Talk to a Representative855.891.7233
Salt Lake City Alarm Permit: Cost, False Alarm Fees and How to Register
Salt Lake City requires an alarm user permit, and it's free and doesn't expire until the system changes owners; you or your alarm company can register online with SLCPD. Police won't come to a burglar alarm unless a guard (or you) confirms a crime, except at firearms businesses, and a false burglar alarm that does bring police is $100. False panic or hold-up alarms cost $100, $150, $250, $350, then $450 each within each 365-day period, with no free ones. Every penalty is $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice and $25 less if paid within 60 days.[1,2]
Salt Lake City alarm permit at a glance
| Who needs a permit | Salt Lake City city limits only. Several neighboring cities in Salt Lake County use a 'Salt Lake City' mailing address but are separate cities with their own police and alarm rules.[3] |
|---|---|
| Which alarms are covered | Anyone operating a burglary, robbery, panic or duress alarm system in Salt Lake City needs a permit, one per alarm site (renters with their own monitored system need their own). Devices that can't be noticed outside the home, aren't used to report emergencies to police, or are temporary police devices don't count as alarm systems.[4,5,6] |
| Residential permit fee | New: Free (Free; no expiration until ownership changes) · No set term - the permit stays valid until the alarm system changes ownership.[4,7] |
| Fee exemptions | The permit is free for everyone. Not counted as false alarms: alarms caused by extreme weather such as tornadoes, floods or earthquakes; alarms that turn out to be real crimes; alarms that didn't come from your property; and alarms where you or your alarm company told police dispatch it was false before an officer arrived. Once a year, taking the False Alarm Prevention Course can dismiss one penalty of up to $100. Every penalty is due on the date of the written notice but is $50 less if paid within 30 days and $25 less if paid after 30 but within 60 days; after 60 days there's no reduction. Faulty equipment, power surges, or someone else's mistake are not excuses.[5,8,2] |
| Free false alarms | Burglar alarms: none; Panic and hold-up alarms: none in each 365-day period[2] |
| If you have no permit | Not confirmed. The city code doesn't say police will refuse a panic or hold-up alarm without a permit; instead it charges the monitoring company $150 (less if paid early) each time it asks for police without a valid permit. For burglar alarms, permit or not, police are sent only after a guard or you confirm a crime, except at wholesale or retail firearms businesses.[2] |
| Runs the program | Salt Lake City Police Department Alarm Unit (alarm administrator)[9,5,1] |
| When to apply | Before you start using the alarm, or before taking over an existing system from someone else.[4] |
False alarm fees in Salt Lake City
False alarms are counted over each 365-day period[2]. Each fee below is charged per false alarm.
Residential burglar alarms (with a permit)
| False alarm | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1st and each after | $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)[2] |
Residential panic and hold-up alarms (with a permit)
| False alarm | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1st | $100 (within each 365-day period; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days)[2] |
| 2nd | $150 (within each 365-day period; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days)[2] |
| 3rd | $250 (within each 365-day period; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days)[2] |
| 4th | $350 (within each 365-day period; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days)[2] |
| 5th and each after | $450 (within each 365-day period; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days)[2] |
If false alarms keep happening: Chapter 5.08 has no permit suspension or revocation process. Unpaid penalties can be sent to collections after 90 days, and the city can recover court costs and attorney fees.[2]
Charges without a permit
- $150 for a panic alarm — charged per request for police response to a duress, panic or hold-up alarm when no valid alarm user permit is given to dispatch. Charged to the monitoring company (central station/alarm company), not to the homeowner. Like other penalties under the chapter, it is $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date and $25 less if paid within 60 days.[2]
How to get or renew a permit in Salt Lake City
- Apply or renew online at dotnet.slcgov.com[3].
- Questions: call the SLCPD Alarm Unit at 801-799-3545[1].
- Address: Salt Lake City Police Department Alarm Unit, 475 South 300 East, PO Box 145497, Salt Lake City, UT 84114-5497.[1]
- Give your permit number to your alarm monitoring company.
