{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-12-806","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Local Government § 12–806","heading":"","body":"(a) (1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.\n(2) “Alarm system contractor” means a person who installs,\nmaintains, monitors, alters, or services an alarm system.\n(3) (i) “Alarm user” means a person in control of an alarm system\nin, on, or around any building, structure, facility, or site.\n(ii) “Alarm user” includes the owner or lessee of an alarm\nsystem.\n(4) (i) “False alarm” means any request for immediate assistance\nby a law enforcement agency or fire department or, in Washington County, an\nemergency services agency, regardless of cause, that is not in response to an actual\nemergency situation or threatened or suggested criminal activity.\n(ii) “False alarm” includes:\n1. a negligently or accidentally activated signal;\n2. a signal that is the result of faulty, malfunctioning,\nor improperly installed or maintained equipment;\n3. a signal that is purposely activated to summon a law\nenforcement agency or fire department or, in Washington County, an emergency\nservices agency, in a nonemergency situation;\n4. the second and any later signal from an alarm\nsystem that is activated two or more times in a 12–hour period when the premises\nare unoccupied if access to the building is provided to an alarm system contractor and\nan alarm system contractor responds; and\n5. the third or any later signal from an alarm system\nthat is activated two or more times in a 12–hour period when the premises are\nunoccupied if access to the building is not provided to an alarm system contractor and\nan alarm system contractor does not respond.\n(iii) “False alarm” does not include:\n1. a signal activated by unusually severe weather\nconditions or other causes beyond the control of the alarm user or alarm system\ncontractor; or\n2. a signal activated during the initial 60–day period\nfollowing new installation.\n(b) This section applies only to Calvert County, Frederick County, and\nWashington County.\n(c) (1) The governing body of a county may adopt regulations to:\n(i) register alarm system contractors operating in the county;\n(ii) register alarm users in the county;\n(iii) provide penalties for failure to register as an alarm system\ncontractor or alarm user;\n(iv) provide civil citations and penalties for false alarms,\nnotwithstanding Title 9, Subtitle 6, Part II of the Criminal Law Article;\n(v) provide exemptions from the issuance of civil citations and\npenalties for false alarms;\n(vi) authorize the designated county enforcement agency to\nmaintain a record of the alarm system contractor, monitoring service, and\nmanufacturer of each security system in operation in the county; and\n(vii) authorize the designated county enforcement agency, if it\nfinds a pattern of false alarms attributed to a particular manufacturer’s model or to\ninstallation by a particular alarm system contractor, to inform:\n1. the manufacturer of the model or the alarm system\ncontractor that installed the alarm system; and\n2. the appropriate State or national licensing agency or\nthe certification standards entity.\n(2) The County Commissioners of Washington County may adopt\nregulations to establish fees for registering an alarm system contractor or alarm user.","path":["Article - Local Government"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=glg\u0026section=12-806","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:59:58Z","sha256":"dd0f5773addbdec55fc4c9d5df484e30020a283815f87e098cdcd7d944aaf0b9","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-12-805","next":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-12-901"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}