Mississippi does not issue a statewide license for security guard companies or for unarmed security officers, so there is no state board to apply to before you open. What does exist is a state Security Guard Permit for armed officers, issued by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety under Miss. Code Ann. § 97-37-7, and city rules: Biloxi, for example, requires every guard working inside city limits to be licensed through the Biloxi Police Department. So starting a guard company in Mississippi means ordinary business registration, a gun permit for each armed officer, and a check of the city ordinance wherever each post sits. CGuardPro is software that keeps those permits and dates on each officer’s record; it does not file anything for you.
The state permit rules come from the Department of Public Safety’s Security Guard Permit page and its current application form, and the Biloxi rules from the Biloxi Police Department’s guard license packet. Everything below was checked against those sources as of October 2026. Fees and city ordinances change, so confirm before you file. This is not legal advice.
Mississippi at a glance
| Item | Mississippi requirement |
|---|---|
| State company license | None found |
| State license for unarmed officers | None found |
| Armed officers | Statewide Security Guard (gun) Permit from DPS, Firearm Permit Division (§ 97-37-7) |
| Permit fee (DPS page) | $132 original ($100 permit + $32 background check); $82 renewal |
| Permit renewal | Every four years; cannot be renewed six months or more after expiry |
| Age on the DPS application | Asks whether the applicant is 21 or older |
| State training hours | None set in § 97-37-7 for security guard permits, as far as we found |
| Local licensing | City ordinances; Biloxi licenses every guard working in the city |
| Overtime | No state statute; federal FLSA, over 40 hours in a workweek |
Who regulates security companies in Mississippi?
At the state level, nobody licenses the company. We found no Mississippi statute or agency that issues a contract security company license or a card for unarmed officers. That puts Mississippi in a small group of states, and it is easy to misread as “no rules”. The rules sit in two other places:
- The armed layer is state law. Section 97-37-7 allows guards employed by a patrol service, guard service, company or similar to carry weapons while on duty, provided they hold a permit from the Department of Public Safety.
- The local layer is city law. Some cities license guards and security services within their limits. Biloxi’s is the clearest example we verified.
On top of those, you still need the normal pieces of starting any company in the state: business registration with the Secretary of State, tax accounts, workers’ compensation and the liability insurance your clients will require in their contracts.
What does starting a guard company in Mississippi require?
Because there is no state company license, there is no state-mandated qualifier, years-of-experience test, company bond or insurance minimum for the business itself. In practice, the steps look like this:
- Register the business and set up payroll and tax accounts.
- Buy insurance that meets your clients’ contracts, and in Biloxi, the coverage the city ordinance requires (see below).
- Decide where your posts will be and read each city’s ordinance before you staff it. The city where the post physically sits decides what an officer needs.
- Get armed officers permitted by DPS before they carry on duty.
- Keep a dated file per officer: the city license, the state gun permit and its expiry, and whatever training you require.
How do officers get a gun permit?
The Security Guard Permit is personal to the officer, and the officer applies in person. According to the DPS page and application:
- Who qualifies. The application lists the categories in § 97-37-7: bank guard, company guard, watchman, railroad special agent, or an agent or employee of a patrol service, guard service or company transporting money or valuables. The permit is valid while the officer is actively performing those duties.
- Eligibility. No permit may be issued to anyone ever convicted of a felony. The applicant is fingerprinted for a state and FBI check. The current application asks whether the applicant is 21 or older and whether they are eligible to possess a firearm under state and federal law.
- Fees. The DPS fee page lists $132 for an original permit ($100 permit fee plus $32 for the fingerprint check) and $82 for a renewal ($50 plus $32). A retired law enforcement officer pays only the $32 check on renewal. A permit renewed late but within six months carries a $15 late fee.
- Where to apply. The older DPS packet tells applicants to bring the notarized application to DPS headquarters in Jackson or a Highway Patrol district substation. Check the DPS page for current locations and days.
How many training hours does Mississippi require?
