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Do You Need an Alarm Permit in Tacoma? False Alarm Fees and Rules
Tacoma doesn't require a homeowner alarm permit; your alarm company is licensed and pays the City $40 a year per system. There are no free false alarms: when police arrive and find no crime, fees run $115 (1st-2nd in 12 months), $215 (3rd-4th), $265 (5th-6th) and $315 (7th+), billed to your alarm company, which may pass them on to you. There's no fee if police are canceled before they arrive. More than four false alarms in 12 months can stop police response for up to a year, except for hold-up, robbery and panic alarms.[1]
Tacoma alarm rules at a glance
| Where these rules apply | City of Tacoma (city limits)[1] |
|---|---|
| Fee exemptions | No fee is charged if police are canceled before they arrive. There's no senior or disability discount. If you think a fee is wrong, your alarm company can ask the city to review it within 60 days; for a business, the request must include time-stamped audio or video showing people were present and a crime was likely in progress (a sensor or motion trigger alone doesn't count). The city's Director may also cancel one false alarm fee per calendar year for extenuating circumstances or to encourage corrective action, and may waive fees when a natural disaster sets off many alarms.[1,2] |
| Free false alarms | None in any rolling 12 months[1] |
| Runs the program | City of Tacoma Finance Department, Tax & License (licenses alarm companies and bills police false-alarm fees)[1] |
False alarm fees in Tacoma
False alarms are counted over any rolling 12 months[1,2]. Each fee below is charged per false alarm.
Residential false alarms
| False alarm | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1st–2nd | $115 (charged only when police arrive and find no crime, with no fee if police are canceled before they arrive; billed to your alarm company, which may pass it on to you)[1] |
| 3rd–4th | $215 (charged only when police arrive and find no crime, with no fee if police are canceled before they arrive; billed to your alarm company, which may pass it on to you)[1] |
| 5th–6th | $265 (charged only when police arrive and find no crime, with no fee if police are canceled before they arrive; billed to your alarm company, which may pass it on to you)[1] |
| 7th and each after | $315 (charged only when police arrive and find no crime, with no fee if police are canceled before they arrive; billed to your alarm company, which may pass it on to you)[1] |
If false alarms keep happening: If your property has more than four false alarms in 12 months, Tacoma police can stop responding to your burglar alarm for up to 12 months. Panic, hold-up and robbery alarms still get a response.[1,2]
Good to know
- Who files: Your alarm company handles the City license; you don't file anything.[3]
- Self-installed and self-monitored systems: Not confirmed. Tacoma's rules are written around monitored alarms and alarm companies. We could not find a rule for self-installed or self-monitored systems.
- Panic and hold-up alarms: Panic, hold-up and robbery alarms still get a police response even if the property is on the no-response list.[1]
- Before police are sent: Before asking police to respond to a burglar alarm, your alarm company must confirm it in one of four ways: someone at the property confirms a possible crime is in progress; live video or audio shows evidence of a crime; two zones are triggered and the company completes Enhanced Call Confirmation; or, for older systems, the company completes Enhanced Call Confirmation and receives two or more signals within ten minutes. A call that reaches no one, or triggered zones alone, isn't enough. If the first contact attempt fails, the company must try a second time, except for fire, panic or robbery alarms or alarms already verified.[1,2]
- Not sure which rules apply to your address?: The City's alarms page links a 'Look Up Address' tool you can use to check whether an address is inside Tacoma.[1]
Business and other non-residential alarms
| Alarm | False alarm | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| False alarms | 1st–2nd | $115 (charged only when police arrive and find no crime, with no fee if police are canceled before they arrive; billed to your alarm company, which may pass it on to you)[1] |
| False alarms | 3rd–4th | $215 (charged only when police arrive and find no crime, with no fee if police are canceled before they arrive; billed to your alarm company, which may pass it on to you)[1] |
| False alarms | 5th–6th | $265 (charged only when police arrive and find no crime, with no fee if police are canceled before they arrive; billed to your alarm company, which may pass it on to you)[1] |
| False alarms | 7th and each after | $315 (charged only when police arrive and find no crime, with no fee if police are canceled before they arrive; billed to your alarm company, which may pass it on to you)[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.
SafeStreets serves this area: home security in Tacoma.
Sources
- City of Tacoma Finance Department, Tax & License, Alarms (False Alarm) - City of Tacoma Tax & License — Page footer: Content current as of 05/07/26; fees effective January 1, 2025. Alarm System Operators; Monitored Alarm Devices; False Alarm Response Fee; False Alarm FAQ; Alarm Permit FAQ. tacoma.gov. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Tacoma City Council, Ordinance No. 28990 (amending TMC Chapter 6B.40 Alarm Devices) — Passed 11/12/2024 (per Legistar); effective January 1, 2025 (per ordinance title). TMC 6B.40.030, .040, .080, .110, .115, .120, .130, .140, .150. cityoftacoma.legistar.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- City of Tacoma Finance Department, Tax and License, Alarm Devices License Application (Monitored Alarm Supplemental) — No revision date printed. Supplemental license application for alarm & monitoring companies. tdocs.tacoma.gov. Checked October 28, 2026.
Updates
- October 28, 2026 — first published from official sources.