Alarm Response

By city ordinance, all alarm systems in the city must be registered. An alarm system is defined in city ordinance as a device or series of devices which transmit a signal indicating an alarm condition and intended to summon law enforcement. Alarm system does not include a local alarm or an alarm installed on a vehicle.

There is a fee charged for alarm registration. Each alarm system site or location must have a separate registration form. Effective October 1, 2014, the fee schedule is:

$35.00 for Residential Alarm Applications (PDF) and Annual Renewals
$75.00 for Commercial Alarm Applications (PDF) and Annual Renewals

Completed applications and payment may be submitted in person at Texarkana, Texas Municipal Building during normal business hours Monday - Thursday or by mailing them to:

CITY OF TEXARKANA, TEXAS
Alarm Administration Office

Physical Address
220 Texas Blvd
Texarkana, TX 75501

Mailing Address
220 Texas Blvd
Texarkana, TX 75501

Officers will respond to each alarm, investigate each alarm, and submit a report on a prescribed form regardless of whether it was an actual alarm, false alarm or non-registered alarm.

Any changes in the registration information must be forwarded to the Alarm Administration Office within five (5) working days of the change.

The registration is valid for one (1) year and must be renewed annually unless otherwise revoked by the City or terminated by the owner.

A person will be allowed three (3) false police alarms within a 365-day period without charge. The owner/operator will be assessed a $50.00 administrative fee for each subsequent false alarm in the 365-day period.

If weather conditions cause a large number of alarms to go off at the same time, it will not be considered a false alarm. Isolated activation of alarms due to weather would be determined actual or false at the Officer’s discretion. (The alarm setting may be too sensitive.)

All alarms must go through a third party for screening. No direct dialers to the Police Department are permitted.

Registration forms are available online and at the Texarkana, Texas City Hall -3rd floor.

At this time, there are no permits required for residential or commercial fire alarm systems. However, commercial fire alarm systems require plans and component specifications for the system to be submitted to the Fire Prevention Office for review and approval before the installation begins. Contact the Building and Life Safety Division at 903-798-3995 for further information.

In order to make alarm response more efficient, the City of Texarkana, Texas has basic requirements for address number placement. Please review these guidelines, available on our Fire Department page.