New York calls it a security guard registration. It is issued by the Department of State (DOS), Division of Licensing Services, under Article 7-A of the General Business Law, the Security Guard Act. The Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) oversees the training, which must be taken at a DCJS-approved school. Here is the whole process.
Who qualifiesDOS lists these requirements:01
DOS lists these requirements:
- Be at least 18
- Complete fingerprinting
- Have no conviction for a serious criminal offense
- Hold a current New York photo driver's license or non-driver ID card (if you have neither, DOS has a request-for-photo-image form)
- Complete the training
Step 1: the 8-hour pre-assignment courseThis is a general introductory course. You take it before you apply, and a copy of the certificate goes in wit…02
This is a general introductory course. You take it before you apply, and a copy of the certificate goes in with your application (General Business Law 89-h(2) and 89-n(1)(a)).
Step 2: fingerprintsFingerprints are taken electronically by the state's approved vendor, IDEMIA. The fee is $102.50, paid to IDEM…03
Fingerprints are taken electronically by the state's approved vendor, IDEMIA. The fee is $102.50, paid to IDEMIA. Keep the receipt: it is your proof of fingerprinting for the application.
Step 3: apply to the Department of StateThe application is form DOS-1206, the Employee Statement and Security Guard Application. Send it with:04
The application is form DOS-1206, the Employee Statement and Security Guard Application. Send it with:
- The $36 non-refundable application fee
- Your fingerprint receipt
- Your 8-hour pre-assignment certificate
- The signed DMV consent form
- A statement explaining any prior convictions
You can apply on your own or through an employer.
When you can start workUnder General Business Law 89-g, a security guard company can employ you once it has filed your completed appl…05
Under General Business Law 89-g, a security guard company can employ you once it has filed your completed application with DOS, including the pre-assignment certificate and your fingerprints. The employer fills in the Notice of Employment section of the form, and DOS asks employers to submit the application within 24 hours of receiving your fingerprint transaction number. If you are already registered and change jobs, the new employer files an Employment Status Notification ($25).
Step 4: 16 hours of on-the-job training within 90 daysAfter you start, you have 90 days to complete the on-the-job training course (the statute says 90 working days…06
After you start, you have 90 days to complete the on-the-job training course (the statute says 90 working days and sets it at 16 to 40 hours; the standard course is 16). It is meant to fit your duties, your work site and your employer's needs, and it can be taught in a classroom or at an approved work site.
Every year: the 8-hour in-service courseYou must complete an 8-hour annual in-service course in each calendar year you hold a registration. Because th…07
You must complete an 8-hour annual in-service course in each calendar year you hold a registration. Because the registration lasts two years, that means two courses, 16 hours in total, completed within the registration's dates, before you can renew (General Business Law 89-n(1)(d)).
Armed guardsYou must already hold a New York pistol permit and a security guard registration to enroll in the firearms cou…08
- You must already hold a New York pistol permit and a security guard registration to enroll in the firearms course. A pistol license generally requires you to be 21 (Penal Law 400.00(1)(a)), with an exception for some military veterans.
- The 47-hour firearms course is 7 classroom hours on the use of force under Penal Law Article 35, with a written exam, and 40 hours on the range ending in weapons qualification. Its certificate goes with your application to upgrade to an armed registration.
- Every calendar year, an armed guard completes both the 8-hour in-service course and an 8-hour annual firearms course.
RenewalA registration is good for two years, and you can renew up to 90 days before the expiration date printed on yo…09
A registration is good for two years, and you can renew up to 90 days before the expiration date printed on your card. The renewal fee is $25, and you need both annual in-service courses on record. Once the card expires you cannot keep working as a guard, and if it has been expired for six months or more you must apply again as a new registrant.
ExemptionsActive police officers are outside the Security Guard Act. Retired police officers and certain peace officers …010
Active police officers are outside the Security Guard Act. Retired police officers and certain peace officers can be exempt from some or all of the training, and DCJS can review waiver requests from recently separated peace officers. Officers from outside New York do not qualify. For applicants with military experience, DOS points to the Department of Labor's Experience Counts program.
The fees in one placeApplication: $36 - Fingerprints (IDEMIA): $102.50 - Renewal: $25 every two years - Employment Status Notificat…011
- Application: $36
- Fingerprints (IDEMIA): $102.50
- Renewal: $25 every two years
- Employment Status Notification (changing employers once registered): $25
- Training: set by each DCJS-approved school
How tessura helpstessura is free for guards, always. Add your New York registration to the credential wallet with the expiratio…012
tessura is free for guards, always. Add your New York registration to the credential wallet with the expiration date on your card, and you get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before it lapses. The annual in-service course is the requirement people forget: without two of them on record, the renewal is not accepted.
tessura is not affiliated with the New York Department of State, DCJS or any state agency. Rules change, so confirm anything you rely on with DOS.