Permits

City of Gastonia, NC does NOT require any permit or prior notification of existance of a monitored alarm for them to respond.

I personally think alarm permits are a good thing, how else would the police know where the homes with alarms are, I just think paying for them is BULL that's what we all pay taxes for. Columbus, OH requires one.

City of San Diego requires them.

I'm in the process of doing mine right now. It's a little over $100 for the original permit, after that its about $30 to renew. These permits would be FREE, but the police departments also have to report to many false alarms every year, and they gotta make that money up.

City of Fort Worth, Texas

$50 annual fee for permit.

The City instructed me to give the alarm company my permit number. Is there a section online to post my permit number?

No there isn't I just have mine on the back of my front door. In Columbus OH the permits are 30 bux for 2 years I thought that was crazy I feel you guys in Texas, geez that's crazy. Shouldn't our taxes cover police coming to your house no matter who calls them?

Varies from city to city

I'm on the city line - my zip code was changed by the USPS and it moved my address from Keller to Fort Worth. Keller charges a one-time fee of $50! Keller is a small city, Fort Worth is huge - would be nice if I still lived in Keller! Thanks for the tip, will post on my front door.

Just make sure it's on the inside of the door LOL. If they need to see it then they can just stick their head in the door and look at it. Also an idea just popped into my head, in the dispatch notes type something in there that you have a permit and maybe but the number in the notes, that way if EDS is asked for it they will have that info to pass on if they have to send the police to your home. I'm adding that info to my notes today.

City of San Diego, CA (more info)

The City of San Diego, CA does require an alarm user permit.
The current permit fee is $100.25 for residential or $173.25 for commercial.

Download the "Alarm User Permit Application": Click here!

More information on this alarm user permit can be found here: Click here!

Each permit is not transferable to any new location or alarm user and is good for 2 years.
Each "Alarm User Permit Application" must be accompanied by a signed certification stating the following (from the backside of application):

The date of the installation, conversion, or takeover, whichever is applicable; name, address and telephone number, city Business Tax Certificate number and state license of the alarm business installing the alarm system, or performing the conversion or takeover of the alarm system, if any. Name, address and telephone number of the alarm business or alarm agent responsible for providing repair service to the alarm system, if any; that written operating instructions for the alarm system, including written guidelines regarding how to avoid false alarms, have been provided to the alarm user applying for the permit; and that the alarm business has provided to the alarm user applying for the permit all necessary information regarding the proper use of the alarm system, including instruction on how to avoid false alarms. Failure to provide any of the required information is sufficient cause to deny the application for an alarm user permit. An application will not be considered complete if at the time the application is being considered any fines assessed to the applicant have not been paid.

Because this alarm system is self-installed, a lot of that info isn't required on the "Alarm User Permit" certification.

Feel free to use this template I made and used for my certification and attach it to your application. It's in MS Word 2007 format.
Click here to download my template for the Alarm User Permit certification!

San Diego County

Now San Diego County (if you live outside the city limits I guess) is a little different.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Department provides contract law enforcement services for the cities of Del Mar, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach and Vista. In these cities the Sheriff's Department serves as their police department. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department also covers unincorporated (non-city) areas.

The current permit fee for county is $118.
Download the "Alarm Permit Application" for county here: Click here!
More information on this alarm permit for county can be found here: Click here!

Hope this info helps someone. Hopefully it'll save someone the trouble of digging for it like me.

The above info is current as of March 19, 2011.

BTW, I think this topic should be a sticky. ;-)

Union City, CA requires one, the registration fee is $39 and annual fee is $17. There is a form online that u have fill and mail, they will send a sticker permit that needs to be posted on ur house.

Glendale Calif. permit is 75 bux if you have no false alarms next year no charge . If you have a false alarm with no permit 150 bux fine.

City of Albuquerque NM;
$25 yr permit fee
First 3 false alarms per year no charge
$150 per false alarm after 3rd false alarm per year
$500 per false alarm after 10th false alarm per year
Sheesh!!

Houston, TX (Harris County) Requires Alarm Permit
$35 - New permits
$10 - Annual renewal permit
$50 - Reinstatement renewal permit

First 5 false alarms with valid permit are allowed per year
$75 for each false alarm after the 5 free false alarms

Harris County Sheriff's Office Website: http://www.hcso.hctx.net/

Elk Grove, California Requires Alarm Permit

$50 - Valid for 3 years. Permits are renewable at no cost to the alarm customer if renewed prior to the permit expiring.

Not a bad deal at all!

http://www.elkgrovepd.org/more/alarm-bureau.asp

City of Edmonds, Washington does not require an alarm permit!

City of Ardmore, Oklahoma does not require an alarm permit.

City of Los Angeles, CA - permit required through Finance department - $34. Punishable by up to $1000, a misdemeanor, and a year in county jail or both if you do not have a permit. False alarm fines start at around $150.

Clayton County, Georgia

I call them and I register and thats what the lady tell me on the phone.

1,2,3 alarm is free
4,5,6 is $25
7+ is $50

All counted from consecutive 365 day period.

7+ you are not counted in 365 day anymore.

Does anyone know about Chicago?

