Yes. If you own a non-monitored alarm system at your home, you must obtain a valid alarm permit at no cost. For your convenience, the Office of Finance accepts on-line registration, or you can visit the Office of Finance at one of their branch locations.

Yes. See below for the cost.

The cost for an alarm permit is $34. The cost to renew your alarm permit is $30.

You can register your alarm system with the Office of Finance. The Office of Finance provides on-line payments, or you can visit them at one of their branch locations.

Operating an alarm system without a valid permit is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or a year in county jail or both. Violators that are ordered to appear in court may be required to pay additional fines and penalty assessments as a result of the criminal case being filed in the County of Los Angeles Superior Court.

Yes. Under the revised Alarm Ordinance, a late penalty of $15 will be imposed for renewing your alarm permit from January 1 to March 31^st. Alarm permits renewed after March 31^st will be assessed $30.

Yes. Alarm permits are free of charge for the following only:

• Alarm systems at premises owned and/or operated by municipal, county, state, federal authorities or agencies, or as embassy or consular office or residence.

1. Provide your new alarm company with your alarm permit number;
2. Submit an updated call list to the new alarm company;
3. Confirm in writing any special arrangements with the new alarm company;
4. Clarify the new alarm company’s verification procedures.
5. Obtain the new alarm company’s 24-hour monitoring center to ensure that you could check the status of your alarm system at anytime.

Contact the Office of Finance, Alarm Unit at 213-996-1200 to report a change in legal name and/or address. Please note that a legal name and/or address change requires a $34 fee. There is no fee to report a change in phone number, mailing address, and/or alarm company name.

The call will be handled in the same manner whether you are permitted or un-permitted. Please see the Burglar Alarm Dispatch Policy for more details. However, false alarms at un-permitted locations will be subject to a $100 penalty after the first occurrence, and escalate in $100 increments thereafter.

Send a written cancellation request to the Office of Finance, Tax and Permit, Alarm Unit, P. O. Box 53235, Los Angeles, CA 90053.

The Alarm Ordinance defines it as the activation of an alarm system resulting in a response by the Police Department where an emergency of the kind for which the Alarm System was designed to give notice does not exist.

Under the revised Alarm Ordinance, the City will no longer provide "free" false alarms.

What is the false alarm fee schedule as of December 2, 2011?

For permitted alarm users, the first false alarm will result in a $151 fee, and escalate in $50 increments for subsequent false alarm occurrences.

A false alarm for those without permits will result in a $251 fee, and escalate in $100 increments with each additional false alarm occurrence.

Does the City offer Alarm school?

Yes, the City offers an Online Alarm School program, as well as a Home-Study Alarm School program.  By completing either program, you may have one false alarm fee waived per 365 days from your account.

Log on to: lapdalarmschool.lapd.lacity.org

For Online Alarm School, it is important to note that you will need your
registration number, and your invoice must not be older than 75 days.

Request that the Home-Study Alarm School package be mailed to you by calling
the Alarm Section at 213-996-1200 between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, except holidays.

Following are the waiver guidelines:

A service charge shall be waived or reversed when the Board or its designee has determined that activation of the alarm system was caused by:

1. Criminal activity as evidenced by an Investigative Report (IR) filed within 30 days of the alarm date, or other verifiable evidence of a crime occurring on the alarm date which is deemed acceptable by the Board; or
2. Acts of nature such as earthquake, flood, gale force wind, fire and verifiable power or telephone line failure.

Examples of alarms that are not grounds for a waiver are faulty equipment, disputes with the alarm company, operator error, rodent and animal activation, and prevailing wind conditions.

If you have failed to pay your false alarm fees after several notifications, the City will forward the past due billing to a collection agency. Contact the Office of Finance, Alarm Unit (Phone Number: 213-996-1200, FAX Number: 213-922-9648), or visit one of their branch locations to ensure that your fees are paid timely and in full.

Complaints may be filed with the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs. To obtain a complaint form or file your complaint online, log on to www.dca.ca.gov or call 800-952-5210 to have a complaint form mailed to you.

You may also file a civil claim against your alarm company by contacting the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Small Claims Advisor at 213-974-9759 or go to www.lasuperiorcourt.org/smallclaims.

Monies collected from permit and false alarm fees are deposited to the City’s general fund. The general fund finances the operation of parks, zoos, libraries, animal shelters, police and fire services, among other services.

No. The LAMC does not require them to do so. These notifications serve only as a courtesy.

Is my alarm system connected to the Los Angeles Police Department?

No. Your alarm system is connected to your alarm monitoring company who in turn calls the LAPD when your alarm system is activated.

You were provided with the special service by the LAPD, in response to your alarm company's request for police response. If you did not authorize the dispatch, contact your alarm company and request that they reimburse you for their mistake.

The alarm system always goes off for a reason. Find out what sensor activated and what caused it to activate. Take steps to ensure that it does not happen again. Call your alarm company for assistance.

No. This is considered user error. Those who have legal access to your location must know how to operate your alarm system.

The City of Los Angeles does not regulate alarm companies. It is the State of California, Department of Consumer Affairs, that has control over the performance of alarm companies, alarm agents, and private patrol companies relating to the installation, repair, monitoring of burglar alarm systems.

Request the Department of Water and Power to verify the power outage. Send the request to DWP, P.O.Box 515407, Room 657, Los Angeles, CA 90051, ATTENTION: Andrew Chatton/Lynda Hill. Upon receipt of the DWP verification, mail the bill and the verification to the Board of Police Commissioners, Alarm Section, 100 West First Street, Suite 147, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Call the telephone number showing on your telephone bill to request written verification of telephone line failure. Upon receipt of the verification, mail the bill and the verification to the Board of Police Commissioners, Alarm Section,100 West First Street, Suite 147, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

No, under the Los Angeles Police Commission Rules Governing Alarm Systems, wind must be in excess of 70 mph to warrant a waiver or removal of the false alarm service charges.

Responses to false alarms are a special service rendered by the Police Department. It is a service not used by the general population.

Contact the Los Angeles Police Department, Alarm Section, at 213-996-1200. Provide the Alarm Section staff with the exact address of the alarm location, the business name or residence owner, alarm company name, and telephone number.

Contact the local police station to file a police report. Mail the Investigative Report (IR) to the Board of Police Commissioners, Alarm Section, 100 West First Street, Room 147, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

LAPD officers responded to the alarm activation because your alarm company dispatched the LAPD. Contact your alarm company for clarification.

The false alarm fee is based on the actual cost incurred by the City to have LAPD officers respond to the alarm call. The costs include equipment, salary, and other administrative costs incurred by the City of Los Angeles.