Illinois security guard software
for private security contractors licensed by IDFPR
CGuardPro is security guard management software for Illinois private security contractors: scheduling and relief coverage, GPS and selfie clock-in, QR and NFC guard tours, incident reports, visitor logs, PERC and Firearm Control Card tracking, training records and a client portal, with guard, supervisor and client apps for iOS and Android. It costs $5 per user per month with a 7-day free trial. Licensing runs through IDFPR, so the software keeps the records; the licenses and cards stay yours.
What running guards in Illinois actually involves
IDFPR, through the CORE portal
Illinois licenses private security contractors through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) under 225 ILCS 447, and applications run through CORE, the same online portal the state uses for many unrelated professions. There is no separate security board to call.
A PERC for every employee
Every employee of a licensed agency, unless exempt, applies for a Permanent Employee Registration Card (PERC). Applicants must be at least 18, or 21 if the job is armed, and submit fingerprints to the Illinois State Police.
20 hours in 30 days, 8 more in six months
Guarding employees complete at least 20 hours of basic training within 30 days of hire, covering arrest law, use of force, report writing and terrorism awareness among other subjects, then 8 more hours chosen by the employer within six months, which can be site-specific and on the job.
An 8-hour refresher every calendar year
From the calendar year after an officer’s first employment anniversary, they complete 8 hours of refresher training every calendar year. The employer certifies each completion on an IDFPR form, keeps it on file and must hand a copy to the employee when they leave.
Armed: FOID, FCC and a 48-hour course
An armed officer needs a Firearm Control Card (FCC), which the employer applies for, plus a valid FOID card. The course is 48 hours, including 8 hours on the range with at least 50 rounds and a 70% score, and armed officers repeat 8 hours of range training every calendar year.
A rest day and a meal break by law
Beyond weekly overtime after 40 hours, Illinois’s One Day Rest in Seven Act guarantees at least 24 hours of rest in every consecutive seven-day period, and a meal break for every 7.5 hours worked, taken no later than five hours into the shift. Long guard shifts and doubles run straight into both.
Chicago towers, transit and airports
The Loop’s office and residential high-rises, two major airports and one of the country’s largest rail and intermodal hubs drive much of the state’s guard work: lobbies, loading docks and yards that run around the clock.
Hospitals, campuses, events and dispensaries
Large hospital systems and universities, stadium and convention events, and licensed cannabis dispensaries add posts where clients expect documented rounds, visitor logs and incident reports on demand.
What an Illinois guard operation runs on
Every module stands on its own, and together they are the operations picture your dispatcher works from.
Training records
The 20-hour basic, the 8-hour follow-up and each calendar year’s refresher, logged per officer.
License tracking
PERC, FCC and FOID details on the officer record, with alerts before dates you set.
Guard scheduling
Rotations and relief coverage, with each officer’s week visible before you publish.
Time and attendance
Geofenced clock-in with a selfie at the post, consolidated for payroll.
Visitor logs
Lobby and front-desk entries recorded on the phone at the post.
QR and NFC guard tours
Checkpoints scanned on floors, docks and yards, verified with time and position.
Incident reporting
Photographed, timestamped and in front of the property manager and the client.
Client portal
Property and facility managers see their own sites, patrols and incidents.
The rules behind an Illinois roster
Section references are to 225 ILCS 447 as published by the Illinois General Assembly; overtime and rest rules from the Illinois Department of Labor. Confirm current requirements with IDFPR.
Illinois private security contractor license
Why the application runs through IDFPR’s general CORE portal, and how to prepare.
IDFPR security licensing
Official PERC, Firearm Control Card and approved training course information.
Security guard licenses by state
The regulator and the officer credential in each state, side by side.
Payroll with Gusto
Approved hours sent to Gusto as time sheets for payroll.
The accounts Illinois guard companies hold
Illinois questions, answered plainly
What training does an unarmed guard need in Illinois? +
Under 225 ILCS 447/25-20: at least 20 hours of basic training within 30 days of hire, 8 more hours within six months, and 8 hours of refresher training every calendar year starting the year after the first employment anniversary. The employer certifies completions on an IDFPR form. Confirm current details with IDFPR.
Can CGuardPro keep our Illinois training and PERC records? +
Yes. Training records log each completion per officer, and the officer record holds credentials such as the PERC and FCC with their numbers, dates and a photo, with a warning to the office on a window you choose, from 7 to 120 days ahead. It warns rather than blocks, and it does not file anything with IDFPR; the signed IDFPR training form stays in your files.
Does CGuardPro enforce the One Day Rest in Seven Act? +
No. CGuardPro tracks each officer’s hours against a weekly threshold, the 40-hour overtime line, and the schedule shows each officer’s week so you can see a missing rest day before you publish. Meeting the 24-hour rest and meal-break rules stays a scheduling decision you make, and premium pay happens in your payroll or in Gusto.
What does an armed officer need in Illinois? +
A PERC (minimum age 21 for armed work), a valid FOID card and a Firearm Control Card, which the employer applies for after the officer passes a 48-hour approved firearm course with a written and range exam. Armed officers then complete 8 hours of range refresher training every calendar year.
How is it priced? +
It is $5 per user per month, one plan with every feature, plus an optional one-time implementation package of $299.99. A user is anyone with a login, including client logins. There is a 7-day free trial.
See it against your own Illinois roster
Bring one site and one week of posts, a Loop lobby or a rail yard, and we will set it up the way you run it.