Alarm permits and false alarm rules in Edmonton and Calgary
For business owners, property managers and facility teams with a monitored intrusion alarm in Alberta’s two largest cities.
The quick answer
Yes, both cities require one. In Edmonton, every business or property with an operating alarm system needs a permit under the City of Edmonton Alarm Systems Bylaw 10922, run by the Edmonton Police Service’s Alarm Control Detail. In Calgary, anyone with an alarm system, including every commercial property, needs a permit under the Alarm Services Bylaw 31M95, run by the Calgary Police Service’s Alarm Bylaw Team. Both cities charge for false alarms, both expect the alarm company to try to verify an alarm before calling police, and police may not come to an alarm without a valid permit. Get the permit before the alarm goes live and keep your keyholder list current.
Please note: Rules change; check the city’s page. Not legal advice.
Edmonton at a glance
| Topic | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Who needs a permit | Every business or other premises in Edmonton with an operating alarm system, under Alarm Systems Bylaw 10922. |
| When to get it | The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) asks owners to buy the permit before the alarm system is installed. |
| How to apply | Online through the EPS alarm permit portal, or by mail or in person with the EPS Alarm Control Detail. Your alarm company may be able to apply for you. |
| Keep it current | The permit holder must give the monitoring company the permit details, and tell police about any change, such as new contacts. |
| Police response | EPS won’t respond to an alarm without a valid permit unless there’s information that an emergency or crime is happening or has happened. |
| Verification | For intrusion alarms, EPS uses Enhanced Call Verification: police are sent when an exterior breach (a door, window or glass-break) and an interior motion sensor both trip, and the alarm company has tried to reach the keyholders. EPS still responds where there’s a risk to public safety. |
| Keyholders | EPS asks for at least three keyholders on file with your alarm company. |
| False alarms | False alarm fees for intrusion alarms are billed to the alarm system holder, with different fees for small and large businesses. Permits can be suspended, and running an alarm without a valid permit can lead to a fine. |
EPS also encourages alarms with live video, which it calls the most effective way to confirm whether an intrusion alarm is real.
Calgary at a glance
| Topic | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Who needs a permit | Anyone with an alarm system in Calgary, including every commercial property, under the Alarm Services Bylaw 31M95. |
| How to apply | Online through the Calgary Police Service (CPS) False Alarm Management System (FAMS) portal, by mail or in person. Permits renew every year. |
| Who pays for the permit | The premises owner. CPS accepts payment from an alarm company only with the permit holder’s signed authorization. |
| Keep it current | Commercial permit holders keep their contact details and business hours up to date with the Alarm Bylaw Team. |
| Keyholders | The bylaw asks for at least two contacts who don’t live at the premises, or a security company, who can take calls, let police in and attend within 30 minutes when police ask. |
| Before police are called | The alarm company must try to reach at least two keyholders first. |
| When police may not come | Single-zone (“one-hit”) activations, alarms without a valid permit or with a suspended one, alarms within 14 days of installation, unlicensed alarm companies, and commercial premises during their listed business hours. |
| False alarms | Penalties go to the licensed alarm company that asked police to attend. Three or more false alarms in 12 months count as excessive, and police can require an inspection and may suspend or revoke the permit. |
CPS says police still respond right away to panic, hold-up and distress alarms and to verified alarms.
Other cities and BC
Other Alberta municipalities, and BC cities such as Kelowna, Vancouver and Victoria, set their own alarm rules, permits and false alarm fees. Check with your city or local police service before your alarm goes live, and ask us if you’re not sure where to start.
How we cut false alarms
| What we do | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Zones and sensor placement | Separate zones, and sensors placed away from heaters, fans, signs and moving stock, so one stray trigger doesn’t look like a break-in. A door or glass-break sensor plus motion gives the kind of confirmation both cities look for. |
| Video verification | Cameras tied to the alarm let our monitoring partner look at the scene before anyone is called. |
| Entry delays and arming | Entry and exit delays set for how people really use each door, with simple keypads or app arming. |
| User training | Everyone who opens or closes learns to arm, disarm and cancel a false alarm. |
| A current call list | We help keep the monitoring centre’s keyholder list current when staff change, so the right people get the call. |
| Maintenance | Batteries, sensors and communicators checked on schedule, so faults don’t turn into false alarms. See maintenance plans. |
Before your alarm goes live
Checklist
- Apply for the city permit (Edmonton asks for it before installation)
- Give your alarm company the permit number
- List keyholders who answer the phone and can come to the building (at least three in Edmonton, at least two contacts in Calgary)
- Keep your business hours current with CPS for a Calgary commercial permit
- Train everyone who opens and closes
- Decide who updates the list when people leave
Sources
- How to obtain or update an alarm system permit, Edmonton Police Service
- Alarm Systems Bylaw 10922 fees and fines, Edmonton Police Service
- Enhanced Call Verification, Edmonton Police Service
- Alarm Systems Bylaw 10922, City of Edmonton
- Alarm permit information, Calgary Police Service
- Responding to alarms and false alarms, Calgary Police Service
- Alarm Services Bylaw 31M95, City of Calgary
Tired of false alarms?
We’ll look at your zones, sensors and settings, and set up video verification through our monitoring partner where it fits.
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Alarm permit questions
Do I need an alarm permit for my business in Edmonton?
Yes. Under Alarm Systems Bylaw 10922, every business or property with an operating alarm system needs a valid permit, issued through the Edmonton Police Service’s Alarm Control Detail.
Do I need an alarm permit for my business in Calgary?
Yes. Under the Alarm Services Bylaw 31M95, anyone with an alarm system needs a permit, applied for through the Calgary Police Service’s online portal.
Who pays false alarm fees in Edmonton and Calgary?
In Edmonton, false alarm fees for intrusion alarms are billed to the alarm system holder. In Calgary, false alarm penalties go to the licensed alarm company that asked police to attend. Check each city’s current fee schedule.
Will police come when my business alarm goes off?
Not always. Edmonton police use Enhanced Call Verification for intrusion alarms, and Calgary police may not attend single-zone alarms or commercial premises during business hours. Neither city will normally come without a valid permit.
How can a business avoid false alarm fees?
Good zoning and sensor placement, video verification through our monitoring partner, sensible entry delays, staff training and regular maintenance. Keep your keyholder list current, too.
Can our alarm company get the permit for us?
In Edmonton, alarm companies may apply for their customers. In Calgary, the permit fee is the premises owner’s responsibility, and an alarm company can pay it only with the permit holder’s signed authorization.
Do these alarm rules apply outside Edmonton and Calgary?
No. Other Alberta municipalities and BC cities have their own rules. Check with your city or local police service.
Can you help with our alarm permit?
We can tell you what the city asks for, give you the system details for the application and set up your monitoring centre call list. The permit itself is issued by the city’s police service.
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