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Employer registers guards with the state

How to become a security guard in Rhode Island

Rhode Island doesn't issue individual guard licenses. The Attorney General licenses security companies, and every employee must be registered through a $45 fingerprint check before starting work. A felony conviction bars you from working for a licensed company in any job. State law sets 18+ for owners and officers but no minimum age for employees, and employers set training standards. In-house guards hired directly by the property they protect aren't covered.

RI

Reviewed September 27, 2026
Regulator: Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General

The path

  1. 0hNo state training required
  2. No examCourse or application only
  3. ApplySecurity Guard Employee Registration (Attorney General BCI)$45 national fingerprint check, paid by credit or debit card at the Attorney General's office, 4 Howard Ave., Cranston; no separate registration fee.
  4. WorkCarry the credential on post
  5. NoneNo fixed renewal

Every Rhode Island credential

The one individual credential this regulator issues to security workers, from the entry-level card to specialty and instructor registrations.

CredentialTrainingExamRenewal
Unarmed guard
Security Guard Employee Registration (Attorney General BCI)
$45 national fingerprint check, paid by credit or debit card at the Attorney General's office, 4 Howard Ave., Cranston; no separate registration fee.
VariesNo,

Steps to get started

  1. Get a conditional job offer from a security company licensed by the Attorney General.
  2. Sign the employee's registration statement and get the company's conditional offer letter on its letterhead.
  3. Walk in to the Attorney General's office, 4 Howard Ave., Cranston, with the letter, photo ID and a card for the $45 fingerprint check.
  4. For armed work, get a pistol carry license from your city or town or the Attorney General, after qualifying on the range.

Security Guard Employee Registration (Attorney General BCI): R.I. Gen. Laws 5-5.1-18 and 110-RICR-20-00-2.15: no person may perform the duties of an employee of a licensed private security guard business until registered. After a conditional offer, the employee signs an employee's registration statement (5-year work history, no felony or moral-turpitude conviction) and walks in to the Attorney General's office, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the company's conditional offer letter and photo ID for a state and national fingerprint check. Results go to the company by email, and the Attorney General keeps a public list of registered persons. No state training requirement and no expiration date for the registration. A licensed company can't employ anyone convicted of a felony in any capacity.

Working armed in Rhode Island

Rhode Island has no armed guard license and no permitless carry. Carrying a pistol on duty needs a carry license: from the city or town where you live or work (21+, a proper reason, found suitable) or from the Attorney General on a showing of need. Either costs $40, lasts 4 years and requires a qualifying score of 195 out of 300 at 25 yards (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-47-11, 11-47-12, 11-47-15, 11-47-18).

Local rules to know

No city guard licenses. Clubs with a Class N nightclub license must provide private security certified by TIPS or a similar program the city licensing board approves (R.I. Gen. Laws § 3-7-16.6(g)).

What guards earn in Rhode Island

A median of $17.76 an hour across 3,160 security guards, from official BLS wage data.

Security guard pay in Rhode Island →

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 Rhode Island, and the steps to confirm it in the regulator's own records.

How to check a licence in Rhode Island →

Sources

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.

Keep your Rhode Island credential alive

The free wallet computes your renewal deadline from Rhode Island's rules and reminds you at 60, 30, and 7 days. Exam prep for Rhode Island follows.

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