Alarm Administration

Effective Oct. 1, 2024, a singular principal permit replaced master permits and any associated permits for non-residential areas of an apartment complex. Changes to existing permits will be processed during renewal.

The Development Services Department’s Alarm Administration team administers the City of Austin’s Alarm Ordinance, issues alarm permits, and strives to improve public safety through education and awareness initiatives to eliminate false alarms.

An alarm system is defined as electrical, mechanical, or electronic equipment that emits, transmits, or relays a signal intended to summon the police by direct or indirect means. Any person or business that operates, maintains, or owns a monitored or local (audible) alarm system, as described in the City of Austin’s Alarm Ordinance, is required to have an alarm permit. Alarm permits must be renewed every year.

Visit the Alarm Administration Portal

The Alarm Administration Portal lets customers:

Apply for a new Alarm Permit
Renew an existing Alarm Permit
Make a payment
Check account balance
Update contact information
Appeal False Alarms (Hearings)

Click the Button to Access the Alarm Administration Portal

Alarm Administration Portal

Alarm Permits

Apply for an Alarm Permit

The City of Austin requires an alarm permit for each alarmed location within a residence or commercial space within the Austin Full Purpose jurisdiction. An application must be received prior to the date the alarm system is enabled. A change of the alarm site address, or occupant or business name requires the issuance of a new permit.

The permit will not become active until the permit fee has been paid. Please ensure you pay the correct fee based on the alarm permit type (residential, commercial, or principal). For more information on each permit type, see Alarm Permit Types.

There are two options to apply for the Alarm Permit:

Option 1: Apply through the Alarm Administration Portal (recommended for faster processing)
Option 2: Submit the application through the Alarm Permit Registration Web Form (if you are unable to apply through the Alarm Administration Portal)

Option 1: Apply through the Alarm Administration Portal

Check your Jurisdiction

Alarm Permits are issued to addresses located in the Austin Full Purpose jurisdiction. Before submitting an application, please check the jurisdiction of your alarmed location on the Jurisdiction Web Map. If the address is not in the Austin Full Purpose jurisdiction, please contact your local law enforcement department and follow any alarm permitting requirements they may have.

Once you confirm that the address is in Austin Full Purpose Jurisdiction, continue to Step 2.

Apply for the Alarm Permit through the Portal

Visit the Alarm Administration Portal to apply for the alarm permit. You will need to create a new account. When applying for the permit, please ensure that you choose the correct Alarm Permit Type: residential, commercial, or principal (apartment complex). For more information on each permit type, visit the Alarm Permit Types section.

Once the permit has been approved, you will receive an email with the permit number and further information and instructions for payment. If you receive an error message or are unable to register the address through the portal, apply for the Alarm Permit by using Option 2.

Pay the Permit Fee through the Portal

Your permit is not active until the permit registration fee has been paid. Please be aware that any unpaid response fees will need to be paid before the Alarm Permit is active. Once the Alarm Permit has been approved, navigate to the “Pay Online” tab within the Alarm Administration Portal and pay the invoice. Instructions to pay for the invoice are also provided in the email.

The Alarm Permit is valid for 12 months and must be renewed annually. Please contact us if you have questions.

Renew or Cancel the Alarm Permit

Renew Existing Alarm

Alarm permits must be renewed every year for each location. To renew an alarm at the existing location, visit the Renew an Alarm Permit section to learn more.

Moving Alarm to a Difference Location

If the alarm is moved to a new location, you must cancel the alarm permit and apply for a new alarm permit for the new location, if required. Visit the Cancel an Alarm Permit section to submit the written cancellation, and then Apply for an Alarm Permit section to apply for a new permit.

Cancel Existing Alarm

If the alarm permit is no longer needed, you must cancel the alarm permit in writing using the Alarm Permit Cancellation Web Form. An Alarm Permit cannot be canceled by phone. Visit the Cancel an Alarm Permit section to submit the written cancellation and learn more.

Option 2: Apply through the Alarm Permit Registration Web Form

If you are unable to apply for the permit through the Alarm Administration Portal under Option 1, please follow these steps.

Check your Jurisdiction

Once you confirm that the address is in Austin Full Purpose Jurisdiction, continue to Step 2.

Apply for the Alarm Permit Application using the Web Form

Use the Alarm Permit Application Web Form to submit the required information. Please ensure you choose the correct Alarm Permit Type. Once you submit the web form, you will receive an automatic email confirming your submission, including the approximate wait time.

Alarm Permit Application Web Form

Please do not resubmit the web form, as this will create delays.

