Washington licenses private security guards through the Department of Licensing (DOL) under chapter 18.170 RCW, with the details in chapter 308-18 WAC. The license is tied to a licensed security company, so the process starts with a job, not a class.
Requirements
- At least 18 years old, and a U.S. citizen or resident noncitizen.
- Employed by, or holding a job offer from, a licensed private security company. You file an application for each company you work for.
- 8 hours of pre-assignment training and a passing result on the state exam.
- Fingerprints for a background check. A conviction can block the license if the DOL director finds the crime directly relates to guard duties.
Pre-assignment training and the exam
- 8 hours before your first post, at least 4 of them in a classroom. The rest can be classroom or one-on-one instruction with a DOL-certified trainer.
- Topics include the basic role of a guard and homeland security awareness, legal powers and limits (citizen's arrest, detention and search limits, use of force and liability), emergency response, safety and hazardous materials, and report writing.
- The exam. After the course you take a DOL multiple-choice exam. Every answer must be correct, or each question you miss is reviewed with the trainer and initialed by both of you.
- Former officers. If your last full-time job was as a sworn peace officer within the past 5 years, you can skip the training by passing the same exam.
The temporary card
- Once you finish pre-assignment training and submit a complete license application, your company can issue a temporary registration card. The company must mail your application to DOL within 3 business days.
- The card is good for up to 60 days, only for work at the company that issued it, and never for armed work.
- When your permanent license arrives, or DOL says it is being withheld, you hand the temporary card back to the company.
Post-assignment and refresher training
- 8 hours of initial post-assignment training after you start. Licensed between January and June: finish by June 30 of the next year. Licensed between July and December: finish by December 31 of the next year.
- Topics include the guard's role and crime prevention, evidence and incident scenes, use of force and court testimony, ethics, observation and report writing, communication and workplace violence, access control, protecting confidential information, and critical incident response.
- 4 hours of refresher training every year after that. At least 3 of the hours must cover emergency response, such as site post orders or life safety. No more than 1 can be customer service.
- A certified trainer signs your training records and the company keeps them. If you change companies with signed records, the new company can waive the post-assignment hours.
Cost and renewal
- $106 to apply: $101 for the original license, background check included, plus $5 for the license print.
- The license lasts 1 year. Renewal is $95, and a late renewal adds $15.
- Changing companies: a $25 transfer fee. When you leave a job, the company notifies DOL and turns in your license.
- Don't let it lapse a full year. A license not renewed within 1 year of expiring is cancelled, and you start over with the training and exam.
Armed guards
- You must be 21 or older, hold the guard license, and have a current firearms certificate from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC). The armed endorsement itself is $10.
- The certificate goes through your employer. The company arranges an 8-hour course and qualification with a CJTC-certified firearms instructor, then applies for you. Individuals cannot apply on their own. The certificate is $200.
- One certificate per company. It is issued for a specific employer, so working armed for two companies means two certificates. Moving one to a new company costs $100.
- Yearly renewal. The certificate expires with your armed license, and renewal takes 4 hours of training each year. A certificate left expired for more than 30 days costs $100 to renew.
- Employer firearms only. You may carry only firearms you have qualified with, and every firearm carried on duty must be owned or leased by your employer.
How tessura helps
A Washington guard runs on yearly clocks: a license renewal, a 4-hour refresher, and for armed guards a firearms certificate that expires with the license. Miss one by a year and you start over. tessura is free for guards: keep your license, training records and firearms certificate in the credential wallet and get reminders at 60, 30 and 7 days before each deadline.
tessura is not affiliated with the Washington State Department of Licensing, the Criminal Justice Training Commission or any state agency. Rules change, so confirm anything you rely on with DOL.