How to Get Your Guard Card in California: Training, Steps, and Requirements

Get your California guard card with step-by-step guidance on BSIS requirements, mandatory training hours, applications, and background checks. Stay updated on rule changes, online versus in-person courses, timelines, and qualifications for unarmed security guard positions.

By Brad Nakase, Attorney

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Have a quick question? We answered nearly 2000 FAQs.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. How to get your guard card in California: The process

3. How to get your guard card in California: Three Steps

4. Timelines for Unarmed Guard Training

5. Qualifications to Work as an Unarmed Security Guard

6. Convictions

7. Conclusion

Introduction

The Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) requires a license and registration for every professional security guard operating in the state of California. The security guard must finish a mandatory program in the following areas in order to be legally licensed: public relations, terrorism/weapons of mass destruction awareness, observation and paperwork, communication and its importance, liability/legal elements, and other optional classes that differ depending on the place of training.

Anyone searching for “How to get your guard card in California” must understand the entire process.

How to get your guard card in California: The process

A full 40 hours of instruction are required for the BSIS. The training, however, can be finished in three sections. To enable the guard to begin working right away while upholding some of the finest standards in the business, the training is divided into sections.

After passing the initial eight hours of training (known as the “Powers to Arrest” class), passing a test that is written, passing a background/fingerprint check, and completing the BSIS registration with the required payments, the applicant is permitted to begin working.

The BSIS does not receive the certificates of fulfillment for the final 32 hours of instruction (Parts 2 & 3). The employer copies these and logs them in the permanent personnel records. During an inspection, the employer must show the BSIS that each security guard has received the full 40 hours of training; otherwise, they risk paying hefty fines for each guard who has not.

Until the candidate gets the security guard enrollment card in the mail or sees the security guard registration number on the BSIS website, they are not permitted to begin working as security guards. If a candidate does not already have the guard card, the majority of businesses will not simply interview them.

Students receive a document of completion after they pass exams with an acceptable score in compliance with the rules.

The rules were modified by the Bureau of Security & Investigative Services on 1^st January 2024. It is no longer possible to teach the Part One course entirely online. Powers to Arrest, the first lesson, can be delivered online for three hours. Classroom instruction at a physical training center is the only way to teach the second course (Proper Use of Force). It lasts for 5 hours.

Section 7583.7 of the Business & Professions Code went into effect on 1^st January 2024. It is the reason for splitting this course into online and in-person lectures. California lawmakers have added a bit of complexity and difficulty to the licensing process.

After completing the initial online course, submit the course fee, show the certificate of accomplishment to any training center, and continue the second portion of the course there.

The facility teacher will give the final exam, a second certificate of completion, along with all application materials, at the conclusion of the Proper Use of Force presentation.

The remaining instruction, the 32-hour unarmed skills course in Parts two and three, can still be completed entirely online.

Courses on Baton Permit and Permit for Open Firearm must be conducted in an instructor-led educational setting with hands-on activities.

How to get your guard card in California: Three Steps

Step 1: Finish the Required Training

Finish the training program: either the full 40-hour program or the pre-assignment eight-hour “Power to Arrest” session.

Step 2: Fill out the application and deposit the BSIS charges.

You can submit your application online or via mail. After the course has been successfully completed, the mail-in papers will be given.

Step 3: Background checks and live fingerprint scans

Find a Live Scan Operator in your area. Complete the electronic fingerprinting procedure by giving the operator the Live Scan forms that were provided. The FBI & DOJ fees, together with a “rolling” service charge, will be collected by the Live Scan Controller.

NOTE: The trainer cannot issue the guard card registration license. The State of California does.

Timelines for Unarmed Guard Training

After completing an 8-hour course and obtaining your California Guard Card, you are eligible to stand post. After that, you have thirty days to finish the first 16 hours of classes and an additional six months to finish the remaining sixteen hours, for a total of 40 hours of instruction. The 40-hour Security Guard Card course can be completed all at once.

Qualifications to Work as an Unarmed Security Guard

A security guard has to meet specific requirements:

Be at least eighteen years old.
Get a criminal history check from the a) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) & b) the California Department of Justice (DOJ).
Complete the requisite 40-hour training course.

In California, being an unarmed security guard does not require citizenship. The requirements for employment are still in effect.

Convictions

Potential students with convictions who wish to pursue careers as security guards ask us questions. We are unable to provide legal counsel on this matter. We cannot ensure that a Security Guard Registration Card will be issued by the BSIS. We have been advised that until an official guard application is received and all charges have been paid, the BSIS cannot talk about particular situations.

This necessitates the completion of an eight-hour “Power to Arrest” course, a Live Scan, & application costs. Therefore, it is anticipated that it will cost about $143 to find out if a person with a criminal record is even qualified to serve as a security guard.

The Disciplinary Evaluation Committee will receive the applications of all candidates with convictions. This could result in the application taking as long as 120 days to process.

From the Security Guard Registration Application:

Provide accurate & thorough answers to every question on the application. Any omission or false declaration on the application could result in the registration being denied or later revoked.

Any individual who submits a false statement, has been found guilty of a crime, or engages in behavior that is significantly connected to the responsibilities of a security guard may have their registration revoked. But proof of rehabilitation will be taken into account by the Bureau.

Security Guard Certification Application Question 7:

The previous conviction, guilty plea, or nolo contendere plea of a civil/criminal offense in the United States, its territories, or another country has to be mentioned. All infractions, misdemeanors, felonies, and citations must be included.

Arrests that have been dismissed under section 1000.3 of the Penal Code or similar non-California statutes, as well as those adjudicated in the juvenile court or either section 11357 or 11360(b) of the California Health & Safety Code that are two years old or older, should not be recorded. It must state convictions which have been reversed under the California Penal Code 1203.4 or 1203.41 or similar non-California laws.

Do you expect to face judgment and punishment once you submit a plea or a jury verdict, or do you happen to be a target of a criminal proceeding in progress?

Conclusion

Understanding “How to get your guard card in California” helps simplify the process. Getting a Guard Card in California isn’t complicated. It does demand commitment. A few forms here, a few hours of training there, then fingerprints, then waiting. It feels slow at times, but there’s a purpose behind every step. The state wants guards who are trained, steady, and ready for real responsibility.

The new rules add a bit more work, yes. But they also raise the bar for everyone in the field. If someone is serious about security work, this process becomes less of a hurdle and more of an investment. Do it right, stay patient, and you’ll get there. “How to get your guard card in California” is about meeting standards, proving readiness, & stepping into the field with confidence.

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How to Get Your Guard Card in California: Training, Steps, and Requirements

Introduction

How to get your guard card in California: The process

How to get your guard card in California: Three Steps

Timelines for Unarmed Guard Training

Qualifications to Work as an Unarmed Security Guard

Convictions

Conclusion

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