Security guard license for veterans: which states give military credit (2026)

• Florida, Class D. At least 1 year on active duty as a military policeman, security police officer or in other military law enforcement meets the 40-hour Class D training requirement (Rule 5N-1.119(4)). Answer yes to the military credit question on the application and include your DD 214.
• Florida, Class G. If you were discharged within the last 12 months from serving as a military police officer and completed a listed course, such as the Army Military Police Course (MOS 31B) or Navy Master-at-Arms, that meets the firearms training requirement (Rule 5N-1.119(9)). The yearly requalification still applies.
• Alabama. Basic security training from a military, government or security training institute within the 3 years before you apply can exempt you from the 8-hour initial training, if it meets the board's standard (34-27C-8(g)). Refresher training still applies.
• Arkansas. State licensing agencies, the State Police included, must accept relevant military education, training or service credentials toward licensing requirements for service members, and for veterans who apply within 1 year of discharge (A.C.A. 17-4-107).
• Connecticut. Members of the armed forces or National Guard, and veterans within 2 years of discharge, who show military training equivalent to the 8-hour course have it waived (C.G.S. 29-161q(b)). Contact the Special Licensing and Firearms Unit for the military version of the application.
• Hawaii. A DD 214 showing at least 4 years of military service is accepted as proof of a high school education on the guard employee application. For armed work, a firearms course taught by a certified military firearms instructor can meet the training for the county permit to acquire, if it has at least 2 hours of range firing and 4 hours of classroom instruction on the topics the law lists (HRS 134-2(g)(4)).
• Iowa, armed permit. Armed guards need a professional permit to carry weapons from the county sheriff, and small arms training completed in the U.S. armed forces meets the firearm safety training requirement for a first permit. Veterans can show it with an honorable or general discharge; service members, Guard and reserve members show a basic training certificate with a record of small arms training and qualification (Iowa Code 724.9).
• Kentucky, armed work in Louisville. Louisville's armed guard license requires Kentucky residents to hold a state CCDW license, and handgun training or qualification completed in the armed forces, Guard or reserves meets the CCDW 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)). Louisville's ordinance also recognizes a year as an armed law enforcement officer, including in the military, within the last 3 years (Louisville Metro Code § 124.05(F)).
• Louisiana. Current or former military law enforcement officers who completed a POST certification and firearms training program, or its equivalent, within a year before applying can submit proof of it as the equivalent of the 16 hours of basic training and the initial firearms training. The annual firearms retraining still applies (R.S. 37:3284(J)).
• Oregon. Since April 2026, at least 2 years as a military police officer, Master-at-Arms or other military law enforcement specialty the state finds equivalent can replace the basic training, if you apply within 4 years of your last day on duty. Unarmed applicants take the 4-hour renewal course instead of the 14-hour course; armed applicants take that plus the armed refresher and qualification instead of the 24-hour firearms course. You get one try (OAR 259-060-0125). State law also lets DPSST accept other military training it finds substantially equivalent (ORS 181A.855(2)).
• Tennessee, rifles and shotguns. Since January 1, 2026, carrying a rifle or shotgun on duty takes an enhanced armed guard registration. One way to qualify is 4 years full-time in the U.S. armed forces in a combat arms specialty, with an honorable discharge if you have separated. Military rifle or shotgun training can count toward the 16-hour course (2025 Public Chapter 344).

• Arkansas. The State Police expedites applications from service members stationed in Arkansas, veterans who live in Arkansas, and their spouses, when they mark it on the application and attach orders or a DD 214 (17 CAR 350-218).
• Arizona. While background checks finish, the Department of Public Safety may issue a 45-day certificate to an honorably discharged veteran who left the service within the past 3 years. The veteran may work only for an agency that provides the pre-assignment training (A.R.S. 32-2624(A)).
• Ohio. Applications from service members, veterans and their spouses that include a military ID card or DD 214 are processed ahead of other applications once everything else is in order (OAC 4501:7-1-09(C)).

