To start a security guard company in Delaware, you apply to the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing Section for a Class B private security agency license. The license holder must be at least 25 and show qualifying experience, and the agency files a $10,000 bond, proof of $1,000,000 in general liability coverage per occurrence, and its uniform and patch designs. Every officer then needs a state identification card (the “yellow card”), with a red-card firearms endorsement for armed work. CGuardPro keeps those officer cards and expiry dates on file once you are running.
Delaware’s law is Title 24, Chapter 13 of the Delaware Code, administered by the Board of Examiners of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies, with day-to-day processing at the State Police. The agency checklist is in the State Police Class B licensure instructions, and officer rules are on the security guards page and the unarmed security guard FAQ. Everything below was checked against those sources as of October 2026. Fees and forms change, so confirm before you file. This is not legal advice.
Delaware at a glance
| Item | Delaware requirement |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Delaware State Police, Professional Licensing Section; Board of Examiners |
| Company license | Class B private security agency |
| License holder | Age 25+; 4 years as a manager at a licensed security agency, 5 years investigative experience, or 5 years as a police officer who graduated from a certified academy |
| Bond and insurance | $10,000 agency bond; $1,000,000 commercial general liability per occurrence |
| Agency fee | $300 in-state, $500 out-of-state (Class B instructions) |
| Officer credential | Yellow card (unarmed), valid five years, expires on the officer’s birthdate |
| Unarmed training | Board-approved program plus a state exam (75% to pass); hours not published in the sources we read |
| Armed | Red card endorsement: 40-hour firearms course, age 21+, three shoots a year |
| Overtime | Federal FLSA: 1.5x after 40 hours in a workweek |
Who regulates security companies in Delaware?
Under 24 Del. C. § 1313, no one may act as a security guard or run a private security agency without a license or identification card from the Professional Licensing Section. The Board of Examiners, chaired by the Superintendent of State Police, sets the rules and must meet at least four times a year (§ 1304). New agency licenses pass through that board, so the meeting calendar affects how quickly you can open. Plan your application around it rather than around your first client’s start date.
What does the Class B agency license require?
The State Police instructions, which cover both new and renewal applications, list what an agency assembles:
- The agency application and the licensing fee: $300 for a Delaware agency, $500 for an agency located outside Delaware.
- A license holder application. The person named as license holder must be at least 25 and meet one experience route in § 1318: four years as a manager with a licensed security agency, five years of investigative experience, or service as a police officer who graduated from a certified law-enforcement academy. The instructions require five years of police service, verified by letter on agency letterhead. Corrections officers, auxiliary police and fire police do not count. Résumés are not accepted as proof.
- Fingerprints and photo through IdentoGO; the instructions list a $105 license holder application fee in Delaware.
- An agency bond form for $10,000, in the agency’s name, for in-state and out-of-state agencies alike.
- $1,000,000 commercial general liability insurance per occurrence, with the State Police Professional Licensing office named as certificate holder.
- Advertising materials: the uniform, patch, badge, seal, vehicle markings, letterhead and business cards you plan to use in Delaware, which are reviewed under the board’s rules.
The license holder also cannot have a felony, and is limited on certain misdemeanors in the past seven years. Once issued, the license must be posted in the principal office and every branch office (§ 1322).
How do officers get licensed?
Every guard needs a state identification card. The unarmed card, called the yellow card, requires the officer to be at least 18 (§ 1314), pass a fingerprint background check, complete a mandatory training program through a Board-approved facility, and pass the state exam with at least 75%. The State Police page says testing is given at Delaware Technical & Community College campuses, and that an officer must be employed by a licensed Class B or Class C agency.
New and renewing yellow card holders receive a 15-day temporary approval by email that stands in for the physical card. As of October 2026 the FAQ lists a $105 application or renewal fee and a $59 exam fee.
The agency’s reporting duties are short. Under § 1310, licensed agencies report employee violations of the chapter to the board within five days, and any licensee must report certain arrests within five days.
How many training hours does Delaware require?
Delaware requires a Board-approved training program before the unarmed exam. It is offered online, self-paced or in person, and the State Police say training is also required at renewal. The State Police pages we read do not publish the number of hours, so ask the training provider or the Professional Licensing Section for the current program length. Do not rely on a figure from a third-party site.
What about armed officers?
Armed officers hold a firearms endorsement on top of the yellow card, called the red card. Under § 1315 they must be at least 21. The State Police page requires a 40-hour firearms course with an approved instructor, including daylight and low-light qualification shoots. After the first two shoots and an approved background check, the endorsement runs to the end of that calendar year. To keep it, the officer completes a third daylight shoot at least 60 days after the others and recertifies every year with three shoot certifications.
The statute puts the monitoring on you. Under § 1321, agencies are responsible for tracking their employees’ firearm certification and recertification and for giving the Professional Licensing Section documentation that employees comply. Armed officers must also wear a distinctive uniform with the agency patch and carry the firearm in open view.
When do licenses renew?
Officer identification cards expire on the officer’s birthday in the fifth year after issuance (§ 1324), and the FAQ suggests starting renewal at least two months early. Because each card expires on a birthday, renewals are spread across the whole year. Armed endorsements renew every calendar year.
The agency’s renewal uses the same Class B instructions. The sources we read do not state the agency license term, and § 1312 caps fees at $600 per year, so confirm your agency’s renewal date with the Professional Licensing Section when the license is issued.
What are the overtime rules?
We found no separate overtime rule on the Delaware Office of Industrial Affairs wage and hour pages, which cover the minimum wage, child labor and wage payment. Covered employers follow the federal Fair Labor Standards Act: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek, with no daily threshold. Delaware’s minimum wage is $15 per hour, per the same office.
How does software help keep the records?
Delaware gives you five-year cards that expire on birthdays, an annual firearms cycle for armed staff, and a statutory duty to document firearm recertification. That is a lot of dates for one office manager to track by memory.
In CGuardPro, each officer record holds the yellow card and red card with license numbers, issue and expiry dates and card photos. License tracking sends your office alerts on a window you choose, anywhere from 7 to 120 days ahead, and repeats them weekly until the credential is renewed. It warns rather than blocks scheduling, and it does not verify licenses with the State Police or file anything for you. Training completions are logged per officer, and hours are tracked against a weekly threshold, so the 40-hour line is visible before payroll. See how it fits a Delaware roster on our Delaware security guard software page. CGuardPro is used by 600+ security companies.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Delaware yellow card last?
Five years. It expires and is renewed on the officer’s birthday in the fifth year after issuance, under 24 Del. C. § 1324.
Can a new officer work before the card arrives?
New and renewing unarmed licensees receive a 15-day temporary approval by email that can be used in place of the physical card for those 15 days, according to the State Police FAQ.
What experience does a Class B license holder need?
At least four years as a manager with a licensed security agency, five years of investigative experience, or service as a police officer who graduated from a certified academy (the instructions require five years). The license holder must also be at least 25.
How much insurance does a Delaware guard agency need?
The Class B instructions require $1,000,000 in commercial general liability insurance per occurrence and a $10,000 agency bond.
How often must armed officers qualify?
Every calendar year. The red card endorsement requires three shoot certifications, with the third separated by at least 60 days, after an initial 40-hour firearms course.