Suffolk County, Long Island, New York does NOT require a permit at this time.
Palm Beach County in Florida DOES. It can be downloaded from the sheriff's website, printed and mailed in with your check for $25.
Still trying to find out what Broward County, Florida requires. Getting the runaround from various offices, and haven't gotten an answer yet from anyone!

Anyone know if you need a permit in Fall River, MA?

Is a permit needed at Indianapolis, IN?

After age 62 permit fees are wavied in unincorporated Harris Co, TX Houston... just read the whole application. Applied almost a month ago and still no permit in hand. I'll call after thanksgiving should nothing appear before then.

Ontario, California requires a permit. One time $25 fee, no yearly renewal fee. Contact Carol Taylor @ 909-395-2929 and she will send out your paperwork.

Jacksonville, FL requires registration of $10.

On the registration form it requires an installing company # and monitoring company #. Is this supposed to be a telephone number, or does Simplisafe have some sort of identification number that is filed with the sheriffs office?

Foley, AL

Must Register with Foley Police Department
251-952-4010
www.cityoffoley.org

$25.00 Fee Per Year for Burglar
$25.00 Fee Per Year for Fire
$50.00 Fee Per Year for Both

Other:

Permit Fees Waived For Applicants 65 Years of Age or Older
Permit Fees Waived for Businesses (must have business license and EIN)

Tulsa, OK requires an alarm permit but will not provide one for SimpliSafe because they are not licensed in Oklahoma. While I have continued using the system, I would warn other users in the area about this issue.

Does Boston, MA require a permit? No.

I checked the city of boston website and saw no indication nor information on permits for home security. Any information that is available will be appreciated.

Update: I called Boston Police today and no permit is neccessary for the Simplsafe unit on Boston. MA

More and more cities are no longer responding to monitored alarms. The San Francisco Bay Area city I live in brilliantly decided to make that announcement both in the local newspaper and on various Bay Area television 6:00 evening news reports.

Seattle require the alarm companies get licensed. Does Simplisafe have a license with Seattle?
Seattle does not require a permit, but requires the alarm companies to get a license and list all of their users.

@schralping

Thanks for posting! The alarm company for Seattle will process the permit on your behalf.

Will
SimpliSafe Home Security

Just purchased a Simplisafe system and require all the necessary information to register with Fairfax County, VA, area code 22307 district.

I noticed one member was told by the County that Simplisafe was required to call the responding police department to register the system vice the customer. What is Simplisafe's position on this? Must Simplisafe or the customer call Fairfax County, VA PD to register the system?
Thank you

@drtidmore

Thanks for posting! Your alarm registration form in Fairfax County is available either from your local police station, or the monitoring station that serves Virginia can mail you a copy if you prefer. Once you obtain the permit you can give us a call and we'll be more than happy to help with all of the information required.

Will
SimpliSafe Burglar Alarms

Just ordered system moments ago. The welcoming email told me I needed a local permit and sent me a form to download. I did my homework so I knew I needed a permit. The info sent is welcome but the downloadable form was for an adjacent city, not the one I am in. I know how to contact my local police for the alarm permit etc, so I have no worries about getting the correct form on my own.

My suggestion to SimpliSafe is to perhaps change the legend for the download link from "click here to download the required form" to something less definitive in case the specific form does not quite match the city/county of the purchaser. I imagine it may not be simple to keep track of all jurisdictions in the nation, after all.

I await the product (yes, I am aware an update is rumored) to see if it lives up to its claims.

TV

Oakland, California (in Alameda County) requires the alarm company to do the registering, apparently. I called and was told I cannot do it on my end. http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/OPD/s/bafaqs/index.htm

I ordered yesterday so I (we) have some days to get this done.

TV

Pasadena, California requires a permit. This is their policy, as copied from their website today, April 9, 2012

This notice is to inform Pasadena citizens/business owners that if an alarm system has been installed in their residence or place of business, a permit is required through the City of Pasadena. The 4 (four) year permit fee is currently $106.00 and can be purchased in Business License located in Room 106 of City Hall. Failure to do so may result in added penalty fees “if an activation has occurred”. This information is sent to the Finance Department on a monthly basis and is provided by the Police Department.

There is currently only 1 (one) “false alarm” within a 12 (twelve) month billing cycle that currently runs from September 1st to August 31st each year, free of charge. However, if an activation has occurred and it is determined that a permit does NOT exist for the specific location, not only will the permit fee be assessed, but also a PENALTY fee in the amount of $115.00 for “operation of an alarm system without a permit”. and is NOT “waive able”. In the event that there is a SECOND and subsequent “false alarm”, an additional fee(s) in the amount of $127.00 (per activation) will also be added to the bill.

Is SimpliSafe able to keep my alarm permit info available for the dispatch center? Here in Charlotte, NC the police require that the alarm permit number be given to them before an officer will be sent to the home. I just wondered how that process works? Do I just need to give that permit number to SimpliSafe customer service?

Thanks!

@ jimconnor

Thanks for posting! Yes, if your police station gives you a permit number, just give our customer service line a call or send us an email and a representative will attach it to your account for you! This way, the monitoring service will see it if you have an alarm and give it to the police if dispatch is necessary!

Ryan K.
SimpliSafe Home Security

San Francisco - Required for monitored and non-monitored systems.

San Francisco requires both monitored and non-monitored alarm systems to be registered with the city.