Fairfax County Police Department

CONTACT INFORMATION: 24/7 Emergency Response; Office and Program Hours Vary
703-691-2131 TTY 711 (Non-Emergency)
12099 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax, VA 22035
Kevin Davis
Chief of Police

Department Resources

False Alarm and Security Systems

When an alarm is activated, an automatic signal is sent to an alarm company or alarm monitoring company. They provide specific information to 911 police communications representatives who, in turn, dispatch police officers to the location where the alarm was activated.

Burglar, panic and robbery alarms are useful deterrents to crime; however, 95-98 percent of alarm calls are determined to be false alarms, which take police away from other potential emergencies. A false alarm is considered any alarm signal that elicits a response by police personnel where there is no criminal activity. This includes accidental activations, equipment failure and user unfamiliarity (Fairfax County Code 8.1). Alarm legislation was developed to reduce the number of false alarm activations and keep officers available to handle more calls for service.

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When the police respond to a false alarm, officers will leave a false alarm notice if they find no evidence that a crime has occurred. There is no penalty unless your alarm is falsely activated multiple times within a given timeframe. Please see the FAQs section below for more information.

False Alarm Reduction Unit (FARU)

Fairfax County’s False Alarm Reduction Unit (FARU) works to reduce false alarms in the county by:

  • Registering alarm users
  • Imposing civil monetary penalties for excessive false alarm activations
  • Ensuring appropriate inspections and upgrades of alarm systems
  • Administering the false alarm appeals process
  • Sharing information on county ordinances and proper maintenance of alarm systems within Fairfax County

If there are changes in mailing address, contact information, or the alarm company, you must notify FARU. Alarm users and/or alarm companies must notify FARU when they relocate or when alarm systems change ownership within Fairfax County. The old registration must be canceled and a new one issued.

If you have questions about your alarm service or provider, contact FARU at 703-246-5424.

Registration and Fees

In Fairfax County, you should have been provided alarm registration information when you purchased the alarm or had it installed. There is a $25 registration fee that must be paid with the registration form. If you want to have an alarm system installed, any residential or commercial alarm must be registered with FARU before operations begin. Registration does not apply to car alarm systems. If you want alarms installed in multiple locations, a separate registration must be obtained for each alarmed location, and the registration fee must be paid with each registration form. Alarm registrations cannot be transferred from one alarm user to another, or from one location to another.

Registration fees may be waived on a case-by-case basis to include:

  • The infirm or physically challenged
  • County, state and municipal government facilities

Registration fee waivers do not exempt individuals or entities from paying false alarm response fees.

Failure to register your system, pay fines, or upgrade your system may result in the suspension of your registration and the discontinuance of police response until the location is in compliance. Grounds for rescinding, waiving or reducing service fees are outlined in County Code 8.1-4-2. It is your responsibility to be familiar with all county ordinances prior to activating your alarm system. The alarm company is also expected to know the county codes.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Weather conditions (wind, storms and lightening)
  • Power outages or interruptions
  • Power surges
  • Operator error
  • Poor maintenance or low batteries
  • Inadvertently setting off motion detectors

For weather-related incidents:

  • Ensure doors and windows fit snugly in their frames and that contacts are firmly in place.
  • Replace loose alarm contacts with “wide” door or window contacts to fill voids to reduce excessive movement of your doors and windows.

 For power surges, interruptions or outages:

  • Properly install and maintain surge suppressors on the alarm system and the phone lines and have adequate backup battery power (minimum charge of four hours).
  • Replace batteries if they have less than four hours of power.
  • Verify with your alarm company that your system has been properly installed to meet Fairfax County Code requirements.

 For users:

  • Be sure everyone who uses the alarm system knows how to properly activate the system and how to cancel accidental alarm activations.
  • Ensure all doors and windows are firmly secured.
  • Annual maintenance (check batteries, dust dirt and cobwebs from motion detectors, etc.
  • Check that interior decorations will not set off motion detectors.
  • Ensure that heating or air conditioning systems do not cause movement.

