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Councilmember proposes ordinance to require alarm registrations be kept on premises, citing printing constraints
Summary
A proposed amendment to the Metropolitan Code (BL2025-5836) would change display requirements for alarm permits so registrants must keep a copy on the premises rather than rely on an in-house printed sticker; sponsor said the city’s printing equipment is obsolete and staff now provides a PDF via email.
At a Government Operations & Regulations meeting, a councilmember introduced an ordinance (B L 2025-5836) to change local alarm-permit display requirements so that registrants must keep their permit registration on the premises rather than rely on a printed sticker that Metro used to provide.
The sponsor, identified in the meeting as Miss Benigny, said Metro historically mailed or printed stickers when residents registered an alarm, but the printer used by codes staff has become obsolete. She said staff has been providing a PDF that residents can print themselves and proposed aligning the city’s requirement with peer cities by requiring that a copy of the registration be kept on-site for inspection rather than mandating a specific printed sticker. “Metro always used to send a sticker out when you … register it with the city,” Benigny said. “What this bill does is … you’re required to keep that copy on the premises.”
Staff member Mister Dodd and another staff speaker explained the registration system (CityWorks) updates the first-responder database nightly and that the policy change is intended to ensure the database remains current. Mr. Dodd provided the contact email for assistance: “alarms@nashville.gov.” Committee members discussed enforcement briefly; staff said repeated false alarms can result in nuisance designations and fines after multiple calls. A member noted that some residents have used print services (such as FedEx) to get a printed permit for under $2 including tax.
After discussion, the committee voted to approve the ordinance on the consent calendar. Members recorded no opposition on the floor. The ordinance will require registrants to keep the registration copy on the premises; staff will continue to provide PDFs and assistance via alarms@nashville.gov.
