tessura

Employer registers guards with the state

How to become a security guard in West Virginia

West Virginia licenses security companies, not the guards who work for them. Your firm keeps your photo and fingerprints on file, reports you to the Secretary of State, and must train you; you must be 18+ and free of felony and listed disqualifying convictions. In-house guards are exempt. You need your own individual license only to sell security services under your own name.

WV

Reviewed September 27, 2026
Regulator: West Virginia Secretary of State, Licensing Division

The path

  1. 0hNo state training required
  2. No examCourse or application only
  3. ApplyIndividual Security Guard License (Independent Operator)$150 West Virginia resident / $550 non-resident (includes $50 non-refundable processing fee) per SOS; W. Va. Code 30-18-5 sets $50 processing + $100 individual license fee; renewal fee capped at $50 (30-18-9)
  4. WorkCarry the credential on post
  5. 2yRenewal cycle

Every West Virginia credential

All 2 individual credentials this regulator issues to security workers, from the entry-level card to specialty and instructor registrations.

CredentialTrainingExamRenewal
Private investigator
Individual Private Investigator License
W. Va. Code 30-18-2: $50 non-refundable processing charge + $100 license fee (individual); renewal fee not to exceed $50 (30-18-9)
VariesNoEvery 2 years
Other
Individual Security Guard License (Independent Operator)
$150 West Virginia resident / $550 non-resident (includes $50 non-refundable processing fee) per SOS; W. Va. Code 30-18-5 sets $50 processing + $100 individual license fee; renewal fee capped at $50 (30-18-9)
VariesNoEvery 2 years

Steps to get started

  1. Get hired by a West Virginia-licensed security firm; it collects your photo, fingerprints and consent to a conviction records review.
  2. Meet the disqualification rules: 18+, U.S. citizen or legal resident, no felony and none of the listed weapons, theft, burglary or drug convictions.
  3. Take the training your firm provides; the state sets no hours or exam.
  4. To work under your own name, apply for an individual license ($150 resident, 1 year of experience, $5,000 bond) and renew every 2 years for $50.

Individual Private Investigator License: Same article (W. Va. Code 30-18) and same Secretary of State Licensing Division as security guards. Individual license for a PI operating independently of a firm; requires one year of experience/education/training in listed areas (30-18-2(7)), surety bond or liability insurance, photo and fingerprints. A licensed PI may also conduct security guard business by notifying the SOS in writing (30-18-2(b)). Two-year term.

Individual Security Guard License (Independent Operator): The only individual security credential West Virginia issues. Required only for a person who provides security guard services 'on your own and under your own name' (W. Va. Code 30-18-1(7)); employees working under a licensed firm are NOT individually licensed or registered — the firm keeps their photo and fingerprints on file and is responsible for their training (30-18-7). Applicant needs 18+, one year of verified full-time experience with a licensed firm (32 hrs/week x 50 weeks) or 30 semester hours in investigative/LE studies or a combination, five character references, a $5,000 surety bond or liability insurance, photo and fingerprints. Initial license 2 years; renewable for 2-year terms. No training hours, exam or firearms component.

Working armed in West Virginia

No separate armed guard license. Anyone 18 or older who is a U.S. citizen or legal resident and not barred from having a firearm may carry concealed without a license (W. Va. Code § 61-7-7(c)); the optional county sheriff license is $50 for residents, 21+. Employers can't make holding or not holding a carry license a condition of employment (§ 61-7-14(d)), and they decide whether you carry on duty.

What guards earn in West Virginia

A median of $13.85 an hour across 5,200 security guards, from official BLS wage data.

Security guard pay in West Virginia →

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 West Virginia, and the steps to confirm it in the regulator's own records.

How to check a licence in West Virginia →

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 West Virginia credential alive

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

Join free