Security Contracts and Military Moves: SCRA Rights, Options
Generally yes, if you signed the contract before getting orders. Since a January 2023 amendment, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act lists home security services among the contracts a servicemember can end after orders to relocate for 90 days or more, with no early termination charge. You send written notice plus a copy of your orders. Equipment loans and unpaid balances still remain due.
Figures researched 2026-10-01; each source below carries its access date. Prices change; treat any price here as "as of" its date.
What the SCRA says about home security contracts
The relevant section is 50 U.S.C. 3956, which covers termination of certain consumer contracts. A 2023 amendment (Pub. L. 117-333) added home security services to the list, alongside cell phone, internet, cable TV and gym contracts. The key terms, from the statute text:
| Question | What 50 U.S.C. 3956 says |
|---|---|
| Who can terminate | A servicemember who receives military orders to relocate for not less than 90 days to a location that does not support the contract; some spouses and dependents are also covered |
| Which contracts | Contracts for home security services (among others) entered into before receiving the orders |
| How | Written or electronic notice of termination plus a copy of the military orders, with the date service should end |
| Early termination fee | The provider may not impose an early termination charge |
| What you still owe | Any tax or other obligation that is due and unpaid under the contract at the time of termination |
| Prepaid service | Refund within 60 days of amounts paid for periods after termination, except the rest of the current billing period |
| Coming back | No reinstatement charge if you re-subscribe within 90 days after the relocation ends, other than usual equipment or installation charges |
Two words in that table do a lot of work. Before receiving the orders means a contract you sign after getting orders is generally not covered by the main provision. And a location that does not support the contract is the test for whether the move qualifies, which is one reason to read the statute or ask a legal assistance office rather than rely on a summary. This page is not legal advice.
The SCRA's fee ban is not just theory. In April 2026, the Department of Justice announced that ADT would pay over $1.3 million to resolve allegations that it imposed unlawful charges on at least 3,400 servicemembers who ended home security contracts after receiving relocation orders. DOJ said ADT's 30-day notice policy violated the SCRA.
What major providers publish for military moves
Providers word their policies differently, and at least one disputes that the SCRA applies to it. As of October 2026:
| Provider | Published position | Fee on qualifying termination | What still applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADT | SCRA early termination rights extend to ADT service contracts; policy effective April 9, 2026 | No early termination fee | Remaining balance on equipment loans, pending charges and past-due balances |
| Vivint | Says the SCRA does not apply to Vivint alarm service agreements; runs its own Military Family programs instead | Waives early termination or cancellation fees for eligible personnel deployed 90 days or longer, required to move, retiring after 20 or more years, or medically discharged and relocating | Eligibility limited to active personnel or those discharged in the prior 12 months; dependents not eligible |
| SimpliSafe, Cove | Month-to-month monitoring, no contract | None to waive | Equipment you bought is yours |
ADT asks servicemembers to send a notice of intent with the requested termination date and a copy of the orders, by email to the address on its SCRA page. It says it will confirm your rights in writing and end service without an early termination fee, and that orders can include a notification or certification from a commanding officer.
Vivint also offers a Military Moves program that waives the fee to move a system to a new home off base, with a 50% discount on additional products for the new home, and a deferment that suspends the agreement during temporary assignments of less than 12 months. Its support page states that the SCRA does not apply to its alarm agreements. The statute text above lists home security services as a covered contract type, and we do not settle the disagreement here. If Vivint's own programs do not cover your situation, take the contract and your orders to a military legal assistance office before paying a termination fee.
We did not find a dedicated military or SCRA page for Brinks Home or Frontpoint in searches of their sites. If you have one of those contracts, send the notice and orders in writing anyway and keep a copy. Our table of early termination fees by provider shows what each charges outside the SCRA.
Step by step when you get orders
- Find your contract and its start date. The SCRA's main provision covers contracts entered into before you received orders. ADT customers can follow our guide to canceling ADT to find contract details.
- Check whether you financed equipment. A fee ban on terminating service does not erase an equipment loan. ADT says remaining equipment loan balances stay due. If you financed through any provider or lender, ask the lender separately about military options.
- Decide whether to cancel or move the service. If your new home is off base and the provider serves the area, moving may cost less than starting over. Our guide to moving with a security system covers what transfers.
- Send written or electronic notice with a copy of your orders and the date you want service to end. Keep proof of delivery.
- Watch the final bills. Prepaid amounts beyond the current billing period should be refunded within 60 days under the statute.
- If a provider charges an early termination fee anyway, contact your installation's legal assistance office. The DOJ's Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative also publishes guidance on these rights.
