To start a security guard company in Kansas, you do not get a state license, because Kansas has no statewide license for guard companies or security officers. State law explicitly keeps guard companies out of the private detective license. Licensing happens in the cities. In Wichita, the agency needs a city license under City Code chapter 3.72, and every contract officer needs a private security permit from the Wichita Police Department. In Kansas City, Kansas, the police department issues security guard permits. Plenty of Kansas guard companies keep those permits and dates in CGuardPro, but the permits themselves come from each city.
What follows was checked as of October 2026 against the Kansas statutes on the Kansas Revisor of Statutes site, the Wichita Police Department’s private security page and its Policy 534 (revised September 2020), and the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department’s security guard permit page. City fees and procedures change, so confirm with each department before you apply. This is not legal advice.
Kansas security licensing at a glance
| Item | Kansas requirement |
|---|---|
| State license for guard companies | None. K.S.A. 75-7b03 says a patrol operator working the protected property is not in the detective business |
| State license for officers | None |
| Wichita agency | City license required under City Code § 3.72.030 |
| Wichita officers | Private security permit from the Wichita Police Department; temporary permit good for 90 days; renewed every year |
| Wichita fees (new permit) | $50 city fee plus $57 KBI criminal history fee, per the city’s page |
| Kansas City, Kansas | Security guard permit from KCKPD Records Unit; 18+; letter from a licensed security company; $52 fee |
| Training | Wichita requires its private security course, including defensive driving, for the basic permit |
| Firearms | Not regulated by the Wichita Police Department since HB 2578 (2014) |
| Overtime | FLSA covered employers: over 40 hours a week. State law: over 46, only for employers not covered by FLSA |
Does Kansas require a state security guard license?
No. Kansas has a statute that defines the work and then excludes it. K.S.A. 75-7b01(e) defines a “private patrol operator” as anyone who, for any consideration, furnishes “a watchman, guard, patrolman or other person to protect persons or property.” Then K.S.A. 75-7b03 says that a private patrol operator “while actually engaged in providing private patrol services on the property to which private patrol services are being provided” is not in the detective business. The Attorney General licenses private detectives. A guard company working the property it protects does not need that license.
The exemption covers patrol work on the property you protect. If your company also does investigations, that side of the business may need a detective license.
How do you license a security agency in Wichita?
Wichita regulates private security under City Code chapter 3.72. The Wichita Police Department’s Private Security Section administers it from the Training Bureau. Policy 534 lists § 3.72.030, “License Required—Private Security Agency,” among the ordinance violations officers enforce. Any company providing contract security inside Wichita city limits needs the city agency license.
We could not retrieve the current text of § 3.72.030 from an official source, so we have not listed its insurance, bond or fee requirements. Get the agency application and the chapter’s current text from the Private Security Section (the city lists 316-660-3810, by appointment) before you sign a Wichita client.
Policy 534 draws a line owners should know. Contractual security, meaning officers you provide to clients under contract, falls under the permit system. Proprietary security, meaning a company’s own employees guarding only its own property, does not need a permit. A proprietary employee can still get one if the employer asks in writing.
What permits do Wichita officers need?
Every contract officer working in Wichita needs a private security permit. Policy 534 says each permit shows the officer’s name, photograph and thumbprints and the name of the agency that employs them, and is color-coded by class:
- Temporary basic permit. For an officer who qualifies but has not finished the basic course. They can do basic duties but “not authorized to carry any weapons, including handcuffs.”
- Basic permit. Issued after the private security course, which includes a defensive driving classroom course. It allows vehicle patrol and no equipment beyond handcuffs.
- Basic permit with Taser endorsement. Requires the basic course plus a Taser certification course.
To apply, a new officer goes in person to the Wichita-Sedgwick County Law Enforcement Training Center. The officer brings an intent letter from the security company with its processing number, drug screen results, the $50 city fee and the $57 KBI criminal history fee. The temporary permit is good for 90 days. Once training is finished, the officer receives the private security permit, which is renewed every year (the city lists a $40 renewal fee).
