- Be at least 18 years old
- Undergo a criminal history background check through the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Complete an 8-hour guard card course
If you want to be a security guard in the State of California, you are required to obtain a Security Guard Card through the Bureau of Security & Investigative Services (BSIS).To be eligible to apply for a Security Guard Card, you must meet the following criteria:
Note: For Paper Application
Applicants may also submit their completed Application for Security Guard Registration and application fee by mail to the Bureau.
You can access the application at https://www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/gappnew.pdf **
View the application fee by visiting https://www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/newfees.pdf **
Mail the completed application and fee to:
Bureau of Security and Investigative Services
P.O. Box 989002 , West Sacramento, CA 95798-9002
For additional information, please visit the Bureau’s website at: https://www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/guard_fact.pdf **.
- Application Guard Fee: $55.00
- Online Convenience Fee: $1.00
- TOTAL: $56.00
Link to Live Scan forms and a at:
Listing of Live Scan sites are available
- Department of Justice Fingerprint Fee: $32.00
- Federal Bureau of Investigation Fingerprint Fee: $17.00
- TOTAL: $49.00 + Live scan site fee
Upon BSIS receipt of the online Security Guard application and criminal history clearances, the cleared security guard will be visible on the BSIS website**. You can check BSIS’s approval by visiting the BSIS’s website** and clicking “Verify a License.” Once your Security Guard Card is provided by BSIS or you begin employment as a security guard, you will then have 30 days to complete your next 16 hours of training.
*Regulations and costs outlined above are controlled by BSIS and the State of California and are subject to change. guardstrainng.com and BSIS are not affiliated.
**This link takes you directly to the BSIS website, and is not affiliated with guardstraining.com