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VA

Virginia security guard license lookup (DCJS)

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

Official guard lookupdcjs.virginia.gov
DCJS External Verification Tool
Open the official lookup →Shows license status · shows expiration date
Step-by-step: how to look up a guard in VirginiaDCJS ID is "99-" followed by four to seven digits, 99-4386 and 99-1022649 are both valid. The credential number is separate: two letters plus seven digits, e.g. RE-0003294.7 steps
  1. Ask the guard for the name and DCJS number on their registration card.
  2. Open the DCJS External Verification Tool and type the surname or the DCJS ID into the "Search Individual Credential" box, then click the Submit button directly beneath it.
  3. Do not stop at the results table. It shows "Private Security Services Registration" for armed officers, unarmed officers, alarm respondents and electronic security technicians alike, so the row alone does not tell you the person is a security officer at all.
  4. Click the person’s name to open the pop-up and read "Registered Categories". This is the only place that distinguishes "Unarmed Security Officer/Courier" from "Armed Security Officer/Courier", and it is where you would catch someone registered solely as an Electronic Security Technician, which live results do contain.
  5. Confirm Credential Status reads Active and the Expiration Date is in the future. "Reinstatement Pending" and "Expired" both appear in live results and neither means current.
  6. For an armed post, check the Firearm Expiration Date in the same pop-up. It is tracked separately from the registration, so a current registration can sit alongside a lapsed firearm endorsement.
  7. Know the tool’s two blind spots before you rely on a null result: DCJS says it returns only the most recent credential, and it does not cover temporary registrations, so a newly hired guard working on a temporary may not appear.
Ask for the license number

DCJS ID is "99-" followed by four to seven digits, 99-4386 and 99-1022649 are both valid. The credential number is separate: two letters plus seven digits, e.g. RE-0003294.

Live External Verification Tool results returning DCJS IDs 99-409798, 99-043268, 99-4386 and 99-1022649, with credential numbers RE-0003294, RE-1015509 and VE-0003621. DCJS’s own walkthrough PDF says "Make sure to include dash after the 99." Do not treat a short ID as malformed, the digit count genuinely varies.

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 Officer/Courier registration. For armed work: Armed Security Officer/Courier registration with Firearms Endorsement. 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 DCJS.

Use the "Contact Private Security Services" link on dcjs.virginia.gov/division-licensure-and-regulatory-services. Note DCJS’s published instruction, "Please do not contact DCJS to verify credential or application status of an employee", so staff will not confirm personal details by phone and the verification tool is the intended channel.

What credentials a guard should hold in VirginiaVirginia issues portable credentials directly to the officer5 credentials
Every guard working a postUnarmed Security Officer Registration18 hrs of training · state exam · renews every 2 years
If they carry a firearmArmed Security Officer Registration50 hrs of training · state exam · renews every 2 years
If they do close or executive protectionPersonal Protection Specialist (32)60 hrs of training · state exam · 8 more hrs within 24 months of being issued · renews every 2 years
If they work with a dogSecurity Canine Handler (04S)30 hrs of training · state exam · 8 more hrs within 24 months of being issued · renews every 2 years
If they move cash or valuablesArmored Car Personnel (03)28 hrs of training · state exam · 4 more hrs within 24 months of being issued · renews every 2 years

Armed work: Armed officers (18+; 21+ with a concealed handgun permit to carry concealed) complete 50 hours: the 18-hour core, 8 hours of arrest authority and 24 hours of security officer handgun. The firearms endorsement renews every year with 4 hours of retraining and requalification.

How to check the security company in VirginiaThe Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services licenses the firm itself (Private Security Services Business License)Agency license
What the firm must holdPrivate Security Services Business LicenseIssued by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services
  1. Ask the company for the exact legal name on its license and its Private Security Services Business License number. A company that cannot produce a number for a license it claims to hold has told you something.
  2. Open the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Division of Licensure and Regulatory 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 Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services before signing.
Open the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services lookup →
Ask for company insurance & bonding properlyVirginia requires liability coverage by statute — what to ask for on the COIRequired by law
Virginia requires it by law

$1,000,000 general aggregate comprehensive general liability from a Virginia-authorised insurer. Beware stale sources: DCJS’s own FAQ still recites the pre-2017 figures of $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 aggregate, which the 2017 final regulation replaced.

If it lapses: Cover is a condition precedent to an operative license and a continuing condition of holding it; uninsured activity can invalidate the license. The automatic-suspension mechanism is not spelled out.

6VAC20-172-40(B)(2) and -50, https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincodeexpand/title6/agency20/chapter172/partIV/

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.

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

Open the DCJS External Verification Tool at dcjs.virginia.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 Virginia?

The Virginia Dept. of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) issues the Unarmed Security Officer/Courier registration. For armed work: Armed Security Officer/Courier registration with Firearms Endorsement.

What does a Virginia security guard license number look like?

DCJS ID is "99-" followed by four to seven digits, 99-4386 and 99-1022649 are both valid. The credential number is separate: two letters plus seven digits, e.g. RE-0003294.

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 DCJS. Use the "Contact Private Security Services" link on dcjs.virginia.gov/division-licensure-and-regulatory-services. Note DCJS’s published instruction, "Please do not contact DCJS to verify credential or application status of an employee", so staff will not confirm personal details by phone and the verification tool is the intended channel.

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

Companies need their own license from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services: Private Security Services Business License. Search the company’s exact legal name at dcjs.virginia.gov and read the status and expiry date on the record.

Official sources & more for VirginiaRegulator links, licensing guides, and open jobs (last reviewed September 27, 2026)9 sources
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