Virginia's Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) registers individual security officers under Sections 9.1-138 to 9.1-150 of the Code of Virginia and the regulations at 6VAC20-174. Unarmed and armed security officer are separate registration categories, and anyone who carries or has access to a firearm on duty also needs a firearms endorsement.
Who can register
- 18 or older, and a U.S. citizen or legal resident alien (6VAC20-174-40). The same age applies to armed officers.
- No disqualifying conviction: no felony, and no misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, assault and battery, property damage, controlled substances, prohibited sexual behavior or firearms. The DCJS Director can waive the bar on written request (Code of Virginia 9.1-139(K)).
- Anyone with a conviction other than a minor traffic offense, including a military court-martial, or who is under a protective order files a Criminal History Supplemental Form with the application.
Unarmed security officer
- Training: the 18-hour 01E Security Officer Core Subjects course and its written exam, taken in a classroom at a DCJS-certified school. It covers Virginia's private security law, ethics, duties, signs of terrorism, patrol and access control, documentation, emergency procedures, confrontation management and use of force.
- Working while you train: you can work up to 90 consecutive days while completing training if your fingerprints were submitted on or before your hire date and your employer gives you a 90-day authorization document. Carry it on duty with a photo ID. You cannot work more than 120 days without a registration, and the 90 days do not apply if you failed to finish training with a previous employer (6VAC20-174-40(D)).
- DCJS can issue a temporary registration letter, good for up to 120 days, while the fingerprint results are pending.
- Training counts only if DCJS receives your application within 12 months of finishing it.
Armed security officer
- Training: 50 hours (53 with a shotgun): the 18-hour 01E core course, 8 hours of 05E Armed Security Officer Arrest Authority and 24 hours of 075E Security Officer Handgun, plus 3 hours of 08E Entry-level Shotgun if you will have access to one (6VAC20-174-220). Written exams and range qualification come on top of those hours.
- The 90-day rule does not cover armed officers, so you finish training and get the endorsement before working armed.
- The firearms endorsement lasts up to 12 months, and you must qualify with each type of action and caliber you have access to (6VAC20-174-60).
- Every year: 4 hours of firearms retraining with handgun requalification (3 more for a shotgun), completed within the 90 days before your endorsement expires. Miss that window and you repeat the entry-level firearms training (6VAC20-174-60 and -420).
- Carrying concealed: you also need a Virginia concealed handgun permit, which requires age 21 (Code of Virginia 18.2-308.02), and your employer's written permission.
Fees
DCJS's current fees are $39 for the initial two-year registration, $34 to renew and $24 for the firearms endorsement. The application also carries a criminal history processing fee ($25 on DCJS's application form), and Fieldprint charges its own fee when it takes your fingerprints.
Renewal
- A registration lasts up to 24 months. Get the renewal to DCJS at least 30 days before it expires; a renewal received after the expiration date pays a reinstatement fee on top of the renewal fee (6VAC20-174-50).
- Complete the 4-hour 01I in-service course once in each 24-month registration period. The school sends DCJS the roster.
- Armed officers also renew the firearms endorsement every 12 months with the annual retraining.
Credit for prior experience
Former law enforcement officers who left the job within the last five years can apply for a partial exemption from entry-level training with proof of law enforcement entry-level training and five continuous years of law enforcement employment that did not end for misconduct or incompetence. Five continuous years in the same private security category, ending within the last five years, also qualifies (6VAC20-174-190). An exemption must be used to register within 12 months.
How tessura helps
A Virginia armed officer tracks two clocks: the two-year registration and the yearly firearms endorsement, with a 90-day window for retraining. tessura is free for guards: add both to the credential wallet and you get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before each date.
tessura is not affiliated with DCJS or any state agency. Rules change, so confirm anything you rely on with DCJS.