Arizona cities and towns may not fine or penalize a business based on how often it calls for police or emergency help, or on the value of its property that was damaged or stolen, unless the calls are malicious, knowingly false or frivolous and the city has first given the business written notice.
Official title: businesses; crime reporting; penalty; prohibition
- September 12, 2026
What changes
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NowA city or town may not enact, enforce or keep any ordinance, rule, policy or practice that fines or otherwise penalizes a business based on the number or frequency of its requests for public safety or emergency help at any of its locations.
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NowA city or town also may not fine or penalize a business based on the dollar value of the business's property that was damaged or stolen.
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NowException: a city or town may enforce such a penalty if the business's requests for help are malicious, knowingly false or frivolous, and the city has given the business written notice that it has determined earlier requests were malicious, knowingly false or frivolous. Both conditions must apply.
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NowThese limits do not apply to faulty or repeated nonemergency alerts from alarm systems.
Who it affects
- Businesses and commercial entities in Arizona cities and towns
- City and town governments in Arizona
What you need to do
Nothing.
What the law doesn't answer
- What counts as a "frivolous" request for help
- How a city decides that requests were malicious, knowingly false or frivolous, or whether a business can challenge that decision
- How much a city may fine a business when the exception applies
- Whether the law affects counties or only cities and towns
- What happens to existing fines already issued before the law takes effect
This summary describes the law as enacted. Later laws, court rulings or referendum petitions can change the picture. Check the official text for the current wording.