Missouri security guard license lookup
Missouri has no statewide security guard license. Here is what to check instead.
Missouri has no statewide security guard license, so there is no state record to look up.
Local rules: Kansas City: $110 for an unarmed license and $165 armed, $85 and $110 to renew, plus a $50 annual fingerprint fee (17 CSR 10-2.040). St. Charles County: $104 for fingerprinting and license, plus a $22 training fee, and it accepts a valid St. Louis license. Other Missouri cities and counties set their own rules, so check with the police where you'll work.
SLMPD Private Security Section: 314-615-5317. KCPD Private Officers Licensing Unit, 635 Woodland Suite 2104, Kansas City MO 64106: 816-889-6600, polu@kcpd.org (new applicants 7:30am–2:30pm, office to 3:30pm).
What to check instead in MissouriExact steps to verify an officer with the regulator6 steps
- Work out which city the post is in. In St. Louis City and in Kansas City the guard must hold an individual license from that city's police department; elsewhere in Missouri no license exists.
- For a St. Louis City post, ask to see the badge/identification card issued by the SLMPD Private Security Section, city rules require it to be worn conspicuously in uniform, or carried on the person when working uniform-exempt. Check the name, photo and expiry.
- For a Kansas City post, ask for the KCPD Private Officers Licensing Unit license, and remember 17 CSR 10-2.010(5)(C): any DIRECT SUPERVISOR of a security officer must be licensed too, so ask for the supervisor's license as well.
- Do not accept a Missouri private detective license or a POST peace officer certificate as a substitute in St. Louis City, the city board licenses security officers separately, and out-of-jurisdiction police officers working security in St. Louis City must be licensed by the Private Security Section like anyone else.
- Because neither city publishes a search, phone the issuing unit with the guard's name and license number to confirm it is current before they start.
- For a post outside both cities, accept there is no license and vet on the employer's own background check and training records.
Why there is no link to click: Missouri has no statewide security guard license and no state database of guards. Licensing is municipal and is run by two police departments under separate statutes, and neither publishes a public license search, verification is by phone. Watch for the wrong database: Missouri's Division of Professional Registration licenses private investigators statewide and has a public search; 17 CSR 20-2.015 states in terms that 'Private detectives are licensed by the state of Missouri, not by the board of police commissioners.' A St. Louis security officer will never appear in the state PI search, and a state PI license does not authorise security work in St. Louis City. Also note the geography: the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners covers the City of St. Louis only, not St. Louis County.
How to check the security company in MissouriMissouri does not license security companies at the state agency levelNo state agency license
Missouri has no statewide security company license. State law instead delegates private-security licensing to city police boards, Kansas City and St. Louis each run their own scheme, and Springfield, St. Joseph and Joplin license locally. Neither major city publishes a machine-readable roster.
With no agency license to check, verify the guard credentials above, insurance, workers’ compensation, and Secretary of State business standing.
Ask for company insurance & bonding properlyHow to verify commercial general liability and workers' compensationCOI checklist
tessura does not verify anyone’s insurance and has no access to insurers’ records. This is guidance for doing it yourself, not legal advice.
Missouri license lookup: common questionsQuick answers on lookup timing, missing records, and armed permits3 questions
How do I look up a security guard license in Missouri?
Missouri has no statewide security guard license, so there is no state record to look up. Kansas City: $110 for an unarmed license and $165 armed, $85 and $110 to renew, plus a $50 annual fingerprint fee (17 CSR 10-2.040). St. Charles County: $104 for fingerprinting and license, plus a $22 training fee, and it accepts a valid St. Louis license. Other Missouri cities and counties set their own rules, so check with the police where you'll work.
How do I check a security company’s license in Missouri?
Missouri does not license security companies at the state level, so there is no company license to check. Ask for insurance, workers’ compensation, and a business registration in good standing instead.
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.