Have you ever thought that you are capable of operating as a security officer? You know that it is one of the fastest growing sectors in the US and your chances of finding a job tend to be great however you did not go job searching yet? If something is stopping you from changing careers as a security officer, then it's likely the license application process, which can be confusing if you do not know where to locate the correct information. It shouldn't be complicated though, as in the majority of states the application procedure is really straight-forward once you know the right place to start.

In most of the United States, people who earn a living as a security guard need to have a legitimate security license, in a few states known as guard card. However, before you can apply for this type of license, you have to know the laws and demands that are currently being utilized in the state you plan to be working in. That's right, each of the United States has a different application method and different conditions for the licensing of security officers. Even so, there are some general specifications that we can outline to give you an idea.

First off, almost all state licensing bureaus require any person that is applying for a security license torecord and submit fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. They will perform a criminal record check to confirm to your state's licensing bureau that you have not committed any criminal offences in earlier times. Before you can have your fingerprints taken though, you need to check which fingerprinting platforms are currently being accepted by your state. At the moment there are 2 commonly used methods for fingerprint recording. The first method is the most effective of the 2 and consists of recording and submitting the fingerprints electronically to the FBI. This can only be done at a company that offers live scan services. The second method is actually the traditional one, making use of ink to record your fingerprints onfingerprint cards and mail them to the FBI by mail. Given it usually takes approximately 4 weeks for the criminal history results to become available, it is highly recommended to have your fingerprints registered as soon as you know which methods are currently being recognized by your state's licensing department.

A second popular demand is to follow a training course at a security guard training school. Although the demanded duration and information dealt with in the program can differ in each state, a lot of licensing offices demand candidates to attend an 8-hour classroom training program in which they are going to be prepared for their future career as a security officer. In this training program they should learn the methods to accurately monitor a location, identify suspicious activities and write correct reports. For people who are currently performing as a police officer it might be crucial to know that they may be exempt from education and fingerprinting desires, depending on which state these people are now living in.

Since we now have successfully submitted our fingerprints and completed the mandatory training, our next step would be to inform the licensing bureau that we would like to request a license. The exact application procedure again alters from state to state, but in many cases it will involve filling in a license request form and sending it either online or by postal mail to the licensing agency. To acquire an application form, we recommend you to call a guard training facility in your area, most of them will be able to provide you the necessary documents. In a few states, it is required to have your signature on the application form notarized. This simply means that you must bring the document to a notary public and sign it in front of him. Once you've signed the form and provided any sort of legitimate photo Identification to confirm your identity, the notary public will sign it himself and seal the application form with a notary seal of approval. By doing this, the licensing office can make sure that the license has truly been asked for by you. The majority of banking institutions supply free notary public services to their customers, and even if this is not the case, you mustn't spend more than a few dollars to have your signature notarized.

It's also advisable to inform yourself about whether you need to currently have any additional documents in order to be approved for a license. For instance, in Colorado, license applicants need to submit 3 letters of reference from non-family members in order be granted a Colorado security guard license. To give a second example, in the state of Illinois all security officers need to have a valid Permanent Employee Registration Card, usually referred to as Illinois PERC card, in order to get approved for a security guard license. In an effort to receive an Illinois PERC card, applicants have to submit their fingerprints digitally to the FBI, so the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation or IDFPR is able to check their court records.

That is about it to get certified as a security guard, in the majority of states there is nothing more to it... That being said, you should be aware that many states require supplemental certificates for the employment of weapons, for instance firearms or pepperspray. Your standard guard card isn't going to enable you to work as an armed security officer. If you are interested in getting employed in the security field, we encourage you to call the bureau that is responsible for licensing within your state in order to find out exactly what your state's demands are.