Why You May Need an Alarm Permit
Many cities require an alarm permit to help fund the cost of responding to home burglar alarms and false alarms. Many police departments won’t respond to home alarms if no alarm permit is on file with the city. The authority having jurisdiction in your area may require you to register your monitored or non-monitored home alarm system with the local police department. There may be an annual fee – usually $25 to $100 – which is payable by you, the alarm system user.
Note
In most cases an alarm permit is only required on accounts subscribed to professional monitoring (Abode Pro Plan). Keep in mind that many police departments will not respond to home alarms that don’t have a valid permit, or may issue fines for responding to homes without permits.
Typically, you can web search your city name and the words "alarm permit" (e.g. Seattle alarm permit) to find the link to complete and submit the permit application for your jurisdiction. Most alarm permits are at the city-level, though in rare cases they may be at the county or state-level.
Your local police department will provide you with a permit number. If your system is professionally monitored (you have an active Pro Plan), you will need to add this permit number to the monitoring information following these steps:
In the Abode App on your iOS or Android device, select the Menu (≡).
Tap your name to open your Profile.
Tap "Alarm Permit".
4. Enter your issued permit number and tap "Save" to confirm.
What info do I need to complete the alarm permit application?
The Abode alarm system is sold on line as a "DIY" product where the owner is responsible for the installation and the maintenance of the system (e.g. ensuring batteries are charged and the system is online), not the Abode company or any other retail channels that may sale the system.
Unless the permit application requests the manufacturer's name (Abode System, Inc.) this name should not be used as the name for the installer or the support company on the alarm permit application. You can use "self-installed" or “ self-supported” or "DIY" as the name of your installer and or supported-by in the applicable field. Make sure to include any required payment with your application so your permit is active.
If the alarm manufacturer or monitoring company information is requested you can use the following information:
Alarm Company:
Abode System, Inc. (online sales of DIY alarm systems)
2625 Middlefield Rd #900
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(415) 870-7171
Monitoring Center:
Rapid Response
400 W Division St
Syracuse, NY 13204
(833) 857-4688
What if my city requires the alarm company or the monitoring service to submit the alarm permit?
Some cities may require either the alarm company or monitoring service to obtain the alarm permit from the customer and pay the fees, then collect the fees from the owner of the alarm system. If your area has these requirements, please contact us at support@goabode.com and we will be glad to submit your permit information and contact you once the process is completed.
Important
Abode Systems shall in no event be liable or responsible for damage or injury to any person or property occasioned through the use, maintenance, or operation of any Abode device, and shall be indemnified and saved harmless against claims for damage or injury in such cases.
Abode Systems shall not be responsible for the periodic testing or maintenance of any Abode system or devices or monitoring equipment or fines incurred from false alarms or related alarm permitting fines or issues. The user is responsible for obtaining their alarm permit. Contact support@goabode.com for any alarm permitting questions or help.