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Montgomery County Alarm Permit: Cost, False Alarm Fees and How to Register
If you live in unincorporated Montgomery County (outside any city limits), you need a $20-per-year alarm permit from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office for any alarm meant to summon law enforcement, monitored or not. The county's alarm program lists the first 5 false burglar alarms each permit year as free, then $75 each, and false panic or hold-up alarms at $25 each for the first five and $100 after that; we couldn't confirm whether the two types are counted together. Without a valid permit, each false alarm costs $75 (burglar) or $100 (panic) from the first one, and operating without a permit is a misdemeanor with court fines of $75 to $500 if convicted.[1,2]
Montgomery County alarm permit at a glance
| Who needs a permit | These rules apply only to homes and businesses in unincorporated Montgomery County (outside any city limits). If your address is inside a city such as Conroe or Shenandoah, the county permit does not apply; check that city's own alarm rules.[1] |
|---|---|
| Which alarms are covered | You need a permit for any alarm meant to bring law enforcement, whether or not a company monitors it. Fire/smoke-only systems, medical alert pendants, vehicle alarms and government buildings are excluded, as are addresses inside city limits.[1] |
| Residential permit fee | New: $20 Renewal: $20 · valid 12 months[1,3,2] |
| Other permit charges | Late: $20 (the county's alarm rules say this may be charged if you renew more than 30 days after your permit expires, but the county's alarm program page (run by PMAM) lists no late renewal fee)[1] Reinstatement: $50 (may be charged to reinstate a revoked permit)[1] |
| Fee exemptions | There is no senior or low-income discount that we found. Government buildings and public schools are exempt. A false alarm isn't charged if your alarm company cancels before deputies are dispatched.[1] |
| Free false alarms | The county's alarm program lists 5 free burglar false alarms and no free panic, duress or hold-up false alarms each permit year; the county's rules count all false alarms in a permit year, and we couldn't confirm whether the two types are counted separately[2,1] |
| If you have no permit | Deputies may stop responding to your alarm if you don't have a valid permit or your permit has been revoked.[1] |
| Runs the program | Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Alarm Detail (False Alarm Reduction Program); registration, billing and online payments handled by contractor PMAM Corporation[1,3] |
| When to apply | Get the permit before your alarm is turned on. Alarm companies are not supposed to activate a system until you have it. Permits don't transfer, so a new owner or resident must apply for a new one.[1] |
False alarm fees in Montgomery County
False alarms are counted over each permit year[1,2]. These are the fee tables published by the county's alarm program (run by PMAM for the Sheriff's Office). The county's alarm rules count all false alarms in a permit year and say a panic, duress or hold-up activation may bring an additional $25 fee when the responding deputy finds no emergency, with an exception possible for testing approved in advance by the Sheriff's Office. We couldn't confirm whether burglar and panic false alarms are counted separately or together.
Residential burglar alarms (with a permit)
Residential panic and hold-up alarms (with a permit)
If false alarms keep happening: Under the county's alarm rules, one section says a permit may be revoked after 9 false alarms in a permit year and placed in non-response status, while another says it shall be revoked when deputies respond to 9 or more; unpaid fines and fees may also lead to revocation, and a permit reinstated during the year may be revoked again after 4 more false alarms that year. The Sheriff's Office decides: the county's alarm program vendor (PMAM) reports nonpayment and excessive false alarms to the Sheriff and doesn't suspend permits itself. After 5 false alarms in a permit year you must have a licensed company inspect your system. If the Sheriff's Alarm Detail denies a permit, renewal or reinstatement, you can ask for a hearing in writing within 10 days after you receive the notice. Reinstating response can require an updated application and fee, paying all citations, fees and fines, and an inspection statement; after a revocation you reapply with an alarm company's certification that the system is sound, and approval is at the Alarm Detail's discretion.[1,2]
Charges without a permit
- $75 for a burglar alarm — charged per false burglary or robbery alarm at an unregistered or expired-permit location, starting with the first (this is the charge for each such false alarm, not $75 on top of the regular $75 fee).[2]
- $100 — charged per false panic, duress or hold-up alarm at an unregistered or expired-permit location, starting with the first.[2]
- $500 maximum — charged as a court fine of up to this amount if convicted of operating an alarm without a permit (a Class C misdemeanor; fines range from $75 to $500, and each violation is a separate offense).[1]
How to get or renew a permit in Montgomery County
- Apply or renew online at www.cityalarmpermit.us[4].
