How to obtain a guard card in California

To become a security officer in California, you must obtain a Security Guard Registration license, often called a “guard card.”

The license is issued by the California Department of Consumer Affairs’ Bureau of Security & Investigative Services (BSIS).

Requirements for a guard card:

To view the requirements on the BSIS website, click here: https://bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/guard_fact.shtml

Applicants must:

1. Be at least 18 years of age.
2. Complete an 8-hour Powers to Arrest (PTA) & Appropriate Use of Force (AUOF) course.
   There are two parts to this course – Powers to Arrest (Part A) and Appropriate Use of Force (Part B). Part A may be taken online or in-person; however, Part B must be taken in-person. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a serialized certificate of completion. You will need this certificate when applying for your guard card.
3. Complete 32 hours of security officer skills training. 16 hours must be completed within 30 days of security guard registration and the remaining 16 hours must be completed within 6 months of registration. This training may be completed online and/or in-person.
   The 32 hours of security officer skills training may be completed before you apply for your guard card.
   Applicants must maintain copies of their serialized training certificates of completion for at least 2 years. If  you are unable to provide copies of your certificates to your employer, you will be required to take the 32 hours of training again.
4. Complete 8 hours of security officer skills training annually. This training may be completed online and/or in-person. Maintain copies of your serialized training certificates. You must provide copies to your employer or BSIS if requested.

Steps to obtain a guard card:

Step 1

Complete the 8-hour Powers to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force course.

Step 2

Complete and submit your BSIS “Application for Security Guard Registration” and application fee via the California Department of Consumer Affairs / BSIS’ online application system “Breeze.”

Breeze can be accessed here: https://www.breeze.ca.gov/datamart/loginCADCA.do

Step 3

Submit your fingerprints via Live Scan for a criminal history check.

Complete a Live Scan through a Department of Justice Live Scan provider. You can search for DOJ providers in your area by clicking here: https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/locations

You will need to use the “Security Guard Live Scan Form.” The Live Scan form can be found here: https://www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/livescan/guard.pdf

NOTE: You must submit your application BEFORE you complete your Live Scan.

Here you will find links to the various BSIS related Live Scan forms as well as information about the associated fees, etc.: https://www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/livescan/index.shtml

Live Scan pro tip:

If you plan to apply for an Exposed Firearms Permit soon after your guard card, it is beneficial to complete the Exposed Firearms Permit course then apply for both your guard card and firearms permit at the same time. By doing this, you only need to complete one Live Scan. This will save you time and money.

If you apply for the guard card and firearms permit at the same time, you’ll need to use the Live Scan form “Security Guard w/ Firearm.” The Live Scan form can be found here: https://www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/livescan/guard_firearm.pdf

Step 4

Wait patiently!!! Allow BSIS 4-6 weeks to process your application.

We hope you found this information helpful. We wish you the best of luck as you proceed forward in your career as a security professional. As always, Basic Firearms Training is here to assist with your BSIS training needs.