The City of Lawrenceville, Ga., announced it will begin fining residents and businesses for excessive false alarms on June 1. 

According to the announcement, the city explains a false alarm ordinance approved last September is needed “to encourage alarm owners and alarm companies to properly use and maintain operational effectiveness of monitored alarm systems in order to improve the reliability of alarm systems and reduce or eliminate false alarms.” 

Excessive false alarms unduly burden the limited resources of the Lawrenceville Police Department, the announcement continues. 

Residents and business owners can now be assessed increasing fines based on how many false alarms they incur. The residents and business owners are also required to register their alarm systems with the city by obtaining a permit. 

There are two categories for fee schedules, residential and non-residential. There is no fine for the first false alarm in either category. The residential fee schedule also omits a fine for the second false alarm; however, there is a $25 fine for the third alarm and that increases to $100 for the fourth alarm as well as each subsequent alarm. 

The non-residential fee schedule includes a $50 fee for the second false alarm, a $200 fine for the third false alarm and a $400 fine for the fourth false alarm and each subsequent false alarm. Non-residential property owners will also face an additional $100 fine for each false alarm if their alarm system does not have a valid permit issued by the city. 

Any alarm signal response to an alarm site located within city limits will result in the automatic registration of the alarm. There is no additional fine for residential accounts for a false alarm occurring without a valid alarm permit.