How to get a guard card in California

A California guard card is a Security Guard Registration from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). You take 8 hours of training, apply to BSIS, get fingerprinted by Live Scan, then finish 32 more hours of training in your first 6 months.

At a glance

License: Security Guard Registration ("Guard Card")
Regulator: Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS)
Minimum age: 18 (21 for a Firearms Permit)
Training: 8 hours before you apply, 32 more in your first 6 months, then 8 hours a year
Fees: $60 to apply, plus $49 in DOJ and FBI fingerprint fees
Processing time: BSIS aims to process a new application in 60 days
Renewal: Every 2 years, $44

Last verified: October 19, 2026

Requirements change; confirm with BSIS before applying.

Sources: BSIS security guard fact sheet, BSIS license types and fees, BSIS application processing times

Requirements

Security officers employed by a licensed private patrol operator or a private security employer to protect people or property need a Security Guard Registration.
You must be at least 18 years old.
You must not have committed acts or crimes that are grounds for denial under Business and Professions Code section 480.
BSIS checks your criminal history with the California Department of Justice and the FBI. You get fingerprinted by Live Scan with the BSIS Security Guard Request for Live Scan Service form, after you submit your application.
The Live Scan costs $32 for the DOJ and $17 for the FBI, plus the Live Scan site’s own fee.

Sources: BSIS security guard fact sheet, Business and Professions Code section 7582.8, BSIS Application for Security Guard Registration, BSIS criminal history background check fees

Training hours

Before your registration is issued: the 3-hour Power to Arrest and 5-hour Appropriate Use of Force training, with a score of 100% on the exam.
Since January 1, 2026, that training must come from a single course provider and be finished within 6 months before you apply.
In your first 6 months: 32 hours of security officer skills training. If you cannot show your employer proof of it, take 16 hours within 30 days of being hired and the other 16 within 6 months.
Every year after: 8 hours of continuing training, at least 2 of them reviewing the appropriate use of force.
The training may be given by a private patrol operator, a BSIS-certified training facility or a BSIS-approved course provider.

Sources: BSIS Application for Security Guard Registration, BSIS security guard fact sheet, BSIS security guard training

Fees

Fee	Amount
Security Guard Registration, new	$60
Renewal, every 2 years	$44
Late renewal	$69
Live Scan, DOJ and FBI	$49 plus the site fee
Firearms Permit, new	$110
Firearms Permit renewal	$126

Sources: BSIS license types and fees, BSIS criminal history background check fees

How to apply, step by step

Take the 3-hour Power to Arrest and 5-hour Appropriate Use of Force training and pass the exam.
Apply online in BreEZe, which BSIS recommends, or mail the paper application with the $60 fee.
After you apply, get fingerprinted by Live Scan with the BSIS Security Guard Request for Live Scan Service form.
Once BSIS approves you, you may work with a printout of the approval from the BSIS website and a photo ID until your card arrives by mail, usually within about 3 weeks.
Finish 32 hours of skills training in your first 6 months, then 8 hours every year.

Sources: BSIS Application for Security Guard Registration, BSIS security guard fact sheet

Armed security officer license

To carry a firearm on duty you need a BSIS Firearms Permit on top of your registration. You must be at least 21 and a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident, and not barred from owning a firearm.
You take the BSIS Course of Firearms Training at a BSIS-approved firearms training facility and pass a written exam and a range qualification with each caliber you will carry.
The permit lasts 2 years. To renew it you qualify on the range four times during those 2 years and pass the written exam again.
A new Firearms Permit costs $110 and a renewal costs $126.

Sources: BSIS firearms permit fact sheet, BSIS license types and fees

Renewal and license lookup

A Security Guard Registration lasts 2 years. Send your renewal at least 60 days before it expires.
You can still renew within 60 days after it expires by paying the late fee. After that, the registration is canceled and you apply again.

Look up or verify a license on the DCA License Search.

Source: BSIS security guard fact sheet

Security officer pay in California

What the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates Security Guards earn in California, May 2025:

Mean hourly wage: $21.60
Median hourly wage: $20.79
Mean annual wage: $44,920
Median annual wage: $43,240

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: Security Guards, May 2025

Frequently asked questions

How much does a guard card cost in California?

The BSIS application fee is $60. Live Scan fingerprints add $32 for the DOJ and $17 for the FBI, plus the Live Scan site’s own fee. Renewal costs $44 every 2 years.

Can I take guard card training online?

BSIS does not say the training can be taken online. Parts of the use of force training must be taken in person, so ask the course provider how each part is taught.

How do I look up a guard card in California?

Use the DCA License Search, which BSIS links from its Verify a License page. Search by name or registration number.

How do I renew my guard card?

Renew online in BreEZe or by mail at least 60 days before it expires, and pay $44. You must also have finished your 32 hours of skills training and 8 hours of training each year.

How do I get an armed guard card in California?

Apply for a BSIS Firearms Permit. You must be at least 21, finish the BSIS Course of Firearms Training and pass a written exam and a range qualification. A new permit costs $110.

How much do security guards make in California?

BLS estimates that Security Guards in California earned a median wage of $20.79 an hour ($43,240 a year) in May 2025. The mean wage was $21.60 an hour ($44,920 a year).

How long does it take to get a guard card?

BSIS aims to process a new application in 60 days. Its processing times page shows which applications it is working on now.

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