Short answer
Call your monitoring company, give your account passcode, and ask them to put the account on test for a set time, for example two hours. While on test they log signals but do not dispatch police or fire. When you finish, call back, ask which signals they received, and have them take the account off test.
On this page
Why it matters
Opening a panel, changing a battery, or replacing a sensor can send tamper, trouble, or alarm signals. If the account is not on test, the central station may call you and dispatch police or the fire department. Many cities charge fees for false alarms, and repeated ones can lead to a suspended alarm permit.
What to have ready
- Your monitoring company's phone number (often on a sticker on the panel or keypad, or in your contract).
- Your account number or the address on the account.
- Your verbal passcode, the word or number they ask for when they call you.
What to say
- "I'm doing maintenance on my alarm. Please put the whole account on test for two hours."
- Ask them to confirm the time the test period ends.
- If you are testing a fire or CO device, say so specifically. Some companies treat fire signals separately.
Some monitoring companies and app-based systems let you place the account on test from their app or website. Check yours before you call.
When you finish
- Trigger a test alarm if you were working on a sensor, so it reaches the central station.
- Call back and ask which signals they received. You want to hear the zone you worked on.
- Ask them to take the account off test. Do not rely on the timer alone.
If you set off an alarm by mistake
Disarm with your code right away. Most systems wait 30 seconds or so before sending a burglary alarm, and disarming within that window may cancel it. If the central station calls, answer and give your passcode. If it was a fire or CO alarm, or you are not sure why it went off, treat it as real.