Security guard software
state by state
CGuardPro is security guard management software for contract guard companies in every US state: scheduling, GPS and selfie clock-in, QR and NFC guard tours, incident reports, dispatch and a client portal, at $5 per user per month. What differs from one state to the next is the regulation around the roster — who licenses the company and each officer, how many training hours come before the first shift, and how overtime is counted. Each page below covers one state.
Northeast
Connecticut
DESPP, Special Licensing and Firearms Unit
An 8-hour training card valid five years; armed officers refresh their firearms endorsement annually.
Maine
Maine State Police (Commissioner of Public Safety)
Only the contract security company is licensed; it vets each guard and reports them before they start.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts State Police, Certification Unit
No state guard card; a yearly agency license, $5,000 bond and a sworn statement per employee.
New Hampshire
NH Department of Safety, State Police Permits and Licensing
Armed guards requalify with a firearm every year, and agencies post a $50,000 surety bond.
New Jersey
New Jersey State Police, Private Detective Unit (SORA)
24-hour SORA course, no temporary certificate since 2024; armed cards renew every year.
New York
Department of State, Division of Licensing Services (training: DCJS)
8-hour pre-assignment, 16-hour OJT within 90 days and 8 hours of in-service every year.
Pennsylvania
County courts of common pleas; State Police for Act 235 armed certification
Business licensed by the county court; armed officers need a five-year Act 235 State Police certification.
Rhode Island
Department of the Attorney General
Attorney General licenses guard businesses; Sunday and holiday work can owe time and a half.
Vermont
Office of Professional Regulation (Secretary of State)
Two tiers: licensed guards with 40 hours and registered employees with 8, plus CPR within three months.
Mid-Atlantic and Southeast
Alabama
Alabama Security Regulatory Board (ASRB)
One state board licenses contract companies and officers, and state law bars cities from adding guard licenses.
Arkansas
Arkansas State Police, Regulatory Services Division
Officers hold PSO, CSO or CSSO credentials; school security officers add 36 hours of Phase III training.
Delaware
Delaware State Police, Professional Licensing Section
Yellow cards expire on the birthdate; armed red cards need a third shoot by December 31.
District of Columbia
DC DLCP Security Program, with final signoff by MPD's Security Officers Management Branch
Special police officers can arrest on their post; plain security officers cannot and carry only a wooden baton.
Florida
FDACS Division of Licensing
Chapter 493 agencies, Class D officers and Class G firearms licenses, from the agriculture department.
Georgia
State Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies (Secretary of State)
Company licenses expire June 30 and officer registrations August 31 of every odd-numbered year.
Kentucky
No statewide license — Louisville Metro licenses armed security
No state guard license; Louisville armed officers need a city license and a CCDW, and seventh-day overtime applies.
Louisiana
Louisiana State Board of Private Security Examiners (LSBPSE)
Since Act 683 of 2026, officers complete 16 hours of S.O.S.T. training before their first assignment.
Maryland
Maryland State Police, Licensing Division
12 hours of initial training, three-year certification, renewal filed 90 days before expiry.
Mississippi
No statewide license — DPS armed guard permits; cities such as Biloxi license guards
No state guard license; armed guards need a four-year DPS permit, and Biloxi licenses every guard in the city.
North Carolina
Private Protective Services Board
Unarmed guard cards and firearm permits both expire every year, and armed renewals cannot be filed late.
South Carolina
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED)
Every license, registration and weapons permit renews annually, filed 30 to 60 days before expiration.
Tennessee
Department of Commerce and Insurance, Private Protective Services
Guards at alcohol-serving venues need de-escalation, first aid and CPR training within 15 days of assignment.
Virginia
Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS)
Every licensed business needs a compliance agent; unarmed officers take 18 hours and may work 90 days while training.
West Virginia
West Virginia Secretary of State, Licensing Division
The Secretary of State licenses guard firms; each officer's photo and fingerprints stay on file in-state.
