Idaho security guard license: Boise, Nampa, Pocatello and Twin Falls permits (2026)

Boise requires a license for every private patrol agent, and a security company can't put an unlicensed agent to work (Boise City Code § 3-12-6). Regular police officers are exempt. Event security staff are exempt from the license, but their employer must run the same criminal history checks. The city's application page lists event staff too, so ask the clerk which applies to you.

Who qualifies (§§ 3-12-9, 3-1A-11):

• 18 or older.
• Security is a tier 3 license, Boise's strictest. You are denied for a license revoked in the last 5 years, an outstanding warrant, a felony in the last 5 years, current felony probation or parole, or a dishonesty misdemeanor in the last 3 years.
• Also disqualifying: sex offender registration; a misdemeanor in the last 3 years involving force or threats, stalking or harassment, a protection order violation, theft, drugs, a concealed weapon or illicit sexual activity; any conviction for rape, homicide, kidnapping, sexual battery or exploitation, child abuse, child pornography, lewd conduct with a minor or prostitution; and a current domestic violence protection order issued after a hearing.
• Boise updated these rules on February 10, 2026 (Ordinance 2-26). If you're denied, you can ask for an exemption review when you apply or within 7 business days of the denial, and the city answers in writing within 10 days (§ 3-1A-12).

How to apply:

1. Apply online through the city clerk's licensing portal (Apply, then License). 2. Get fingerprinted in person at City Hall, 150 N. Capitol Blvd., weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Your application isn't complete until you do. An Idaho concealed weapons license doesn't excuse you from the FBI records check. 3. Pay $49.75 for the license, a $2 processing fee, $5.45 for the fingerprint roll and $37 for the fingerprint check: $94.20 in total. 4. Post a $2,500 bond, unless your employer's bond covers you (§ 3-12-10).

Keeping it:

• The license expires one year after it is issued (§ 3-12-12). Your card says "private patrol agent" (§ 3-12-13).
• Violations are misdemeanors, and each day counts as a separate offense (§ 3-12-16).
• Licensing questions go to the city clerk at (208) 972-8150.

Nampa requires a license for every private patrol or security agent, and every employee of a security company must hold one (Nampa City Code § 5-19-2). Police are exempt. Event security staff don't need a license, but the company that employs them must run the same criminal history checks, and they must meet the same qualifications.

Who qualifies (§ 5-19-5):

• 18 or older.
• No felony in the last 5 years involving violence or threats, or the sexual enticement of a minor.
• No misdemeanor in the last 5 years for DUI or reckless driving, force or threats against a person, theft, stalking or harassment, violating a protection or no-contact order, drugs or paraphernalia, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, carrying a concealed weapon or illicit sexual activity. A withheld judgment, deferred sentence or paid fine still counts.
• No outstanding warrant, and no similar license revoked in the last 5 years.

How it works:

• Apply to the city clerk, 411 3rd St. S., (208) 468-5415. The license is $50 plus $42 for the records check, nonrefundable and not prorated.
• You need a $2,500 surety bond that stays in force for the whole license period (§ 5-19-8).
• You are fingerprinted every 2 years (§ 5-19-4). The license fee is paid every year (§ 5-19-9).
• Your uniform, badges and patches need Nampa Police approval, renewed every 3 years (§ 5-19-3).
• Violations are misdemeanors (§ 5-19-16).

Pocatello requires a business license for a merchant security guard business and an individual license for every one of its employees (Pocatello City Code ch. 5.44). Employees of a single employer who guard only that employer's property are excluded.

• Who qualifies: good moral character, U.S. citizenship, and no felony conviction or guilty plea, ever.
• How to apply: the police take your photo and fingerprints for a state and FBI records check. The city decides within 15 days, and you can appeal a denial to the city council. The individual fee is set by council resolution, so ask the city clerk.
• The license year: every license runs January 1 to December 31, whenever you apply, with no prorating, and it can't be transferred. Apply to renew at least 30 days before it expires.
• On duty: carry your ID card and show it to police or anyone who asks. A duplicate card is $5.
• Firearms: the code still says armed guards need a firearm endorsement on the license, with an NRA short course or equivalent every 12 months. Idaho law voids city rules on carrying firearms (Idaho Code § 18-3302J), so ask the police department whether it still applies.

