Short answer: To cancel ADT professional monitoring you have to call; ADT says alarm service cancellations cannot be completed online. If you are still inside your monitoring contract (typically 36 months, 24 in California), ADT’s terms let it charge 75% of the monthly charges left in the initial term. Self setup and ADT Blu month-to-month plans are easier: call or cancel in the ADT+ portal, giving at least 30 days’ notice before the term ends on self setup plans.
Knowing how to cancel ADT before you pick up the phone saves money, because the fee, the notice period and what happens to your equipment depend on which kind of ADT service you have. This guide uses ADT’s own published terms and help pages, checked on 9 October 2026, to walk through cancelling a professionally installed system, a self setup system and an ADT Blu plan, plus what to do if you are moving instead of quitting. For a broader look at stopping recurring bills, see our guide on how to cancel subscriptions online.
| How you got ADT |
Who bills you |
Where to cancel |
| A technician installed your system (ADT professional installation) |
ADT |
By phone with ADT; not online |
| You bought a self setup system on adt.com |
ADT |
Call 800-238-2727 at least 30 days before your term ends |
| ADT Blu kit or camera with a month-to-month plan |
ADT |
Call (888) 392-2039, follow your order confirmation email, or cancel in the ADT+ portal billing tab |
| You reactivated an ADT system left by a previous owner |
ADT |
By phone with ADT; a reactivation contract applies |
| An authorized dealer or another company sold and bills your monitoring |
That company |
Check the contract and bill; cancel with the company named on them |
In This Guide
Which ADT Contract Do You Have?
ADT publishes separate terms for each way it sells service, and they work very differently when you leave:
- Professional installation: ADT’s residential terms and conditions say current offers require a 36-month monitoring contract (24 months in California). Early termination can cost 75% of the remaining monthly charges.
- Existing customers on a new offer: ADT’s existing customer terms also require a 36-month monitoring contract (24 months in California) with the same 75% early termination rule. Upgrades and relocation offers can start a new term.
- Free virtual reactivation: if you moved into a home with ADT equipment and had it switched on, ADT’s terms say reactivation requires a 36-month monitoring contract, with the same 75% rule.
- Self setup (bought online): ADT’s Ecommerce Self Setup Terms of Service set a one-month initial term that renews automatically in 30-day terms.
- ADT Blu: month-to-month monitoring with a one-month minimum.
Your signed contract is the final word. You can download account documents from MyADT at myadt.com, and ADT’s help center has an article on locating your contract end date.
How To Cancel ADT Professional Monitoring
ADT’s help FAQ on how to cancel ADT service says plainly that, for security reasons, cancellation of alarm services cannot be completed online. You will need to speak with ADT.
- Sign in to MyADT and find your account number, your contract documents and your contract end date.
- Work out the early termination charge you may owe (see the cancellation fee section below) so you can check the figure the agent gives you.
- Call ADT customer service. The number ADT’s own terms give for terminating service is 800-238-2727; also check the customer service number printed on your bill or in MyADT.
- Say that you want to cancel your ADT monitoring service. Expect retention offers; you can decline them.
- Ask the agent for: the date monitoring ends, the exact early termination charge and how it was calculated, whether any equipment must be returned, and a cancellation confirmation number.
- Follow up in writing (email or letter) restating what you agreed, including the confirmation number and date. If the agent asks for a written request, send it the same day.
- Tell your home insurer that monitoring is ending, since some policies discount for monitored alarms.
- Check your next statements until the account shows closed with a zero balance.
How To Cancel ADT Self Setup Service
If you bought your system on adt.com and installed it yourself, ADT’s Self Setup Terms of Service apply. They say the contract starts with a one-month term and then renews automatically in 30-day terms, and that you may terminate by calling ADT at 800-238-2727 at least 30 days before the end of the current term.
- Find your billing date in your ADT+ account so you know when your current term ends.
- Call 800-238-2727 at least 30 days before that date.
- Say that you want to terminate your self setup monitoring service.
- Ask for the final service date and a confirmation number, and write both down.
- If you are within 30 days of buying the system and want your money back, ask about the return window instead (see the refunds section).
Because notice must arrive 30 days before the term ends, calling a few days before your bill usually means paying for one more 30-day term. Plan the call early.
How To Cancel ADT Blu In The ADT+ Portal
ADT Blu kits and cameras come with month-to-month monitoring. ADT’s residential terms give three ways to cancel: call (888) 392-2039, follow the instructions in your order confirmation email, or cancel yourself in the ADT+ customer portal.
- Log in to your ADT+ customer portal.
- Go to the billing tab.
- Select cancel subscription and follow the prompts.
- Save the confirmation.
If you are on a free first month, ADT’s terms say you must cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the 30-day period or the plan converts to a paid plan.
