Does Charlotte, NC require an alarm permit to dispatch?

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) requires anyone with a burglar alarm system to register their system with CMPD. Alarm registration is required for all burglar alarm systems installed within the city limits of Charlotte or the unincorporated areas of Mecklenburg County. However, auto, fire and medical alarm systems are not required to be registered.

It is the responsibility of the security system owner to register their system and even if the system is not monitored by a central station, it should still be registered with CMPD. Luckily, unlike other jurisdictions, registration of an alarm system in Charlotte and Mecklenburg county is FREE!

If you are monitored by Alarm Grid and you live in Charlotte or Mecklenburg County, make sure to supply your permit number so that our central station operators can give the police dispatch that number when dispatching alarms. Without that number, the police will not respond to any alarm from your system.

A permit is valid for 12 months and if you fail to renew, and the police are dispatched, the police department may fine you up to $100. Each permit is issued to a particular individual at a particular address. If you move, you will need to get a new permit. If you move into a house with a system that is already permitted, you will still need to get a new permit.

You can find a link to the permit application and more information about Charlotte, North Carolina alarm dispatches at http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/CMPD/organization/Support/Alarms/Pages/Home.aspx.

This information is valid as of April 2013.