If your home or business sits in unincorporated Bexar County — outside San Antonio’s city limits — your alarm permit doesn’t come from SAPD. It comes from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Alarm Detail, and the rules, fees and fines are different. Here’s everything you need, current as of August 2026.
Does Bexar County require an alarm permit?
Yes. Under the county’s alarm rules (adopted under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 233), no one may operate an alarm system in unincorporated Bexar County without a valid permit issued by the Sheriff’s Office. That covers homes, businesses and gated developments — even individual apartment units, which each count as a separate alarm site.
Inside San Antonio city limits? You need a City of San Antonio permit instead — see our San Antonio alarm permit guide.
How much does a Bexar County alarm permit cost?
- Residential: $40/year (new and renewal)
- Commercial: $100/year (new and renewal)
- Gated developments: $50 one-time (no renewal fee)
Permits run twelve months from the date of issuance and expire on the last day of the twelfth month. Renew before it lapses — an expired permit puts you back in the unpermitted category.
What happens if you don’t have a permit — and what do false alarms cost?
- Your first 5 false alarms per permit term carry no charge
- Every false alarm after that: $75 each
- More than 9 false alarms in a term and the county can revoke your permit
- Intentional false activation can put you on the hook for the county’s full response costs
How to apply for your Bexar County alarm permit
- Download the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office alarm permit application (PDF).
- Complete it with your alarm site address, alarm company and contact numbers.
- Submit it with the fee to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Alarm Detail.
- Mark your renewal — permits expire twelve months from issuance.
The full county rules are published in the Rules Governing the Regulation of Alarm Systems in Unincorporated Bexar County.
Not sure whether you’re in the city or the county?
Addresses with a San Antonio zip code can still sit outside city limits (and vice versa). If you’re unsure which permit applies, just ask us — we pull the right permit paperwork for every install.
Frequently asked questions
No — inside San Antonio city limits you need the City of San Antonio permit ($50/yr residential) instead. The Bexar County permit covers unincorporated areas only.
$40 per year for residential, $100 per year for commercial, and $50 one-time for gated developments. Permits run twelve months from the date of issuance.
Your first five false alarms per permit term carry no charge. After that it is $75 per false alarm, and more than nine in a term can lead to permit revocation.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office Alarm Detail administers alarm permits for unincorporated Bexar County — not SAPD and not the city.
Some do, most don’t. When Alamo Smart Home installs your system, we make sure it is permitted correctly for its jurisdiction — city or county.
Related guides
Get set up right — permit and all
When Alamo Smart Home installs your system, we walk you through registering the right permit — city or county — so you’re covered from day one. Locally owned, Texas licensed (#B05229001), monitoring from $19.99/mo with no required contract. Call (210) 625-6575 for a free quote.