Houston alarm permit and false alarm fees
Houston lists an administrative fee with commercial alarm permits. Its burglar schedule has three free false alarms, then paid tiers. The permit is subject to revocation and no police response after the seventh false burglar alarm.
Checked against the city's published material on 17 October 2026. Ordinances change. Confirm anything you are about to act on with the city.
What it costs
| Annual permit, commercial | $167.84 |
|---|---|
| Annual permit, residential | $50 |
| Free burglar alarms, 12 months | 3 |
| 4th and 5th false burglar alarm | $50 |
| 6th and 7th false burglar alarm | $75 |
| 8th and every one after false burglar alarm | $100 |
Calculate false burglar alarm costs.
The part that catches people
Commercial permit fees. The burglar permit is $134.28 plus a $33.56 administrative fee, for $167.84 total. The combined burglar and panic permit is $268.56 plus $33.56, for $335.68 total.
Residential permits. The residential burglar permit is $50. Do not add the administrative fee to this permit.
Permit revocation. The 2026 schedule states that residential and non-residential permits are subject to revocation and no police response after the seventh false burglar alarm.
Separate alarm counts. Panic alarms use a separate fee schedule. Use the city schedule before budgeting for panic alarms.
How this compares
Most cities in this comparison charge $50, then $75, then $100 for false burglar alarms. Grand Prairie charges $50 from the fourth through the tenth and lists suspension at the eleventh. Permit fees, separate alarm counts and response rules need their own check.
Compare all eleven Texas cities side by side.
Source
City of Houston 2026 alarm application and fee schedule, revised December 2025, page 2. Primary source. City of Houston Burglar Alarm Administration.
City of Houston burglar and panic alarms permitting, current application link.
City of Houston city-wide fee schedule.
Other Texas cities
- Austin charges $110 for a commercial alarm permit
- San Antonio starts silent alarm fees at the second call
Recurring false alarms need a closer look. Start with the call list, the monitoring contract and the panel settings. Our alarm ordinance and nuisance alarm review traces which of the three is doing it. We do not install, service or monitor anything.