Security and safety: the numbers, the rules, the AI picture.

• State licensing and license numbers in advertising (California BPC 7599.44, Texas Occupations Code 1702)

  California's Alarm Company Act requires every advertisement by a licensee to show the licensee's name and license number as they appear in the bureau's records. Radio, TV and billboard ads may point to the licensee's website landing page for that information. A violation can bring a $500 fine for the first and $1,000 for each later one. In Texas, a person may not act as, or offer the services of, an alarm systems, guard or locksmith company without a security services contractor license. Texas ads must show the company name and address from state records. California also makes it a misdemeanor to advertise as a licensed locksmith without a license.

  What it means: Put your license number, legal name and real address in the site footer, on every landing page, on ads where space allows and on proposals. Do not run ads, pages or listings for a service or a state you are not licensed for. Check the rule in every state you advertise in, because content, placement and fines differ.

  [5] california.public.law

• FTC Cooling-Off Rule for sales at the home (16 CFR Part 429)

  The rule covers sales of $25 or more made at the buyer’s home and $130 or more at other temporary locations. The seller must give a dated receipt with a cancellation statement in at least 10-point bold type and two copies of a cancellation form. The seller must also explain orally the right to cancel within three business days. Refunds are due within 10 business days of a valid cancellation. Sales the buyer started by asking for a repair visit are excluded, but extra goods sold during that visit are not.

  What it means: If your reps sell alarms or access systems at the kitchen table, the paperwork and the script are part of your marketing system. Never describe a home deal as final on the day. Train reps to state the right to cancel and log that they did. Upgrades sold during a requested service call can still be covered, so do not treat them as exempt.

  [9] law.cornell.edu

• Automatic renewal of monitoring contracts (California BPC 7599.54)

  This covers California residential alarm agreements entered into on or after January 1, 2017. An automatic renewal for more than one month needs a clear and distinct disclosure separate from the terms. It must state the renewal length and that failing to give notice of nonrenewal renews the agreement. The buyer must sign or initial it, or the renewal provision is void. The same section requires the alarm company license number in the contract.

  What it means: State the term, the renewal and how to cancel on the website before anyone signs, not only in the contract. Make the disclosure a separate, signed page. Other states have their own automatic renewal laws, so check each one you sell in. Clear renewal terms also reduce the angry cancellation reviews that hurt every future sale.

  [10] california.public.law

• Telemarketing Sales Rule (16 CFR Part 310) and the TCPA (47 CFR 64.1200)

  Under the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule, sellers must sync call lists with the National Do Not Call Registry every 31 days, call only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. local time and get a prior signed, written agreement before prerecorded sales calls. Each call may be a separate violation, with a civil penalty of $53,088 per violation. The FCC's TCPA rule requires prior express written consent for autodialed or prerecorded telemarketing calls to mobile numbers, and that consent cannot be a condition of purchase.

  What it means: Lead lists bought from third parties are your liability, not just the vendor’s. The FTC’s 2014 settlement with a home security company turned on leads that claimed consent consumers never gave. Keep consent records for every web form, name your company in the consent language and never let callers imply they work for another brand.

  [6] ftc.gov

• FTC Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule (16 CFR Part 465) and endorsement disclosures

  Announced in August 2024, the rule bans fake reviews, including AI-generated ones, and incentives conditioned on a positive or negative review. It also bans undisclosed insider reviews, company-controlled "independent" review sites and suppressing reviews through threats or false accusations. Courts can impose civil penalties for knowing violations. In 2014 the FTC charged ADT with presenting paid safety and technology experts as independent reviewers on TV news programs.

  What it means: Ask every customer for a review, not only the happy ones, and never tie a gift to a good rating. Employees and dealers who review you must disclose the connection. "Best alarm companies" comparison pages you own must say you own them. Any paid spokesperson or influencer must disclose the payment clearly.

  [11] ftc.gov

• UL listing, UL certificates and NFPA 72 claims

  UL lists central stations that meet UL 827, audits them every year and shows listed companies in its public Product iQ directory. Listing categories include central station fire alarm, burglar alarm, hosted central station and managed video monitoring. A protected property certificate describes one installed system. For fire alarms, UL says the certificate declares the system is installed, serviced, tested, inspected and monitored to code. Monitoring-only companies must subcontract with an authorized alarm service company to issue one.

  What it means: Say exactly what is listed and by whom. "Monitored by a UL Listed central station" and "UL Listed installer" are different claims. Name the category you hold and link to the directory. Never imply every system you install carries a certificate. Write "inspected and tested to NFPA 72" only for work your records support.

  [12] ul.com

• Audio recording in surveillance (18 U.S.C. 2511 and state all-party consent laws)

  Federal law bars intentionally intercepting oral communications, with an exception where the person recording is a party to the conversation or one party has consented. Some states go further. California Penal Code 632 bars recording a confidential communication without the consent of all parties, with a fine of up to $2,500 per violation. Video-only recording is treated differently from audio in many states.

  What it means: Do not market "audio recording" on cameras as a feature without explaining the consent rules in the states you serve. Default product pages and quotes to video only, and say why. Advise clients to post notices and to take legal advice before enabling audio, especially in workplaces and rental properties.

  [13] law.cornell.edu

• UK: SIA licensing for guarding, CCTV and key holding

  In the UK, the Security Industry Authority licenses manned guarding, key holding and, in Northern Ireland, vehicle immobilisation. Manned guarding covers cash and valuables in transit, close protection, door supervision, CCTV public space surveillance and security guarding. A licence is generally needed when the work is supplied under a contract for services. In-house staff usually do not need one, except for door supervision at licensed premises. Alarm installers are not on this list.

  What it means: A UK guarding or monitoring company should state that its operatives hold the right SIA licence for each activity it sells. Do not imply in-house client staff are covered by your licences. US companies selling into the UK should not assume a US state license means anything there.

  [14] gov.uk

General information, not legal advice. Licensing, sales, telemarketing, recording and review rules change and differ by state and country. Confirm current requirements with your counsel and your licensing regulator before you publish a claim or run a campaign.