Suffolk homeowners could pay half or zero in alarm permit fees, with costs passed to businesses

Suffolk County homeowners could see the cost of registering an alarm system cut in half, while seniors won't pay anything under proposed legislation.

The Suffolk County Legislature held a public hearing at Wednesday's general meeting on the bill that would reduce the biennial fee for homeowners from $50 to $25. Any resident age 60 or older would be exempt and not have to pay the fee.

The fees would be shifted onto commercial businesses, with an increase from $100 to $150 every two years, according to the bill.

The bill, sponsored by Legis. Sal Formica (R-Commack), would "provide much needed relief to residential property owners in Suffolk County, while also increasing public safety," according to the bill.

County Executive Edward P. Romaine, who made addressing affordability a key goal in his State of the County address last week, said he supports the bill.

"Homeowners should not have to pay more to keep their families and properties protected," he said in a statement.

The bill would take effect immediately if passed and signed by Romaine.

Formica said the legislation is about both public safety and affordability by promoting the use of security systems in homes and reducing the cost, especially for seniors. 

"Every little bit helps," he said in an interview.

No members of the public attended the hearing. The legislature could vote to adopt the bill in October.

Suffolk introduced the fees in 2016 to decrease the number of false alarms that required a police response. That legislation also set fines that homeowners and commercial businesses could face for false alarms.

The county’s 2026 budget included about $2.3 million in revenue from the Alarm Management Program, which includes both fees and fines. By increasing fees on commercial businesses, the bill is not expected to significantly alter the revenue collected, officials said.

Formica said for businesses, the alarms are "part of their operating cost in doing business."

"It’s literally pennies on the dollar, as opposed to the homeowner here who really can’t pass it on to anyone," he said. 

The Alarm Management Program only applies to residents and businesses in the five western towns that are part of the Suffolk County police district. Several villages in the western towns are also excluded.

In 2019, Newsday reported the number of false alarm calls had been reduced by about half from 2015 to 2018. Suffolk police did not have current numbers on false alarm calls readily available, according to the department’s press office.

Formica said the alarm program "puts the onus on these folks to make sure that their alarm systems are functioning properly and they're maintained properly."

He said the goal is to limit the time police are tied up in false alarms "when they could be helping the community."

Homeowners are granted written warnings on the first two false alarms, according to the current code. A $100 fine is implemented on the third false alarm. It increases to $500 on a 10th false alarm. Those fines remain unchanged in the pending legislation.

Nassau County residents are also required to obtain a permit for home security systems. The permit costs $100 for homeowners and $200 for commercial businesses and is valid for two years. Suffolk’s bill in 2016 was mirrored after the one Nassau established in 1991, Newsday previously reported.

Last year, Suffolk lawmakers considered a bill to increase licensing application fees for home improvement contractors, commercial painters, electricians and other specialized occupations. But the legislation was withdrawn, and the increase did not go into effect.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister joined Newsday in 2022 and covers Suffolk County government and politics. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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