Resources / Daily guard checklist
Free Template
Security guard checklist
for every post and shift
A shift goes wrong in the routine parts: the key nobody counted, the fire exit propped open since Tuesday, the pass-down that never happened. This daily security guard checklist covers those in four blocks — opening, patrol, equipment and closing — with a time and a notes column on every line so a tick means something. Print the PDF or edit the Excel file to match your post orders.
Free download — no sign-up
US Letter, two pages, blank.
A. Opening the shift
Ten items, done before the first round.
Arrived on time, in uniform, license or ID carried
The first thing a client notices and the first thing a licensing inspector asks for.
Pass-down received; open items read
The outgoing officer's open items are the only part of the previous shift that still needs action.
Post orders and new instructions read
Temporary instructions — a contractor on site, a door out of service — are the ones most often missed.
Checked in with supervisor or dispatch
So somebody knows the post is manned, and by whom.
Keys, fobs and access cards counted and signed for
Anything you account for at the end must be counted at the start, or a loss cannot be placed on a shift.
Radio tested, phone or device charged
A radio that fails at 03:00 is found at 23:00 if someone tests it.
Flashlight, first-aid kit, extinguisher checked
Only what is issued to the post — the checklist confirms it is there and usable.
Expected visitors, contractors and deliveries reviewed
Knowing who is expected is what makes an unexpected arrival stand out.
Alarm panel and camera monitors checked
Where the post has them: a fault found at the start is a maintenance ticket, not an incident.
Start of shift entered in the DAR
The first line of the daily activity report, with the time.
B. Patrol
Eight items that apply to every round.
First round started within ___ minutes
Set the number in your post orders; the blank is there so the checklist matches them.
Doors, gates and windows secured
As the post orders require — not every door is meant to be locked at every hour.
Lighting faults noted
With the location of each, so maintenance can find it.
Fire exits clear, not blocked or propped
A propped fire door is both a security and a life-safety failure.
Hazards reported
Spills, trip hazards, damage, leaks — reported, not just noticed.
Parked vehicles checked
Unauthorized or suspicious vehicles noted with plate and location.
Restricted areas checked
The areas the post orders name, every round.
Every round logged with its time
In the patrol log or the DAR. An unlogged round did not happen as far as the client is concerned.
C. Equipment
Five items, checked during the shift.
Radio working, battery changed if needed
Checked again mid-shift, not only at the start.
Keys accounted for mid-shift
A missing key found at 02:00 can still be traced; one found at 06:00 cannot.
Patrol vehicle inspected
Lights, tires, fuel and damage, if a vehicle is used — damage recorded before the shift is not damage caused during it.
Body-worn camera and devices
As your policy requires; delete the line if you do not use them.
Uniform and PPE
As the site requires.
D. Closing the shift
Seven items, done before handover.
Final round completed
The last round is the one most often cut short.
Doors and gates locked
As the post orders require for the closing hour.
Keys, fobs and radio returned and counted
Against the count made at the start.
Incident reports finished, numbers in the DAR
So the log and the reports can be matched later.
Open items written for the next shift
Only things that need action — not a summary of the night.
Pass-down given in person
To the relieving officer, face to face where possible.
End of shift entered in the DAR
The last line of the daily activity report, with the time.
Sign-off. The officer signs with the time, lists any item not completed and why, and a supervisor records a spot-check with name and time.
Questions about guard checklists
What should a security guard checklist include?+
The recurring tasks of a shift that are easy to skip and costly to miss: opening checks (pass-down, post orders, keys, radio), patrol checks (doors, lighting, fire exits, hazards, vehicles), equipment checks, and closing checks (final round, lock-up, keys returned, pass-down). This security guard checklist groups them into those four blocks with a time and a notes column for each.
Is the checklist free?+
Yes, with no form and no sign-up. The PDF and Excel files download directly from this page. Rebrand them and edit the items to match your post orders.
Should every post use the same checklist?+
Use this as the base and adjust it per post. A lobby post and a warehouse yard share the opening and closing blocks but not much of the patrol block. The Excel file is there so you can delete and add lines.
Why is there a time column on a checklist?+
Because a tick with no time proves only that someone ticked it. A time written when the task was done is what separates a checklist from a form filled in at the end of the shift.
How does this relate to post orders?+
Post orders are the instructions for the position; the checklist is the officer's record that the routine parts were done. Where the checklist says as the post orders require, the post orders decide the detail.
What happens to items that were not done?+
They go in the sign-off block with the reason, and a supervisor spot-checks them. An honest unchecked box is more useful than a full column of ticks nobody believes.
The same checklist, as recurring post orders
Used by 600+ security companies worldwide, CGuardPro writes these tasks as orders on the post itself, scheduled by time, weekday, day of the month or a single date. Each completion carries the time it was done, the officer's name and whatever they attached — a note, photos, video or a voice memo — and an order with no completion stands out by post and date.