Trespass Arrest Authorization

As a service to our property owners and managers, the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Police Department maintains a system for filing trespass arrest authorization letters (“trespass letters”).  Trespass letters authorize SMPD officers to enforce trespassing laws without having the owner of the property or their agent present. Prior to January 1, 2024, owners of real property and their agents were required to submit the trespass letters every thirty days (occupied property) or six months (vacant property) through an online system.   

At the start of this year, California State Senate Bill 602 (Archuleta) changed the trespass letter requirements to increase the period for the trespass letter from 30 days to one year.  The bill further requires that all trespass letters be notarized prior to submission.  

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Continue the Process:

  1. Download and Complete the Form

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    Print out and complete the trespass letter form for each unique address for which you are submitting an authorization.

    *For properties that are gated and secured with a combination lock or a keypad, please provide the code in the miscellaneous field. This will be used by SMPD only if needed to access the property for the purposes of enforcing the trespass authorization* 

  2. Get Form Notarized

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    Provide information about what needs to be notarized, suggestions on where (if applicable), and any information about how long it is good for, etc. 

    Sign the form in the presence of a notary.

  3. Upload the Notarized Form

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    Click here to upload your completed form.

    Please note the original hard copy must still be delivered to the Santa Monica Police Department. 

  4. Mail in a Physical Copy

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    Mail or personally deliver the original notarized form to the Santa Monica Police Department at 333 Olympic Drive (Special Operations Division), Santa Monica, CA 90401.