If you're going out of town, be sure to:

  • Advise your alarm company of your travel schedule and how you can be reached during your vacation.
  • Make sure your alarm company and the FARU have an up-to-date contact list. Add temporary alarm users, such as housesitters, to your list.
  • Make sure all key holders know how to properly operate your security system (keypads, passcodes) and how to cancel a police response.
  • Advise your emergency contacts of your departure and arrival times and ask about their availability to respond in the event of an activation of your alarm.

False alarm response fees start at $100 and can increase to $3000 per false alarm. Fees are imposed on the following basis within a 12-month calculation period:

1st$0.00
2nd$0.00
3rd$100.00
4th$150.00
5th$200.00
6th$250.00
7th$300.00
8th$350.00
9th$500.00
10th$600.00
11th$700.00
12th$800.00
13th$900.00
14th$1,000.00
15th to 19th$1,500.00 each
20th to 24th$2,000.00 each
25th or more$3,000.00 each

The 12-month calculation period starts with the date of registration issuance or the date of the first false alarm for alarm systems that are not registered.

If you would like to contest whether an alarm was false, you can submit a written request to the Chief of Police or his designee within 10 business days. The request must include the following:

  • Your name
  • Your registration number
  • The address where your alarm is installed
  • The date of the false alarm
  • The reasons why you think it was a false alarm

The Chief of Police or his designee will consider the circumstances of your argument and respond with a written response.

An alarm activation is not officially considered a false alarm until after the 10-day appeal period expires.

The False Alarm Reduction Unit may require you to have your alarm inspected by an alarm company licensed* in Fairfax County. If that happens, you are required to:

  • Submit a completed inspections report within 30 days of notice
  • Pay an additional $100 if you fail to comply

If you receive eight or more false alarm notices within the 12-month calculation period, FARU may require you to upgrade your alarm system to meet county equipment installation standards.

*All alarm companies that operate in Fairfax County must be licensed to do business within the county and must comply with all licensing, registration, certification and training requirements established by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.

You may file a request for an appeal hearing with FARU if:

  • You are ordered to have your alarm inspected
  • Administrative fees are assessed
  • Your registration is suspended

  • The hearing will be held within 72 hours of filing the request for an appeal.
  • A hearing officer appointed by the County Executive will preside over the hearing.
  • You have the right to appear and present witnesses and other evidence, but there are no formal rules of procedure for the conduct of the hearing.
  • The hearing officer will present no witnesses or other evidence and will hear the matter to determine whether the penalty or order has been applied legally, fairly, and impartially.
  • The hearing officer has the authority to waive or rescind all or part of the imposed inspection requirement, registration suspension, or administrative service fee if he/she deems there is not enough evidence to support the initial claim.

Administrative hearing officers will consider the following factors in reaching a determination to modify or waive an administrative fee, inspection order, or registration suspension order:

  • Evidence of attempts by you to eliminate the cause of false alarms such as:
    • Installation of new equipment.
    • Replacement of defective equipment.
    • Inspection and repair of the system by an alarm technician.
    • Specific formal training of alarm users.
    • Written evidence that the alarm system has been disconnected and removed from the protected premises.

Note: Meeting any or all of these circumstances does not guarantee that an appeal will be granted. The hearing officer may also grant an appeal for reasons other than the ones listed above.

All alarm companies* that operate in Fairfax County must be licensed to do business within the county and must comply with all licensing, registration, certification and training requirements established by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.

*Any company having to do with permits for systems, installation, alterations, maintenance, reparation, replacement, service, or monitoring of any alarm system.

It is the alarm company’s responsibility to:

  • Provide you with the registration form for all current and future residential and non-residential alarm systems.
  • Collect the completed form and registration fee from you and deliver it to the False Alarm Reduction Unit.
  • Ensure that you have registered your alarm system with the police department’s FARU before the alarm system is activated or placed into service.
  • Notify the police department or designee if you cancel or otherwise terminate your alarm service with the alarm company.

Failure to comply with licensing requirements may result in suspension of service to their customers.

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