The city’s page does not give the length of the private security course in hours, and we have not printed a figure. Ask the Training Bureau for the current schedule, and plan new hires so they finish inside their 90 days.
What does Kansas City, Kansas require?
The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department’s Records Unit issues security guard permits. According to KCKPD, applicants must:
- be at least 18;
- bring a letter from a licensed security company confirming they will be employed there;
- show a valid state ID or driver’s license with a current address;
- have no felony convictions, no listed misdemeanors, no dangerous weapon convictions in the past 10 years and no active warrants;
- pay a $52 non-refundable fee, which includes a copy of their criminal history.
Applications are taken in person at Police Headquarters, 700 Minnesota Ave. The page does not state the permit’s term or any training requirement, so confirm both before you rely on a renewal date.
Other cities, including Topeka, Overland Park and Lawrence, may have their own rules. We have not verified them. Check with each city where you will have a post.
How many training hours does a Kansas guard need?
The state sets none. In Wichita, the basic permit requires the city’s private security course, including defensive driving, and the Taser endorsement requires its own certification. We could not confirm the course length from an official city source. KCKPD’s page lists no training requirement.
What about armed officers?
There is no state armed guard license in Kansas. In Wichita, Policy 534 says that under House Bill 2578, effective July 1, 2014, “firearms and knives will no longer be regulated or subject to approval by the Wichita Police Department.” Other duty gear is still limited to what the Chief of Police authorizes. Your insurer and your client contracts will usually set firearm training conditions, and you should confirm current state firearm law before arming anyone.
How does overtime work in Kansas?
Kansas has a state overtime law, but it rarely applies to guard companies. K.S.A. 44-1204 requires time and a half after 46 hours in a workweek. It does not apply to employees covered by section 7 of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Most contract security companies are FLSA-covered, so they pay overtime after 40 hours a week. Neither rule has a daily threshold. The Kansas state page has more detail.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Reading “no state license” as “no license.” Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas both require permits.
- Letting a temporary permit run out. Wichita’s lasts 90 days. Training has to be finished inside that window, so schedule the course when you hire.
- Giving handcuffs to a temporary permit holder. The temporary basic permit allows no weapons, handcuffs included.
- Doing investigations under a guard business. The detective-license exemption covers patrol services on the protected property.
How does software help keep the records?
A Kansas company working both ends of I-35 can hold Wichita permits that renew yearly, 90-day temporary permits and Kansas City, Kansas permits with their own rules, all at once. In CGuardPro each officer’s record holds their credentials with numbers and expiry dates, so a temporary permit’s 90-day end date is on file from day one. License tracking alerts the office on a window you choose, 7 to 120 days ahead, and repeats weekly until the credential is renewed. It warns. It does not block scheduling, it does not check permits with any police department, and it does not file anything.
Course completions, such as the Wichita private security course or a Taser certification, can be logged per officer as training records. Hours are tracked against a weekly threshold matching the 40-hour federal rule, and US companies can send approved hours to Gusto as time sheets. CGuardPro is used by 600+ security companies. See our Kansas security guard software page for more.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kansas license security guard companies?
Not at the state level. K.S.A. 75-7b03 keeps private patrol operators working on the property they protect out of the private detective license, and no other state license applies. Cities such as Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas license guards locally.
How long is a Wichita temporary security permit valid?
Ninety days, according to the City of Wichita. The officer completes the required training in that time and then receives a private security permit that is renewed every year.
What does a Wichita security permit cost?
As of October 2026, the city lists a $50 city fee plus a $57 KBI criminal history fee for new applicants, and $40 for renewals. Confirm current amounts with the Wichita Police Department.
Who issues security guard permits in Kansas City, Kansas?
The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department Records Unit. Applicants must be 18 or older, bring a letter from a licensed security company and pay a $52 fee.
When does Kansas overtime start?
For most guard companies, after 40 hours in a workweek under the federal FLSA. The state’s 46-hour rule in K.S.A. 44-1204 applies only to employers not covered by the FLSA.