Electric security alarms

AN ACT Relating to electric security alarm systems; adding a new 1
section to chapter 35.21 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 35A.21 2
RCW; adding a new section to chapter 36.01 RCW; and creating a new 3
section. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that recent changes 6
in alarm system technology can be beneficial for protecting property 7
owners from ongoing theft, and may help to minimize the demand on 8
local government policing and judicial resources. The legislature 9
further finds that state and local codes may not currently regulate 10
electric security alarm systems, and that, in such cases, the 11
application of a statewide standard for installation of such systems 12
would be beneficial to industrial and commercial property owners 13
statewide. It is, therefore, the intent of the legislature to 14
establish a statewide standard for the installation and operation of 15
electric security alarm systems in circumstances in which local 16
governments have not provided alternative regulations.17
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 35.21 18
RCW to read as follows: 19
H-0907.1
HOUSE BILL 1688
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Parshley, Duerr, Reed, Ormsby, Hill, and Timmons
Read first time 01/29/25. Referred to Committee on Local Government.
p. 1 HB 1688
(1) Cities and towns that have not adopted an ordinance, land use 1
regulation, or local code related to the regulation of electric 2
security alarm systems shall allow electric security alarm systems 3
consistent with the following: 4
(a) Electric security alarm systems may not be considered a fence 5
and may not be regulated by fence codes which do not reference and 6
regulate electric security alarm systems. 7
(b) Electric security alarm systems must be allowed on any 8
allowed or legally nonconforming outdoor storage property. This 9
subsection (1)(b) does not apply to properties zoned for mixed use 10
that are not an outdoor storage property as defined in this section.11
(c) The installation of electric security alarm systems must meet 12
the following requirements: 13
(i) The electric security alarm is powered by an energizer that 14
is driven by a battery of no more than 12 volts of direct current and 15
that does not produce an electric charge on contact that exceeds 16
energizer characteristics set forth in IEC 60335-2-76, as of January 17
1, 2025; 18
(ii) The electric security alarm is marked with conspicuous 19
warning signs that are located on the system at not more than 30-foot 20
intervals that read "Warning: Electric Fence."; 21
(iii) The electric security alarm is 10 feet in height, or two 22
feet higher than the perimeter barrier, fence, or wall, whichever is 23
greater; and 24
(iv) The electric security alarm includes a device that enables 25
first responders to deactivate the electric security alarm system in 26
response to an emergency, if utilized by a city and town.27
(d) A minimum five foot tall perimeter barrier, fence, or wall, 28
is located around the exterior of the electric security alarm system. 29
If the perimeter barrier is an existing fence or wall, the fence or 30
wall must have been installed in compliance with the fence code at 31
the time of installation. The city may require a permit for the 32
installation of a new perimeter fence or wall and may require the new 33
perimeter fence or wall be consistent with the local fence code. The 34
city may not require any additional conditions or improvements 35
appurtenant to the installation of an electric security alarm system.36
(e) The city or town may require an alarm system operator license 37
or permit in the same manner as is required for any other security 38
alarm. 39
p. 2 HB 1688
(f) Nothing in this section limits the ability of a city to 1
otherwise regulate outdoor storage properties. 2
(2)(a) A city or town that has, whether before or after the 3
effective date of this section, adopted an ordinance, land use 4
regulation, or local code that regulates or prohibits electric 5
security alarm systems is not subject to subsection (1) of this 6
section. 7
(b) If a city or town adopts an ordinance, land use regulation, 8
or local code that regulates or prohibits electric security alarm 9
systems after the effective date of this section, the city or town 10
shall include "electric security alarm" in the title of the ordinance 11
and shall hold two public hearings on the regulation prior to final 12
adoption. 13
(c) Any system installed prior to the effective date of an 14
ordinance adopted in (a) of this subsection may continue to operate 15
if it complies with the requirements in subsection (1) of this 16
section. 17
(3) For the purposes of this section: 18
(a) "Electric security alarm system" means an outdoor alarm 19
system that connects a wire structure to an alarm system and 20
transmits a signal intended to detect and alert the property owner of 21
an intrusion by utilizing an electric charge. 22
(b) "Outdoor storage property" means an industrial, 23
manufacturing, or other commercial property, regardless of zoning 24
designation, that is legally authorized to store, park, service, 25
sell, or rent vehicles, vessels, aircraft, equipment, materials, 26
cargo, freight, or utility infrastructure within an outdoor lot or 27
yard that is surrounded by a nonelectric perimeter fence or wall.28
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 35A.21 29
RCW to read as follows: 30
(1) Code cities that have not adopted an ordinance, land use 31
regulation, or local code related to the regulation of electric 32
security alarm systems shall allow electric security alarm systems 33
consistent with the following: 34
(a) Electric security alarm systems may not be considered a fence 35
and may not be regulated by fence codes which do not reference and 36
regulate electric security alarm systems. 37
(b) Electric security alarm systems must be allowed on any 38
allowed or legally nonconforming outdoor storage property. This 39
p. 3 HB 1688
subsection (1)(b) does not apply to properties zoned for mixed use 1
that are not an outdoor storage property as defined in this section.2
(c) The installation of electric security alarm systems must meet 3
the following requirements: 4
(i) The electric security alarm is powered by an energizer that 5
is driven by a battery of no more than 12 volts of direct current and 6
that does not produce an electric charge on contact that exceeds 7
energizer characteristics set forth in IEC 60335-2-76, as of January 8
1, 2025; 9
(ii) The electric security alarm is marked with conspicuous 10
warning signs that are located on the system at not more than 30-foot 11
intervals that read "Warning: Electric Fence."; 12
(iii) The electric security alarm is 10 feet in height, or two 13
