Thinking about a professionally installed, monitored system? See how SafeStreets installation works.
Sources
- City of Miami (via Municode), Miami City Code Ch. 3, Art. II: Burglary and Robbery Alarms — Ord. No. 13142 (2-11-10); Ord. No. 13676 (4-27-17). Secs. 3-22, 3-23, 3-24, 3-28, 3-29. library.municode.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- City of Miami Police Department, Alarm Ordinance Unit, Fee Assessment Schedule. Registration; false alarm activations; renewal. apps.miami.gov. Checked October 28, 2026.
- City of Miami Police Department, Alarm Ordinance Unit, Frequently Asked Questions. Cost, permit year, renewal, appeals. apps.miami.gov. Checked October 28, 2026.
- City of Miami Police Department, Alarm Ordinance Unit, Alarm Ordinance Unit - Burglar Alarm Guest Portal. Contacts; notice; informational links. apps.miami.gov. Checked October 28, 2026.
Updates
- October 28, 2026 — first published from official sources.