Midwest
Illinois
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR)
Every guard needs a PERC, 20 hours of training within 30 days and an 8-hour refresher yearly.
Indiana
Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PI and Security Guard Licensing Board)
The state licenses agencies, not guards; licenses renew every four years on October 1.
Iowa
Iowa Department of Public Safety
Every officer carries a DPS identification card valid only for the agency named on it.
Kansas
No statewide license — Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas police issue permits
State law exempts patrol operators from detective licensing; Wichita issues tiered officer permits.
Michigan
Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)
No individual guard license; agencies file employee rosters quarterly and get uniforms and badges approved.
Minnesota
Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services
Protective agents train employees 12 hours within 21 days, then six hours every year.
Missouri
No statewide license — Kansas City and St. Louis police license locally
Kansas City and St. Louis each license companies and officers yearly through their police departments.
Nebraska
No statewide license for uniformed guards — Secretary of State licenses plain clothes investigators
Only out-of-uniform investigative work needs a state license; uniformed guarding does not.
North Dakota
Private Investigation and Security Board (NDPISB)
Officers rise from apprentice to commissioned by logged hours; all licenses expire September 30.
Ohio
Ohio Homeland Security, Private Investigator Security Guard Services (PISGS)
Class C covers security only; new hires must be registered with the state within 3 to 7 days.
South Dakota
No statewide license — Rapid City licenses guards locally
No state licensing or overtime law; Rapid City licenses guards and the Sturgis rally surges demand.
Wisconsin
Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)
Guard companies are licensed as private detective agencies; each guard holds a Private Security Permit.
Southwest and Texas
Arizona
Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS)
Eight hours before the first post; armed guards add 16 hours and an eight-hour refresher every year.
New Mexico
Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD), Private Investigations Advisory Board
Guards register at level one, two or three; level three (armed) requires a psychologist's evaluation.
Oklahoma
Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET)
The police training council licenses guards: 40 hours unarmed, 72 armed, plus a psychological test for armed applicants.
Texas
Texas DPS, Private Security Program
Company licenses and Level II, III and IV officer registrations under Occupations Code Chapter 1702.
Mountain West
Colorado
No statewide license — Denver and other cities license locally
No state guard license, and overtime kicks in after 12 hours in a day, not only 40 a week.
Idaho
No statewide license — Boise and other cities license locally
No state license; Boise requires a company license plus a bonded personnel license for every officer.
Montana
Department of Labor & Industry, Private Security Program
Guards need 16 hours of training and proof of a job; every license renews by March 1.
Nevada
Private Investigators Licensing Board (PILB)
Daily overtime after 8 hours for officers under $18 an hour; armed officers requalify every six months.
Utah
Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL)
Every officer license expires November 30 of even years, with 32 hours of continuing education due.
Wyoming
No statewide license — Cheyenne and other cities regulate locally
Wyoming licenses no guards or security firms; Cheyenne regulates guard businesses under its municipal code.
Pacific
Alaska
Alaska Department of Public Safety
Guards need 40 hours of in-service training within 180 days, and overtime starts after 8 hours a day.
California
Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS)
Guard cards for officers, PPO licenses for companies, and daily overtime rules.
Hawaii
Board of Private Detectives and Guards (DCCA)
Every guard employee registration renews on the same June 30, once every three years.
Oregon
Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST)
Every private security entity license expires June 30; officers renew on their own two-year cycle.
Washington
Washington State Department of Licensing
Guards need 8 hours preassignment, 8 postassignment and 4 hours of refresher training every year.
