Definitions.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 11-51
in effectSec. 11-51. - Definitions.
In this article, unless the context clearly otherwise requires:
Activate means the completion of all steps necessary to render an alarm system capable of carrying out its intended function of producing an alarm notification under appropriate circumstances.
Alarm notification means the receipt of notice transmitted to HEC or the police department that an alarm signal has been detected and that a police department response is being requested.
Alarm permit means a certificate issued by the department pursuant to this article authorizing a person to operate or use an alarm system in accordance with this article.
Alarm signal means the transmission of a signal, whether by electronic or other means, by an alarm system to an alarm systems company in response to an incident at the alarm site.
Alarm site means the single fixed premises or location where an alarm system is operated, used, installed or rendered capable of being activated.
Alarm subscriber means a person who directly or through another person contracts with an alarm systems company. Each alarm subscriber is deemed to be a person who operates or uses, causes or allows the operation or use of the alarm system and will be liable for the payment of permit fees, fines or penalties, or the performance of other duties and responsibilities as provided in this article.
Alarm system means any mechanical, electrical, electronic or radio-controlled alarm device or equipment designed to or that does emit or transmit an alarm signal that is designed or intended to produce an alarm notification. Alarm system includes, but is not limited to, silent, audible, panic, holdup, burglar and local alarm systems. Alarm system also includes a device designed and installed for the purpose of transferring video images reflecting existing conditions at an alarm site to an alarm systems company. The term does not include a personal emergency response system alarm, a fire alarm system designed solely to detect fire or smoke, or an alarm installed in a motor vehicle solely to prevent theft of the vehicle.
Alarm systems company means any person who engages in the business of monitoring, selling, leasing, renting, maintaining, servicing, repairing, altering, replacing, or installing alarm systems or rendering such systems capable of generating an alarm signal.
Applicant means a person who makes application to the department to obtain an alarm permit and will be liable for the payment of permit fees, fines or penalties, or the performance of other duties and responsibilities as provided in this article. The term does not include a person who merely fills out an application for another person.
Automatic dialer or automatic dialing device means any electrical, electronic, mechanical or other device capable of being programmed to send an alarm notification in the form of a prerecorded voice message to the police department or HEC over a telephone line, radio or other communication system when an alarm signal is generated.
Burglar alarm system means an alarm system designed to detect an attempted or actual unauthorized entry into the alarm site and transmit a signal to an alarm systems company for the purpose of generating an alarm notification.
Common cause means a technical difficulty or malfunction that causes an alarm system to generate a series of two or more false alarms.
Deactivate means to disconnect or render an alarm system disabled so as to prevent any possibility that the alarm system will generate an alarm signal.
Department means the department of administration and regulatory affairs.
Director means the director of the department or his designee.
False alarm means an alarm notification generated when an emergency of the kind for which the alarm system was designed did not in fact exist and a response is made by the police department within a reasonable time after the alarm notification and the police department determines from an inspection of the interior or exterior of the premises that the alarm was false. The term false alarm does not include an alarm caused by violent conditions of nature or other extraordinary circumstances not reasonably subject to the control of a permit holder.
Houston Emergency Center or HEC means the city's emergency response communications center and any employee of such center assigned to perform any duty prescribed by this article.
Individual facility means, in the context of a multi-unit housing facility, each unoccupied individual residential unit (including an apartment unit), office, storage room, utility room, shop, game room, exercise room, laundry room, hallway, vending area, lobby or similar non-residential facility.
Local alarm system means an alarm system designed and operated to generate audible or visual alarm signals at the alarm site when activated.
Multi-unit housing facility means a residential multi-unit apartment complex, town homes, condominiums, or similar housing facilities.
Non-permitted alarm system means an alarm system for which no valid alarm permit has been issued.
Non-residential alarm site means an alarm site that is not a 'residential alarm site' as defined by this section.
Panic or holdup alarm system means an alarm system that, when manually triggered by a person at the alarm site, generates an alarm signal indicating a holdup or other life-threatening emergency requiring a police department response.
Permit holder means a person to whom an alarm permit has been issued. The permit holder shall at all times be deemed a person-in-control of the alarm site.
Person shall have the meaning set forth in section 1-2 of this Code but shall not include the city or any of its departments.
Person-in-control means a person holding an alarm permit or a person who owns, leases, possesses, resides at, or manages any part of the alarm site.
Police chief means the chief of the police department, or his designee or any employee of the police department assigned by the police chief to perform any duties prescribed by this article.
Police department means the city police department.
Residential alarm site means an alarm site used solely for residential purposes, including an occupied apartment or other residential unit located in a multi-unit housing facility. Each occupied apartment or other individual residential unit in which an alarm system is operated, used, installed, or placed shall be a separate residential alarm site. All other alarm sites are non-residential.
Verify an alarm signal means to attempt to contact the alarm site and alarm subscriber or other person-in-control of the alarm site by telephone calls of at least six rings each to two separate telephone numbers, regardless of whether actual contact with an individual is made, to determine whether an alarm signal is valid.
(Ord. No. 08-387, § 2, 4-30-08; Ord. No. 2017-960, § 2, 12-13-2017; Ord. No. 2019-189, § 2, 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_S11-51DEFetched: 10/26/2026