Clackamas County, OR Privacy & Surveillance: Security Camera Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governs
- unincorporated county only
- Definition includes
- surveillance cameras
- Registration required with
- Sheriff's Office
- Permit term
- 1 year
- Suspension trigger
- 4th false alarm per year
- Age exemption
- primary resident 65+
- Audible alarm nuisance limit
- 15 minutes
Summary
In unincorporated Clackamas County, a home or business surveillance camera system counts as an 'alarm system' under the county's alarm ordinance whenever it is arranged to summon a public safety response, and that means it needs a permit from the Sheriff's Office like a burglar alarm. Unregistered systems that trigger a dispatch request can draw fines, and law enforcement can refuse unverified calls from unpermitted sites.
ALARM SYSTEM means a device or series of devices, which emit or transmit an audible or remote visual or electronic alarm signal, arranged to identify the occurrence of an illegal entry or other activity intended to summon public safety response. The term includes hardwired systems, surveillance cameras and systems interconnected with a radio frequency method such as cellular or private radio signals, and includes local alarm systems. This does not include an alarm installed in a motor vehicle or a system which will not emit a signal, either audible or visible, from the outside of the building, residence or beyond, but is designed solely to alert the occupants of a building or residence.
G. AUTOMATIC DIALING DEVICE means a device connected to a telephone line or internet connection programmed to select a predetermined telephone number or internet location (URL address) and transmit by voice message or code signal an emergency message indicating a need for emergency response.
H. DIY SYSTEM (DO IT YOURSELF) means an alarm system installed by an alarm user.
Full Breakdown
Clackamas County Code Chapter 8.07 governs 'systems intended to summon a public safety response' in the unincorporated county only (8.07.010(C)), and its definitions section folds surveillance cameras directly into the term ALARM SYSTEM whenever the camera setup is arranged to identify an illegal entry and summon a public safety response (8.07.020(F)). Any alarm site, camera-based or otherwise, must be registered with the Sheriff's Office and hold a current permit before the Sheriff's Office will respond to an unverified alarm call (8.07.030(A)). Operating an unregistered alarm system is itself a violation, and the Sheriff can add fines specifically for a person operating an unregistered alarm system that results in a dispatch request (8.07.080(E)).
Permits run one year from issuance, must be posted at the site, and are free for a primary resident over 65 without a commercial use on the premises, or for public entities like schools and government offices (8.07.040). A site that racks up four false alarms in one permit year has its permit suspended for a full year (8.07.070), and audible sirens or horns that run more than 15 minutes without the alarm user being available to silence them are a public nuisance that responding deputies can disconnect (8.07.090).
Violations & Fines
Running an alarm system, including a surveillance camera set up to trigger law enforcement dispatch, without a Sheriff's Office permit is a chapter violation, and fines and fees are set by Board resolution (8.07.030(B), 8.07.080(A)). A fourth false alarm in a permit year suspends the permit, and the site's owner must reapply and pay all outstanding fees and fines to be reinstated; a late charge applies if a fine or fee invoice goes unpaid for 30 days (8.07.080(B)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a home security camera need a permit in unincorporated Clackamas County?
What happens if my camera system isn't registered and triggers a police call?
Is the alarm or camera permit free for anyone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clackamas County
Compare Clackamas County to another location·View the Oregon privacy & surveillance overview
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