Two licenses, not one
In Texas, security and alarm work runs through the Department of Public Safety Private Security Program, and the licensing is two-layer: the company holds a license, and the individual installers are registered under it, with fingerprint-based background checks on both. Before anyone drills into your walls, ask to see the company license and the installer registration. This is people wiring cameras into your home; the state gates it for a reason, and legitimate outfits show both without hesitation.
Ask where the footage goes
The modern question is not just who installs the system but who can reach it afterward: where recordings live, whether the installer retains remote access after the job, and what happens to your footage if you cancel a subscription. A straight installer answers plainly and hands you the admin credentials at the end. Cagey answers about access are a bigger red flag in this trade than in any other on this site.
Match the outfit to the job
A company that mostly wires commercial buildings may be overkill for a doorbell and four cameras, and a residential outfit may be undersized for a warehouse with access control. Ask what share of their work looks like yours and to see one comparable install. The DPS license makes them legal; the comparable work is what makes them right for your job.
- Companies AND individual installers are licensed through the Texas DPS Private Security Program
- Everyone touching your system has passed a fingerprint background check
- Ask who can see your cameras and where footage lives
In Texas, alarm companies and the people who install alarms, wiring, and electronic access control fall under the state's Private Security Program, run by the Department of Public Safety, per Occupations Code Chapter 1702.
Questions people ask about how to choose a security installer
What should I check no matter what?
Four things, every time: proof of liability insurance sent directly from their insurer, not a photocopy; how long they have worked this area under this name; local references you can actually call; and a written scope before any money moves. Anyone offended by those four is answering your question.