After staff have received your application submission, an alarm permit account will be created and a permit fee invoice will be issued. A staff member will contact you if any additional information is needed for processing the permit.

If you are unable to submit the web form or need additional support, please contact us.

Pay your Permit Fee through the Alarm Administration Portal

Your Alarm Permit is not active until the permit fee has been paid. Please be aware that any unpaid response fees will need to be paid before the Alarm Permit is active.

Once the Alarm Permit has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email with the Alarm Administration Portal account login information, permit number and instructions to pay for the invoice.

To pay the invoice, follow these steps:

Login to the Alarm Administration Portal.
Navigate to the “Pay Online” tab.
Check the box next to the invoice(s) you need to pay and continue.
Pay for the invoice(s).

If you are unable to pay the invoice through the portal or need to pay using other methods (e.g. check or money order), please contact us for additional support.

Renew or Cancel the Alarm Permit

Renew Existing Alarm

Alarm permits must be renewed every year for each location. To renew an alarm at the existing location, visit the Renew an Alarm Permit section to learn more.

Moving Alarm to a Difference Location

Cancel Existing Alarm

Cancel an Alarm Permit

Cancellation of an alarm permit must be made in writing using the Alarm Permit Cancellation Web Form and cannot be completed in the Alarm Administration Portal. The permit cannot be canceled by phone.

An alarm permit may be canceled under the following conditions:

The system no longer meets the criteria for a permitted alarm system per the Alarm Ordinance
The alarm is disconnected or deactivated
The permit holder moves from the address and has canceled monitoring with the alarm company

If the alarm permit needs to be canceled, submit the Alarm Permit Cancellation Web Form. Before canceling the alarm permit, outstanding response fees, not including renewal fees, must be paid.

Alarm Permit Cancellation Web Form

Please do not resubmit the web form, as this will create delays.

Once you submit the web form, you will receive an automatic email confirming your submission, including the approximate wait time. Once the cancellation is approved, staff will email you with confirmation.

If you are unable to submit the web form or need additional support, please contact us.

Renew an Existing Alarm Permit

Alarm Permits are valid for one year and must be renewed, if a permit is still required. A renewal notice is emailed or mailed to the permit holder 30 days before the permit expires, but it is the responsibility of the permit holder to ensure that the permit is renewed if a notice is not received.

To renew your alarm permit and pay the invoice, follow these steps:

Login to the Alarm Administration Portal.
Navigate to the “Pay Online” tab.
Check the box next to the invoice(s) you need to pay and continue.
Pay for the invoice(s).

If you are unable to pay the invoice through the portal or need to pay using other methods (e.g. check or money order), please refer to your invoice for instructions, or contact us for additional support. Late fees may be generated if the renewal is not paid on time.

If you did not receive a notice, contact us or check the Alarm Administration Portal to see if you have an outstanding invoice

Update Your Contact Information

Log in to your account on the Alarm Administration Portal to update your billing address or email address and to add or remove contacts.

If you are unable to update your contact information through the Portal, please contact us for additional support.

Alarm Permit Types

Residential - Permit type for residences. An apartment tenant must have a residential alarm permit if they have an alarm system in their unit.
Commercial - Permit type for commercial buildings, including common areas in condominiums.
Principal (Apartment Complex) - Permit type for non-residential areas in apartment complexes, including a common tenant area, office, storage, or equipment area. These are considered a singular alarm site. This permit-type does not apply to common areas in condominiums. As of Oct. 1, 2024, master permits are no longer required.

To view fees associated with the alarm permit types, visit the Alarm Fees & Penalties section.

False Alarms

Police respond to thousands of false alarm calls every year. A false alarm is an alarm notification to the Police Department resulting in a finding by a responding officer or a subsequent investigation that there is no evidence of an actual or attempted unauthorized intrusion, robbery, attempted robbery, or other illegal activity. These unnecessary responses are costly and dangerous because they divert police, fire, and EMS resources from actual emergencies. There are easy steps you and your alarm dealer can take to prevent false alarms.

Common Causes

Know the common causes of false alarms:

User error
Unlocked or loose doors and windows
Children, neighbors, maintenance/repair workers, or cleaning crews
Balloons, plants, or curtains caught in drafts
Pets or other wildlife
Equipment malfunction

Preventing False Alarms

Before you activate your alarm system:

Make sure anyone who uses the system is fully educated on its proper operation. This may include domestic/cleaning crews, children, neighbors, caretakers, and temporary staff.
Make sure you securely close and lock all protected doors and windows.
Keep pets, balloons, fans, heaters, etc., away from motion sensor areas.
Know and rehearse the process to cancel an accidental alarm. Anyone with your key should know this process.
Know how much time you have after you arm your system to leave and disarm your system when you enter.

