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Ohio security guard license lookup (PISGS)

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

Official guard lookupservices.dps.ohio.gov
Ohio PISGS, Search for Registrants
Open the official lookup →Shows license status · shows expiration date
Search Ohio security companies on tessura

Our copy of the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Private Investigator Security Guard Services (PISGS) roster (September 14, 2026): 657 companies currently licensed as Security Guard Provider (Class C / Class A).

Step-by-step: how to look up a guard in Ohio14 digits beginning with the year of registration, e.g. 201911003450116 steps
  1. Ask for the registration card and note the 14-digit PISGS registration number. If the guard will be armed, check the back of the card for the current firearm bearer certification showing which weapons they are qualified to carry.
  2. Open the PISGS "Search for Registrants" tool at services.dps.ohio.gov/PISGS/mvc/Registrant. PISGS moved from the Department of Commerce to Ohio Homeland Security, so old com.ohio.gov links are stale.
  3. Enter the registration number for an exact match, or fill in First Name and Last Name; you can type the employing company into "Provider Name" to disambiguate common names. The tool requires JavaScript and is not supported on mobile.
  4. Click "View" on the matching row to open the Registrant Detail page, which shows Provider Name, registration number, status and expiration date.
  5. Confirm the status reads Active, not Expired or Terminated, the expiration date is in the future, and the Provider Name matches the company that sent the guard.
  6. Separately confirm that company holds a current PISGS license using the "Search for Licensed Providers" tool on the same site.
Ask for the license number

14 digits beginning with the year of registration, e.g. 20191100345011

Live PISGS registrant search for surname SMITH, which returned Registration Numbers 20191100345011 (Adkins-Smith, Lauren / Contemporary Services Corporation) and 20211100413465 (Byersmith, Michelle / Securitas Security Services USA).

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 Security Guard Employee Registration. For armed work: Firearm bearer certification (endorsement on the registration 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 PISGS.

Ohio PISGS, (614) 387-6171, PISGLR@dps.ohio.gov.

What credentials a guard should hold in OhioOhio registers guards through their employing agency2 credentials
Every guard working a postRegistered Security Guard / Investigator Employee (PISGS ID Card)renews yearly
If they carry a firearmFirearm Bearer (FAB) Notation20 hrs of training · renews yearly

Armed work: Armed guards need a Firearm Bearer (FAB) notation requiring an FBI fingerprint check and completion of OPOTA-approved firearms training with annual requalification.

How to check the security company in OhioThe Ohio Department of Public Safety, Private Investigator Security Guard Services (PISGS) licenses the firm itself (Security Guard Provider (Class C / Class A))Agency license
What the firm must holdSecurity Guard Provider (Class C / Class A)Issued by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Private Investigator Security Guard Services (PISGS)

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 Security Guard Provider (Class C / Class A) number. A company that cannot produce a number for a license it claims to hold has told you something.
  2. Open the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Private Investigator Security Guard Services (PISGS) 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 Ohio Department of Public Safety, Private Investigator Security Guard Services (PISGS) before signing.
Open the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Private Investigator Security Guard Services (PISGS) lookup →
Ask for company insurance & bonding properlyOhio requires liability coverage by statute — what to ask for on the COIRequired by law
Ohio requires it by law

Comprehensive general liability of at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence for bodily injury, plus $100,000 property damage, verified and certified by the insurer.

If it lapses: All license holders must maintain the verified cover, and PISGS will not issue or renew without a current certificate on file. The sanction sequence after a lapse notice is not spelled out in rule.

Ohio Rev. Code §4749.03(A)(1)(d); Ohio Adm. Code 4501:7-1-05, https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-4501:7-1-05

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.

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

Open the Ohio PISGS, Search for Registrants at services.dps.ohio.gov and search for the guard. The record shows the license status and the expiration date, and both need to be current.

What is a security guard license called in Ohio?

The Ohio Private Investigator Security Guard Services (PISGS) issues the Security Guard Employee Registration. For armed work: Firearm bearer certification (endorsement on the registration card).

What does an Ohio security guard license number look like?

14 digits beginning with the year of registration, e.g. 20191100345011.

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 PISGS. Ohio PISGS, (614) 387-6171, PISGLR@dps.ohio.gov.

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

Companies need their own license from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Private Investigator Security Guard Services (PISGS): Security Guard Provider (Class C / Class A). Search the company’s exact legal name at services.dps.ohio.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 OhioRegulator links, licensing guides, and open jobs (last reviewed September 27, 2026)7 sources
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