False burglar alarms.
Municipal Code of Chicago § 8-4-056
in effect8-4-056 False burglar alarms.
(a) As used in this section:
(1) “Burglar alarm system” means any assembly of equipment, mechanical or electrical, designed to signal the occurrence of an illegal entry or attempted illegal entry of the premises protected by the system. However, “burglar alarm system” shall not include any system installed to protect any premises used primarily for educational, religious, or charitable purposes, or used primarily by a unit of government or school district.
(2) “Burglar alarm user” means the person or entity that owns, leases or subscribes to a burglar system. There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a person who owns or occupies any premises on which a burglar alarm system has been installed is the user of that system.
(3) “False alarm” means a burglar alarm system activated in the absence of an emergency whether willfully or by inadvertence, negligence or unintentional act, including any mechanical or electrical malfunction of the alarm system, to which the Department of Police is alerted for a response. A false alarm shall not include an alarm activated by a temporary surge or loss of electrical power or loss of telephone service to the burglar alarm user; the testing or repairing of telephone or electrical lines or equipment outside the premises if prior notice of the testing or repair is given to the Department of Police; unusually violent conditions of nature; an illegal entry, theft or robbery, or an attempt thereof; or an observable act of vandalism; where evidence of such activity exists.
(b) No burglar alarm user shall use a burglar alarm system that emits a false alarm.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d) of this section, any person who violates this section shall be subject to a fine of $100 for each false alarm.
(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, no notice of violation of this section shall be issued for the first or second violation of this section to any burglar alarm user using a burglar alarm system installed to protect any premises used primarily for residential purposes. For the first and second such violation of this section, the applicable burglar alarm user shall be issued a warning notice advising the burglar alarm user of such violation and that further violation may result in the issuance of a notice of violation. Any burglar alarm user using a burglar alarm system installed to protect any premises used primarily for residential purposes shall be subject to a fine of $115 for the third violation of this section, and a fine of $215 for the fourth and any subsequent violation of this section.
(e) A notice of violation of this section and a notice of hearing may be served on the burglar alarm user in the manner provided in Section 2-14-074 of this Code, or by affixing the notice to the door or other prominent location on the premises.
(Added Coun. J. 11-19-08, p. 47220, Art. III, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 12-19-25, p. 38125, Art. VII, § 1)
Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2643441Fetched: 10/24/2026