- No yearly renewal. A new owner or a new location needs a new permit; permits can't be transferred. Update or deactivate the permit online when details change.[7,4]
Who files: The alarm user is responsible, but SLCPD says permits are best entered by the alarm company on the customer's behalf.[10,7]
Good to know
- Self-installed and self-monitored systems: Self-installed systems need a permit too; the rules apply to every alarm user, and SLCPD's letter says self-installed customers can manage their permit on the website. For burglar alarms, the alarm user (or someone they appoint) can act as the 'private guard responder' who confirms a crime before police are sent.[7,5]
- Panic and hold-up alarms: Panic, duress, hold-up and robbery alarms still get a direct police response (no guard needed); police respond to duress alarms only from a fixed building. False ones cost $100, $150, $250, $350, then $450 for the 5th and each one after within each 365-day period, less $50 if paid within 30 days of the notice or $25 if paid within 60. Separately, alarm companies may not program new 'one plus' duress codes or install single-press, non-recessed duress buttons; systems programmed with one-plus duress before September 1, 2000 can still be monitored, but the company must remove that feature when it takes over or converts the system. Those are company violations, each carrying a $150 penalty against the company, not a homeowner false alarm fee.[1,2,9]
- Before police are sent: Yes. Police are not sent to a burglar (intrusion) alarm until a private guard responder confirms an attempted or actual crime at the site. The responder can be a guard company, the alarm company's guard, the alarm user, or someone the user appoints. Firearms dealers are the only exception.[2,1,5]
- Not sure which rules apply to your address?: Yes - the online Alarm Permit Entry system checks whether the address is inside the SLCPD response area when you start a permit.[3]
Business and other non-residential alarms
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| New permit | Free — Free; no expiration until ownership changes[4] |
| Alarm | False alarm | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Burglar alarms | 1st and each after | $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)[2] |
| Panic and hold-up alarms | 1st | $100 (within each 365-day period; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days)[2] |
| Panic and hold-up alarms | 2nd | $150 (within each 365-day period; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days)[2] |
| Panic and hold-up alarms | 3rd | $250 (within each 365-day period; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days)[2] |
| Panic and hold-up alarms | 4th | $350 (within each 365-day period; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days)[2] |
| Panic and hold-up alarms | 5th and each after | $450 (within each 365-day period; $50 less if paid within 30 days of the notice date, $25 less if paid within 60 days)[2] |
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 Salt Lake City.
Sources
- Salt Lake City Police Department, Resources - Alarm Ordinance tab (incl. 'Highlights of the Salt Lake City Corporation Alarm Ordinance 5.08') — Page says ordinance effective December 1, 2000; no page revision date printed. police.slc.gov. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Salt Lake City Council (American Legal Publishing), 5.08.095 False Alarms — Salt Lake City Code, American Legal Publishing online edition labeled "2026 S-21 (current)"; history: Ord. 14-13, 2013: Ord. 64-00 § 1, 2000. SLC Code 5.08.095. codelibrary.amlegal.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Salt Lake City Police Department, Alarm Permit Instructions (PDF, 8 pages) — Pages print 'Effective: 07/01/2014' (file name says Oct2016). dotnet.slcgov.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Salt Lake City Council (American Legal Publishing), 5.08.065 Alarm User Permits — Salt Lake City Code, American Legal Publishing online edition labeled "2026 S-21 (current)"; history: Ord. 64-00 § 1, 2000. SLC Code 5.08.065. codelibrary.amlegal.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Salt Lake City Council (American Legal Publishing), 5.08.020 Definitions — Salt Lake City Code, American Legal Publishing online edition labeled "2026 S-21 (current)"; history: Ord. 64-00 § 1, 2000. SLC Code Ch. 5.08 Burglary and Robbery Alarm Systems, 5.08.020. codelibrary.amlegal.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Salt Lake City Council (American Legal Publishing), 5.08.100 Apartment Building Alarm Systems — Salt Lake City Code, American Legal Publishing online edition labeled "2026 S-21 (current)"; history: Ord. 64-00 § 1, 2000. SLC Code 5.08.100. codelibrary.amlegal.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- SLCPD Alarm Permit Administration, Alarm Permit Welcome Letter (PDF) — Letter prints 'Effective Date: 03/13/2014' (file name says Oct2016). dotnet.slcgov.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Salt Lake City Council (American Legal Publishing), 5.08.230 Appeal Procedures — Salt Lake City Code, American Legal Publishing online edition labeled "2026 S-21 (current)"; history: Ord. 50-25, 2025: Ord. 64-00 § 1, 2000. SLC Code 5.08.230. codelibrary.amlegal.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Salt Lake City Council (American Legal Publishing), 5.08.180 Administration and Enforcement — Salt Lake City Code, American Legal Publishing online edition labeled "2026 S-21 (current)"; history: Ord. 64-00 § 1, 2000. SLC Code 5.08.180. codelibrary.amlegal.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Salt Lake City Council (American Legal Publishing), 5.08.075 Alarm Information — Salt Lake City Code, American Legal Publishing online edition labeled "2026 S-21 (current)"; history: Ord. 64-00 § 1, 2000. SLC Code 5.08.075. codelibrary.amlegal.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
Updates
- October 28, 2026 — first published from official sources.