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Georgia security guard license lookup

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

Official guard lookupgoals.sos.ga.gov
GOALS Licensee Search
Open the official lookup →Shows license status · no expiration date shown · requires CAPTCHA check
Step-by-step: how to look up a guard in GeorgiaSGE followed by six digits, e.g. SGE0475877 steps
  1. Ask the guard for their first and last name as registered and the SGE number on their board identification card.
  2. Open goals.sos.ga.gov/GASOSOneStop/s/licensee-search. Do NOT use verify.sos.ga.gov, its profession list is only Cemeteries, Charities and Securities ("Securities" meaning investments, not security guards), so a guard search there silently returns nothing and reads as "not licensed".
  3. Leave the radio button on "Individual", set "Profession Type" to "Private Detective & Security Agencies", then set "License Type" to "Employee - Security Guard", or "Employee - In-House Security" for a guard employed directly by the site.
  4. Enter the surname and first name, or paste the SGE number into "License Number", and click Search. Let the Cloudflare check clear first if one appears.
  5. In the results grid confirm the STATUS column shows an active status rather than "Lapsed", and check the LICENSE SUB TYPE column for an armed endorsement such as "Exposed Handgun" if the post is armed.
  6. Open the record from the ACTION column to confirm the expiry date is in the future.
  7. No record for an unarmed guard is not by itself a red flag: Georgia does not require companies to register unarmed guards with the board (O.C.G.A. 43-38-7.1). Ask the company for the guard's certificate for the board's 24-hour course instead; employers must keep it on file. An armed guard should always have a record (O.C.G.A. 43-38-10(c), 43-38-14).
Ask for the license number

SGE followed by six digits, e.g. SGE047587

Live result rows from the GOALS Professional Licensee Search, profession type "Private Detective & Security Agencies", license type "Employee - Security Guard", returning SGE047587 and SGE030114. An earlier attempt was blocked by Cloudflare and wrongly concluded no individual record existed.

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. This lookup does not show one. Read it off the card and confirm it with the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies.
  • License type. The standard credential is the Employee - Security Guard registration (in-house guards register as "Employee - In-House Security"). For armed work: Not a separate credential, an armed endorsement appears as a License Sub Type on the same registration, e.g. "Exposed Handgun". 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 the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies.

Georgia Professional Licensing Boards Division, 404-424-9966, 3920 Arkwright Rd, Suite 195, Macon GA 31210. The Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies can be reached on (478) 207-2440.

What credentials a guard should hold in GeorgiaGeorgia issues portable credentials directly to the officer2 credentials
Every guard working a postUnarmed Security Officer (employer-registered)24 hrs of training
If they carry a firearmArmed Security Officer (Registration and Weapon Permit)39 hrs of training · state exam · renews every 2 years

Armed work: Armed officers register with the board and need a board weapon permit, which requires a Georgia weapons carry license (21+, or 18+ with military service; O.C.G.A. 43-38-10, 16-11-129). Training adds at least 15 hours of handgun instruction with 80% on the written exam and the range, using the weapon type carried (Rule 509-3-.10).

How to check the security company in GeorgiaThe Georgia Secretary of State, Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies licenses the firm itself (Company - Security)Agency license
What the firm must holdCompany - SecurityIssued by the Georgia Secretary of State, Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies
  1. Ask the company for the exact legal name on its license and its Company - Security number. A company that cannot produce a number for a license it claims to hold has told you something.
  2. Open the Georgia Secretary of State, Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies 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 Georgia Secretary of State, Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies before signing.
Open the Georgia Secretary of State, Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies lookup →
Ask for company insurance & bonding properlyHow to verify commercial general liability and workers' compensationCOI checklist
Georgia does not require it

Insurance is only one of three alternatives. A company may instead post a $25,000 surety bond, or file a certified audited statement showing net worth above $50,000, so a licensed Georgia security company may lawfully carry no liability insurance at all. Where insurance is chosen it must be at least $1,000,000.

If it lapses: Cancelling without giving the Board 30 days’ certified-mail notice is a violation, and the bond is conditioned on acts that would be grounds for discipline. No automatic suspension.

O.C.G.A. §43-38-6(d)(1), https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-43/chapter-38/section-43-38-6/

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.

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

Open the GOALS Licensee Search at goals.sos.ga.gov and search for the guard. The record shows the license status but not clearly an expiration date, so confirm that with the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies. Expect a “verify you are human” check before the results load.

What is a security guard license called in Georgia?

The Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies issues the Employee - Security Guard registration (in-house guards register as "Employee - In-House Security"). For armed work: Not a separate credential, an armed endorsement appears as a License Sub Type on the same registration, e.g. "Exposed Handgun".

What does a Georgia security guard license number look like?

SGE followed by six digits, e.g. SGE047587.

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 the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies. Georgia Professional Licensing Boards Division, 404-424-9966, 3920 Arkwright Rd, Suite 195, Macon GA 31210. The Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies can be reached on (478) 207-2440.

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

Companies need their own license from the Georgia Secretary of State, Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies: Company - Security. Search the company’s exact legal name at goals.sos.ga.gov and read the status and expiry date on the record.

Official sources & more for GeorgiaRegulator links, licensing guides, and open jobs (last reviewed September 27, 2026)11 sources
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