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Philadelphia Alarm Permit: Cost, False Alarm Fees and How to Register
Philadelphia requires every burglary, theft or robbery alarm that alerts police to be registered before use, with a $50 annual fee. The first two false alarms in a registration year are free; each one after that is $75 if you pay within 8 days without contesting it (the code penalty is otherwise $150), and an unregistered alarm can be fined $150 to $300.[1,2,3,4]
Philadelphia alarm permit at a glance
| Who needs a permit | Burglar alarms in the City of Philadelphia.[1] |
|---|---|
| Which alarms are covered | Every burglary, theft or robbery alarm that alerts the Philadelphia Police must be registered, with a separate registration for each premises it protects. Report changes in your registration details within 5 days. Email the city to cancel a registration for an alarm that is no longer active.[3,1] |
| Residential permit fee | New: $50 Renewal: $50 · valid 12 months (starting the 1st day of the month the alarm was installed or first reported to police)[1] |
| Fee exemptions | These don't count as false alarms: alarms caused by utility work on phone or power lines outside the premises, unusually violent weather or other extraordinary circumstances you can't control, or an attempted break-in, theft or robbery with evidence. Several alarms count as one if the system is shut off or repaired within 8 hours of the first. No fee waivers are listed; a fine can be disputed through the city's dispute process.[3,2] |
| Free false alarms | 2 in each permit year[2] |
| If you have no permit | Not confirmed. The code promises police a procedural-priority response only to properly registered alarms that follow the rules; it doesn't say police will refuse all other alarm calls. An unregistered alarm can be fined $150 to $300.[3,4] |
| Runs the program | City of Philadelphia Office of Administrative Review, Code Unit[1] |
| When to apply | Before you install or operate the alarm. The registration form says the $50 fee is due when the alarm is installed, or when an existing system transfers to a new owner, occupant or user.[3,4] |
False alarm fees in Philadelphia
False alarms are counted over each permit year[2]. Each fee below is charged per false alarm.
Residential false alarms (with a permit)
| False alarm | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1st–2nd | Free[2] |
| 3rd and each after | $75 if paid within 8 days of receiving the notice without contesting it; otherwise the code penalty is $150[3] |
If false alarms keep happening: More than 7 false alarms in a registration year can get your registration revoked by written notice, on top of the per-alarm charges. To re-register you pay the annual fee and any outstanding charges and send certification from an approved alarm business that the system works. The city can also inspect a system with more than 7 false alarms, order repairs and, with a court order, correct or disconnect it at your cost.[3]
Charges without a permit
- $150 if paid within 8 days without contesting; otherwise the code penalty is $300 — charged per notice of violation for an unregistered alarm. The registration form says an unregistered alarm could bring a fine of $150 to $300 per activation.[3]
How to get or renew a permit in Philadelphia
- Prefer paper? Download the application (PDF via city documents page)[1].
- Questions: call Philadelphia Office of Administrative Review (Code Unit) at (215) 567-2605[1].
- Mail the form and/or payment to: Code Unit, P.O. Box 56318, Philadelphia, PA 19130-6318. In person: 913 Filbert St. (Cashier’s Window), Philadelphia, PA 19107. Or email PhillyAlarmReg@phila.gov, or fax (215) 686-1578.[1]
- No online registration form; you register with the paper form (by mail, email, fax or in person), and the annual fee can be paid online at the city's alarm payment site once you have a registration number.[1]
- Give your permit number to your alarm monitoring company.
- Pay the $50 fee every year, online with your registration number or by mail or in person.[1]
Who files: The alarm user: whoever controls the home or business where the alarm is installed. The requirement is also met if your alarm monitoring service (the intermediary that relays alarms to police) supplies the registration information for you.[3]
Good to know
- Self-installed and self-monitored systems: Any burglary, theft or robbery alarm arranged to alert the Philadelphia Police counts, however it was installed. The code doesn't cover devices that never alert police.[3]
- Panic and hold-up alarms: Not confirmed. The city's pages cover burglar alarms only.
- Before police are sent: Not confirmed. The city's alarm pages set no verification requirement.
- Not sure which rules apply to your address?: Not confirmed. The city's alarm page has no address lookup; the rules apply in the City of Philadelphia.
Business and other non-residential alarms
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 Philadelphia.
Sources
- City of Philadelphia, Office of Administrative Review (Code Unit), Register a burglar alarm / Pay the annual fee. Fee; register online, by mail, in person, by email or fax; questions. www.phila.gov. Checked October 28, 2026.
- City of Philadelphia, Office of Administrative Review (Code Unit), Pay an excess false alarm fine. Fine; who; where and when. www.phila.gov. Checked October 28, 2026.
- City of Philadelphia (via American Legal Publishing), Philadelphia Code § 9-305: Burglary, Theft and Robbery Alarm Systems. § 9-305(1)-(8). codelibrary.amlegal.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- City of Philadelphia, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Code Unit, Alarm System Registration form (2023) — 2023. Fee, registration year, unregistered-alarm fine; residential and commercial user sections. www.phila.gov. Checked October 28, 2026.
Updates
- October 28, 2026 — first published from official sources.