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Arlington Alarm Permit: Cost, False Alarm Fees and How to Register
In Arlington, any home alarm meant to summon police, monitored or not, needs a $50-a-year Arlington Police Department permit before it is turned on (people 65 and older and 100% disabled veterans don't pay the fee). After three free false alarms in 12 months, each costs $50 to $100.[1,2]
Arlington alarm permit at a glance
| Who needs a permit | Homes and businesses inside the City of Arlington with an alarm meant to summon Arlington police.[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Which alarms are covered | Any alarm meant to summon police, whether or not a company monitors it, including an alarm that only sounds or flashes at the property if it can be heard or seen outside. Vehicle alarms, alarms that only alert people inside with no outside signal, and personal emergency (medical alert) systems are excluded.[2] |
| Residential permit fee | New: $50 Renewal: $50 · valid 12 months[2,1] |
| Fee exemptions | People 65 and older and 100% disabled veterans do not pay the permit fee if the permit address is their primary residence. They still need a permit.[1,2] |
| Free false alarms | 3 in any rolling 12 months[2,1] |
| If you have no permit | Police usually respond to burglar alarms only at addresses with a valid permit. They still respond to panic and hold-up alarms and to alarms called in by a neighbor or other third party, and an address without a permit gets a citation.[1] |
| Runs the program | Arlington Police Department, Alarm Office[1] |
| When to apply | Before the alarm system is turned on. There is no warning or grace period.[1] |
False alarm fees in Arlington
False alarms are counted over any rolling 12 months[2,1]. Each fee below is charged per false alarm.
Residential false alarms (with a permit)
If false alarms keep happening: The police chief must revoke a permit after 8 or more false alarms in the preceding 12 months, after 6 false alarms in 12 months caused by faulty equipment, or for unpaid service fees, among other grounds. A revocation can last up to six months, and operating an alarm while the permit is revoked is an offense.[2]
How to get or renew a permit in Arlington
- Apply or renew online at ap.arlingtontx.gov[1].
- Questions: call the Arlington Police alarm office at 817-459-6472[1].
- Address: Arlington Police Department Alarm Office, 620 W. Division St., Arlington (applications can be dropped off any time; processed weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.).[1]
- Give your permit number to your alarm monitoring company.
- Renew every year with an updated application and the $50 fee. The code asks you to send the renewal at least 10 days before the permit expires; the city mails a renewal letter about four weeks ahead. An expired permit is deleted and you must apply for a new one.[2,1]
Who files: The alarm user at each address (a homeowner, tenant or business), not the alarm company. Each apartment resident with an alarm needs their own permit, and each office suite needs its own.[1,2]
Good to know
- Self-installed and self-monitored systems: Self-installed and unmonitored alarms need a permit too. The rule covers any alarm meant to summon police, whether or not an alarm company monitors it.[1]
- Panic and hold-up alarms: Police respond to all human-activated alarms, such as panic and hold-up alarms, even at an address without a permit (which gets a citation). The code does not set a separate fee schedule for them.[1]
- Before police are sent: Before passing an alarm to police, the monitoring company must try to verify every alarm signal by phone or other electronic means, and must give police your permit number.[2,1]
- Not sure which rules apply to your address?: Not confirmed. The city's alarm page does not include an address lookup. If you are not sure your address is inside Arlington city limits, ask the Arlington Police alarm office at 817-459-6472.[1]
- Nearby rules differ: City of Fort Worth has its own permit and fees. See Fort Worth alarm permit rules.
- Nearby rules differ: City of Dallas has its own permit and fees. See Dallas alarm permit rules.
Business and other non-residential alarms
Avoiding false alarms
- Make sure everyone who has a code knows how to disarm the system and cancel an alarm.
- Keep your monitoring company's contact list up to date so they can reach someone quickly.
- Let your monitoring company know before guests, contractors or pet sitters use the house.
- Check that doors and windows are fully closed before you arm the system.
- Replace low sensor batteries promptly.
Thinking about a professionally installed, monitored system? See how SafeStreets installation works.
Sources
- City of Arlington Police Department, Register/Renew Alarm Permits. Burglar Alarm Fact Sheet and FAQs. www.arlingtontx.gov. Checked October 27, 2026.
- City of Arlington City Secretary, Ordinances Governing Alarm Systems in the City of Arlington (Alarm Systems chapter) — Amended by Ordinance No. 14-029 (May 27, 2014). Art. I definitions; Secs. 2.01, 2.06, 3.08, 5.01, 6.01, 8.01. www.arlingtontx.gov. Checked October 27, 2026.
Updates
- October 27, 2026 — first published from official sources.