California Security Guard Card
It is interesting to know that the State of California has almost the same number of sworn police officers as private security guards with a California Security Guard Card. Private citizens and businesses see the need to hire private security services, despite the presence of law enforcement officers in their area. This is the reason the security service industry is a lucrative business within the US and became more lucrative after the September 11th world trade center incident happened. The minimum requirement for joining the security guard industry is you have to be at least eighteen years old, you do not have a criminal record, and you possess a current California Security Guard Card.
One must have a California Security Guard Card before starting a career in the security guard industry because it is the first requirement you need in order for employers to hire you. If you are located in California, a California Security Guard Card can be acquired by enrolling in a security guard training school. You can either schedule an appointment at a BSIS certified training facility or take the courses online. Make sure that the training school in which you will like to attend possesses a valid PPO or TFF license, otherwise your California Security Guard Card will not be issued.
Every security guard training school will offer a minimum eight-hour training course to teach you about the most basic security guard skills. The course will include training and information on ‘power to arrest’ procedures, terrorism awareness, and the most basic security guard training. Whether you take the course online or at a training school you will need to pass the final exam with a score of 100% in order to get your certificate of completion.
The exam should be simple and if you pay attention to the training, getting a passing score should not be a problem. In the event that you do not pass the training exam, most training schools will give you the opportunity to take the exam again. Choose the training school that offers this privilege to ensure you do not have to go through another training course just to take the exam. Although the cost for a training course is not that much at $60 to $120 depending on whether you are getting the course online or at a training school, it is still better to be able to save the money instead of paying for another training course.
The government agency responsible for assigning California Security Guard Cards is the Bureau of Safety and Investigative Services. After passing your security guard training exam, you will need to locate a Live Scan facility to get fingerprinted. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice will conduct a criminal background check against your identity. Prepare sixty to sixty five dollars for the Live Scan procedure and a valid government issued identification card such as a passport, driver’s license or a military identification card.
After submitting your fingerprints via Live Scan, you’ll need to register on the BSIS website and submit your application for a California Security Guard Card. Once you’ve completed this step, BSIS can begin processing your official California Security Guard Card. It will take them another week before they can issue the card to you and you can start looking for work as a security officer. In less than a month, anyone who is interested in starting a career in the private security guard industry in California will be able to do so as long as they are qualified, they pass the security guard training course, and pass a background check. Visit our main page for the complete step by step process with included web links on how to obtain a California Security Guard Card.