Companies licensed, no individual card
How to become a security guard in Michigan
Michigan licenses security guard agencies through LARA but issues no individual guard license. A guard working for an agency must be 18+, hold a high school diploma or GED, have no felony conviction and none of the listed misdemeanors in the last 5 years, and be fingerprinted by the agency before starting (MCL 338.1067, 338.1068). The state sets no training hours for agency guards.
Reviewed September 27, 2026
Regulator: Michigan Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Security Guard Agencies
The path
- NoneState licenseThe state licenses companies, not individual guards.
- LocalCheck city and county rules
- WorkEmployer sets the standard
Steps to get started
- Get hired by a LARA-licensed Michigan security guard agency. Guards who protect only their own employer's property and staff are outside the Act (MCL 338.1079(2)).
- Meet the employee requirements: 18+, high school diploma or GED, no felony conviction, none of the misdemeanors listed in MCL 338.1060(1)(c) in the last 5 years, and no outstanding arrest warrant.
- Give the agency a signed employment application and your fingerprints; the agency must submit them to the State Police and FBI before you start (MCL 338.1068(2)).
- A $15 State Police name check gives provisional clearance to work for up to 90 days while the fingerprint check finishes (MCL 338.1068(4)).
- Complete your employer's training. Wear only a LARA-approved uniform with shoulder patches of at least 3 by 5 inches naming the agency; no badge unless the director approves (MCL 338.1069).
- For armed work, get the weapon license Michigan law requires, such as a CPL from your county clerk, and your employer's firearm authorization.
Working armed in Michigan
There is no armed guard license. A guard may carry a deadly weapon only if licensed to under Michigan law (MCL 338.1069(4)); for a concealed pistol that means a CPL from the county clerk (21+, 6 months residency, an 8-hour course with 3 hours on the range). An employer may authorize a tactical baton (338.1069(5)).
What guards earn in Michigan
A median of $17.83 an hour across 25,240 security guards, from official BLS wage data.
Security guard pay in Michigan →Hiring a guard rather than becoming one?
The same rules read from the other side: what to ask a guard and a security company for in Michigan, and the steps to confirm it in the regulator's own records.
How to check a licence in Michigan →Sources
- Michigan LARA, Professional Investigator & Security Licensing
- LARA, Employee Requirements of the Private Security Business and Security Alarm Act
- MCL Act 330 of 1968, Private Security Business and Security Alarm Act (full text PDF)
- MCL 338.1068, employee fingerprint and name-check background checks
- MCL 338.1069, uniforms, badges, deadly weapons and tactical batons
- MCOLES, Private Security Police Officers (PA 330)
- MCL 28.425j, concealed pistol license training course
tessura is an independent study and career tool, not affiliated with any state agency. Rules change; always confirm current requirements with the regulator before relying on them.
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