- Prefer paper? Download the application (PDF)[5].
- Questions: call the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office at 888-509-9334[2,5].
- Address: Montgomery County Sheriff's Office False Alarm Reduction Program, P.O. Box 141568, Irving, TX 75014.[5]
- Give your permit number to your alarm monitoring company.
- Renew every year ($20). You should get a reminder about 30 days before it expires, but it's your job to renew; an expired permit is treated like having no permit.[1,3]
Who files: The alarm user (the homeowner, business, or apartment tenant) applies for the permit. Alarm companies must tell buyers about the permit before turning the system on.[1]
Good to know
- Self-installed and self-monitored systems: Self-monitored and unmonitored alarms still need a permit; the rules cover alarms whether or not a company monitors them, including siren-only systems. There is no special rule for self-installed systems.[1]
- Panic and hold-up alarms: Panic, duress and hold-up alarms use the same permit. The county's alarm program (run by PMAM) lists $25 each for the first five false ones and $100 each after that in a permit year, or $100 each from the first at an unregistered or expired-permit location. The county's rules say a panic, duress or hold-up activation may bring an additional $25 fee when the responding deputy finds no emergency, with an exception possible for testing approved in advance by the Sheriff's Office. We couldn't confirm whether panic and burglar false alarms are counted separately or together.[1,2]
- Before police are sent: Under the county's alarm rules, your monitoring company must try to verify every alarm signal by contacting at least two responsible parties before asking for a deputy, except for duress and hold-up alarms, and must offer a 7-day training period after installation during which it won't request dispatch unless circumstances require it. The rules don't require video or eyewitness proof before a deputy responds, but we couldn't confirm the Sheriff's Office's current dispatch practice.[1]
- Not sure which rules apply to your address?: Not confirmed. We did not find an official address lookup for checking whether an address is in unincorporated Montgomery County on the Sheriff's or PMAM alarm pages.
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.
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Sources
- Montgomery County Commissioners Court (rules adopted under Tex. Local Gov't Code ch. 233); administered by the Sheriff's Alarm Detail, Montgomery County Rules Governing Alarms (text version posted by Montgomery County; linked from the County Attorney's Ordinances page as https://www.mctx.org/ord-alarm-systems.pdf). Sections 1-16 (definitions, Sec. 3 registration/fees/exceptions, Sec. 5 renewal, Sec. 7 alarm company duties, Sec. 9 fines, Sec. 10 suspension, Sec. 11 revocation). cms1files.revize.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- PMAM Corporation for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office False Alarm Reduction Program - Ordinance At Glance (PMAM page). Permit Fees (Sec. 5), False Alarm Charges (Sec. 9), Non-Compliance (Sec. 10), Exempt Locations. www.cityalarmpermit.com. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Montgomery County Sheriff's Office False Alarm Reduction Program, operated by PMAM Corporation (portal linked by the Sheriff's Office as 'Alarm Website' / 'Alarms (PMAM)'), Montgomery County Sheriff's Office False Alarm Reduction Program - Important Information for Alarm Users (PMAM portal page). Permit Registration / False Alarm Fine. www.cityalarmpermit.us. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Montgomery County Sheriff's Office False Alarm Reduction Program, operated by PMAM Corporation, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office False Alarm Reduction Program - False Alarm Information (PMAM portal page). web page. www.cityalarmpermit.us. Checked October 28, 2026.
- Montgomery County Sheriff's Office False Alarm Reduction Program (form prepared by PMAM), Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Alarm Permit Application (PDF). fees and false alarm fine schedule. www.mctxsheriff.org. Checked October 28, 2026.
Updates
- October 28, 2026 — first published from official sources.