Kentucky has no state license for security guards, armed or unarmed. Most guard jobs in the state run on the employer's hiring rules and the client's post orders. Three things can still apply to you: Louisville Metro's armed guard license, the state concealed carry (CCDW) license that Louisville requires with it, and two state commissions that give guards on certain properties police powers.
Louisville: armed guards only
Louisville Metro, which covers all of Jefferson County, licenses armed security officers, the agencies that supply them and the companies that employ them in-house, under Metro Code chapter 124. Louisville Metro Alcoholic Beverage Control runs it. An armed security officer is anyone hired by a non-government employer to prevent theft, keep the peace or control traffic who has a firearm on the job (§ 124.01).
Unarmed guards need no Metro license. A 2024 proposal known as Christopher's Law would have licensed and trained unarmed officers too; it was held in the Metro Council's Public Safety Committee in early 2025 pending a cost study, and chapter 124 still covers armed officers only.
Who qualifies (§ 124.05(B), (C)):
- A U.S. citizen, 21 or older.
- Not dishonorably discharged from any branch of the armed forces.
- No conviction or pending indictment for a felony, illegally using or carrying a deadly weapon, impersonating a law enforcement officer, a controlled substance offense, or a crime of moral turpitude. A misdemeanor in those categories is fine once the conviction is at least 2 years old. A felony needs a pardon or restored civil rights, plus federal relief to possess a firearm.
- Never adjudged mentally incompetent. A psychiatric, drug or alcohol hospitalization in the last 2 years needs a letter from a physician or clinical psychologist saying you are fit for armed duty.
- Kentucky residents must hold a valid CCDW license and keep it the whole time they are licensed. Nonresidents sign an affidavit that they have never been adjudged mentally incompetent.
- A job with a licensed agency or registered company. You can't hold the license on your own.
The training course (§ 124.08). The ordinance sets subjects, not hours: orientation and note taking; fire prevention; the legal basis and limits of security work, especially with firearms; basic criminal law and the Kentucky Penal Code; arrest, force, search and seizure; report writing; crowd control; first aid; defensive tactics and alternatives to firearms; and firearms qualification. The course ends with a written exam and a range qualification. The ordinance also recognizes a year as an armed law enforcement officer, including in the military, within the last 3 years, or a state SLEO commission (§ 124.05(F)). Ask the office whether that covers the course in your case.
How to apply:
1. Get a signed intent to hire from a licensed agency or registered company. 2. Finish an approved course. 3. Get your Kentucky criminal record from the Administrative Office of the Courts, plus a statewide record from any other state you lived in during the last 5 years. 4. Submit the application, the intent to hire, the records, proof of your CCDW and the affidavit for armed security guard licensure. The office supplies the affidavit form.
Metro decides within 30 days of a complete application. If something is missing, you have 14 days after the notice to supply it, or the application is denied (§ 124.05(D)).
On the job:
- Carry the license whenever you work. Any police officer can ask to see it (§ 124.02(D)).
- Uniforms, badges and patches need Metro approval so they can't be mistaken for police (§ 124.06).
- No police radios, flashing or colored lights, or sirens on a vehicle unless Metro authorizes them (§ 124.07).
- Working armed without a license is a fine of $25 to $500, and each day is a separate offense (§ 124.99).
- Sworn local police officers with at least 400 hours of academy training don't need the license for armed security work (§ 124.05(H)).
The CCDW license
Since June 28, 2019, anyone 21 or older who can legally have a firearm may carry concealed in Kentucky without a license. Louisville's armed guard license still requires Kentucky residents to hold the state license to carry concealed deadly weapons (CCDW), issued by the Kentucky State Police under KRS 237.110.
- 21 or older, and a Kentucky resident, or on active duty and posted in Kentucky.
- A firearms safety course from an instructor certified by the Department of Criminal Justice Training or a national organization. Your county sheriff's office keeps a list of instructors, and the training certificate never expires.
- Veterans and service members: handgun training or qualification in the armed forces, Guard or reserves meets the training requirement. Show a DD 214, DD 2586 or a similar form, or proof of an honorable discharge with a notarized affidavit (KRS 237.110(5), (6)(d)).
- $60 on paper at your county sheriff's office ($20 to the sheriff and $40 to the Kentucky State Treasurer), or $70 online. The State Police decide within 60 days on paper or 15 business days online.
- Valid 5 years. The State Police mail a renewal notice 120 days before it expires. Renewing late adds a $15 fee, and 6 months after expiration the license is permanently expired and you apply from scratch.
Guard jobs with police powers: SLEO and SLPO
- Special law enforcement officer (SLEO) (KRS 61.900 to 61.930): a commission from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet to protect and enforce the law on public property, such as state office buildings. The government unit applies for you. You need to be 21 or older, with a high school diploma or equivalent, at least 80 hours of Cabinet-approved training, a firearms qualification and first aid certification. A felony or a crime of moral turpitude without a full pardon disqualifies you, and so does a dishonorable discharge.
- Special local peace officer (SLPO) (KRS 61.360): a commission to protect a private owner's property. The owner applies and pays $10 per officer. You must be a U.S. citizen, 21 or older, able to read and write, and a Kentucky resident for at least 1 year. Convictions for crimes of dishonesty, fraud, moral turpitude, weapons or narcotics offenses disqualify you, and so does paid guard or detective work in a labor dispute in the last 2 years. You file your photo and an affidavit with the county clerk and post a $5,000 bond. Your powers stop at the property line, except when chasing someone who committed violence or destruction there, and you can't wear any part of a police uniform.
Other Kentucky cities
Some cities license the security business rather than the guard. Elizabethtown, for example, requires a permit from the Chief of Police, a $5,000 bond and liability insurance of at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence before a company does security work in the city, and the company must show its employees are trained. Guards who work for a permitted company don't need a permit of their own (Elizabethtown Code ch. 115). Check the city code where your post is.
Starting an armed agency in Louisville
- An agency license to supply armed guards to clients, or a company registration for armed guards who protect only your own business (§ 124.02).
- Owners, partners, officers and directors meet the same rules as armed guards, at 21 or older (§ 124.03).
- Liability insurance of $100,000 for property damage, $1,000,000 for injury or death of one person and $3,000,000 per incident, or proof of enough assets to cover it yourself (§§ 124.03, 124.04).
- An agency license costs $100 a year, and Metro decides within 60 days of a complete application. Post it in your Louisville office within 72 hours (§ 124.03).
- Tell the office about changes of address, phone, management or employees who leave. Hiring an unlicensed armed guard or agency is illegal (§ 124.10).
- You also need an occupational license from the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Revenue Commission (§ 124.09).
How tessura helps
Armed work in Louisville depends on keeping two credentials current: the Metro license and a CCDW that can't be renewed once it is 6 months past expiration. tessura is free for guards: keep both, plus your course certificate, in the credential wallet and get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before each one expires.
tessura is not affiliated with Louisville Metro Government, the Kentucky State Police, the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet or any state agency. Rules change, so confirm anything you rely on with Louisville Metro Alcoholic Beverage Control or the Kentucky State Police.