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
S-0914.1
SENATE BILL 5573
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Chapman, Salomon, Harris, and J. Wilson
Read first time 01/29/25. Referred to Committee on Local Government.
p. 1 SB 5573
(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 does 9
not apply to properties zoned for mixed-use that are not an outdoor 10
storage property as defined in this section; 11
(c) The installation of electric security alarm systems must meet 12
the following requirements: 13
(i) Be powered by an energizer that is driven by a battery of no 14
more than 12 volts of direct current and that does not produce an 15
electric charge on contact that exceeds energizer characteristics set 16
forth in IEC 60335-2-76, as of January 1, 2025; 17
(ii) Be marked with conspicuous warning signs that are located on 18
the system at not more than 30-foot intervals that read "Warning: 19
Electric Fence."; 20
(iii) Be 10 feet in height, or two feet higher than the perimeter 21
barrier, fence, or wall, whichever is greater; and22
(iv) Include a device that enables first responders to deactivate 23
the electric security alarm system in response to an emergency, if 24
utilized by a city and town; 25
(d) A minimum five-foot-tall perimeter barrier, fence, or wall 26
must be located around the exterior of the electric security alarm 27
system. If the perimeter barrier is an existing fence or wall, the 28
fence or wall must have been installed in compliance with the fence 29
code at the time of installation. The city or town may require a 30
permit for the installation of a new perimeter fence or wall and 31
require a new perimeter fence or wall be consistent with the local 32
fence code. The city or town may not require any additional 33
conditions or improvements appurtenant to the installation of an 34
electric security alarm system; 35
(e) The city or town may require an alarm system operator license 36
or permit in the same manner as is required for any other security 37
alarm; and 38
(f) Nothing in this section limits the ability of a city or town 39
to otherwise regulate outdoor storage properties. 40
p. 2 SB 5573
(2) A city or town that has, whether before or after the 1
effective date of this section, adopted an ordinance, land use 2
regulation, or local code that regulates or prohibits electric 3
security alarm systems is not subject to subsection (1) of this 4
section. 5
(a) If a city or town adopts an ordinance, land use regulation, 6
or local code that regulates or prohibits electric security alarm 7
systems after the effective date of this section, the city or town 8
shall include "electric security alarm" in the title of the ordinance 9
and shall hold two public hearings on the regulation prior to final 10
adoption. 11
(b) Any system installed prior to the effective date of an 12
ordinance adopted in (a) of this subsection may continue to operate 13
if it complies with the requirements in subsection (1) of this 14
section. 15
(3) For the purposes of this section: 16
(a) "Electric security alarm system" means an outdoor alarm 17
system that connects a wire structure to an alarm system and 18
transmits a signal intended to detect and alert the property owner of 19
an intrusion by utilizing an electric charge. 20
(b) "Outdoor storage property" means an industrial, 21
manufacturing, or other commercial property, regardless of zoning 22
designation, that is legally authorized to store, park, service, 23
sell, or rent vehicles, vessels, aircraft, equipment, materials, 24
cargo, freight, or utility infrastructure within an outdoor lot or 25
yard that is surrounded by a nonelectric perimeter fence or wall.26
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 35A.21 27
RCW to read as follows: 28
(1) Code cities that have not adopted an ordinance, land use 29
regulation, or local code related to the regulation of electric 30
security alarm systems shall allow electric security alarm systems 31
consistent with the following: 32
(a) Electric security alarm systems may not be considered a fence 33
and may not be regulated by fence codes which do not reference and 34
regulate electric security alarm systems; 35
(b) Electric security alarm systems must be allowed on any 36
allowed or legally nonconforming outdoor storage property. This does 37
not apply to properties zoned for mixed-use that are not an outdoor 38
storage property as defined in this section; 39
p. 3 SB 5573
(c) The installation of electric security alarm systems must meet 1
the following requirements: 2
(i) Be powered by an energizer that is driven by a battery of no 3
more than 12 volts of direct current and that does not produce an 4
electric charge on contact that exceeds energizer characteristics set 5
forth in IEC 60335-2-76, as of January 1, 2025; 6
(ii) Be marked with conspicuous warning signs that are located on 7
the system at not more than 30-foot intervals that read "Warning: 8
Electric Fence."; 9
(iii) Be 10 feet in height, or two feet higher than the perimeter 10
barrier, fence, or wall, whichever is greater; and11
(iv) Include a device that enables first responders to deactivate 12
the electric security alarm system in response to an emergency, if 13
utilized by a code city; 14
(d) A minimum five-foot-tall perimeter barrier, fence, or wall 15
must be located around the exterior of the electric security alarm 16
system. If the perimeter barrier is an existing fence or wall, the 17
fence or wall must have been installed in compliance with the fence 18
code at the time of installation. The code city may require a permit 19
for the installation of a new perimeter fence or wall and require a 20
new perimeter fence or wall be consistent with the local fence code. 21
The code city may not require any additional conditions or 22
improvements appurtenant to the installation of an electric security 23
