§ 2-21-54. Alarm permit and fee.

(a)

An alarm user shall not be required to register with the sheriff for an alarm permit, nor pay a false alarm fine, until the alarm user has had more than two (2) false alarms as designated by the sheriff at a given alarm site. Upon the occurrence of a third false alarm, the alarm user shall be required to immediately register the alarm user's alarm system with the Sheriff, provide certain information, pay a nonrefundable registration fee, and pay a fine for the false alarm as provided below.

(b)

Every such alarm user shall also be required to renew annually a nontransferable alarm permit so long as an alarm system is in use at that site. The permit shall cover one individual alarm site and be valid for one permit year and then expire.

(c)

The fee for an initial or renewal annual alarm permit on residential, commercial or governmental premises shall be fifteen dollars ($15.00), which shall accompany each application. However, should a validly permitted alarm site have incurred no false alarms in the previous permit year, then the renewal fee for that site shall be only five dollars ($5.00).

(d)

For purposes of registration, a system shall be associated with the individual residential, governmental or commercial unit or units being monitored, so that if individual units are monitored independently of each other, the system for each unit shall be registered when required by this article.

(e)

The owner or manager of any residential or commercial premises that are rented to others and which have alarm systems provided by the owner or manager shall:

(1)

Explain the operation of the alarm system to the tenant alarm user;

(2)

Explain the tenant alarm user's financial responsibility to the landlord, if any, for false alarms;

(3)

Obtain the tenant alarm user's written acknowledgment of receipt and understanding of the information provided in subsections (1) and (2) above; and

(f)

On each application, the alarm user shall provide the following information:

(1)

The alarm user's name, current physical address (to include any forwarding addresses necessary to receive correspondence); home telephone number, work telephone number, cellular telephone number, and/or pager number, all if existing.

(2)

The address of the alarm site;

(3)

The classification of the alarm site as residential, commercial governmental, or apartment complex;

(4)

The type of alarm system, such as burglary, robbery, or intrusion;

(5)

The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of two persons who have access to the alarmed premises, the ability to reset the alarm, and who, upon request of the sheriff, will respond to the alarm site within thirty (30) minutes of notification (key holders);

(6)

The name, address, telephone number, and state license number of the alarm monitoring company;

(7)

The name, address, telephone number, and state license number of the installer and date of installation;

(8)

The name, address and telephone number and state license number of the commercial entity that last performed maintenance on the alarm system;

(9)

Any dangerous or special conditions present at the alarm site; and

(10)

Any other information as required by the sheriff.

(g)

The sheriff shall not issue or renew any alarm permit to a person when that person owes any fine or fee under this article which is delinquent for more than thirty (30) days, when a reason for a previous revocation has not been corrected, or if the applicant has provided false information. Users of multiple alarm systems, such as multi-unit landlords, must be in compliance with each property or unit owned.

(h)

An alarm user shall submit interim updated application information within fifteen (15) days of the change of any of the forgoing information. A permit may be revoked if it is found to contain inaccuracies. The intentional provision of false information in any registration submission under this article constitutes a violation thereof, and may result in criminal prosecution.

(i)

Registration may be in writing, on line on the Internet, or by any other method prescribed by the sheriff. Information contained in permit applications is confidential and exempt from disclosure in accordance with Section 281.301, Florida Statutes.

(Ord. No. 04-32, § 5, 2-3-04)