ADT Cancellation Fee
The ADT cancellation fee is not a flat amount. ADT’s terms describe it as a share of what you would have paid for the rest of the contract.
The 75% Rule
For professionally installed systems, ADT’s residential terms state that upon early termination of the 36-month monitoring contract, ADT may charge 75% of the monthly service charges due for the balance of the initial contract term. The existing customer terms and the virtual reactivation terms use the same 75% rule. ADT’s self setup terms say the same in capital letters (75% of the total remaining monthly charges) for termination during the initial term.
How To Estimate Yours
Multiply your monthly monitoring charge by the number of months left in your initial term, then take 75% of that. For example, with a monthly charge of $50 and 10 months left, the remaining charges are $500 and 75% is $375. Use your own monthly price and end date; this example is only for illustration.
When The Fee Does Not Apply
- After the initial term ends. The early termination rule applies to the balance of the initial term. On self setup plans, ADT’s terms say no termination charges are due during the 30-day renewal terms.
- Self setup return window. Cancelling within 30 days of the contract date under the return policy avoids termination charges.
- Price increase objection (self setup). ADT’s self setup terms let ADT raise the service charge after the first year. If you object in writing within 30 days of receiving notice and ADT does not waive the increase, you may terminate, and the terms list this among the cases where termination charges do not apply.
- ADT Blu. Month-to-month with a one-month minimum.
If you financed equipment separately, any balance owed on that financing is a different charge from the monitoring termination fee. Ask the agent to break the final bill into each item.
Moving Instead Of Cancelling
Many people searching how to cancel ADT service are actually moving. ADT would rather move you than lose you, and its moving page sets out the options:
- Professionally installed system: ADT says you cannot bring it. Instead, ADT offers to install a system at your new home. The current mover offer requires an eligible system purchase and a 36-month monitoring plan, and early cancel fees apply.
- Self setup system: ADT says you may be able to take your devices with you and set them up yourself, with remote help, or with a professional install.
- Moving into a home that already has ADT: ADT can reactivate the existing system, which requires its own monitoring contract.
ADT’s existing customer terms say relocation offers are for customers with an account in good standing and a minimum account tenure of 12 months. ADT recommends calling at least 30 days before your move; the moving page lists (888) 678-7024 for help with a move. Before agreeing to a transfer, ask whether it starts a new 36-month term and compare that with simply paying off what is left on your current contract.
Who Owns The Equipment?
This is one of the biggest differences between ADT plans:
- Professional installation and virtual reactivation: ADT’s terms say the professionally installed system remains the property of ADT.
- Self setup: ADT’s terms say all equipment installed under that contract is owned by the customer unless agreed otherwise in writing.
When you cancel a professionally installed system, ask the agent directly whether ADT wants any equipment back or will leave it in place, and get the answer in your confirmation. With self setup, the equipment is yours to keep, reuse with a compatible service, or sell, unless you are returning it for a refund within the return window.
Notice, Timing And What Happens After You Cancel
- Self setup: notice by phone at least 30 days before the end of the current term; cancellation takes effect at the end of that term.
- ADT Blu: month-to-month, one-month minimum; cancel before the next term to avoid another charge. Free first month: cancel at least 24 hours before day 30.
- Professional monitoring: confirm the effective date with the agent and get it in writing, along with the final amount due.
Once monitoring ends, ADT no longer watches your alarm signals or dispatches emergency services. Your sirens and sensors may still sound locally, but no one is called. If you plan to switch providers, line up the new service first so your home is not left unmonitored. Let your insurer know, since some discounts depend on proof of monitoring, which ADT normally provides as an alarm monitoring certificate through MyADT or ADT+.
ADT Refunds And The 3-Day Right To Cancel
Self Setup Return Window
ADT’s self setup terms let you cancel no later than 30 days after the date of the contract by calling 1-888-392-2039. You then return the equipment to ADT’s warehouse within 21 calendar days of receiving a return authorization (RMA). The equipment cost is refunded, but the monthly service fee is refunded only if service activation has not occurred, and shipping costs are not refundable.
Money-Back Guarantee (Professional Installation)
ADT’s residential terms describe a money-back guarantee that applies only after ADT has tried and failed to resolve a system-related issue within the first six months of your original activation. It requires continuous payment for service, is not transferable, and equipment must be returned before a refund is processed.
The FTC Cooling-Off Rule
If you bought ADT from a salesperson in your home, the federal FTC Cooling-Off Rule generally gives you until midnight of the third business day after the sale to cancel for a full refund, for home sales of $25 or more. Saturdays count as business days; Sundays and federal holidays do not. Cancel in writing (the seller should give you a cancellation form), send it by certified mail with a return receipt, and keep a copy. The rule does not cover sales made entirely online or by phone. Some states give more time.
