How to Cancel ADT (and When You Can Avoid the Termination Fee)

By the Home Security Systems & Alarms editorial team · Research-based (no hands-on testing) - see how we evaluate · Last updated July 4, 2026

Cancelling ADT is simple in mechanics and expensive in timing. The mechanics: you call 800-238-2727 (1-800-ADT-ASAP), verify your account, and ask them to process the cancellation. The expense: if you are still inside your initial term, ADT can charge an early termination fee of up to 75% of your remaining monthly charges. On a typical contract that is hundreds of dollars to stop paying for a service. This guide shows you the fee math first, then walks through every legitimate way to avoid or reduce it, and finally what to have ready before you pick up the phone.

How to cancel ADT, step by step

1. Find your contract and your account number. You want to know your monthly rate, your start date, and your term length before you call. This is what lets you check ADT's fee math against your own.
2. Call 800-238-2727. Most ADT cancellations must be done by phone. Tell the agent plainly: "I want to cancel my service. Can you confirm any early termination fee and the next steps?" Expect a transfer to a retention team whose job is to keep you - a discount or a downgrade offer is normal here.
3. Ask them to calculate the exact ETF based on your remaining term, and ask them to state it out loud and in writing. Do not accept a vague number.
4. Get a cancellation confirmation number and request written or email confirmation of the cancellation and the final balance.
5. Return equipment if asked. ADT typically mails a prepaid box with instructions for returning leased equipment. Keep the tracking number.
6. Watch the next two billing cycles to confirm billing actually stopped and no surprise charge appears.

One exception to the phone rule: if you purchased your ADT system online, you may be able to cancel online. In MyADT (myadt.com), go to Account → Manage Subscriptions; in ADT+ (plus.adt.com), go to Billing → Manage Subscriptions → Cancel Subscription and complete the form. If no cancellation form appears, your system was not bought online and you will need to call.

The early termination fee, in plain math

ADT's published structure charges up to 75% of the monthly charges remaining on your term. The formula is:

months remaining × monthly rate × 0.75 = maximum ETF

ADT's standard professional-monitoring term is 36 months in most states and 24 months in California. The fee shrinks as you approach the end of the term, and hits zero once the term is complete. Here is what the maximum looks like at a $50/month rate:

Two things to take from this table. First, the fee is a function of time left, not a flat penalty - so the closer you are to your end date, the less waiting costs you, and there is often a point where riding out the last few months is cheaper than paying to leave now. Second, this is the reason a "free" equipment package is not free: the cost of the hardware is effectively recovered through the term you are locked into. For the full picture of how these contracts are structured, see our cornerstone guide on security system costs, contracts, and cancellation.

The legitimate ways to avoid or reduce the fee

There is no trick that erases a valid contract. But there are several real, documented exits. Whether each applies depends on your situation and your specific agreement, so treat these as leads to verify, not guarantees.

1. Wait for the term to end (the clean exit)

Once your initial term is complete, ADT moves you to a month-to-month arrangement. At that point you can cancel with roughly 30 days' notice and no termination fee. If you are within a few months of your end date, this is almost always the cheapest path. Calendar your exact contract end date and the notice window the day you decide to leave - and note that some agreements can renew for a further fixed period rather than month-to-month, so check the renewal clause.

2. The three-day cooling-off window (only right after signing)

Under the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule, a sale of $25 or more made at your home (the classic in-home or door-to-door dealer sale) can generally be cancelled within three business days at no cost. If you signed with an ADT Authorized Dealer at your kitchen table and had second thoughts within days, this federal right may apply. It does not help months later - it is strictly a buyer's-remorse window.

3. Object to a price increase in writing

ADT's published terms allow it to raise your service charge after the first year of the term. The offsetting consumer right in those same terms: if you object in writing within 30 days of the increase notice and ADT does not waive the increase, you may terminate without the termination charge. Most customers never learn this clause exists. Keep every rate-increase notice you receive, and read your contract's rate-increase language so you know the exact window.

4. The six-month service guarantee (narrow, and often misunderstood)

ADT advertises a six-month money-back service guarantee, but it is not a six-month free trial. By ADT's own terms it applies only to a system-related issue that ADT attempted but could not resolve within the first six months, the problem cannot be something you caused, and the equipment must be fully removed before a refund is processed. If you simply changed your mind, this does not apply. If you have a genuinely unresolved technical fault and documented service attempts, it might - so keep records of every service call.

5. Active-duty military relocation

The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) can allow service members to terminate certain service contracts without penalty on qualifying orders (such as a permanent change of station or a long deployment). If this is your situation, provide ADT a copy of your orders and ask specifically how they process an SCRA termination. Confirm the details with ADT and, if needed, your base legal assistance office.

6. Downgrade instead of leaving

If your real problem is the monthly cost rather than ADT itself, ask about moving to a cheaper plan. Losing a few features can beat paying 75% of your remaining balance to walk away entirely - and it keeps your options open until your term ends.

What about moving house?

Moving does not automatically cancel your obligation - if you are still in term, you generally still owe the ETF. ADT will usually offer to transfer your service to your new address instead, which sidesteps the fee if you are willing to keep the service. If your equipment was self-installed rather than professionally installed and wired in, you may be able to take it with you. Do not assume the buyer of your home can simply "take over" your contract unless ADT confirms that transfer in writing.

Before you call: a short checklist

• Know your numbers: monthly rate, start date, term length, and months remaining, so you can check their ETF math against the formula above.
• Decide your goal in advance: lower bill (downgrade), or fully out (cancel). Retention will steer you; know which you want.
• Check whether an exit applies: near your end date, a recent price-increase notice, an unresolved service fault, military orders, or an at-home signing in the last three business days.
• Have your replacement lined up if you are leaving, so you are not without coverage during the gap. Whatever you choose, our home security checklist covers the low-cost basics - locks, lighting, entry points - that protect your home regardless of which system, or no system, you run.
• Get everything in writing: confirmation number, final balance, and return instructions.

None of this changes the core reality: a valid in-term contract usually costs something to exit early. But knowing the exact fee, the exits that genuinely apply to you, and the fact that the fee falls every month can turn a panicked call into a calm, informed one - and sometimes save you several hundred dollars.

Sources

• ADT - Residential Terms and Conditions (term length, cancellation, six-month service guarantee conditions) (accessed 2026-07-04)
• ADT - Monitoring Terms & Conditions (rate-increase notice and 30-day written objection exit) (accessed 2026-07-04)
• SafeWise - How to Cancel ADT (2026): phone number, 75% ETF, online-cancel eligibility, equipment return, move policy (accessed 2026-07-04)
• Alarm Relay - How to Cancel ADT Service in 2026 (fee formula and penalty-free options) (accessed 2026-07-04)
• FTC Consumer Advice - Home Security Shopping and the Cooling-Off Rule (three business days for at-home sales) (accessed 2026-07-04)