feet higher than the perimeter barrier, fence, or wall, whichever is 14
greater; and 15
(iv) The electric security alarm includes a device that enables 16
first responders to deactivate the electric security alarm system in 17
response to an emergency, if utilized by a code city.18
(d) A minimum five foot tall perimeter barrier, fence, or wall, 19
is located around the exterior of the electric security alarm system. 20
If the perimeter barrier is an existing fence or wall, the fence or 21
wall must have been installed in compliance with the fence code at 22
the time of installation. The code city may require a permit for the 23
installation of a new perimeter fence or wall and may require the new 24
perimeter fence or wall be consistent with the local fence code. The 25
code city may not require any additional conditions or improvements 26
appurtenant to the installation of an electric security alarm system.27
(e) The code city may require an alarm system operator license or 28
permit in the same manner as is required for any other security 29
alarm. 30
(f) Nothing in this section limits the ability of a code city to 31
otherwise regulate outdoor storage properties. 32
(2)(a) A code city that has, whether before or after the 33
effective date of this section, adopted an ordinance, land use 34
regulation, or local code that regulates or prohibits electric 35
security alarm systems is not subject to subsection (1) of this 36
section. 37
(b) If a code city adopts an ordinance, land use regulation, or 38
local code that regulates or prohibits electric security alarm 39
systems after the effective date of this section, the code city shall 40
p. 4 HB 1688
include "electric security alarm" in the title of the ordinance and 1
shall hold two public hearings on the regulation prior to final 2
adoption. 3
(c) Any system installed prior to the effective date of an 4
ordinance adopted in (a) of this subsection may continue to operate 5
if it complies with the requirements in subsection (1) of this 6
section. 7
(3) For the purposes of this section: 8
(a) "Electric security alarm system" means an outdoor alarm 9
system that connects a wire structure to an alarm system and 10
transmits a signal intended to detect and alert the property owner of 11
an intrusion by utilizing an electric charge. 12
(b) "Outdoor storage property" means an industrial, 13
manufacturing, or other commercial property, regardless of zoning 14
designation, that is legally authorized to store, park, service, 15
sell, or rent vehicles, vessels, aircraft, equipment, materials, 16
cargo, freight, or utility infrastructure within an outdoor lot or 17
yard that is surrounded by a nonelectric perimeter fence or wall.18
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 36.01 19
RCW to read as follows: 20
(1) Counties that have not adopted an ordinance, land use 21
regulation, or local code related to the regulation of electric 22
security alarm systems shall allow electric security alarm systems 23
consistent with the following: 24
(a) Electric security alarm systems may not be considered a fence 25
and may not be regulated by fence codes which do not reference and 26
regulate electric security alarm systems. 27
(b) Electric security alarm systems must be allowed on any 28
allowed or legally nonconforming outdoor storage property. This 29
subsection (1)(b) does not apply to properties zoned for mixed use 30
that are not an outdoor storage property as defined in this section.31
(c) The installation of electric security alarm systems must meet 32
the following requirements: 33
(i) The electric security alarm is powered by an energizer that 34
is driven by a battery of no more than 12 volts of direct current and 35
that does not produce an electric charge on contact that exceeds 36
energizer characteristics set forth in IEC 60335-2-76, as of January 37
1, 2025; 38
p. 5 HB 1688
(ii) The electric security alarm is marked with conspicuous 1
warning signs that are located on the system at not more than 30-foot 2
intervals that read "Warning: Electric Fence."; 3
(iii) The electric security alarm is 10 feet in height, or two 4
feet higher than the perimeter barrier, fence, or wall, whichever is 5
greater; and 6
(iv) The electric security alarm includes a device that enables 7
first responders to deactivate the electric security alarm system in 8
response to an emergency, if utilized by a county. 9
(d) A minimum five foot tall perimeter barrier, fence, or wall, 10
is located around the exterior of the electric security alarm system. 11
If the perimeter barrier is an existing fence or wall, the fence or 12
wall must have been installed in compliance with the fence code at 13
the time of installation. The county may require a permit for the 14
installation of a new perimeter fence or wall and may require a new 15
perimeter fence or wall be consistent with the local fence code. The 16
county may not require any additional conditions or improvements 17
appurtenant to the installation of an electric security alarm system.18
(e) The county may require an alarm system operator license or 19
permit in the same manner as is required for any other security 20
alarm. 21
(f) Nothing in this section limits the ability of a county to 22
otherwise regulate outdoor storage properties. 23
(2)(a) A county that has, whether before or after the effective 24
date of this section, adopted an ordinance, land use regulation, or 25
local code that regulates or prohibits electric security alarm 26
systems is not subject to subsection (1) of this section.27
(b) If a county adopts an ordinance, land use regulation, or 28
local code that regulates or prohibits electric security alarm 29
systems after the effective date of this section, the county shall 30
include "electric security alarm" in the title of the ordinance and 31
shall hold two public hearings on the regulation prior to final 32
adoption. 33
(c) Any system installed prior to the effective date of an 34
ordinance adopted in (a) of this subsection may continue to operate 35
if it complies with the requirements in subsection (1) of this 36
section. 37
(3) For the purposes of this section: 38
(a) "Electric security alarm system" means an outdoor alarm 39
system that connects a wire structure to an alarm system and 40
p. 6 HB 1688
transmits a signal intended to detect and alert the property owner of 1
an intrusion by utilizing an electric charge. 2
(b) "Outdoor storage property" means an industrial, 3
manufacturing, or other commercial property, regardless of zoning 4
designation, that is legally authorized to store, park, service, 5
sell, or rent vehicles, vessels, aircraft, equipment, materials, 6
cargo, freight, or utility infrastructure within an outdoor lot or 7
yard that is surrounded by a nonelectric perimeter fence or wall.8
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p. 7 HB 1688