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New Jersey security guard license lookup

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

Official guard lookupeagency.njsp.org:4602
NJSP eVerify SORA, Officer Search
Open the official lookup →Shows license status · no expiration date shown
Step-by-step: how to look up a guard in New JerseyExact steps to verify an officer with the New Jersey State Police, SORA Unit6 steps
  1. Ask the guard for their exact first and last name as registered, plus either their SBI number or their date of birth, the search will not run on a name alone.
  2. Since November 2023 the hard plastic SORA card has been replaced by an Electronic SORA ID, so ask them to pull the credential up on their phone rather than expecting a physical card.
  3. Open NJSP eVerify SORA and set the "Search for" dropdown to "Officer".
  4. Type the first and last name, set the next dropdown to "SBI#" or "DOB", enter that value (dates as MM/DD/CCYY), and click Search.
  5. Read the result carefully: "Officer with this name is not found or not active" means either the spelling is wrong or the registration is not current, try the name with any suffix such as Jr. or III before concluding the guard is unregistered.
  6. Treat only a positive match as confirmation, and check the certification type matches whether the guard will work armed or unarmed.
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 New Jersey State Police, SORA Unit.
  • License type. The standard credential is the Unarmed Security Officer Certification (SORA). For armed work: Armed Security Officer Certification (SORA). 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 New Jersey State Police, SORA Unit.

NJSP Private Detective Unit, (609) 341-3426 or (609) 633-9352, PDU@njsp.gov, Mon–Fri 8:00am–4:00pm.

What credentials a guard should hold in New JerseyNew Jersey issues portable credentials directly to the officer2 credentials
Every guard working a postSORA Certification (Security Officer)24 hrs of training · renews every 2 years
If they carry a firearmArmed SORA Certification24 hrs of training · renews yearly

Armed work: Armed guards, including armed in-house staff, need an armed SORA certification that renews every year with an 8-hour refresher, plus a separate New Jersey Permit to Carry a Handgun. The SORA certification alone does not authorize carrying a firearm.

How to check the security company in New JerseyThe New Jersey State Police, Private Detective Unit licenses the firm itself (Security Officer Company License (SORA))Agency license
What the firm must holdSecurity Officer Company License (SORA)Issued by the New Jersey State Police, Private Detective Unit
  1. Ask the company for the exact legal name on its license and its Security Officer Company License (SORA) number. A company that cannot produce a number for a license it claims to hold has told you something.
  2. Open the New Jersey State Police, Private Detective Unit 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 New Jersey State Police, Private Detective Unit before signing.
Open the New Jersey State Police, Private Detective Unit lookup →
Ask for company insurance & bonding properlyHow to verify commercial general liability and workers' compensationCOI checklist
New Jersey does not require it

New Jersey requires no insurance of any kind. SORA contains no insurance provision, and the regulation conditions the license solely on a bond and the per-location fee. A New Jersey guard company can cancel its policy the day after winning your contract and break no licensing rule at all.

Bond: $5,000 surety bond delivered to the Superintendent of State Police, running to the State of New Jersey for the benefit of anyone injured by a wilful, malicious or wrongful act, and conditioned on faithful and honest conduct.

If it lapses: Discretionary suspension or revocation for good cause. Nothing is triggered by a coverage lapse, because no coverage is required.

N.J.A.C. 13:55A-2.3 (no insurance provision), https://njsp.njoag.gov/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/13-55A_Regulation_of_Security_Officers.pdf

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.

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

Open the NJSP eVerify SORA, Officer Search at eagency.njsp.org:4602 and search for the guard. The record shows the license status but not clearly an expiration date, so confirm that with the New Jersey State Police, SORA Unit.

What is a security guard license called in New Jersey?

The New Jersey State Police, SORA Unit issues the Unarmed Security Officer Certification (SORA). For armed work: Armed Security Officer Certification (SORA).

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 New Jersey State Police, SORA Unit. NJSP Private Detective Unit, (609) 341-3426 or (609) 633-9352, PDU@njsp.gov, Mon–Fri 8:00am–4:00pm.

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

Companies need their own license from the New Jersey State Police, Private Detective Unit: Security Officer Company License (SORA). Search the company’s exact legal name at njsp.njoag.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 New JerseyRegulator links, licensing guides, and open jobs (last reviewed September 27, 2026)9 sources
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