Who licenses guard companies, at a glance
| State | Regulator |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama Security Regulatory Board (ASRB) |
| Alaska | Alaska Department of Public Safety |
| Arizona | Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) |
| Arkansas | Arkansas State Police, Regulatory Services Division |
| California | Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) |
| Colorado | No statewide license — Denver and other cities license locally |
| Connecticut | DESPP, Special Licensing and Firearms Unit |
| Delaware | Delaware State Police, Professional Licensing Section |
| District of Columbia | DC DLCP Security Program, with final signoff by MPD's Security Officers Management Branch |
| Florida | FDACS Division of Licensing |
| Georgia | State Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies (Secretary of State) |
| Hawaii | Board of Private Detectives and Guards (DCCA) |
| Idaho | No statewide license — Boise and other cities license locally |
| Illinois | Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) |
| Indiana | Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (PI and Security Guard Licensing Board) |
| Iowa | Iowa Department of Public Safety |
| Kansas | No statewide license — Wichita and Kansas City, Kansas police issue permits |
| Kentucky | No statewide license — Louisville Metro licenses armed security |
| Louisiana | Louisiana State Board of Private Security Examiners (LSBPSE) |
| Maine | Maine State Police (Commissioner of Public Safety) |
| Maryland | Maryland State Police, Licensing Division |
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts State Police, Certification Unit |
| Michigan | Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) |
| Minnesota | Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services |
| Mississippi | No statewide license — DPS armed guard permits; cities such as Biloxi license guards |
| Missouri | No statewide license — Kansas City and St. Louis police license locally |
| Montana | Department of Labor & Industry, Private Security Program |
| Nebraska | No statewide license for uniformed guards — Secretary of State licenses plain clothes investigators |
| Nevada | Private Investigators Licensing Board (PILB) |
| New Hampshire | NH Department of Safety, State Police Permits and Licensing |
| New Jersey | New Jersey State Police, Private Detective Unit (SORA) |
| New Mexico | Regulation and Licensing Department (RLD), Private Investigations Advisory Board |
| New York | Department of State, Division of Licensing Services (training: DCJS) |
| North Carolina | Private Protective Services Board |
| North Dakota | Private Investigation and Security Board (NDPISB) |
| Ohio | Ohio Homeland Security, Private Investigator Security Guard Services (PISGS) |
| Oklahoma | Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) |
| Oregon | Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) |
| Pennsylvania | County courts of common pleas; State Police for Act 235 armed certification |
| Rhode Island | Department of the Attorney General |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) |
| South Dakota | No statewide license — Rapid City licenses guards locally |
| Tennessee | Department of Commerce and Insurance, Private Protective Services |
| Texas | Texas DPS, Private Security Program |
| Utah | Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) |
| Vermont | Office of Professional Regulation (Secretary of State) |
| Virginia | Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) |
| Washington | Washington State Department of Licensing |
| West Virginia | West Virginia Secretary of State, Licensing Division |
| Wisconsin | Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) |
| Wyoming | No statewide license — Cheyenne and other cities regulate locally |
Regulators as named on each state’s official site in October 2026. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the regulator before you rely on them. For the company-license process itself, see security guard license requirements by state.
Frequently asked questions
Does every US state license security guards?+
No. Most states license both the security company and each officer, but a few have no statewide guard license and leave it to cities or counties — on this page: Mississippi, Kentucky, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming. Each state page names the regulator, or the local authorities where there is none.
Does CGuardPro work in every state?+
Yes. CGuardPro is security guard management software used from a browser and the guard, supervisor and client apps for iOS and Android, so it works wherever your officers have a phone. What changes by state is the paperwork around it: who licenses the company and the officers, the training hours, and the overtime rule. Those are on each state page.
Can CGuardPro track guard licenses in several states?+
Yes. Each officer’s licenses and cards are recorded with their expiry dates, and the system warns before they lapse. It warns rather than blocks, so the decision to schedule stays with you.
How is overtime handled in states with daily overtime?+
CGuardPro tracks hours against a weekly threshold you set. A few states add daily overtime rules; the state pages say which. California’s daily rules are applied when hours are sent to Gusto; for other states, check the totals against your state’s rule.
What does CGuardPro cost?+
$5 per user per month with every feature included, a 7-day free trial and an optional one-time $299.99 implementation package — the same price in every state.
One platform, every state you operate in
Try it for 7 days on one real account, in whichever state your hardest site is.