A PERC is Illinois's Permanent Employee Registration Card, issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) under the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004 (225 ILCS 447). If you work security for a licensed security contractor agency in Illinois, you need one. Here is the whole process, in order.
Who needs a PERC
Every employee of a licensed agency who performs licensed work, with a few exceptions:
- Peace officers are exempt, though the agency that employs them stays responsible for them.
- People who already hold an Illinois private detective, security contractor, alarm contractor or locksmith license do not need a separate PERC.
- Staff who have no access to confidential or security information, do not go to a client's home or business, and do not provide traditional security services are exempt. The law gives ushers, ticket takers, cashiers, drivers and reception staff as examples.
Step 1, Check that you qualify
- You must be at least 18. Armed work requires 21.
- IDFPR can refuse a card if it finds you unfit because of a criminal conviction (traffic offenses do not count). A felony involving bodily harm, weapons, violence or theft within the previous 10 years creates a presumption that you are unfit, and the Department's rules give you due process to respond.
- If you have ever been issued a PERC, do not apply again, even if it has expired. Call IDFPR at 1-800-560-6420 about the card you already have.
Step 2, Get fingerprinted
Book electronic fingerprints with a fingerprint vendor licensed by IDFPR. The Illinois State Police and the FBI run the background check and send the result to IDFPR. The vendor sets its own fee.
Two details trip people up:
- Your fingerprints must be taken within 60 days before you submit the application.
- Your receipt carries a 16-character Transaction Control Number (TCN). You enter it on the application, so keep the receipt until your card is issued.
If you live outside Illinois and cannot reach a licensed vendor, IDFPR has a mail-in route: request an Illinois State Police fee applicant card, have a police department take your prints and sign form OOS-FP, and send both to a licensed Illinois vendor with card-scan service.
Step 3, Apply to IDFPR
Apply through IDFPR's online portal. The fee is $55 and it is not refundable. The application asks for your date and place of birth, your Social Security number (or an SSN affidavit), any other professional licenses you hold, your TCN, and personal history questions including criminal history. An application stays open for 3 years from the date IDFPR receives it.
Step 4, Start work, sometimes before the card arrives
An agency may employ you in a temporary capacity while your PERC is pending, but only when all of these are true:
- The agency has submitted your complete application, including the fingerprint receipt and the fee.
- IDFPR has confirmed that the Illinois State Police check shows no criminal conviction.
- The agency keeps you on a roster of pending applicants that it sends IDFPR every month.
IDFPR can end that temporary authority without a hearing if the FBI result or another official report shows a conviction.
Once your card is issued, carry it whenever you are on duty. Your employer also gives you a photo employee ID card; the PERC by itself does not show who you work for.
Step 5, Finish 20 hours of basic training within 30 days
In Illinois the training follows the hire. Within 30 days of starting work, guards must complete at least 20 hours of basic training from a qualified instructor, in a classroom or online. The law sets the subjects:
- Arrest, search and seizure as they apply to private security
- Civil and criminal liability
- Use of force, including nonlethal weapons such as disabling spray, baton and taser
- Verbal communication skills
- Criminal offenses related to protecting people and property
- Private security officers and the criminal justice system
- Fire prevention, fire equipment and fire safety
- Report writing and observation
- Customer service, civil rights and public relations
- Identifying terrorists, acts of terrorism and terrorist organizations
Your employer certifies the training on an IDFPR form. That form is your permanent training record. The employer keeps it in your file and must give you the original or a copy when you leave, and once you have it you never have to repeat the basic course. Ask for it on your last day.
Two more training clocks
- 8 more hours within 6 months of starting, on subjects your employer chooses. It can be site-specific and done on the job.
- 8 hours of refresher training every calendar year, starting with the calendar year after your first employment anniversary.
Renewal: every PERC expires on the same day
Illinois does not renew PERCs on the anniversary of issue. Every card expires on May 31 every third year, statewide. The current cycle ends on May 31, 2027, so a card issued in 2026 is due then too. IDFPR emails the renewal about 90 days before the deadline, and the renewal fee is $45.
Working on an expired card counts as unlicensed practice. If you miss the online renewal window, you have to request a reinstatement application from IDFPR.
Armed work: the Firearm Control Card
To carry a firearm on duty you need a Firearm Control Card (FCC) on top of your PERC:
- You must be 21 or older and hold a valid Illinois Firearm Owner's Identification (FOID) card.
- You must pass a 48-hour approved firearm course: the 20-hour basic training, 8 hours of live-fire practice on a range (at least 50 rounds, with a 70% score on each weapon you will carry), and 20 hours on firearm safety, weapon retention, the legal use of firearms, ethics, arrest law and liability. It ends with a written exam and a range qualification.
- Your employer applies for the card. The fee is $75.
- Every calendar year after the first year, you complete 8 hours of range requalification with the same 50-round, 70% standard.
- The card expires on the date printed on it and renews for $45, with proof of the refresher and that you still work for the agency it was issued through.
Peace officers do not need an FCC, and qualified retired officers who meet the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act can use a waiver card instead.
What it costs
- PERC application: $55
- Fingerprints: set by the vendor
- 20-hour basic training: arranged through your employer or an approved program, so ask the agency whether it covers the cost
- Renewal: $45 every three years
- Armed: $75 for the FCC, plus the firearm course
How tessura helps
tessura is free for guards. Add your PERC to the credential wallet with the expiration date printed on it, and you get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before May 31. You can also look for security jobs in Illinois without ever paying a fee.
tessura is not affiliated with IDFPR or any state agency. Rules change, so confirm anything you rely on with IDFPR.