Mag-lock permits in Houston, TX

Why Houston is the easiest mag-lock filing in the country

• Named permit, not a judgment call. Most cities make you guess whether mag-locks ride the fire alarm permit, the building permit, or both. Houston has a permit literally called "Electronic locks."
• Published checklist. The city tells you exactly what the plan set needs — numbered doors, one-line diagram, wiring declaration, re-entry floors listed. No guessing, no mystery corrections.
• Published fees. ~$91.06 + $33.56 admin. Quoted on the city's page, not discovered at the counter.
• Open online signup. iPermits self-registration; first-timers sign an Acknowledgement Form. No notarized anything, no bond, no 4-week wait (looking at you, Nashville).
• Replacement-in-kind is maintenance. Texas amendments (IFC §105.7.19) exempt like-for-like replacement from permits — swapping a dead mag-lock for the same model usually needs no filing at all.

What the submittal needs

• Plans with specs — device locations, numbered doors, legend, square footage, floors served
• One-line diagram — power and signal paths
• Wiring declaration — how each lock releases
• Sprinkler identified — sprinklered or not, on the plans
• Re-entry floors listed — stairwell re-entry matters to the reviewer
• Contractor's license — registered with the city before filing

The process, step by step

1. Build the plan set to the city's Electronic locks checklist — or send it to us and we build/check it.
2. Apply in iPermits. First-time filers complete the Acknowledgement Form; contractors register their license with the city.
3. Upload plans in ProjectDox. Plans and application move together through the Houston Permitting Center.
4. Plan review + inspection. The permit is valid 180 days. The contractor must be present at inspection — schedule accordingly.
5. Door tags. After approval, each device gets a door tag per floor. Keep them — inspectors check.

Houston mag-lock gotchas

• Inspection requires the contractor on site. Not the building engineer, not the PM — the contractor. Plan the truck roll.
• License registration comes first. Out-of-town shops: register your license with the city before you file, not after it bounces.
• 180-day clock. The permit expires 180 days after issuance — line up the install, don't let it lapse.
• New install vs. replacement. Like-for-like replacement is typically maintenance (no permit). New devices, new doors, or changed wiring = file the Electronic locks permit.

Based on the City of Houston's published Electronic locks permit page and our filing research. Fees and processes change — confirm current requirements at houstonpermittingcenter.org. Not legal advice.