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DC SPO and security officer license lookup (DLCP)

How to check a DC security officer or SPO license in the official lookup, what the result means, and what to do if the guard is not there.

Official guard lookupgovservices.dcra.dc.gov
OPLA Occupational & Professional License Search
Open the official lookup →Shows license status · shows expiration date
Search DC security companies on tessura

Our copy of the District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing roster (September 14, 2026): 436 companies currently licensed as Security Agency Business (SAB).

Step-by-step: how to look up a guard in DCExact steps to verify an officer with DLCP6 steps
  1. Ask the guard for the name on their DC license and their license number, and ask whether they are licensed as a Security Officer or as a Special Police Officer, in DC these are different credentials with different powers.
  2. Open govservices.dcra.dc.gov/oplaportal (reachable from dlcp.dc.gov → Security Program → License Search) and in the 'Discipline' dropdown choose 'Security'.
  3. Leave 'License Type' on 'All' or pick 'Security Officer', type the person's name in 'Licensee Name' or their number in 'License Number', and leave 'License Status' on '-- Select License Status --' so that expired, suspended and revoked records are not hidden from you.
  4. On the result, read the 'Designation' line: it states whether that officer is Armed or Unarmed. Do not let an officer whose designation is Unarmed carry a weapon on your site.
  5. Confirm 'License Status' reads 'Active', not Inactive, Expired, Expired - Renew Eligible, Expired - Reinstatement Eligible, Suspended or Revoked, and confirm the 'Expiration Date' shown on the record is in the future.
  6. If nothing comes back, search 'Discipline: Security' with just the surname to catch a different spelling, then contact OPL on (202) 671-4500 or dlcp@dc.gov.
Reading the lookup result & if they don't show upHow to interpret status, expiration dates, and pending applicationsResult guide
  • Status. It should read active or current. Expired, inactive, suspended and revoked licenses still come back as results, so finding a record is not the same as a valid license.
  • Expiration date. It has to be in the future. If the guard will work for you past that date, ask when they renew.
  • License type. The standard credential is the Security Officer (SO) license. For armed work: Special Police Officer (SPO) license; the lookup also prints an Armed/Unarmed 'Designation' on Security Officer records. Make sure the type on the record matches the post, especially if they will carry a weapon.
If they don't show up

Search the surname alone, in case the record uses a different spelling or a middle name. If there is still nothing, that is not proof either way: ask the guard for the exact name and number on their card, then contact DLCP.

DLCP Occupational and Professional Licensing: (202) 671-4500 or dlcp@dc.gov. MPD Security Officers Management Branch: (202) 671-0500, 441 4th Street NW, Room 550 South, Washington DC 20001.

What credentials a guard should hold in DCDC issues portable credentials directly to the officer2 credentials
Every guard working a postSecurity Officer License24 hrs of training · state exam · 16 more hrs within 4 months of being issued · renews every 2 years
If they carry a firearmSpecial Police Officer (SPO) Commission40 hrs of training · 16 more hrs within 4 months of being issued · renews yearly

Armed work: Armed work in DC generally requires a Special Police Officer commission (21+) with an Armed designation: 40 hours of pre-assignment training, physician certification of physical and psychological fitness, and MPD's firearms training and requalification standards (6-A DCMR 1100.7-1100.12).

How to check the security company in DCThe District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing licenses the firm itself (Security Agency Business (SAB))Agency license
What the firm must holdSecurity Agency Business (SAB)Issued by the District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing

We hold this state’s roster, so you can search it on tessura first. For anything you sign, confirm it at the regulator using the steps below.

  1. Ask the company for the exact legal name on its license and its Security Agency Business (SAB) number. A company that cannot produce a number for a license it claims to hold has told you something.
  2. Open the District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing lookup and search for that name.
  3. Search the legal name, not the name on the uniform or the invoice. Brand names, DBAs, and the name on the truck are often not the licensed entity.
  4. Read the status and the expiry date, not just the presence of a record. An expired or suspended license still returns a result.
  5. If nothing comes up, ask which entity holds the license and in which state, then check that name. If the answer does not resolve, treat the license as unconfirmed and call District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing before signing.
Open the District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing lookup →
Ask for company insurance & bonding properlyDC requires liability coverage by statute — what to ask for on the COIRequired by law
DC requires it by law

A security agency employing five or more security officers must carry general liability of at least $250,000 per occurrence and $600,000 aggregate. An agency with four or fewer officers has no insurance requirement at all.

If it lapses: An incomplete renewal is set to expired, after which the agency must apply afresh. There is no automatic suspension on cancellation.

17 DCMR §2127.6, https://dcrules.elaws.us/dcmr/17-2127

A certificate of insurance (COI) that names your business as an additional insured, not just the certificate holderCertificate holder means you were mailed a copy. Additional insured means their policy actually answers for you if you are pulled into a claim.
General liability, and workers’ compensation at your state’s statutory limitsIf a guard is hurt on your property and the company carries no workers’ comp, the claim tends to land on you. Ask for commercial auto too if they run patrol vehicles.
The policy number and the effective and expiry dates, on a certificate dated within the last monthAn undated or months-old certificate is the single most common tell. The dates let you ask the insurer about the right policy.
The name, agency, and direct phone number of the broker who issued it, then call themThe broker can confirm the policy is in force today. The certificate PDF cannot, and a forged or stale one looks identical to a real one.
A contract term requiring written notice to you before the policy is cancelled or non-renewedStandard certificates promise notice to the insured, not to you. Putting the duty on the company in the contract is what makes a mid-term cancellation a breach.
A fresh certificate part-way through the term, not only at signingRe-asking at 60 or 90 days costs you an email and defeats the whole get-the-COI-then-drop-it pattern.

tessura does not verify anyone’s insurance and has no access to insurers’ records. This is guidance for doing it yourself, not legal advice.

DC license lookup: common questionsQuick answers on lookup timing, missing records, and armed permits5 questions
How do I look up a security officer or SPO license in DC?

Open the OPLA Occupational & Professional License Search at govservices.dcra.dc.gov and search for the guard. The record shows the license status and the expiration date, and both need to be current.

What is a security guard license called in DC?

The DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) issues the Security Officer (SO) license. For armed work: Special Police Officer (SPO) license; the lookup also prints an Armed/Unarmed 'Designation' on Security Officer records.

What if the guard does not show up in the search?

Search the surname alone, in case the record uses a different spelling or a middle name. If there is still nothing, that is not proof either way: ask the guard for the exact name and number on their card, then contact DLCP. DLCP Occupational and Professional Licensing: (202) 671-4500 or dlcp@dc.gov. MPD Security Officers Management Branch: (202) 671-0500, 441 4th Street NW, Room 550 South, Washington DC 20001.

How do I check a security company’s license in DC?

Companies need their own license from the District of Columbia Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, Occupational and Professional Licensing: Security Agency Business (SAB). Search the company’s exact legal name at govservices.dcra.dc.gov and read the status and expiry date on the record. tessura also keeps a copy of that roster, read on September 14, 2026, which you can search on this site.

Is tessura part of the state licensing agency?

No. tessura is not affiliated with any state licensing agency. Every lookup on this page belongs to the agency that runs it, and the agency’s record is the one that counts.

Official sources & more for DCRegulator links, licensing guides, and open jobs (last reviewed September 27, 2026)6 sources
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