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Montana security guard license lookup

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

Official guard lookupebizws.mt.gov
Montana DLI Licensee Lookup System ("DLI Record Search"), linked as "Look Up a License" from the Private Security Program page
Open the official lookup →Shows license status · no expiration date shown · requires CAPTCHA check
Step-by-step: how to look up a guard in MontanaExact steps to verify an officer with the Montana Dept. of Labor & Industry, Private Security Program6 steps
  1. Ask to see the guard's photo ID card and write down the name and license number. Since 1 July 2024 the employing firm, not DLI, issues these cards; DLI says each must show the license type, the license number preceded by the words 'Department of Labor & Industry License Number', the employer, the issue date and the QR code from the DLI-issued license, and the guard must wear or carry it and show it on request.
  2. Open the Licensee Lookup System, choose "Private Security Program" under "Licensing Board/Program", then "PSP - Security Guard License" under "License Type" (or "PSP - Security Guard Temporary" if the guard says they hold a temporary license).
  3. Enter the number from the card in "License Number", or the guard's "Last Name" and "First Name", answer the verification question in the box under the form (the page reloads after three wrong answers), and click Search.
  4. Open the matching record, check the name matches the card, and confirm the license is active. Every Private Security Program license expires on 1 March each year, so a guard not renewed by then is lapsed even if the card looks current.
  5. For an armed post, confirm the guard holds the armed endorsement, in Montana 'armed' is an endorsement on the guard license (MCA 37-60-101(1)) and must be requalified annually. If the record does not make armed status clear, request a verification from DLI.
  6. If nothing comes back, or the page will not load, use DLI's free License Verification Request (license number required; the answer comes by email or mail) or call the program before the guard starts.

Note: We have not confirmed the steps above against the live form recently, so a menu label may have moved.

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 Montana Dept. of Labor & Industry, Private Security Program.
  • License type. The standard credential is the Private Security Guard license. For armed work: Armed endorsement on the Private Security Guard license (MCA 37-60-101(1)). 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 Montana Dept. of Labor & Industry, Private Security Program.

Montana DLI Private Security Program, PO Box 200513, Helena MT 59620-0513 (301 S. Park Avenue, 4th Floor): Professional Licensing Customer Service (406) 444-6880, DLIBSDHELP@MT.GOV. Free License Verification Request: https://ebiz.mt.gov/pol/urlrouting.ashx?type=1002&CAPType=Public/Licenses/Verification+Request/Requests&module=Public. Complaints: (406) 841-2091, DLIBSDCOMPLAINTS@MT.GOV.

What credentials a guard should hold in MontanaMontana issues portable credentials directly to the officer2 credentials
Every guard working a postPrivate Security Guard License16 hrs of training · renews yearly
If they carry a firearmArmed Security Guard Endorsementrenews yearly

Armed work: Armed guards add a $50 endorsement, a department-approved firearms program from a licensed private security firearms instructor, and requalification every year. Montana doesn't require a concealed carry permit for adults who can legally own a firearm, but a guard can't have or use one on duty without the endorsement (MCA 37-60-301). Tasers, OC spray and batons must be department-approved and trained on first (MCA 37-60-405).

How to check the security company in MontanaThe Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division, Private Security Program licenses the firm itself (Contract Security Company)Agency license
What the firm must holdContract Security CompanyIssued by the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division, Private Security Program
  1. Ask the company for the exact legal name on its license and its Contract Security Company number. A company that cannot produce a number for a license it claims to hold has told you something.
  2. Open the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division, Private Security Program 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 Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division, Private Security Program before signing.
Open the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division, Private Security Program lookup →
Ask for company insurance & bonding properlyMontana requires liability coverage by statute — what to ask for on the COIRequired by law
Montana requires it by law

$500,000 minimum occurrence-form commercial general liability including personal injury. Firms whose guards hold firearms endorsements must additionally carry firearms liability cover.

If it lapses: Cover must be maintained at all times of active licensure; the earlier version of the rule put a licensee without current insurance into inactive/lapsed status.

ARM 24.182.405, https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/montana/Mont-Admin-r-24.182.405

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.

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

Open the Montana DLI Licensee Lookup System ("DLI Record Search"), linked as "Look Up a License" from the Private Security Program page at ebizws.mt.gov and search for the guard. The record shows the license status but not clearly an expiration date, so confirm that with the Montana Dept. of Labor & Industry, Private Security Program. Expect a “verify you are human” check before the results load. We have not yet re-checked this against the live form, so a menu name may have moved.

What is a security guard license called in Montana?

The Montana Dept. of Labor & Industry, Private Security Program issues the Private Security Guard license. For armed work: Armed endorsement on the Private Security Guard license (MCA 37-60-101(1)).

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 Montana Dept. of Labor & Industry, Private Security Program. Montana DLI Private Security Program, PO Box 200513, Helena MT 59620-0513 (301 S. Park Avenue, 4th Floor): Professional Licensing Customer Service (406) 444-6880, DLIBSDHELP@MT.GOV. Free License Verification Request: https://ebiz.mt.gov/pol/urlrouting.ashx?type=1002&CAPType=Public/Licenses/Verification+Request/Requests&module=Public. Complaints: (406) 841-2091, DLIBSDCOMPLAINTS@MT.GOV.

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

Companies need their own license from the Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division, Private Security Program: Contract Security Company. Search the company’s exact legal name at ebizws.mt.gov and read the status and expiry date on the record.

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 MontanaRegulator links, licensing guides, and open jobs (last reviewed September 27, 2026)8 sources
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