Manvel will no longer collect registration fees for alarm systems and animals following City Council approval at its Feb. 2 meeting.
Brought forward by council members Harry Oplinger and Crystal Sarmiento, the removal is intended to simplify the registration process for residents and align Manvel’s practices with surrounding cities, city officials said.
The details
Under the existing ordinance, alarm permits cost $50 for residential systems and $100 for commercial systems, and animal registration fees ranged from $5 to $10 depending on spay/neuter status.
Under the newly approved revision:
Alarm registration fees are eliminatedPet registration fees are eliminated, but enforcement fees such as animal impound charges remainFalse alarm response fees remain in effectNearby jurisdictions have taken similar approaches, including the city of Alvin, which eliminated animal registration fees in 2022 and now requires pets to be microchipped.
Alarm registration applies only to systems monitored by alarm companies that work with the police department, not personal cameras, city officials said.
The background
At the meeting, council member Oplinger cited several reasons for revising the ordinances, noting that only 12 commercial and 156 residential alarm system permits were registered in 2025, according to city documents.
Eliminating fees is intended to encourage residents to register systems and streamline the process, districts officials said.
What’s next
Since many residents have already paid registration fees for 2026, the city plans to fully implement the process starting in 2027.