• Colorado, Denver. Colorado has no state guard license, but Denver's security guard license ordinance exempts veterans from the $25 application fee; the $25 license fee still applies (DRMC 32-95, as amended by Council Bill 17-1177). Denver's application page links its current fee-waiver rules.
• Connecticut. Anyone who gets the military training waiver also skips the $100 license fee (C.G.S. 29-161q(c)).
• Florida. Renewal fees are waived for active duty service members and their spouses, and for licensees who served on active duty within the 2 years before the license expires, with an honorable discharge if separated (F.S. 493.6113(7)). The waiver has to be requested in the format the state prescribes.
• Florida initial fees are less clear. The statute's initial fee waiver for veterans does not list Class D or Class G, but the current Class D application describes a waiver for veterans who apply within 24 months of discharge. Ask the Division of Licensing before you count on it.
• Michigan, starting an agency. Michigan has no individual guard license, but a veteran who applies for a security guard agency license, with an honorable or general discharge shown on a DD 214 or DD 215, has the initial license fee and application processing fee waived (MCL 338.1059(13)). At least 2 years as a military police officer or in an equivalent job also meets the agency license experience requirement, with a commanding officer's or supervisor's affidavit, and the minimum age of 21 does not apply on that route (MCL 338.1056(1)(g)(v)).

• Georgia. Carrying on duty takes a board weapon permit, which requires a Georgia weapons carry license. That license generally requires you to be 21, or 18 if you finished basic training and are serving or were honorably discharged (O.C.G.A. 16-11-129).
• Maryland. Armed guards need a Wear and Carry permit, which requires you to be 21 or an active member of the armed forces, National Guard or uniformed services.

• Arkansas. The license of a deployed service member, or of their spouse, is extended until 180 days after the return from deployment, with a full or partial exemption from continuing education until then (A.C.A. 17-4-108).
• Nevada. Armed guards requalify every 6 months, and missing 2 qualifications in a row normally means repeating the whole firearms course. If you missed them because you were deployed on full-time active duty, you can send the Board a written request with your deployment papers asking to skip repeating it. The Board decides case by case (NAC 648.350(5)).
• Wisconsin. If your private security permit expires while you are on active duty, Wisconsin Act 210 keeps it valid until 180 days after your discharge, and DSPS can grant more time for hardship (DSPS form R210). The same applies to a spouse who stops working under their permit because you are on active duty.

• Delaware. A security guard license requires that, if you served in the armed forces, you were not dishonorably discharged (24 Del. C. § 1314(5)). The same rule carries over to the armed Red Card (§ 1315).
• Louisville, Kentucky. A dishonorable discharge from any branch rules out the Metro armed security officer license, and the agency license for owners and officers (Louisville Metro Code §§ 124.03, 124.05(B)(3)). The state special law enforcement officer (SLEO) commission has the same bar.
• Kansas City, Missouri. If you served in the armed forces within the 10 years before you apply, the Board of Police Commissioners' rules require a final discharge that was honorable or general under honorable conditions (17 CSR 10-2.050(3)(E)).
• St. Louis, Missouri. The published licensing standards require an honorable or general discharge under honorable conditions when it applies, and list other-than-honorable, undesirable and dishonorable discharges as disqualifying (17 CSR 20-2.035(2)(F)).

• Pennsylvania. Every applicant for Act 235 lethal weapons certification completes the Pennsylvania training, whatever their military service or armed license from another state (State Police FAQ).
• New York. The training exemptions cover retired police officers and certain peace officers, not military service. For applicants with military experience, the Department of State points to the Department of Labor's Experience Counts program.

• Your DD 214, since several of these credits ask for it.
• Records of the training itself: Florida, for example, also accepts Joint Services Transcripts, training certificates, job evaluation reports or a commanding officer's letter (Rule 5N-1.119(1)).
• A copy of your military ID if you are still serving.

Veterans who move into security work often carry several credentials at once: a guard license, a firearms license or permit, and the refresher and requalification dates that keep them valid. tessura is free for guards: keep every card and certificate in the credential wallet and get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before each one expires.

tessura is not affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs, any branch of the military or any state agency. Rules change, so confirm any credit with the state licensing agency before you rely on it.