alarm system; 24
(e) The code city may require an alarm system operator license or 25
permit in the same manner as is required for any other security 26
alarm; and 27
(f) Nothing in this section limits the ability of a code city to 28
otherwise regulate outdoor storage properties. 29
(2) A code city that has, whether before or after the effective 30
date of this section, adopted an ordinance, land use regulation, or 31
local code that regulates or prohibits electric security alarm 32
systems is not subject to subsection (1) of this section.33
(a) If a code city adopts an ordinance, land use regulation, or 34
local code that regulates or prohibits electric security alarm 35
systems after the effective date of this section, the city shall 36
include "electric security alarm" in the title of the ordinance and 37
shall hold two public hearings on the regulation prior to final 38
adoption. 39
p. 4 SB 5573
(b) Any system installed prior to the effective date of an 1
ordinance adopted in (a) of this subsection may continue to operate 2
if it complies with the requirements in subsection (1) of this 3
section. 4
(3) For the purposes of this section: 5
(a) "Electric security alarm system" means an outdoor alarm 6
system that connects a wire structure to an alarm system and 7
transmits a signal intended to detect and alert the property owner of 8
an intrusion by utilizing an electric charge. 9
(b) "Outdoor storage property" means an industrial, 10
manufacturing, or other commercial property, regardless of zoning 11
designation, that is legally authorized to store, park, service, 12
sell, or rent vehicles, vessels, aircraft, equipment, materials, 13
cargo, freight, or utility infrastructure within an outdoor lot or 14
yard that is surrounded by a nonelectric perimeter fence or wall.15
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 36.01 16
RCW to read as follows: 17
(1) Counties that have not adopted an ordinance, land use 18
regulation, or local code related to the regulation of electric 19
security alarm systems shall allow electric security alarm systems 20
consistent with the following: 21
(a) Electric security alarm systems may not be considered a fence 22
and may not be regulated by fence codes which do not reference and 23
regulate electric security alarm systems; 24
(b) Electric security alarm systems must be allowed on any 25
allowed or legally nonconforming outdoor storage property. This does 26
not apply to properties zoned for mixed-use that are not an outdoor 27
storage property as defined in this section; 28
(c) The installation of electric security alarm systems must meet 29
the following requirements: 30
(i) Be powered by an energizer that is driven by a battery of no 31
more than 12 volts of direct current and that does not produce an 32
electric charge on contact that exceeds energizer characteristics set 33
forth in IEC 60335-2-76, as of January 1, 2025; 34
(ii) Be marked with conspicuous warning signs that are located on 35
the system at not more than 30-foot intervals that read "Warning: 36
Electric Fence."; 37
(iii) Be 10 feet in height, or two feet higher than the perimeter 38
barrier, fence, or wall, whichever is greater; and39
p. 5 SB 5573
(iv) Include a device that enables first responders to deactivate 1
the electric security alarm system in response to an emergency, if 2
utilized by a county; 3
(d) A minimum five-foot-tall perimeter barrier, fence, or wall 4
must be located around the exterior of the electric security alarm 5
system. If the perimeter barrier is an existing fence or wall, the 6
fence or wall must have been installed in compliance with the fence 7
code at the time of installation. The county may require a permit for 8
the installation of a new perimeter fence or wall and require a new 9
perimeter fence or wall be consistent with the local fence code. The 10
county may not require any additional conditions or improvements 11
appurtenant to the installation of an electric security alarm system;12
(e) The county may require an alarm system operator license or 13
permit in the same manner as is required for any other security 14
alarm; and 15
(f) Nothing in this section limits the ability of a county to 16
otherwise regulate outdoor storage properties. 17
(2) A county that has, whether before or after the effective date 18
of this section, adopted an ordinance, land use regulation, or local 19
code that regulates or prohibits electric security alarm systems is 20
not subject to subsection (1) of this section. 21
(a) If a county adopts an ordinance, land use regulation, or 22
local code that regulates or prohibits electric security alarm 23
systems after the effective date of this section, the county shall 24
include "electric security alarm" in the title of the ordinance and 25
shall hold two public hearings on the regulation prior to final 26
adoption. 27
(b) Any system installed prior to the effective date of an 28
ordinance adopted in (a) of this subsection may continue to operate 29
if it complies with the requirements in subsection (1) of this 30
section. 31
(3) For the purposes of this section: 32
(a) "Electric security alarm system" means an outdoor alarm 33
system that connects a wire structure to an alarm system and 34
transmits a signal intended to detect and alert the property owner of 35
an intrusion by utilizing an electric charge. 36
(b) "Outdoor storage property" means an industrial, 37
manufacturing, or other commercial property, regardless of zoning 38
designation, that is legally authorized to store, park, service, 39
sell, or rent vehicles, vessels, aircraft, equipment, materials, 40
p. 6 SB 5573
cargo, freight, or utility infrastructure within an outdoor lot or 1
yard that is surrounded by a nonelectric perimeter fence or wall.2
3
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p. 7 SB 5573