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Illinois PERC lookup: security guard license (IDFPR)

How to check an Illinois PERC in the official lookup, what the result means, and what to do if the guard is not there.

Official guard lookuponline-dfpr.micropact.com
IDFPR License Lookup
Open the official lookup →Shows license status · shows expiration date · requires CAPTCHA check
Search Illinois security companies on tessura

Our copy of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Detective Board roster (September 14, 2026): 893 companies currently licensed as Private Security Contractor Agency.

Step-by-step: how to look up a guard in IllinoisNine digits beginning 129 for a PERC, e.g. 129432627. Enter it with no dash or period. Armed Firearm Control Cards begin 229.6 steps
  1. Ask the guard for their full legal name as printed on the card and their nine-digit PERC number, which starts 129. If they carry a firearm on duty, ask for the Firearm Control Card as well.
  2. Open the IDFPR eLicense lookup at online-dfpr.micropact.com/lookup/licenselookup.aspx, or go to idfpr.illinois.gov/checklicense.html and follow the link under "Professional Regulation".
  3. In the "License Type" list click DETECTIVE BOARD, that is the board holding PERCs. Leave "License Status" blank so expired and terminated cards still appear.
  4. Type the nine digits into "License Number", or the surname and forename into the name fields, then retype the CAPTCHA exactly as shown (it is case sensitive) and click Search.
  5. Match the person on Name and City/State, then confirm "License Status" reads ACTIVE rather than NOT RENEWED or TERMINATED CARD RETURNED, the expiration date is in the future, and the "Ever Disciplined" column reads N.
  6. Click Detail on that row to confirm the credential really is a Permanent Employee Registration Card, the column headed "Credential" holds the license number, not the credential type, and the DETECTIVE BOARD list mixes PERC holders with private detectives and agencies. For armed work, search again for a current Firearm Control Card.
Ask for the license number

Nine digits beginning 129 for a PERC, e.g. 129432627. Enter it with no dash or period. Armed Firearm Control Cards begin 229.

Live ACTIVE and NOT RENEWED rows from an IDFPR eLicense search on the DETECTIVE BOARD, returning 129432627, 129176980 and 129127887, corroborated by IDFPR’s own bulk-lookup help page: "a valid license consists of a total of 9 numeral digits with the first 3 being the professional code".

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 Permanent Employee Registration Card (PERC). For armed work: Firearm Control Card. 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 IDFPR.

IDFPR license-lookup support 1-800-560-6420 (TTY 1-866-325-4949), or the general line 1-888-473-4858. Disciplinary documents are not in the lookup, request them by FOIA through idfpr.illinois.gov.

What credentials a guard should hold in IllinoisIllinois issues portable credentials directly to the officer3 credentials
Every guard working a postPermanent Employee Registration Card (PERC)20 hrs of training · 8 more hrs within 6 months of being issued · renews every 3 years
If they carry a firearmFirearm Control Card (Armed)28 hrs of training · renews every 3 years
If they work with a dogCanine Handler Authorization Card180 hrs of training · state exam

Armed work: Armed guards (21+) need a Firearm Control Card on top of the PERC: FBI fingerprints, firearms training, range qualification within a year before each renewal, and continued employment with the issuing agency.

How to check the security company in IllinoisThe Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Detective Board licenses the firm itself (Private Security Contractor Agency)Agency license
What the firm must holdPrivate Security Contractor AgencyIssued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Detective Board

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 Private Security Contractor Agency number. A company that cannot produce a number for a license it claims to hold has told you something.
  2. Open the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Detective Board 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 Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Detective Board before signing.
Open the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Detective Board lookup →
Ask for company insurance & bonding properlyIllinois requires liability coverage by statute — what to ask for on the COIRequired by law
Illinois requires it by law

$1,000,000 commercial general liability covering bodily injury, property damage and personal injury, extending to firearms claims where the agency permits anyone to go armed.

If it lapses: Failing to maintain the insurance and give the Department written proof results in cancellation of the license without a hearing, cancellation rather than suspension, so reinstatement is not simply a matter of refiling.

225 ILCS 447/25-10(b); 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1240.200(d)(2), https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/022504470K25-10.htm

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.

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

Open the IDFPR License Lookup at online-dfpr.micropact.com and search for the guard. The record shows the license status and the expiration date, and both need to be current. Expect a “verify you are human” check before the results load.

What is a security guard license called in Illinois?

The Illinois Dept. of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) issues the Permanent Employee Registration Card (PERC). For armed work: Firearm Control Card.

What does an Illinois PERC number look like?

Nine digits beginning 129 for a PERC, e.g. 129432627. Enter it with no dash or period. Armed Firearm Control Cards begin 229.

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 IDFPR. IDFPR license-lookup support 1-800-560-6420 (TTY 1-866-325-4949), or the general line 1-888-473-4858. Disciplinary documents are not in the lookup, request them by FOIA through idfpr.illinois.gov.

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

Companies need their own license from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Detective Board: Private Security Contractor Agency. Search the company’s exact legal name at idfpr.illinois.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.

Official sources & more for IllinoisRegulator links, licensing guides, and open jobs (last reviewed September 14, 2026)7 sources
Checking your own Illinois license?Add your PERC or Firearm Control Card to the free wallet to verify it or track renewals.
Request security staffingFree guard wallet