--- title: Do Police Respond to Burglar Alarms in Albuquerque? description: APD skips alarm calls at unpermitted homes and businesses. See how Albuquerque police alarm response works and how to get permitted. image: https://www.wirednm.com/hubfs/Red%20Alarm%20at%20the%20Desert%20Office%20Entrance.png --- [Skip to content](https://www.wirednm.com/wired-blog/albuquerque-police-alarm-response#main-content) [![Built for Connectivity, Trusted for Security. ](https://www.wirednm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/10db4c18-5fa6-4472-b609-cfd5eb6b9589.png?width=483&height=85&name=10db4c18-5fa6-4472-b609-cfd5eb6b9589.png)Homepage](https://www.wirednm.com/) - [About](https://www.wirednm.com/about-us) - [Services](https://www.wirednm.com/commercial) - [Security Products & Services](https://www.wirednm.com/commercial) - [Access Control Systems](https://www.wirednm.com/access-control-systems) - [Alarm Monitoring Services](https://www.wirednm.com/alarm-monitoring-services) - [Burglar Alarm Systems](https://www.wirednm.com/burglar-alarm-systems) - [Evolv Weapons Detection](https://www.wirednm.com/evolv-weapons-detection) - [Fire Alarms](https://www.wirednm.com/fire-alarms) - [FSJ Tactical Ballistics](https://www.wirednm.com/fsj-tactical-ballistics) - [Managed IT Services](https://www.wirednm.com/managed-it-services) - [Security Cameras](https://www.wirednm.com/security-camera-installation) - [Verkada Security](https://www.wirednm.com/verkada-security) - [ZeroEyes Gun Detection](https://www.wirednm.com/zeroeyes-weapons-detection) - [LVT Trailers](https://www.wirednm.com/mobile-security-command-trailers) - [Sound Masking & Acoustic Solutions](https://www.wirednm.com/mps-acoustics) - [VOIP](https://www.wirednm.com/proclaim-voip) - [Digital Signage](https://www.wirednm.com/mandoe-digital-signage) - [Low-Voltage](https://www.wirednm.com/low-voltage) - [Service Contracts](https://www.wirednm.com/service-contracts) - [Financing](https://www.wirednm.com/financing) - [Blog](https://www.wirednm.com/wired-blog) - [Contact Us](https://www.wirednm.com/contact-us) - [Albuquerque](https://www.wirednm.com/albuquerque) - [Belen](https://www.wirednm.com/belen) - [Bernalillo](https://www.wirednm.com/bernalillo) - [Edgewood](https://www.wirednm.com/edgewood) - [Los Lunas](https://www.wirednm.com/los-lunas) - [Rio Rancho](https://www.wirednm.com/rio-rancho) - [Santa Fe](https://www.wirednm.com/santa-fe) - [Nationwide](https://www.wirednm.com/contact-us) [Get started](https://www.wirednm.com/contact-us) - [About](https://www.wirednm.com/about-us) - [Services](https://www.wirednm.com/commercial) - [Security Products & Services](https://www.wirednm.com/commercial) - [Access Control Systems](https://www.wirednm.com/access-control-systems) - [Alarm Monitoring Services](https://www.wirednm.com/alarm-monitoring-services) - [Burglar Alarm Systems](https://www.wirednm.com/burglar-alarm-systems) - [Evolv Weapons Detection](https://www.wirednm.com/evolv-weapons-detection) - [Fire Alarms](https://www.wirednm.com/fire-alarms) - [FSJ Tactical Ballistics](https://www.wirednm.com/fsj-tactical-ballistics) - [Managed IT Services](https://www.wirednm.com/managed-it-services) - [Security Cameras](https://www.wirednm.com/security-camera-installation) - [Verkada Security](https://www.wirednm.com/verkada-security) - [ZeroEyes Gun Detection](https://www.wirednm.com/zeroeyes-weapons-detection) - [LVT Trailers](https://www.wirednm.com/mobile-security-command-trailers) - [Sound Masking & Acoustic Solutions](https://www.wirednm.com/mps-acoustics) - [VOIP](https://www.wirednm.com/proclaim-voip) - [Digital Signage](https://www.wirednm.com/mandoe-digital-signage) - [Low-Voltage](https://www.wirednm.com/low-voltage) - [Service Contracts](https://www.wirednm.com/service-contracts) - [Financing](https://www.wirednm.com/financing) - [Blog](https://www.wirednm.com/wired-blog) - [Contact Us](https://www.wirednm.com/contact-us) - [Albuquerque](https://www.wirednm.com/albuquerque) - [Belen](https://www.wirednm.com/belen) - [Bernalillo](https://www.wirednm.com/bernalillo) - [Edgewood](https://www.wirednm.com/edgewood) - [Los Lunas](https://www.wirednm.com/los-lunas) - [Rio Rancho](https://www.wirednm.com/rio-rancho) - [Santa Fe](https://www.wirednm.com/santa-fe) - [Nationwide](https://www.wirednm.com/contact-us) [Get started](https://www.wirednm.com/contact-us) ![A red alarm strobe flashes above the entrance of a closed Albuquerque business at night with an empty parking lot out front.](https://www.wirednm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Red%20Alarm%20at%20the%20Desert%20Office%20Entrance.png?width=1672&height=941&name=Red%20Alarm%20at%20the%20Desert%20Office%20Entrance.png) # Do Police Respond to Burglar Alarms in Albuquerque? ![Wired](https://7528315.