Revocation of alarm permit; denied renewal; termination of police department response.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 11-70
in effectSec. 11-70. - Revocation of alarm permit; denied renewal; termination of police department response.
(a) Grounds for revocation or denial. An alarm permit shall be revoked or denied renewal by the director for any of the following reasons:
(1) Unpaid amounts. The permit holder has failed to make full payment to the city for any fees and penalties due under this article within 90 days after the date the director mailed a notice to the permit holder that the fees and penalties are due and owing, or within 15 days following the date of mailing or delivery of the decision notice adverse to the permit holder if an appeal has been timely filed;
(2) Burglar alarm system; excessive false alarms. The permit holder of a burglar alarm system on a residential or non-residential alarm site accrues more than seven false alarms during the preceding 12-month period;
(3) Panic or holdup alarm system; excessive false alarms. The permit holder of a panic or holdup alarm system accrues more than:
3 ..... | false alarms in the preceding ..... | 1-month period;
4 ..... | false alarms in the preceding ..... | 3-month period;
5 ..... | false alarms in the preceding ..... | 6-month period; or
6 ..... | false alarms in the preceding ..... | 12-month period.
(4) Code violations. The permit holder has violated any applicable provision of this article or has failed to perform any duty imposed by this Code; or
(5) Other grounds. Any fact or circumstance exists that would be a basis for denial of an application for issuance or renewal of an alarm permit, or the alarm permit was otherwise obtained or issued in error.
(b) Effect of alarm permit revocation or expiration. Upon revocation or expiration of the alarm permit by the director, the alarm system becomes a non-permitted alarm system, and all penalties, fees and punishments authorized by this article for a non-permitted alarm system are applicable.
(c) Notice of alarm permit denial or revocation. If the director denies an application for an alarm permit or revokes an alarm permit, the director shall cause a denial or revocation notice to be sent to the applicant at the address set out in the permit application and shall maintain a copy thereof. The notice shall state the reasons for the denial or revocation and advise the applicant of the right to a hearing as provided in section 11-71 of this Code.
(d) Termination of police response. The police department may decline or terminate police department response to any alarm site at any time without notice at the discretion of the police chief, except in those instances where a denial of response would be prohibited by state law.
(Ord. No. 08-387, § 2, 4-30-08; Ord. No. 2019-189, §§ 13, 14, 3-27-2019)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH11BUFIALPRSE_ARTIIIBUALPAALOTSIALSY_S11-70REALPEDERETEPODEREFetched: 10/26/2026