None at state level for unarmed officers, since there is no state license for them. For the armed permit, the text of § 97-37-7(1) reproduced in the DPS packet sets the application, fee and fingerprint check but does not set a training course for security guard permits; the training-course language in the same section applies to other categories of officials. We did not find a security guard training-hour minimum on the DPS page either. If your clients or a city require training, follow their figure, and if you see a Mississippi hour figure quoted elsewhere, ask for the source.
When do Mississippi permits renew?
The statute requires renewal of the gun permit every four years. DPS is required to mail a renewal notice at least 90 days before expiry, and the officer renews with the form, a notarized affidavit that they remain qualified, and the fee. The hard edge is this: a permit cannot be renewed six months or more after it expires. At that point it is permanently expired and the officer starts over as a first-time applicant.
Four years is long enough for a date to be forgotten, and the notice goes to the officer’s mailing address, not to your office. City licenses run on their own terms, so check each city’s renewal rules too.
What do Biloxi and other cities require?
Biloxi’s packet says the city ordinance (Chapter 12, Article VIII, Sections 12-8-1 through 12-8-12) requires all persons to be licensed through the Biloxi Police Department while employed as a security guard within the city limits. The application asks for the private security service the applicant works for, five years of employment history, criminal convictions and three references. According to the packet:
- the application is notarized and filed at the Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center with a $15 application fee;
- a copy of a liability insurance policy meeting Section 12-8-9 of the ordinance is attached;
- armed applicants attach a copy of their state Security Guard Gun Permit, and the application is rejected without it;
- applicants go through a background investigation and are photographed and fingerprinted if approved.
The packet does not state the insurance amount, so read Section 12-8-9 or ask the Biloxi Police Department before you quote a Gulf Coast casino or resort.
Jackson’s code also provides for a private security permit through the chief of police; we could not read the current ordinance text, so confirm the requirements with the Jackson Police Department. For any other city, ask the police department or city clerk before the first shift.
What are Mississippi’s overtime rules?
Mississippi has no state overtime statute that we found, so the federal Fair Labor Standards Act applies: time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek, with no daily threshold. Long casino and plant shifts make the weekly total the number to watch.
How does software help keep the records?
With no state board, nobody reminds you that a four-year gun permit is about to lapse or that a new hire needs a Biloxi license before working in the city. In CGuardPro, each officer’s record holds credentials with license numbers, issue and expiry dates and card photos, and license tracking alerts your office on a window you choose, from 7 to 120 days ahead, repeating weekly until the credential is renewed. You can keep the state gun permit and each city license as separate credentials, plus training records per officer. CGuardPro warns rather than blocks scheduling, and it does not verify licenses with DPS or any city.
Hours are tracked against a weekly threshold, matching the federal 40-hour rule, and approved hours can go to Gusto as time sheets if you run payroll there. For the Mississippi view of scheduling, guard tours and incident reports, see CGuardPro for Mississippi security companies. CGuardPro is used by 600+ security companies and costs $5 per user per month with a 7-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license to start a security company in Mississippi?
Not at the state level: we found no statewide license for security companies or unarmed officers as of October 2026. You still need ordinary business registration, and some cities license guards and security services, so check the ordinance where each post sits.
Do armed security guards in Mississippi need a permit?
Yes. Guards who carry on duty need a Statewide Security Guard Permit from the Department of Public Safety under § 97-37-7, with a fingerprint check and no felony record. The DPS fee page lists $132 for an original permit.
How often does the Mississippi security guard gun permit renew?
Every four years. It cannot be renewed six months or more after it expires; after that the officer applies as a first-time applicant.
Does Biloxi require a security guard license?
Yes. The Biloxi Police Department’s packet says the city ordinance requires everyone employed as a security guard within city limits to be licensed through the department, with a background check, proof of liability insurance and, for armed officers, the state gun permit.
How many training hours does a Mississippi security guard need?
We found no state training-hour minimum for unarmed guards or for the security guard gun permit. Confirm with DPS and the city where you work, and follow any training your clients’ contracts require.