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hub/7528315/hubfs/raw_assets/public/mV0_d-cms-elevate-theme_hubspot/elevate/images/avatar-placeholder.jpg?width=48&height=48&name=avatar-placeholder.jpg) Wired November 5, 2026 **Quick Answer:** Albuquerque police only respond to alarms at homes and businesses with an active city alarm permit, and dispatch needs your permit number on every call. APD also stops responding to locations with more than ten false alarms in a permit year. Keep your permit current, use monitoring that verifies alarms, and keep false alarms low. Albuquerque police alarm response depends on something most business owners never think about: your alarm permit. In August 2024, the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) stopped sending officers to alarms at homes and businesses without an active permit from the city's False Alarm Reduction Unit (FARU). If your permit lapsed, or the city never received your information, officers will not come when your alarm goes off. The good news is that you can fix this quickly. This guide explains how the rule works, how to keep police coming to your alarm, how to get permitted, and what happens to your permit when your business moves. ## How Does Albuquerque Police Alarm Response Work? APD sends officers to an alarm only when the property holds a valid permit and the caller gives dispatch that permit number. KOB 4 reported on the change in 2024, and APD's deputy chief summed it up plainly: no permit means no response. Here is what happens when a monitored burglar alarm goes off at your business: 1. Your alarm sends a signal to your monitoring company. 2. The monitoring company calls you or your contact list to check whether the alarm is real. City rules require this call before the company contacts police. 3. If no one cancels the alarm, the company calls APD dispatch and gives your permit number. 4. Dispatch checks the permit. A valid permit gets a response. A missing or expired permit does not. APD also stops responding to locations with more than ten false alarms in a permit year. That makes false alarms a real security risk for your business, on top of the fees they bring. ## How Can I Make Sure Police Respond to My Alarm? You can make sure police respond to your alarm by keeping your city permit active, giving your monitoring company your permit number, and keeping false alarms to a minimum. Each step takes little effort, and together they keep your business on APD's response list. - **Confirm your permit status.** Call FARU at 505-768-2144 and ask whether your account shows as permitted. KOB 4 found a business owner whose city records showed "unpermitted" even though he had paid in full, so check even if you think you're covered. - **Renew on time.** FARU sends renewal notices 30 days before your permit year ends. Pay right away so your coverage never lapses. - **Give your monitoring company your permit number.** Dispatch asks for it on every alarm call. - **Use monitoring that verifies alarms.** A monitoring company that calls you first catches false alarms before they ever reach APD. Learn where to get [professional alarm monitoring](https://www.wirednm.com/alarm-monitoring-services) for Albuquerque businesses. - **Keep your call list current.** Tell your alarm company about new phone numbers, new managers, new business hours, and new key holders. - **Train every key holder.** Anyone who opens or closes your building should know how to arm the system, disarm it, and cancel a false alarm. - **Fix sensors that trip in the wind.** Albuquerque's spring winds and monsoon storms can rattle loose doors and set off sensitive motion detectors. If storms trigger your system, ask your alarm company to adjust the sensitivity. ### What If I Already Have False Alarms on My Record? The city gives you three free false alarms each permit year. After the third, each false alarm adds a service fee, and going past ten brings a larger excessive false alarm fee. If broken equipment caused a false alarm, your alarm company can send FARU a service receipt within 10 days, and the city can remove up to six of those alarms from your record each year. You can find current fee amounts on the [City of Albuquerque False Alarm Reduction Program page](https://www.cabq.gov/dfa/treasury/alarm-fees/false-alarms-reduction-program). ## How Do I Get an Alarm Permit in Albuquerque? You get an alarm permit in Albuquerque through your alarm company, which reports your new system to FARU. FARU then sends you a permit application and an invoice. Homes and businesses pay an annual permit fee of $25. Follow these steps: 1. Hire an alarm company that holds a current city alarm business permit. You can call FARU to check any company's status. 