This article will show you the exact steps to obtain a California Guard Card in approximately seven to ten business days. In order to obtain your California Guard Card, you must first enroll in the “Power to Arrest” and “Weapons of Mass Destruction” courses (eight hours total for both) either at an online training facility or at a local BSIS certified training facility.
California Guard Card Requirements are as follows:
- Be at least 18 years of age.
- Undergo a criminal history background check through the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Must complete 40 hours of State mandated security training by a state certified Private Patrol Operator or a certified training facility. The training can be administered online.
*Misdemeanor and felony convictions will not necessarily disqualify you from applying for a California Guard Card. BSIS will review your offenses to determine your eligibility.
Listed below are a few reasons that you may be denied a license:
- Felony convictions
- Some misdemeanor convictions
- Failure to pay speeding or parking tickets
- Unpaid child support
- Unpaid state taxes
STEP 1 – Take the eight hour “Powers to Arrest” and “Weapons of Mass Destruction” courses:
You must complete the eight hour ‘Power to Arrest’ and ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ courses and pass the examinations in order to apply for your license. The “Power to Arrest” and “Weapons of Mass Destruction” training can be obtained from any BSIS approved training facility. Upon completion of the eight hour course, you will receive a certificate of completion by the course instructor in person, or by means of email or through regular U.S. mail. Upon receiving your certificate of completion, you will need to submit a copy of your certificate to the State of California when applying for your California Guard Card as outlined in step three.
STEP 2 – Submit your fingerprints
You will need to locate a live scan fingerprint facility in order to submit your fingerprints electronically utilizing the Live Scan service. You must only use the security guard Live Scan forms downloaded from the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) website or directly obtained from BSIS. The Live Scan forms from BSIS contain the correct coding to ensure that BSIS receives the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and California Department of Justice (DOJ) clearances. A breakdown of fees required at the time of fingerprinting that need to be paid at the Live Scan site are as follows:
- Department of Justice Fingerprint Fee $32.00
- Federal Bureau of Investigations Fingerprint Fee $19.00
Total: $51.00
Locate a Live Scan fingerprinting center near you
Note: Live Scan sites may charge a fingerprint submission fee. The fee is not set by BSIS.
STEP 3 – Apply to the State of California
You will need to register on the BSIS state website before you can submit your application by utilizing the following link:
Register and submit an application to the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services
Registration fees will need to be paid by a major credit or debit card at the time of submission. Once the registration fees have been paid, your online application will be sent electronically to BSIS. A breakdown of fees required at the time of submission are as follows:
- Application Fee $50.00
- Online Convenience Fee $1.00
TOTAL $51.00
STEP 4 – Wait For Approval
Once the Bureau has received your online application and your criminal background check has been cleared, your name and California Guard Card security license number will appear on the Bureau’s website as cleared. You can verify the Bureau’s approval by checking the Bureau’s ‘Verify a License’ feature by utilizing the following link:
Once the California Guard Card online registration has been cleared and appears on the Bureau’s web site, a screen printout from the web site may be used as an interim license so that you can be placed on assignment. Once you are placed on assignment, you must have the following documents in your possession at all times.
- A valid California Guard Card or a screen printout of the Bureau’s approval obtained from the Bureau’s web site.
- A valid United States Government issued photo I.D. such as a California drivers license, identification card or a U.S. Government issued passport.
Once the security guard registration has been cleared and appears on the BSIS website, your security license will be mailed to you and should be received in 10 to 15 business days.
The initial upfront cost in order to obtain the license will cost you approximately $160. You will be required to obtain another 16 hours of training by the 30th day of employment, while working as a licensed security guard with a California Guard Card. The remaining 16 hours of training (40 hours total) will need to be completed within six months from the start date of employment.