Picking a system that moves with you
For a household that moves every few years, the simplest protection is not to sign a multi-year contract in the first place. Month-to-month monitoring on equipment you own means there is nothing to terminate, and the kit comes with you. As of October 2026, published no-contract options include SimpliSafe from 76 cents a day (Standard), Cove from $0.77 a day (Basic) and ADT Self Setup from $24.99 a month with a one-month minimum. Our comparison of renting versus buying security equipment covers the ownership trade-off.
Whether monitoring is worth paying for at all is a separate question, covered in our guide to whether professional monitoring is worth it. If you still prefer a professionally installed system at the new duty station, we can fetch real quotes from monitoring providers through a short questionnaire. Ask any provider in writing how it handles future orders before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I cancel my alarm contract with military orders?
- Generally yes, if you signed the contract before receiving orders to relocate for 90 days or more to a location that does not support the contract. Since a January 2023 amendment, 50 U.S.C. 3956 lists home security services among covered contracts, and the provider may not charge an early termination fee. Send written notice and a copy of your orders.
- Does the SCRA cover equipment I financed?
- The statute bars an early termination charge but says other obligations that are due under the contract remain payable. ADT states that remaining equipment loan balances stay due. Treat financed equipment as a separate debt and ask the lender about military options.
- Does the SCRA apply to Vivint?
- Vivint's support page says the SCRA does not apply to its alarm service agreements, and offers its own Military Family programs instead, which waive fees for eligible deployments, moves, retirements and medical discharges. If your case falls outside those programs, a military legal assistance office can review the contract against the statute.
- Do I have to give 30 days notice?
- The statute says termination is made by delivering notice and a copy of the orders with the date service is to end. In April 2026, DOJ said ADT's 30-day notice policy violated the SCRA as part of a settlement announcement.
Sources
- 50 U.S.C. 3956: servicemember may terminate a covered contract after receiving military orders to relocate for not less than 90 days to a location that does not support the contract; covered contracts include home security services entered into before the orders; notice plus copy of orders; no early termination charge; other due and unpaid obligations remain; refund of advance payments within 60 days; no reinstatement charge within 90 days after relocation; home security added by Pub. L. 117-333, Jan. 5, 2023: https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/3956 (accessed 2026-10-01)
- DOJ, April 14, 2026: ADT to pay over $1.3 million to resolve allegations it imposed unlawful charges on at least 3,400 servicemembers who terminated home security contracts after relocation orders; DOJ maintains ADT's 30-day notice policy violated the SCRA: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/adt-pay-13m-servicemembers-illegal-charges (accessed 2026-10-01)
- ADT SCRA Termination Rights, effective April 9, 2026: SCRA early termination rights extend to ADT service contracts; notice of intent with requested date plus copy of orders; no early termination fee; remaining equipment loan balances, pending charges and past-due balances remain; refund within 60 days; no reinstatement charge within 90 days: https://help.adt.com/article/scra-relief (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Vivint Military Family policy: waives early termination or cancellation fee for eligible personnel deployed 90 days or longer, required to move, retiring after 20+ years, or medically discharged and relocating; Military Moves waives moving fee and gives 50% off additional products; deferment for temporary assignments under 12 months; eligibility limited to active personnel or discharged in prior 12 months, dependents not eligible; states the SCRA does not apply to Vivint alarm service agreements: https://support.vivint.com/article/Policy-Military-Family (accessed 2026-10-01)
- SimpliSafe Standard Monitoring 76 cents/day; no contract, cancel any time: https://simplisafe.com/features-alarm-monitoring (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Cove Basic $0.77/day; no contracts, cancel anytime: https://www.covesmart.com/monitored-security/ (accessed 2026-10-01)
- ADT Self Setup monitoring starting at $24.99/mo; one month minimum: https://www.adt.com/own-vs-rent-security/self-setup (accessed 2026-10-01)
Related guides
- How to Get Monitoring for an Existing Alarm System Moved into a house with an alarm panel? How to tell if it can be monitored, who takes over existing systems, and what it costs.
- Are Monitored Smoke and CO Detectors Worth It? Monitored smoke and CO detectors summon the fire department even when nobody is home or awake. NFPA fire-death data and real add-on prices, examined.
- Moving With a Security System: What Each Provider Lets You Do What happens to ADT, SimpliSafe, Vivint, and Ring systems when you move: which ones travel, contract traps, official phone lines, and costs as of August 2026.
- Security System Prewire for New Construction: Cost, Options Building a house? What a security and camera prewire covers, what installers publish for cost, and wired vs wireless trade-offs.
- Professional Monitoring for Equipment You Already Own Already own cameras or a DIY kit? Which services add professional monitoring to existing equipment, and what they publish for price.