To start a security guard company in Vermont, you license the business as a security guard services agency with the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation (OPR), keep at least one licensed security guard on staff to supervise your officers, and register every security employee with OPR. Registered security employees need 8 hours of approved training; licensed security guards need 40 hours, an exam and two years of experience. Every officer must have CPR and AED certification within three months of hire, and licenses run on fixed two-year periods. The last section shows how CGuardPro, the guard management software used by 600+ security companies, keeps those certificates and dates per officer.
Everything below was checked against 26 V.S.A. chapter 59 and OPR’s Administrative Rules for Private Investigative and Security Services as of October 2026. Fees and forms are on OPR’s profession page. This is not legal advice.
Who regulates security companies in Vermont?
The Office of Professional Regulation, part of the Vermont Secretary of State’s office, licenses private investigators, security guards and the agencies that employ them under 26 V.S.A. chapter 59. OPR’s rules set the license types, training, specialty designations and renewal periods.
How do you license a Vermont security agency?
Under 26 V.S.A. § 3172, OPR issues agency licenses for private security guard services, private investigative services, or a combination of both. The statute lists three items: an application in proper form, the fee, and evidence of current Vermont business entity registration.
OPR’s Rule 4-5 adds the substance. An eligible agency must:
- supply evidence of current Vermont business entity registration;
- identify those with an interest in the agency (for a publicly traded company, its officers and structure);
- designate one or more full-time employees, each a licensed security guard or licensed private investigator in good standing, as OPR’s contact at the agency and professionally responsible for monitoring the agency’s compliance.
Rule 4-5(c) also requires an agency that employs registered security employees to have a licensed security guard on staff responsible for supervising them. In practice, that means your first hire, or you, needs the full security guard license before the agency can put registered employees on posts.
The statute and rules we reviewed do not set an insurance minimum or a surety bond for agencies. Your clients and your insurer will set coverage levels, so expect contract terms to fill that gap.
What is the difference between a licensed guard and a registered security employee?
Vermont has two levels of individual credential.
Licensed security guard (Rule 4-1, under 26 V.S.A. § 3174). The applicant must:
- be at least 18;
- complete 40 hours of approved training in private security;
- pass the examination required by § 3175;
- show two or more years of security experience, which can include work as a licensed guard in another state, as a guard for a licensed agency, or as a sworn law enforcement officer;
- meet OPR’s character and fitness standard, which may draw on a background check, employment history and references from at least two professional peers.
A licensed security guard can work as a sole proprietor or for an agency, and is the person who can supervise registered employees.
Registered security employee (Rule 4-2). The applicant must be at least 18, complete 8 hours of approved training, and meet the character standard. The 8-hour course covers the role of the agency security guard (2 hours), ethics and conduct (3 hours) and legal powers and limitations (3 hours). A registered employee may work only for a licensed agency, supervised by a licensed security guard of that same agency. When they leave the agency, their license becomes active but inoperative: they cannot work until another agency registers them.
How does employee registration work?
Under 26 V.S.A. § 3176, agencies must register all of their security employees with OPR. A licensed guard working for an agency is deemed registered with it once OPR confirms the registration. When you end the employment of anyone licensed under Part 4 of the rules, Rule 7-5 requires you to notify OPR within 72 hours. That is one of the shortest notice windows in any state, so build it into your offboarding checklist.
What do armed guards need in Vermont?
Carrying a firearm requires a firearms specialty designation under Rule 5-3. The applicant must be licensed in good standing and complete:
- at least 12 hours of approved classroom instruction on safe handling and proper use of firearms and legal responsibility;
- at least 4 hours of classroom instruction on the specific weapon to be carried;
- range qualification for that weapon.
To renew the designation, the officer must hold a valid firearms recertification certificate recognized by OPR.
What else does Vermont require of every officer?
Rule 6-3 requires all security personnel to obtain CPR and AED certification from the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association or an approved equivalent within three months of hire. OPR may require the certification at renewal, and the agency must keep records of each employee’s certification and produce them on request.
When do Vermont licenses renew?
Under Rule 6-1, licenses and specialty designations run on fixed two-year licensing periods and lapse if not renewed before the period ends. Expiration dates are printed on the license, and OPR’s online lookup is the primary source for current status. OPR emails reminders, but the rules say not receiving one does not excuse a lapse.
Vermont security licensing at a glance
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation |
| Law and rules | 26 V.S.A. ch. 59; OPR Administrative Rules |
| Company license | Security guard services agency (or combination) |
| Agency must have | A licensed guard or PI as compliance contact; a licensed guard supervising registered employees |
| Licensed security guard | 18+, 40 hours, exam, 2+ years of experience |
| Registered security employee | 18+, 8 hours of training |
| CPR and AED | Within three months of hire |
| Armed | Firearms specialty: 12 + 4 hours and range qualification |
| Departures | Notify OPR within 72 hours |
| Renewal | Fixed two-year periods |
| Overtime | Over 40 hours in a workweek (21 V.S.A. § 384(b)), with exemptions |
How does overtime work for Vermont guards?
Vermont’s wage law, 21 V.S.A. § 384(b), requires time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek, with exemptions for certain types of establishments listed in the statute. Where the state exemption applies, the federal FLSA can still require overtime. There is no daily overtime rule.
How does software help keep the records?
Vermont makes the agency keep proof: CPR and AED within three months, 8 or 40 training hours, firearms recertification, a 72-hour termination notice and a fixed renewal period for everyone. In CGuardPro, each officer and supervisor record holds credentials of the types you define, such as the OPR license, CPR/AED card and firearms certificate, with number, issue and expiry dates and photos. A daily check alerts the office on a window you choose, from 7 to 120 days ahead, and repeats weekly until each one is renewed. It warns rather than blocks, and it does not check with OPR. See security guard license tracking, and Vermont security guard software for scheduling, GPS clock-in and patrol records in Vermont.
For payroll, 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 licenses security guards in Vermont?
The Office of Professional Regulation within the Vermont Secretary of State’s office, under 26 V.S.A. chapter 59.
How many training hours does a Vermont security guard need?
A registered security employee needs 8 hours of approved training. A licensed security guard needs 40 hours, an exam and two years of experience.
Does a Vermont security agency need a licensed guard on staff?
Yes. An agency employing registered security employees must have a licensed security guard on staff to supervise them (Rule 4-5(c)).
Do Vermont security officers need CPR?
Yes. CPR and AED certification within three months of hire, and the agency keeps the records (Rule 6-3).
How long does a Vermont agency have to report a departure?
72 hours from terminating the employment of a licensed or registered employee (Rule 7-5).
See also our security guard license requirements by state and the license renewal checklist.