Home Security Early Termination Fees by Provider (2026)
As of October 2026, published early termination fees on 36-month home security contracts are 75% of the remaining monthly charges at ADT, 80% at Frontpoint and 100% at Brinks Home. Vivint sets its fee in each service agreement and does not publish the formula. SimpliSafe, Abode and Cove sell no-contract monitoring, so there is no fee.
Figures researched 2026-10-01; each source below carries its access date. Prices change; treat any price here as "as of" its date.
Early termination fees by provider
Each row below comes from the provider's own terms or support pages, checked October 2026. "Remaining charges" means the monthly monitoring fees left on the initial contract term.
| Provider | Contract term | Published early termination charge |
|---|---|---|
| ADT (professional install) | 36 months (24 months in California) | Up to 75% of the monthly service charges due for the balance of the initial term |
| Frontpoint | 36 months on Ultimate, Interactive and Video-Only plans | Up to 80% of the monthly charges for the remainder of the term |
| Brinks Home | Usually 36 months | The remaining monthly fees in full (100%) |
| Vivint | 36 months for the $24.99 monitoring rate; month-to-month if equipment is paid upfront | Fees "as outlined in the Vivint service agreement"; amount not published on the support pages we checked |
| ADT Blu (self setup) | Month-to-month, one-month minimum | No multi-year term to buy out |
| SimpliSafe | No contract, cancel any time | None |
| Abode | Contract-free, monthly or annual | None; Abode states zero cancellation fees |
| Cove | No contracts | None |
The percentage matters less than the months left. A 75% fee with 30 months remaining costs far more than a 100% fee with 3 months remaining, so the first number to find is your contract end date. ADT customers can find it in MyADT; the steps are in our guide to canceling ADT.
What canceling early costs in dollars
Here is the arithmetic on each company's published contract rate as of October 2026: ADT's promotional pro-install plan from $59.99/mo, and the $49.99/mo rate that both Frontpoint (Ultimate, regular price) and Brinks (promotional terms) publish. These are our calculations; your bill depends on your own contracted rate.
| Months left | ADT, 75% of $59.99/mo | Frontpoint, 80% of $49.99/mo | Brinks, 100% of $49.99/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | $1,349.78 | $1,199.76 | $1,499.70 |
| 24 | $1,079.82 | $959.81 | $1,199.76 |
| 12 | $539.91 | $479.90 | $599.88 |
| 3 | $134.98 | $119.98 | $149.97 |
For Frontpoint pricing in more detail, see Frontpoint cost; for Vivint's plan prices, see Vivint monitoring cost.
Two other balances can land on top of the termination fee:
- Financed equipment. ADT's financing terms say the full remaining equipment and installation balance is due immediately when the related ADT services end. Vivint and Brinks both say a financed equipment balance stays owed under the separate financing agreement after you cancel.
- Add-on service plans. Brinks' promotional offers require its Brinks Home Plus service plan, and its terms set a separate termination charge for the extended service plan: cancel during the initial term and you owe 100% of the remaining payments on that plan too.
Ways out without paying the full fee
Providers publish a few exceptions. None is automatic, and each needs documentation.
- Moving. Vivint says customers moving mid-term can take service with them (availability to be confirmed) and asks them to call its Customer Loyalty Team. For its Self Setup, smart home security and Blu systems, ADT asks customers to call (866) 321-4238 at least 30 days before a move, and our moving with a security system guide covers how each company handles relocation.
- Military service. Vivint says it waives early termination fees for eligible active U.S. military personnel (or those discharged in the prior 12 months) who are deploying for 90 days or more, ordered to move, retiring after 20 or more years, or medically discharged and relocating. Vivint also states that the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act does not apply to its alarm agreements.
- Age and health. Vivint says customers 65 or older who cancel because of a medical condition or a move to a care facility may be eligible to cancel without an early termination fee. It reviews deaths, bankruptcies and other circumstances case by case.
- Transfer. Vivint lists an account transfer option for customers who cannot finish their agreement.
- Wait it out. If only a few months remain, paying monitoring until the end date can cost little more than the fee, and you keep protection while you line up a replacement.
If contract risk is the reason you are shopping, the no-contract security systems guide covers systems with no term at all. If you still want professional installation, our quote tool fetches quotes from monitoring providers, and you can ask each one for the contract term and termination clause in writing before you sign. Whether paid monitoring is worth a contract in the first place is covered in is professional monitoring worth it.
Frequently asked questions
- What is ADT's early termination fee?
- ADT's residential terms say that on early termination of its 36-month monitoring contract it may charge 75% of the monthly service charges due for the balance of the initial term. California contracts are 24 months. At $59.99 a month with 24 months left, that is $1,079.82 by our arithmetic.
- What is Vivint's cancellation fee?