What to do if you set off your alarm accidentally:

Don’t panic. Carefully enter your disarm code to reset your system.
Wait for your alarm company or central monitoring station to call and give your password or ID card number.
Do not leave your home or business until you have talked with your monitoring station. Post the number by your control panel. If you don’t hear from them, call and cancel the police dispatch.
Do not call 911 to cancel alarm activations. You must call your monitoring station.

More false alarm prevention tips:

Train anyone with a key or access to monitored areas on complete system operation, including children, neighbors, employees, maintenance and repair workers, and cleaning crews.
Always keep doors and windows locked when the alarm is in an “on” mode to reduce the chance that friends, neighbors, or customers enter and cause the alarm to activate.
If you have pets, take special care to purchase an alarm system that is tolerant of pets. You may not want to purchase motion detectors if your pets have a free run of the house when the alarm is on. Also, sometimes barking dogs can activate glass break detectors.
Be aware of common triggers that can set off motion detectors in your home or business, such as balloons: banners or signs; plants or curtains caught in drafts; stacked items, such as boxes, that may fall.
Review with your alarm company the procedures that you expect them to follow when your alarm activates, including any special instructions (e.g., attempt to contact more than one person before requesting emergency dispatch or only notify police if both exterior and interior zones are activated). Put your instructions in writing.
Have a maintenance contract with a licensed alarm company and have your alarm system checked every year.
Notify your alarm company if you:
- Plan any home improvements or renovation projects, such as changing phone systems, the configuration of a room, adding a wall, rearranging cubicles, installing skylights or ceiling fans, or even fumigating;
- Plan to change your alarm system batteries, causing an interruption in your system power supply; or
- Acquire a pet or will have guests or workers in your home.

Appealing False Alarms

Please read these instructions and guidelines in their entirety before you complete an Appeal Request Form ^(PDF). NOTE: Appeals are only granted to alarm users with existing permits. Non-permitted users are not eligible.

Request an Appeal

Gather Documents

Gather facts, documents, and/or records to prove the alarm was generated by a permitted alarm system (e.g., copy of the active permit for the alarm site) and one or more of the following:

Alarm was true and not false (e.g., copy of the police report confirming a break-in or robbery);
Alarm did not occur at your location (e.g., copy of a police report, alarm company activity report showing no alarms occurred on the incident date, and/or letter from your alarm company indicating no request was issued to dispatch Austin Police Department);
You were not the owner of the property at the time of the false alarm; or
The site is outside the Austin Police Department's jurisdiction, so the City of Austin's Alarm Ordinance does not apply to it.

Complete Request Form & Submit

Complete an Appeal Request Form ^(PDF) and send it, along with all supporting documentation, to City of Austin PDC, Attn: DSD Alarm Administration, P.O. Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767, or email it to dsdalarm@austintexas.gov.

NOTE: Submit the completed form and supporting documentation before the 10th day following the mailing date of the notice.

An appeal will not be granted if the alarm was activated due to any of the following reasons, including but not limited to:

Caretakers who watch homes or businesses when owners are away
An occurrence where no evidence of criminal activity is present
Alarm activation which occurs while alarm technicians are repairing or servicing the alarm system
Glass break detectors which activate due to noise/sound other than actual glass breakage
Door and/or windows that become loose and cause a break in the contacts which activate the alarm
Alarms caused by apartment management employees
Faulty, defective or malfunctioning equipment supplied by the alarm business
Improper installation or maintenance by the alarm business
Improper monitoring by the alarm business
Improper use by the alarm user
Mistake made by private contractors, housekeepers, cleaning crews, etc.
Items within the home or business that move, causing motion detectors to activate (e.g., curtains, signs, balloons, etc.)
Pets, rodents, and/or wildlife

Alarm Fees & Penalties

Fees

View the Emergency Response and Assistance Fee Schedule ^(PDF) for a complete list of fees.

Penalties for Operating an Alarm Without a Permit

$220 for each response to a non-permitted location
Operator is subject to Class C misdemeanor charges with a fine of $75.00 for the first occurrence and $100.00 for the second and subsequent occurrence

Contact Us

Alarm staff are available by phone and email to answer any questions and provide additional support.

Phone: 3-1-1

Email: dsdalarm@austintexas.gov