Twin Falls requires a license for every private security officer, and a security company can't hire an unlicensed one (Twin Falls City Code § 3-15-2). In-house security and loss prevention staff who work only on their employer's premises are exempt.

Who qualifies (§ 3-15-6):

• 18 or older.
• No felony conviction in the last 10 years and no theft or dishonesty misdemeanor in the last 5.
• No outstanding warrant and no sex offender registration.

How it works:

• Apply to the Twin Falls Police Department, by mail if you like. The application fee is $25, nonrefundable, and the license is $50 a year (§§ 3-15-5, 3-15-10).
• First-time applicants are fingerprinted and photographed by the police, at their own cost, for a state and FBI check (§ 3-15-7).
• A provisional license can cover you for up to 60 days while the check finishes. You can appeal a denial to the city council within 60 days (§ 3-15-8).
• The license expires a year after it is issued. Renew by paying before then (§ 3-15-11).
• Carry your ID card on duty and hand it to a peace officer who asks (§ 3-15-15). Your uniform must say "security" or similar, look different from a Twin Falls police uniform and never say "police" (§§ 3-15-3, 3-15-16).

Idaho Falls repealed its guard license in December 2021 (Ordinance 3434). If you work security at a bar or at an event with an alcohol catering permit there, you now need an approved alcohol server training certificate by November 15, 2026, or within 60 days of starting, whichever is later. The certificate must be renewed every 3 years, and you show it to police within 4 business days if asked (Idaho Falls City Code § 4-2.1-2).

Meridian, Caldwell, Coeur d'Alene and other cities can set their own rules, so ask the city clerk where your post is.

Idaho has no armed guard license. The state has taken over firearm regulation, so a city rule on carrying firearms is void (Idaho Code § 18-3302J).

• Without a license: if you are 18 or older, a U.S. citizen or a current member of the armed forces, and not disqualified, you can carry concealed without a license (Idaho Code § 18-3302(4)(f)). If you aren't a citizen, ask your county sheriff about a license.
• Standard license: from your county sheriff, $20 plus fingerprint costs, valid 5 years and $15 to renew (§ 18-3302(15), (16)).
• Enhanced license: 21 or older, with an 8-hour, in-person course that includes firing at least 98 rounds. Same $20 fee and 5-year term (Idaho Code § 18-3302K).
• Your employer decides whether you carry on duty.

Idaho's minimum wage is $7.25, the same as the federal rate, and cities can't set a higher one (Idaho Code § 44-1502). The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 3,750 security guards in Idaho in May 2025, at a median of $18.41 an hour.

Idaho has no state license for guard companies, but each licensing city does:

• Boise: a $180.25 company license that expires every March 31, a $10,000 fiduciary bond separate from your agents' bonds, $500,000 in liability insurance naming the city, and uniform photos approved when you first apply and every 3 years after (§§ 3-12-7, 3-12-10, 3-12-12).
• Nampa: $100 plus $42 for the records check, a $10,000 bond, and $500,000 in liability insurance naming the city as an additional insured. Every employee must be licensed (§§ 5-19-2, 5-19-8).
• Pocatello: a $100 yearly business license and a $10,000 surety bond. Uniforms need approval, and vehicles can't carry sirens, emergency lights or the word "police".
• Twin Falls: $25 to apply plus $50 a year, $250,000 in liability insurance per occurrence, and police-approved vehicle markings with 4-inch reflective "security" lettering on both sides and the rear (§§ 3-15-4, 3-15-9).

Boise, Nampa and Twin Falls licenses renew every year, every Pocatello license ends December 31, and Idaho Falls server training renews every 3 years. tessura is free for guards: keep your city license, carry license and training certificates in the credential wallet and get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before each one expires.

tessura is not affiliated with the City of Boise, the City of Nampa, the City of Pocatello, the City of Twin Falls, the City of Idaho Falls or any state agency. Rules change, so confirm anything you rely on with the city clerk or police department where you work.