Yes. If your alarm makes a sound or is monitored so that police get sent when it goes off, the City of Dallas requires a security alarm permit for the address. Without one, Dallas police will not respond to the alarm. That is the part most people miss, and it is the whole reason you installed the system.
Here is what the permit costs, what happens with false alarms, and how to register, taken from the City of Dallas and Dallas Police Department pages.
Who needs a Dallas alarm permit
The City says a permit is required “if you have a security alarm that is audible and/or monitored to provide police response.” That covers most home and business systems, including monitored systems you set up yourself. The rule comes from Dallas City Code, Article I, Section 15C-2(b): the police chief “shall refuse police response to any alarm notification from an alarm site that does not have a valid alarm permit.” Source: Dallas Police Department, General Alarm Information.
The permit belongs to the address and the person on it. It cannot be transferred to someone else or to a new address, so if you move or buy a home that already has an alarm, you need a permit in your own name.
How much the permit costs
| Permit | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| Residence | $50 |
| Business | $100 |
The permit renews every year, and the City mails a renewal notice about 30 days before it expires. Source: City of Dallas, Online Security Alarm Permit Registrations.
What false alarms cost
A permitted address gets three free false burglar alarms in any 12-month period. After that, each false alarm carries a service fee:
| False burglar alarm in 12 months | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1st to 3rd | Free |
| 4th, 5th and 6th | $50 each |
| 7th and 8th | $75 each |
| 9th and after | $100 each |
Panic and hold-up alarms are charged differently. For a home, every false panic alarm is $100. For a business, the first false panic or hold-up alarm is $100, the second $200, the third $300 and every one after that $400.
An alarm counts as false when the officers who respond find no sign of a crime or an attempted crime. Renewing or reinstating your permit does not reset the count or add free false alarms. If a fee goes unpaid, the City can revoke the permit, and police response stops again.
How to register in Dallas
- Online: dallasalarmpermit.com, the City’s registration and payment site.
- Phone: 855-809-2058.
- Mail: Dallas Police Department, Alarm Permit Compliance Unit, P.O. Box 840186, Dallas, TX 75284-0186.
- Questions: the Dallas Police Alarm Unit is on 214-671-4120.
You will need the address, the name of the person responsible for the alarm, and your alarm company’s details. Tell the Dallas Police Department within two business days if any of that changes.
How to keep false alarms down
- Give everyone who uses the house or office their own code, and show them how to disarm before they need to.
- Keep pets out of rooms covered by motion sensors, or use sensors set up for pets.
- Close and latch doors and windows before arming. A door that rattles in the wind is a common cause.
- Change backup batteries when the panel asks. Low batteries cause faults.
- Tell your monitoring company before you have work done on the house or the system.
Most false alarms come from the people using the system, not the equipment. A system that is set up for the building and explained properly on the day it goes in is the best way to stay inside the three free ones.
Other DFW cities
Dallas is not the only city with an alarm permit. Several cities around DFW run their own permit programs with their own fees and rules. If your home or business is outside Dallas city limits, check with that city’s police department before the system goes live.
Getting an alarm installed in Dallas
We install alarm systems, cameras and 24/7 monitoring across Dallas and DFW, and we can point you to the right permit form for your city on the day we install the system. Call (469) 809-6009 for a free on-site quote, or read more about alarm system installation and our work in Dallas.