tessura
TN

Tennessee security guard license lookup

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

Official guard lookupsearch.cloud.commerce.tn.gov
Tennessee Verify a License or Credential
Open the official lookup →Shows license status · shows expiration date
Step-by-step: how to look up a guard in Tennessee6 digits, e.g. 5221676 steps
  1. Ask the guard for their surname as it appears on the state card and their six-digit license number.
  2. Open verify.tn.gov and type the surname into the Last Name box, or the number into License/Permit Number. Lead with the name or number, not the dropdowns.
  3. Set Board/Program to "Private Protective Services" and License/Registration/Credential Type to "Private Protective Service Unarmed Guard" or "Private Protective Service Armed Guard" to match the card, then click Search.
  4. Never browse by board alone. Board = Private Protective Services on its own returns over 320,000 records, and adding the unarmed-guard type still returns over 239,000, so a hit found that way means almost nothing.
  5. Click View on your guard’s row to open the detail page, which shows license number, rank, status, expiration date and original licensure date.
  6. Read the Status column as the decisive field. Board-wide there are roughly four expired records for every active one, so an existing record is more likely to be expired than current. "Applicant", "Denied" and "Application Expired" all mean not licensed.
Ask for the license number

6 digits, e.g. 522167

Live record on search.cloud.commerce.tn.gov: LEE, AMANDA R, license 522167, type "Unarmed Security Guard/Officer", status Active, expires 12/31/2026. Note the code in the page URL (C2741991) is an internal record ID, not the license number.

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 Unarmed Security Guard/Officer. For armed work: Armed Security Guard/Officer. 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 Tennessee Dept. of Commerce & Insurance, Private Protective Services.

Tennessee Private Protective Services, (615) 741-6382; Dept. of Commerce and Insurance, 500 James Robertson Pkwy, Nashville TN 37243.

What credentials a guard should hold in TennesseeTennessee issues portable credentials directly to the officer3 credentials
Every guard working a postUnarmed Security Guard Registration4 hrs of training · state exam · renews every 2 years
If they carry a firearmArmed Security Guard Registration16 hrs of training · state exam · renews every 2 years
If they carry a baton, OC spray, or a taserBaton Training Card4 hrs of training

Armed work: Armed guards (21+) complete 16 hours of training with at least 70% on an approved silhouette course and must have the card before working; a handgun carry permit does not cover guard work. Renewal needs requalification and 4 hours of refresher training. School posts add 8 hours of active shooter training, and since January 1, 2026 a rifle or shotgun requires the separate enhanced armed guard registration.

How to check the security company in TennesseeThe Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Private Protective Services licenses the firm itself (Contract Security Company)Agency license
What the firm must holdContract Security CompanyIssued by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Private Protective Services
  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 Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Private Protective Services 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 Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Private Protective Services before signing.
Open the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Private Protective Services lookup →
Ask for company insurance & bonding properlyTennessee requires liability coverage by statute — what to ask for on the COIRequired by law
Tennessee requires it by law

$300,000 for bodily or personal injury and $100,000 property damage, with endorsements for false arrest, libel, slander and invasion of privacy, covering negligent acts of the insured and its agents in the course and scope of employment.

If it lapses: Automatic stop-work, expressly by rule. If a licensee ceases to maintain conforming cover through modification, cancellation OR non-renewal, it "shall not provide, employ, or undertake to provide or employ any security guard and patrol service until a proper insurance certificate is filed with the commissioner." Note that a quiet downgrade below the minimums bites exactly as hard as a cancellation.

T.C.A. §62-35-114; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-05-02-.06, https://law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-62/chapter-35/section-62-35-114/

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.

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

Open the Tennessee Verify a License or Credential at search.cloud.commerce.tn.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 Tennessee?

The Tennessee Dept. of Commerce & Insurance, Private Protective Services issues the Unarmed Security Guard/Officer. For armed work: Armed Security Guard/Officer.

What does a Tennessee security guard license number look like?

6 digits, e.g. 522167.

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 Tennessee Dept. of Commerce & Insurance, Private Protective Services. Tennessee Private Protective Services, (615) 741-6382; Dept. of Commerce and Insurance, 500 James Robertson Pkwy, Nashville TN 37243.

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

Companies need their own license from the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Private Protective Services: Contract Security Company. Search the company’s exact legal name at verify.tn.gov and read the status and expiry date on the record.

Official sources & more for TennesseeRegulator links, licensing guides, and open jobs (last reviewed September 27, 2026)9 sources
Hiring or working security in Tennessee?Send one staffing request to reach licensed companies covering Tennessee.
Request security staffingFree guard wallet