- Vivint says cancellations may be subject to early termination or other fees as outlined in each customer's service agreement, found in the Documents section of the online Account Center. It does not publish the formula on its support pages, so read your own agreement. Any financed equipment balance stays owed to the lender.
- What does Brinks Home charge to cancel early?
- Brinks says its monitoring plan is a contract for the agreed term, usually 36 months, and that canceling early means paying the remaining monthly fees in full. Its Brinks Home Plus service plan, which its promotional offers require, carries a separate 100% termination charge during the initial term.
- Which home security companies have no cancellation fee?
- Of the providers covered here, SimpliSafe, Abode and Cove publish no-contract monitoring with no cancellation fee, and ADT's self-setup line requires only a one-month minimum. Vivint offers month-to-month monitoring when you pay for equipment upfront.
Sources
- ADT pro install requires a 36-month monitoring contract starting at $59.99/mo (24 months in California); upon early termination ADT may charge 75% of monthly service charges due for the balance of the initial term; ADT Blu plans are month-to-month with a one-month minimum: https://www.adt.com/about-adt/legal/residential-terms-and-conditions (accessed 2026-10-01)
- ADT financing: full remaining balance for equipment and installation due immediately upon termination of the related ADT services: https://www.adt.com/about-adt/legal/residential-terms-and-conditions1 (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Frontpoint Ultimate $49.99/mo, Interactive $44.99/mo, Video-Only from $14.99/mo, each governed by a 36-month contract; early termination may result in a fee of 80% of the monthly charges for the remainder of the term: https://www.frontpointsecurity.com/offer-details (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Brinks Home: monitoring plan is a contract for the agreed term (usually 36 months); canceling early means paying the remaining monthly fees in full: https://brinkshome.com/help-center/articles/Understanding_Your_BrinksHome_Fees (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Brinks Home promotional terms require a minimum 36-month monitoring contract starting at $49.99/mo; Brinks Home Plus service plan required with promotional offers; canceling the extended service plan during the initial term costs 100% of remaining payments: https://brinkshome.com/terms (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Brinks Home may charge an early termination fee as set in the monitoring contract; financed equipment balances remain owed under the financing contract: https://brinkshome.com/faqs (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Vivint: cancellations may be subject to early termination or other fees as outlined in the service agreement; financed equipment balances remain owed; customers 65+ canceling for medical reasons or a care-facility move may be eligible to cancel without an ETF; other circumstances reviewed case by case: https://support.vivint.com/article/Policy-Cancellation (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Vivint: customers moving mid-term can take Vivint with them (call to confirm availability) via the Customer Loyalty Team; account transfer option for customers unable to fulfill the agreement: https://support.vivint.com/article/Policy-FrequentlyAskedQuestions (accessed 2026-10-01)
- ADT: call (866) 321-4238 at least 30 days before moving to discuss options (ADT Self Setup, ADT smart home security and ADT Blu systems): https://help.adt.com/article/adt-Smart-Home-Security-What-to-Do-if-I-am-Moving (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Vivint waives early termination fees for eligible military personnel (active, or discharged within 12 months) deploying 90+ days, ordered to move, retiring after 20+ years, or medically discharged and relocating; SCRA does not apply to Vivint alarm agreements: https://support.vivint.com/article/Policy-Military-Family (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Vivint HomeProtect: $24.99/mo monitoring with a 36-month agreement, or $349.99 upfront with $29.99/mo monitoring and no long-term contract: https://www.vivint.com/resources/article/no-contract-home-security-vs-contract (accessed 2026-10-01)
- SimpliSafe monitoring plans: no contract, cancel any time, billed monthly: https://simplisafe.com/features-alarm-monitoring (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Abode plans are contract-free with zero cancellation fees or penalties: https://goabode.com/plans/ (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Cove: no contracts: https://www.covesmart.com/ (accessed 2026-10-01)
Related guides
- Home Security Financing: 0% Offers and Their Fine Print Home security equipment financing from Vivint, ADT and others, per their published terms: APR, term length and the tie to monitoring.
- Home Security for Elderly Parents: Monitoring That Makes Sense Monitored home security for an aging parent: panic buttons, medical alert crossover, monitored smoke and CO, false alarm handling, and family app access.
- Home Security With No Credit Check: Who Skips It (2026) Which home security companies check credit and which do not, per their published terms, and the trade-offs of paying upfront instead.
- How Long Do Security Systems Last? Lifespans, Batteries, and Sunset Dates Security system lifespan by the published specs: sensor battery lives, the 10-year smoke alarm rule, warranty terms, and network shutdowns that retire panels.
- How to Cancel ADT Without Overpaying How to cancel ADT: the phone number, the online path, what the 36 month contract's 75 percent early termination charge costs, and ways to avoid paying it.