Quick Answer: Cancel ADT by calling 800-238-2727 — there’s no online or app cancellation option. If you’re still inside your 36-month contract (24 months in California), expect an early termination fee of up to 75% of your remaining monthly charges, according to SafeWise’s and Alarm Relay’s ADT cancellation guides. You can avoid the fee entirely by canceling within 72 hours of signing, by waiting until your contract term ends and rolls to month-to-month, or by qualifying under ADT’s 6-month technical-issue service guarantee. Outside those cases, ADT mails a prepaid box to return financed equipment — a real difference from no-contract brands where you keep the hardware regardless.
Last updated September 19, 2026.
ADT’s monitoring is genuinely strong — trained agents watching for triggered alarms, ready to dispatch police or fire — but that service comes wrapped in the home-security industry’s most notorious cancellation friction: a multi-year contract, a phone-only exit, and a termination fee that can run into four figures. Here’s the actual process and the exact math behind the fee.
How to cancel ADT, step by step
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Call 800-238-2727 | ADT's only cancellation channel — no online form or app toggle exists for Pro Install accounts |
| 2. Have your info ready | Account number, service address, and the name the contract is under |
| 3. Ask for the exact ETF | Request the agent calculate your current early termination fee before you agree to anything |
| 4. Expect a retention offer | ADT's retention team commonly offers a discounted rate or reduced fee to keep the account — you can decline and still proceed with canceling |
| 5. Confirm the effective date | Get written confirmation (email) of the cancellation date and any final balance owed |
| 6. Return financed equipment if asked | ADT will mail a prepaid box with return instructions if your contract wasn't already fulfilled |
The early termination fee, in real numbers
The ETF formula
- 6 months left on a $45.99/month plan ≈ $207
- 12 months left on a $59.99/month plan ≈ $540
- 24 months left on a $64.99/month plan ≈ $1,170
Setting up a self-install system across a rental property or a second location once you’re free of the contract? A free Amazon Business account unlocks quantity discounts and tax-exempt purchasing if you’re outfitting more than one address.
abode Smart Security Kit
- Same door/window-sensor-plus-siren shape as an ADT Pro Install package, without the multi-year commitment.
- Professional monitoring is available if you still want dispatch capability, but it's a plan you can cancel any month rather than a term you're locked into.
- One of the few DIY systems that bridges HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Home at once, per abode's own product pages.
The three ways to skip the fee entirely: cancel inside the 72-hour buyer’s-remorse window right after signing (equipment gets picked back up, you don’t keep it), let your 36-month term run out and roll onto ADT’s fee-free month-to-month, or invoke ADT’s 6-month service guarantee if a genuine technical issue with the system was never resolved. That last one isn’t a general dissatisfaction clause — it’s specifically for unresolved equipment or monitoring malfunctions, so a simple “I want to pay less” doesn’t qualify.
Why ADT’s exit looks so different from Ring, Arlo, or SimpliSafe
| Brand | Cancel channel | Contract | Equipment after canceling |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADT | Phone only (800-238-2727) | 36 months typical (24 in CA) | Return financed hardware unless term fulfilled |
| Ring | App or website | None | Keep it — hardware is owned outright |
| Arlo | my.arlo.com or app | None | Keep it — cloud recordings deleted within 48 hours |
| SimpliSafe | Phone or chat (state-dependent online option) | None, month-to-month | Keep it — runs locally, unmonitored |
ADT’s model finances or discounts the hardware against a signed monitoring term, which is exactly why the exit costs money and the gear sometimes has to go back — see our how to cancel a Ring subscription, how to cancel an Arlo subscription, and how to cancel a SimpliSafe subscription guides for how much simpler that process is once there’s no financed equipment or long-term contract involved. If the contract itself is the dealbreaker, our ADT vs Ring comparison and best DIY home security system guide both cover no-contract alternatives that still include professional monitoring as an optional add-on, not a locked-in term.
The bottom line
Calling 800-238-2727 is the only way to cancel ADT — budget time for a retention pitch, and ask the agent to calculate your exact early termination fee (up to 75% of what’s left on your 36-month term) before agreeing to anything. Canceling inside 72 hours of signing, waiting out the full term, or qualifying under the 6-month technical-issue guarantee are the only ways to skip that fee entirely. Once you’re free of the contract, our best DIY home security system guide and ADT vs Ring comparison both cover no-contract systems that still offer professional monitoring as an option instead of a requirement.