No statewide license, local rules may apply
How to become a security guard in Missouri
Missouri has no statewide security guard license. Police license guards locally: the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners (17 CSR 10-2), the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Private Security Section, and the St. Charles County Police Department each issue one-year licenses tied to a specific employer, after a fingerprint background check and a test.
Reviewed September 27, 2026
The path
- NoneState licenseNo statewide scheme; a city or county may still require a permit.
- LocalCheck city and county rulesKansas City: $110 for an unarmed license and $165 armed, $85 and $110 to renew, plus a $50 annual fingerprint fee (17 CSR 10-2.040). St. Charles County: $104 for fingerprinting and license, plus a $22 training fee, and it accepts a valid St. Louis license. Other Missouri cities and counties set their own rules, so check with the police where you'll work.
- WorkEmployer sets the standard
Steps to get started
- Get hired first: every program licenses you to a specific employer, and Kansas City and St. Louis both require the employer's intent-to-hire form or letter.
- Apply in person with a photo ID and be fingerprinted for the state and FBI background check.
- Pass the program's written test (Kansas City lets you retake it up to 3 times; St. Louis and St. Charles County test at the end of their class).
- For an armed license, qualify on the approved range with an approved handgun.
- Renew every year before the card expires; a Kansas City license renewed after expiration is processed as a new application.
Working armed in Missouri
Armed work takes an armed license from the local program. Kansas City requires age 21, firearms training certified by the employer, a 75% qualification score at the police range and 4 hours of range training every year, with approved handgun calibers only (17 CSR 10-2.050, 10-2.055). St. Louis requires age 21, range qualification and a drug test for armed licenses, and limits officers to an approved .38 revolver or 9mm pistol (17 CSR 20-2.105, 20-2.135). St. Charles County adds armed status once qualification at an approved range is shown.
Local rules to know
Kansas City: $110 for an unarmed license and $165 armed, $85 and $110 to renew, plus a $50 annual fingerprint fee (17 CSR 10-2.040). St. Charles County: $104 for fingerprinting and license, plus a $22 training fee, and it accepts a valid St. Louis license. Other Missouri cities and counties set their own rules, so check with the police where you'll work.
What guards earn in Missouri
A median of $19.42 an hour across 18,630 security guards, from official BLS wage data.
Security guard pay in Missouri →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 Missouri, and the steps to confirm it in the regulator's own records.
How to check a licence in Missouri →Sources
- SLMPD Private Security Section
- 17 CSR 20-2 St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners - Private Security Officers
- KCPD Private Officers Licensing Unit
- 17 CSR 10-2 Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners - Private Security
- St. Charles County Security Professional Licensing Program
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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