The National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association (NBFAA)reports Governor Jim Gilmore (R-Va.) has signed a bill that, effective July 1, will make out-of-state monitoring company dispatchers exempt from Virginia licensing requirements if they are licensed, registered or certified in the state where they perform monitoring services, and if they go through a national fingerprint-based background check. This change to the state’s code was proposed by the state’s General Assembly in an effort to relieve the redundancy of licensing applications for out-of-state monitoring companies and for the commonwealth’s Dept. of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). This amendment does not exempt out-of-state monitoring companies from complying with Virginia’s business licensing requirements. “We are proud that Virginia has served as one of the leaders to enact this ‘common sense’ legislation,” says Leon Baker, a security services official for DCJS.
“We hope other states will continue to take the steps to establish similar legislation.”
