Indian Trail, N.C., a suburb of Charlotte, has put in place a new permit, fine and false alarm program.
The town now requires a low-cost $5 residential alarm permit or a $10 commercial permit. Fines are assessed after the first two false alarms in a year at a rate of $50, though that increases to $100 and then to $250 upon additional repeated false alarms.
The town is also holding alarm education classes. Information is available from the town's planning department.