Is Concertina Wire Legal?
When you’re looking for high-security solutions for a fence, there’s a good chance concertina wire (also known as razor wire or razor coils) comes to mind.
However, while this is certainly a good way to keep people out of your home or commercial property, there’s always the question, “is concertina wire legal?” Here’s what you need to know.
It Depends on Where You Want to Install Concertina wire
The problem with the question is concertina wire legal is that there’s no single answer. It really depends on where your property is and what kind of property it is.
Some properties, like federal prisons and military compounds, essentially make their own rules and can install concertina wire or razor wire without any trouble.
However, if you live or operate in a city and are a private person or organization, you will need to check local bylaws or contact the building department in your area to find out what the rules about concertina wire are. Be sure to do this before you install anything – you can be fined even if you don’t know the rules!
There May Still Be Legal Liability
The next tricky thing when you’re trying to determine is concertina wire legal in your area is that even if it is allowed, you will still carry some legal liability.
Installing potentially dangerous fence types like concertina wire or even electric fence places responsibility on you as the fence owner to protect the public.
This usually means that you need to take any precautions that might be necessary to prevent the public from accidentally coming into contact with potentially hazardous elements of your security fence. You might do this by installing concertina wire or electric fence above 6’, where it can only be accessed by climbing the fence, or you could install a second fence just outside the high-security fence, with warning signs installed on it.
Considering Other Options
If the answer to the question is concertina wire legal is no in your area, you still have options to beef up the security of your perimeter fence.
The best advice is to contact a fence company in your area and discuss your problems and what you would like to achieve. They might recommend making physical changes to your fence, or they might suggest something like a fence detection system linked to your burglar alarm.
Concertina wire or razor coils might be one of the most common solutions to beef up fence security, but they’re certainly not the only ones, so find out what the other options are, so you can make the right decision for your fence and property.