2. Watch for FARU's application and invoice after your alarm company reports your system. 3. Call FARU at 505-768-2144 if 45 days pass after installation and nothing arrives. 4. Pay the invoice. The city accepts credit and debit cards online. 5. Save your permit number and give it to your monitoring company. The city puts the final responsibility on you, the alarm user. Even if your alarm company forgets to report your system, you still need a permit. ### Does Every Alarm System Need a Permit? Yes, if your alarm is monitored or sounds loud enough to hear outside the building. That covers almost every [commercial burglar alarm system](https://www.wirednm.com/burglar-alarm-systems) in Albuquerque. Running an alarm without a permit counts as a petty misdemeanor under city rules, with a fine of up to $500, and each day counts as a separate offense. ## What Happens to My Alarm Permit If My Business Moves? Your alarm permit stays behind when you move, because Albuquerque ties each permit to one owner and one location. A new address needs a new permit, even if you bring the same equipment with you. This catches a lot of business owners off guard. Watch for these situations: - **You move to a new building.** Get a permit for the new address before you count on police response there. - **You buy a building with an alarm already in it.** The old owner's permit does not transfer to you. Contact FARU and your alarm company to set up your own account. - **You open a second location.** Because permits tie to a location, each location needs its own permit. - **You sell or close a location.** Tell your alarm company and FARU so the old account doesn't cause confusion later. When you move, plan the alarm work and the permit together. Your alarm company can report the new system to FARU as soon as it goes live, which starts your new permit sooner. If you're also comparing providers, our guide on [alarm monitoring for New Mexico businesses](https://www.wirednm.com/wired-blog/who-provides-the-best-alarm-monitoring-in-new-mexico-for-businesses) covers what to ask. ## Why Did Albuquerque Police Change Their Alarm Response Rules? Albuquerque police changed their alarm response rules because false alarms eat up a huge amount of officer time. The city's alarm ordinance states that over 95 percent of private alarm activations turn out false, and that APD spends more than 50,000 hours a year on them. That equals about 27 full-time officers. KOB 4 also reported APD data showing that 99 percent of alarm calls in 2023 never led to a police report. With fewer officers on the street, APD chose to focus on permitted alarms that a monitoring company has already checked. For business owners, the takeaway is simple. A well-kept system with verified monitoring protects your Albuquerque police alarm response. A neglected system with a lapsed permit or a long false alarm record can cost you that response. ## Need Help Keeping Your Alarm Response Ready? WiredNM installs and monitors burglar alarm systems for businesses across Albuquerque and New Mexico. If your system trips too often, your call list is out of date, or you're moving to a new building, our team can help you set it up right. [Contact WiredNM](https://www.wirednm.com/contact-us) to talk through your alarm setup. ## Share this post [mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wirednm.com%2Fwired-blog%2Falbuquerque-police-alarm-response](mailto:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wirednm.com%2Fwired-blog%2Falbuquerque-police-alarm-response) ## Keep reading ### [![Access control card reader mounted beside a glass entry door at a commercial office building in Albuquerque, New Mexico.](https://www.wirednm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Golden%20Hour%20Desert%20Entryway.png?width=1672&height=941&name=Golden%20Hour%20Desert%20Entryway.png) What is an Access Control System and How Does it Work?](https://www.wirednm.com/wired-blog/what-is-an-access-control-system) ### [![Technician terminating Cat6 PoE cable near a mounted IP security camera in an Albuquerque office](https://www.wirednm.com/hubfs/poe-cabling-security-camera-albuquerque.jfif) Cabling for Security Cameras: Can You Use What You Have?](https://www.wirednm.com/wired-blog/cabling-for-security-cameras) [![Built for Connectivity, Trusted for Security. ](https://www.wirednm.com/hs-fs/hubfs/10db4c18-5fa6-4472-b609-cfd5eb6b9589.png?width=483&height=85&name=10db4c18-5fa6-4472-b609-cfd5eb6b9589.png "Built for Connectivity, Trusted for Security. 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