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Home alarm permits and false alarms in Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz County's own rules on home alarm permits and false alarms, with the code text for every value.

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Each rule below links to the section of the Santa Cruz County Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Santa Cruz County's code says

Santa Cruz County code What Santa Cruz County's code adds
False alarm fees
  • A fee applies to each false alarm beyond 1 per calendar year; the Board of Supervisors sets the amount.
    Applies: False alarms beyond 1 in a calendar year that the Sheriff's Office responds to.
    § 7.84.070 · code text
    Each subscriber shall pay to the County of Santa Cruz a fee for each false alarm by that subscriber's alarm system in excess of one false alarm in any calendar year to which the Sheriff's Office makes a response. The fee is set by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
False alarms before a fee
  • The first false alarm in a calendar year carries no fee.
    Applies: False alarms to which the Sheriff's Office responds.
    § 7.84.070 · code text
    Each subscriber shall pay to the County of Santa Cruz a fee for each false alarm by that subscriber's alarm system in excess of one false alarm in any calendar year to which the Sheriff's Office makes a response.
Alarm permit
  • Registration is required; the fee is set by Board of Supervisors resolution.
    § 7.84.040 · code text
    A registration fee in an amount established by the Board of Supervisors by resolution shall be due and payable upon registration of any security alarm system.
  • Annual renewal is required; the fee is set by Board of Supervisors resolution.
    Applies: Registration renewal.
    § 7.84.040 · code text
    Annually, during the calendar month when the registration expires, every security alarm system registration shall be renewed and the subscriber shall pay the renewal fee established by resolution by the Board of Supervisors.
When a permit can be revoked
  • Registration may be revoked if the system fails operational standards or the subscriber does not pay fees within 90 days.
    § 7.84.080 · code text
    The Sheriff may revoke any security alarm system registration if the system does not comply with the operational standards set forth in SCCC § 7.84.060 or if the subscriber has failed to pay within 90 days any fees due and payable under SCCC § 7.84.070.

Who this affects

HomeownersContractorsDesigners

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for a home alarm in Santa Cruz County?

Santa Cruz County's code: A fee applies to each false alarm beyond 1 per calendar year; the Board of Supervisors sets the amount. (False alarms beyond 1 in a calendar year that the Sheriff's Office responds to.) (§ 7.84.070); The first false alarm in a calendar year carries no fee. (False alarms to which the Sheriff's Office responds.) (§ 7.84.070).

General information, not legal advice.

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Santa Cruz County Municipal Code — full text