How it Works: Alarm Permit Basics

Many cities and municipalities require a permit in order for police and fire responders to be dispatched by an alarm system. In other instances, your area may not require any permit or registration. After you sign up for professional monitoring, Ring will email you instructions on how to proceed with your permit, or let you know if one is not required for your jurisdiction.

Quick Facts About Permits and Ring Alarm

  • Who is responsible for getting the permit? That depends. Some municipalities specify that the permit should be acquired by:

    • You, the owner
    • Ring on your behalf
  • Who pays the permit fee? Sometimes there is a small one-time or recurring fee for getting the permit. This fee is determined by the municipality, and not by Ring. If Ring is responsible for getting your permit, you will need to pay:

    • The cost to obtain the permit.
    • Any one-time or recurring payment.

Sometimes the permit or registration does not have an expiration date, but in other areas it may need to be renewed on a scheduled basis.

How to obtain a Permit

After successfully signing up for Ring Alarm professional monitoring, you will receive an email indicating if your municipality requires a permit, and who is responsible for obtaining the permit. If there is a cost for obtaining the permit, you will be sent a link where you can pay the permit fee. Permits will not be obtained until paid for.

Once you obtain any necessary permits (if needed), you should add any permit numbers (if provided) to your Ring account. Simply open the app, tap Settings, then tap Monitoring, then tap Permits, and enter your permit number in the space provided.

This is a brief overview of Alarm permits, for further details please check out this Ring Help Center article about the permit application process.