Utah's Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) licenses security officers under the Security Personnel Licensing Act (Utah Code Title 58, Chapter 63) and rule R156-63a. There are three officer licenses: unarmed private security officer, armed private security officer and armored car security officer. Cities and counties cannot add licensing or training rules of their own (Utah Code 58-63-601).
Who needs a license
- Officers who work for a contract security company, one that provides guards to others under contract, need a DOPL license.
- A company that uses its own employees to protect only its own property, staff or animals is not a contract security company (R156-63a-102(5)), so in-house guards fall outside the act.
- An off-duty peace officer can work for a contract security company without the license if the officer's agency has a written off-duty policy, the chief gives written authorization, and the employer handles tax withholding (Utah Code 58-63-304).
- Staff who only operate screening equipment such as magnetometers and x-ray machines are exempt.
Unarmed private security officer
- Training: a DOPL-approved basic course of at least 8 hours, in a classroom or online, ending in a final exam you must pass with 80% (Utah Code 58-63-302; R156-63a-302c and -603). It covers the limits of a security officer's authority, civil liability, Utah's security laws, constitutional law and search and seizure, crime and accident scenes, ethics, use of force with the emphasis on de-escalation, report writing, patrol, and workplace sexual harassment.
- No state exam: DOPL's exam page lists no state licensing exam for security officers. The course final is the test.
- Background check: fingerprints for the FBI and Utah's Bureau of Criminal Identification. A felony conviction disqualifies you; other convictions are weighed against the duties of the job.
- Age: Utah's statute and rule set a minimum age of 18 for armed and armored car officers only.
- You need an email address. DOPL sends security officers everything by email.
Armed private security officer
- 18 or older when you apply (R156-63a-302e).
- Training: the 8-hour basic course plus a DOPL-approved firearms course of at least 12 hours: at least 6 hours in the classroom with an 80% final exam, and at least 6 hours on the range, including a practical pistol course passed at 80% in regular and low light (R156-63a-604).
- You cannot be prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law (18 U.S.C. 922(g)).
- Moving up from unarmed: complete the firearms course and a new background check (R156-63a-302a). An armed license also covers unarmed work.
- On duty: the license lets you carry a firearm only while working as an armed officer, and while working you are exempt from Utah's concealed firearm permit law (Utah Code 58-63-307). The firearms course teaches the standard: never draw a weapon to force compliance with a verbal order, and fire only when a life is in imminent danger.
Fees
DOPL charges $60 for an officer license application, plus fingerprint file search fees of $12 (FBI) and $20 (BCI). Renewal is $42. Whoever takes your fingerprints charges separately, and training schools set their own prices.
The 90-day interim permit
Once DOPL has your complete application, it can issue an interim permit that lets you work in the license class you applied for. It lasts 90 days or until your license is issued, whichever comes first, and DOPL can reissue it if the delay is not your fault (Utah Code 58-63-310).
On the job
- Carry a copy of your license at all times on duty, and show it when a peace officer, DOPL staff or a member of the public asks (Utah Code 58-63-308).
- Tell DOPL about a new address or email within 10 business days.
Renewal: every license expires November 30, 2026
- Utah security officer licenses expire on November 30 of even-numbered years, so this year's deadline is November 30, 2026. DOPL emails a renewal notice 90 days ahead; you renew online through My License One with a UtahID, for $42.
- 32 hours of continuing education each two-year cycle, at least 16 of them core: your company's operations manual, state laws and rules, legal powers and limits, observation and reporting, ethics, handling aggressive behavior and use of force, emergency techniques, and a CPR, AED or first aid course (R156-63a-304).
- Core hours come from classroom courses, seminars or conferences. Online courses count toward the other 16 (professional) hours when the provider verifies participation with an exam.
- Armed officers add 16 hours of firearms training each cycle, in 4-hour blocks every six months. The training must include live classroom instruction on deadly force and firearm safety and a practical pistol requalification at 80%. Miss a six-month block and you owe penalty hours, one and a half times the shortfall, which do not count toward the next cycle.
- Keep your certificates for three years after the cycle ends. Your employer approves continuing education courses for its officers and keeps attendance records DOPL can audit.
- DOPL runs a new background check at every renewal (R156-63a-305).
Have a record? Ask before you pay for training
DOPL accepts an Application for Criminal History Determination at any point before you apply, even before training, and sends a determination letter within 30 days of a complete application. Disclose everything: a charge dismissed after a plea in abeyance may not show up on a typical background check, but DOPL sees it. DOPL also publishes a matrix showing how it usually treats specific offenses.
Licensed in another state?
If you hold a security officer license in another state, territory or DC, you may qualify for a Utah license by endorsement; DOPL lists the approved jurisdictions. Military members and spouses should start with DOPL's Military Resources page.
How tessura helps
Every Utah guard renews on the same day, and an armed officer also has a firearms block due every six months. tessura is free for guards: add your license and each firearms block to the credential wallet and you get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before each date.
tessura is not affiliated with DOPL or any state agency. Rules change, so confirm anything you rely on with DOPL.