Cancel vs Move vs Let The Contract Run Out
| Option |
Cost |
What you keep |
Best for |
| Cancel now (in contract) |
Up to 75% of remaining monthly charges in the initial term |
Self setup equipment; pro-installed systems stay ADT’s property |
Moving abroad, switching providers, or cutting costs fast |
| Cancel after the initial term |
No early termination charge |
Same as above |
Anyone near the contract end date |
| Move with ADT |
A new system offer, often with a new 36-month plan |
Continuous monitoring |
People who still want ADT at the new home |
| Let the contract run out |
Your normal monthly bill until the end date |
Monitoring until the end |
When the fee is close to what you would pay anyway |
| Self setup or Blu cancel |
Final term or month only |
Self setup equipment |
Month-to-month customers |
Troubleshooting
| Problem |
Why it happens |
Fix |
| No cancel button in MyADT |
ADT does not allow alarm service cancellations online |
Call ADT; only ADT Blu plans can be cancelled in the ADT+ portal |
| Fee is higher than expected |
The 75% rule covers every month left in the initial term, or a move started a new term |
Ask for the months remaining and monthly charge used, and check them against your contract |
| Charged for another month on self setup |
Notice came less than 30 days before the term ended |
Call 30 or more days before your next billing date next time; ask ADT to confirm the final term |
| Free Blu month turned into a paid plan |
Cancellation came later than 24 hours before day 30 |
Cancel now in the ADT+ billing tab and ask ADT about the charge |
| Still billed after cancelling |
The cancellation was not processed, or equipment financing is still running |
Send ADT your confirmation number in writing and ask for an itemized final bill |
| A dealer, not ADT, sold the system |
Dealer contracts can have their own terms |
Read your contract; cancel with the company that bills you |
| Self setup refund denied |
Equipment not returned within 21 days of the RMA |
Return equipment promptly with tracking; ask ADT to review with the tracking proof |
If ADT Will Not Cancel
Keep a written record of every call and message: dates, times, agent names, confirmation numbers, and copies of any letters. If ADT keeps billing after a confirmed cancellation, send a written dispute with that record, and ask your bank or card issuer to dispute the charge or stop future payments as a backstop. Remember that a bank block does not erase a valid contract balance. You can also report problems to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general.
The FTC’s click-to-cancel rule was vacated by the Eighth Circuit in July 2025, but the federal Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA) still applies to subscriptions sold online, and California and many other states have automatic renewal laws. This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cancel ADT?
Call ADT. ADT says alarm service cancellations cannot be completed online, so you will speak with an agent, unless you have an ADT Blu plan, which you can cancel in the ADT+ portal.
Can I cancel ADT service online?
Not for professionally monitored alarm service. ADT Blu month-to-month plans can be cancelled online from the billing tab of the ADT+ customer portal.
What is the ADT cancellation fee?
If you cancel during the initial term, ADT’s terms let it charge 75% of the monthly service charges left in that term. After the initial term ends, there is no early termination charge.
How long is an ADT contract?
Professionally installed ADT currently requires a 36-month monitoring contract, or 24 months in California. Self setup starts with a one-month term, and ADT Blu is month-to-month.
What number do I call to cancel ADT service?
ADT’s self setup terms give 800-238-2727 for terminating service, and ADT Blu cancellations go to (888) 392-2039. Also check the number on your bill or in MyADT.
Do I need to give notice to cancel ADT?
For self setup, yes: at least 30 days before the end of the current term. For professional monitoring, confirm any notice period in your contract and with the agent.
Can I cancel ADT within 3 days?
If a salesperson sold you ADT in your home, the FTC Cooling-Off Rule generally lets you cancel in writing until midnight of the third business day for a full refund. Sales made online or by phone are not covered by that rule.
Do I have to pay the ADT cancellation fee if I move?
ADT offers relocation deals for existing customers in good standing with at least 12 months of tenure, but those offers usually come with a new 36-month plan. If you cancel instead of moving with ADT, the early termination rule still applies.
Do I keep my ADT equipment when I cancel?
Self setup equipment belongs to you. A professionally installed system remains ADT’s property, so ask the agent what ADT expects you to do with it.
Can I get a refund from ADT?
Self setup customers can cancel within 30 days and return the equipment for a refund of the equipment cost. Professional installations have a money-back guarantee only if ADT cannot fix a system problem within the first six months.
The Short Version
- Find your contract and end date in MyADT, and identify your plan type.
- Estimate any fee: 75% of the monthly charges left in the initial term.
- Professional monitoring: call ADT; it cannot be cancelled online.
- Self setup: call 800-238-2727 at least 30 days before the term ends. ADT Blu: cancel in the ADT+ billing tab or call (888) 392-2039.
- Get a confirmation number, follow up in writing, and tell your insurer.
- If you are moving, compare ADT’s mover offer with paying off the contract before you commit.
