To start a security guard company in Montana, you license the business as a Private Security Firm with the Montana Department of Labor & Industry’s Private Security Program, name a designated manager, carry at least $500,000 of occurrence-form general liability coverage, and make sure every guard holds a Montana private security guard license backed by 16 hours of training and a state and FBI fingerprint check. Licenses renew every year by March 1. This guide walks through each step, and the last section shows how CGuardPro, the guard management software used by 600+ security companies, keeps those dates and documents in one place.
Everything below was checked against the Private Security Program’s own pages and checklists, and the Administrative Rules of Montana (ARM) chapter 24.182, as of October 2026. Montana amended its private security rules in 2025, so download the current forms before you file. This is not legal advice.
Who regulates security companies in Montana?
The regulator is the Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI), Private Security Program, which you will also see referred to through its web address, privatesecurity.mt.gov. The law is Title 37, Chapter 60 of the Montana Code Annotated, and the detailed rules are in ARM chapter 24.182. The program licenses private security firms, private security guards, private investigators, alarm installers and firearms instructors, and it handles applications online.
How do you get a Private Security Firm license?
The program’s Private Security Firm page and its firm checklist (revised December 10, 2025) list the minimum requirements:
- Register the business. The firm must be lawfully organized and registered with the Montana Secretary of State or otherwise qualified to do business in the state (MCA 37-60-303, ARM 24.182.525).
- Name a designated manager. The checklist requires a designated manager at the time of application (MCA 37-60-303). Pick this person before you file, not after.
- Insure the firm. A private security firm must carry a minimum of $500,000 occurrence-form commercial general liability that includes personal injury. If the firm employs armed guards, it must also carry firearms liability coverage (ARM 24.182.405).
- Certify training. The firm certifies that each employee has completed the required training program.
- Uniforms. Guard uniforms must meet ARM 24.182.407, which sets how the uniform identifies the wearer as a security guard.
With the application you submit proof of insurance, proof of Secretary of State registration, the name of the designated manager, and official verification of any professional licenses the firm holds or has held elsewhere. The checklist lists an $80 application fee per business entity, paid online. Fees can change, so check the current checklist on the day you apply.
What does a Montana security guard need?
Each officer holds an individual license. The program’s guard checklist (revised December 10, 2025) and the guard license page require that the applicant:
- is at least 18 years old and has completed high school or the equivalent;
- completes the 16-hour training program (ARM 24.182.514 and 24.182.807);
- passes a background check including a fingerprint check by the Montana Department of Justice and the FBI;
- provides verification of employment by a private security firm or other employer, which is the final condition before the department issues the license.
A 2025 change in Montana law means guards no longer have to work for a licensed firm. A guard who is not employed by a private security firm must carry their own $500,000 occurrence-form general liability policy, plus firearms liability coverage if they hold an armed endorsement. For a company owner the practical point is the employment verification: your officer’s license is not issued until you confirm the job.
How many training hours are required?
The rule that sets guard training, ARM 24.182.807, requires a minimum of 16 hours completed before licensure and before the person performs any security guard duties. The curriculum covers the role of the guard, applicable law, working with law enforcement, use of force, emergency procedures, report writing and radio communication, crowd control, patrol techniques, and ethical and legal issues such as searches and limits on detention.
For ongoing education, the guard renewal form says each licensee has a recurring duty to meet the continuing education requirements in ARM 24.182.2103. The compiled text of that rule we read requires eight hours of continuing education during each one-year license period, and licensees can be audited. Confirm the current figure with the program, since the chapter was amended in 2025.
What do armed guards need in Montana?
An armed guard needs an armed endorsement on top of the guard license. Under ARM 24.182.420, the applicant completes a firearms training program taught by a certified firearms instructor and passes a shooting proficiency test with each firearm they will carry, and the endorsement covers only the firearms they qualified with. Under ARM 24.182.421, armed status must be requalified every year with a Montana POST-certified instructor or a Montana-licensed private security firearms instructor. The renewal form is explicit: you cannot renew armed without a current requalification, and an endorsement cannot be added through renewal; it is a separate application.
When do Montana licenses renew?
Guard licenses expire on March 1 each year, and the program’s pages show a renewal window of January 1 through March 1 for both guards and firms. Renewals after the deadline carry a late fee. Because every Montana guard renews on the same date, the busiest weeks for your office are predictable: January and February.
Do Montana cities add their own security licensing?
We did not find a city-level guard license layered on top of the state program in our review. Ordinary local business licensing still applies wherever you open an office, so confirm with the city or county where you operate.
Montana security licensing at a glance
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Private Security Program |
| Law and rules | MCA Title 37, Ch. 60; ARM 24.182 |
| Company license | Private Security Firm, with a designated manager |
| Company insurance | $500,000 occurrence CGL incl. personal injury; firearms liability if armed |
| Officer license | Private security guard: 18+, high school or equivalent, fingerprints |
| Pre-licensing training | 16 hours (ARM 24.182.807) |
| Continuing education | 8 hours per year in the rule text we read (ARM 24.182.2103); confirm |
| Armed | Armed endorsement; annual requalification (ARM 24.182.421) |
| Renewal | Every year by March 1 |
| Overtime | 1.5x over 40 hours in a workweek (MCA 39-3-405) |
How does overtime work for Montana guards?
Montana’s overtime rule, MCA 39-3-405, requires time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek. There is no daily overtime rule, so a 12-hour shift does not trigger overtime by itself; the weekly total does. Guard schedules built on long shifts cross 40 hours quickly, so the week needs watching before the last shift, not after payroll.
How does software help keep the records?
Montana gives you one statewide renewal date, an annual armed requalification, yearly continuing education and a training certificate per officer. In CGuardPro, each officer and supervisor record holds their credentials with license number, issue and expiry dates and photos of the card, and a daily check alerts the office on a window you choose, from 7 to 120 days ahead, repeating weekly until the credential is renewed. It warns rather than blocks, and it does not look licenses up with the state. See security guard license tracking for how it works, and our Montana security guard software page for scheduling, GPS clock-in and patrol records in Montana.
For overtime, CGuardPro sends approved hours per officer to Gusto as time sheets split into regular and overtime hours under the federal weekly 40-hour rule; payroll itself is run in Gusto.
Frequently asked questions
Who issues security guard licenses in Montana?
The Montana Department of Labor & Industry’s Private Security Program, under MCA Title 37, Chapter 60 and ARM chapter 24.182.
How much insurance does a Montana security firm need?
At least $500,000 of occurrence-form commercial general liability including personal injury, plus firearms liability coverage if the firm employs armed guards (ARM 24.182.405).
How many hours of training does a Montana security guard need?
A minimum of 16 hours before licensure and before working as a guard (ARM 24.182.807), and continuing education each year under ARM 24.182.2103.
When do Montana security guard licenses expire?
Every year on March 1. The program accepts renewals from January 1, and late renewals cost more.
Do armed guards in Montana have to requalify?
Yes. Armed status must be requalified every year with a POST-certified or Montana-licensed private security firearms instructor (ARM 24.182.421).
For the wider picture, see our security guard license requirements by state and the license renewal checklist.