New York security guard license lookup
How to check a New York security guard license in the official lookup, what the result means, and what to do if the guard is not there.
Step-by-step: how to look up a guard in New YorkAn eleven-digit number. The Department's own ID search form gives the example 45000111222.6 steps
- Ask the guard for their full legal name as registered and their eleven-digit security guard registration number.
- Open the NY DOS Licensee Name Search and choose 'SECURITY GUARD' from the License Type list, then enter all or part of the last and first name. If you have the number instead, use the Licensee ID Search.
- Understand what a blank result means before you read anything into it: DOS states these searches are limited to ACTIVE licenses only. A guard whose registration has lapsed, or been suspended or revoked, returns nothing at all, which looks identical to a person who was never registered. Absence here is not proof of anything except that there is no active registration under the name you typed.
- Try a surname-only search before concluding anything, since a middle name, married name or spelling difference will also return nothing. Residence addresses are withheld by privacy law, so do not expect to confirm identity by address.
- If the guard will be armed, ask separately for their firearm authority, a New York security guard registration on its own does not authorise carrying a weapon.
- If you are a New York security guard employer rather than a client, do not rely on this page at all. DOS says plainly that the public website does not satisfy the due-diligence duty in 19 NYCRR § 174.6: you must use the Online Security Guard Registry with your employer UID and keep the transaction number as your record.
An eleven-digit number. The Department's own ID search form gives the example 45000111222.
The live Licensee ID Search page at appext20.dos.ny.gov/lcns_public/id_search_frm, which instructs 'Enter ID Number (ex. 45000111222)'. Note that the eleven-digit number beginning '11' described on dos.ny.gov/security-guard1 is the employer's unique ID for the Online Security Guard Registry, not the guard's registration number, do not confuse the two.
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 York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services.
- License type. The standard credential is the Security Guard Registration. Make sure the type on the record matches the post, especially if they will carry a weapon.
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 York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services.
NY DOS Division of Licensing Services customer service: (518) 474-4429.
What credentials a guard should hold in New YorkNew York issues portable credentials directly to the officer3 credentials
Armed work: Armed guards must hold an NYS pistol permit (generally 21+) before enrolling in the 47-hour firearms training course with a written exam and range qualification, and take an 8-hour annual firearms course every year.
How to check the security company in New YorkThe New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services licenses the firm itself (Watch, Guard or Patrol Agency)Agency license
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.
- Ask the company for the exact legal name on its license and its Watch, Guard or Patrol Agency number. A company that cannot produce a number for a license it claims to hold has told you something.
- Open the New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services lookup and search for that name.
- 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.
- Read the status and the expiry date, not just the presence of a record. An expired or suspended license still returns a result.
- 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 York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services before signing.
Ask for company insurance & bonding properlyNew York requires liability coverage by statute — what to ask for on the COIRequired by law
Conditional but real: an agency that employs security guards must carry at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate, expressly including false arrest, false imprisonment, malicious prosecution, libel, slander and violation of the right of privacy.
Bond: $10,000 surety bond filed with the Department of State in the name of the People of the State of New York, conditioned on faithful and honest conduct, suable by anyone injured by a violation.
If it lapses: Revocable for cause, but with a sharper edge: §89-h(6) makes it unlawful to knowingly employ a security guard unless the cover is in force and the certificate is on file, so every shift an uninsured company staffs is a separate statutory violation.
N.Y. Gen. Bus. Law art. 7-A §89-h(6); §74 (bond), https://dos.ny.gov/watch-guard-or-patrol-agency
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 York 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 York?
Open the NY DOS Licensee Name Search at appext20.dos.ny.gov and search for the guard. The record shows the license status but not clearly an expiration date, so confirm that with the New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services.
What is a security guard license called in New York?
The New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services issues the Security Guard Registration.
What does a New York security guard license number look like?
An eleven-digit number. The Department's own ID search form gives the example 45000111222.
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 York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services. NY DOS Division of Licensing Services customer service: (518) 474-4429.
How do I check a security company’s license in New York?
Companies need their own license from the New York Department of State, Division of Licensing Services: Watch, Guard or Patrol Agency. Search the company’s exact legal name at appext20.dos.ny.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.