Minnesota does not license individual security guards. The Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services licenses the companies, called protective agents, and sets the background check and training every guard they employ must complete (Minnesota Statutes 326.32 to 326.339 and Minnesota Rules chapter 7506).
What you need to work as a guard
- An employer: a licensed protective agent company, or a proprietary employer (a business with its own security staff), which does not need a license but must run the same background check on the guards it hires (Minn. Stat. 326.3381, subd. 1a).
- A background check: your employer sends your fingerprints to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), which forwards them to the FBI. Until the report comes back you are a conditional employee: your employer can train you, but you cannot work as a guard yet (Minn. Stat. 326.336, subd. 1).
- No disqualifying conviction: a felony, or criminal sexual conduct, assault, theft, larceny, burglary, robbery, carjacking, unlawful entry, extortion, defamation, receiving stolen property, unlawful weapons possession, possessing burglary tools, escape, or a narcotics offense (Minn. Stat. 326.3381, subd. 3). For employees, a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor assault does not disqualify.
- An ID card from your employer, with the company's name and address, your photo and physical description, signed by you and the company. Carry it at all times and show it on request (Minn. Stat. 326.336, subd. 2).
You do not apply to the board or pay it a fee. Your training certificates are your proof of training.
12 hours in your first 21 days
- Complete 12 hours of board-certified pre-assignment training (a "PPA" course) within the first 21 days of employment (Minn. Stat. 326.3361, subd. 2; Minn. R. 7506.2600).
- It covers security basics, legal authority and liability, communications, ethics, incident assessment and emergency response, and Minnesota's statutes and rules for the industry.
- The certificate belongs to you. A course completed with another Minnesota licensee within the previous three calendar years satisfies the requirement at a new employer, and a current or former employer must give you a copy free of charge.
- If you leave the industry for three years or longer, you repeat the pre-assignment training.
Every year after that
- 6 hours of board-certified continuing education a year (PPA, CPA or CPDPA courses).
- The year follows your company's license year, not your hire date. If you were hired during year one of the company's license, your pre-assignment course covers year one.
- At license renewal, the company files an affidavit that every employee has met the training requirements, and the board will not renew the license without that proof (Minn. R. 7506.2700).
Armed guards
- Before working armed: the 6-hour Initial Armed (IA) course, a one-time requirement, taught by a firearms instructor with a certification the board recognizes. You cannot carry a weapon during on-the-job training (Minn. Stat. 326.3361, subd. 2).
- Every year: 6 more hours of armed training (IA or CA courses) in the weapons you use, including annual range certification if you carry a firearm and an approved first aid course, plus current CPR and first aid certification. That is on top of the 6 general hours, so 12 hours a year in all (Minn. R. 7506.2700).
- The same certified-training rule covers batons, chemical spray, electronic incapacitation devices and restraint techniques (Minn. Stat. 326.3361, subd. 3).
- Carrying a pistol in a public place generally requires a Minnesota permit to carry from a county sheriff. A business's no-guns notice does not apply to a guard working in the course of employment, but the business can ask to see the company credentials and the guard's permit card (Minn. Stat. 624.714, subd. 17).
- A peace officer licensed by the Minnesota POST Board already meets these training requirements (Minn. Stat. 326.3361, subd. 4).
How tessura helps
Minnesota guards do not get a license card with an expiration date, so the dates that matter are your training deadlines: the 21-day pre-assignment window, then 6 hours a year (12 if armed) on your company's license year. tessura is free for guards: add your certificates to the credential wallet and you get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before each deadline.
tessura is not affiliated with the Minnesota Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services or any state agency. Rules change, so confirm anything you rely on with the board.