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 $31. 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.

Under the revised Alarm Ordinance, a late penalty of $10 will be imposed for renewing your alarm permit after the regular December 31^st deadline.

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

1. 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, Tax and Permit Division, Alarm Unit at 213-368-7147 to report a change in legal name and/or address. Please note that a legal name and/or address change requires a $31 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.

For permitted alarm users, the first false alarm will result in a $115 fee, and escalate in $50 increments for subsequent false alarm occurrences.

A false alarm for those without permits will result in a $115 fee, plus a $100 penalty on the first occurrence. Penalties will escalate in $100 increments with each additional false alarm occurrence.

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 a Preliminary Investigation Report (PIR) 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, hurricane 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.

The Alarms Section offers False Alarm Reduction classes free of charge. These two-hour classes are held regularly in downtown Los Angeles. In class, you will learn about the City’s Alarm Ordinance and false alarm reduction techniques. In addition, you can have one false alarm service charge waived from your record. For the schedule of the upcoming classes and to reserve a seat, please contact the Alarms Section at 213-485-2931 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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 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 Municipal Code 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, not your alarm company. 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 operator 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, private patrol companies and repair and installation 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. Upon receipt of the DWP verification, mail the bill and the verification to the Board of Police Commissioners, 150 North Los Angeles Street, Room 144, 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, 150 North Los Angeles Street, Room 144, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

No, under the Los Angeles Police Commission Rules Governing Alarm Systems, wind must be in excess of 70 mph.

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, Alarms Section, at 213-485-2931. Provide the Alarms Section staff with the exact address of the alarm location, the business or residence owner, alarm company name and telephone number.

Contact the local police station to file a police report. Mail the Preliminary Investigation Report to the Board of Police Commissioners, 150 North Los Angeles Street, Room 144, 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 was 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.