Getting a guard card in California is not a walk in a park. It takes patience, money, and understanding of the whole process. And don’t forget the time you need to spend training for you to get your guard card license. But there are many companies that conduct a series of training to help you acquire a guard card in LA without much hassle.
Here is a step by step guide to help you acquire a guard card in LA:
First things first. Before planning to acquire a guard card in LA, make sure that you are of legal age. Just like all legal transactions, you must be legally an adult or at least 18 years old before you can proceed to the next steps.
The second thing to consider: your records must be clean. You must not have past records of being involved with forms of misdemeanors or any violent acts.
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Step 1: Completion of “Power to Arrest” and “Weapons of Mass Destruction” training
What is an arrest
To arrest an individual is to detain him/her for possible crime involvement. There are certain conditions that legally allow a police officer and a security guard to carry out an arrest. The power to arrest means being given the authority to arrest an individual involved in criminal activity.
When to arrest
An arrest only takes place when an individual commits an offense or is involved in criminal activity. A security guard is allowed to make an arrest through a request from a police officer.
About the Training
The Power to Arrest course is one of the requirements to succeed in your guard card application. An 8-hour training is one of the requirements to be completed before a security guard registration card is issued. The eight-hour training is separated into two parts – the first part is a discussion on the “Power to Arrest” training manual while the second one is a “Weapons of Mass Discussion” course. The Guard Card course is based on the workbooks and training videos given by BSIS. The course also includes exams and a final examination that you need to pass.
Step 2: Submission of Application
A security officer application must be submitted to the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services by you or your training facility. It can be done online after filling out the application form provided. The form can only be submitted after completing Step 1.
Step 3: Live Scan Fingerprinting
Fingerprints can be submitted online. It is imperative to only use the forms provided by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services website. Livescan service forms are easy to download online. You can also get it personally from the Bureau. Livescan fingerprinting is processed for identification and criminal history background checks of applicants. This fingerprint-based criminal background check can only be done by the Department of Justice and the FBI.
Step 4: Confirmation
You can enter the BSIS website after acknowledging your application, doing live scan fingerprinting and being cleared from any criminal history record. An interim permit will be given to the applicant. Acquiring a security guard registration gives applicants opportunities to continue and complete security officer training and courses.
Learn More About Obtaining A Guard Card
What is a Guard Card?
A Guard Card is a permit or license granted by the Department of Consumer Affairs that allows an individual who is of legal age to legally acquire a job as a licensed security guard in California. Guard Cards are issued by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). Though there are lots of training centers and facilities in California that are licensed to educate and train, only the State of California can officially issue a guard card.
Who can apply for a Guard Card?
Before being considered a security officer, bouncer, protective agent, bodyguard or watchman, owning a valid Guard Card is a primary requirement in the State of California. In other words, any job that is related to access control, theft prevention, protection, and security requires you to possess a Guard Card.
How long do you need to wait to get the card?
It takes approximately 20 business days for an applicant to get a guard card in California unless the information you provided doesn’t match or you have a criminal record. After 20 days, you need to wait for another 2-3 weeks to get the guard card in the mail.
When to renew?
Having a guard card that already expired for more than 60 days means having to retrain or repeat the training before a permit is released. Repeating the training and the whole licensing process is time-consuming and costly that is why it’s better to renew the card before it expires.
How to renew your guard card?
It is important to know that your continuing education must be completed before your card expires for an applicant to be able to renew his card. Incorrect information may cause delays that is why it’s recommended to double-check that your address is correct and the document is signed. A guard card renewal fee must be paid in full.
How much is the processing cost?
Every training and transaction to get a guard card requires payment. Aside from paying for your training and courses, you also have to pay the processing fee. You also need to pay upon submission of your Live Scan fingerprints to the DOJ and FBI.
Although there are online training centers offering a series of online guard card training, processing online also means paying for an online convenience fee. If you’re willing to pay the convenience fee, then expect the whole process to be a bit faster.
Pursue your security guard career with trusted security guard training facilities that are transparent with their services fees. Luna’s Security Training Academy is one of the best guard training facilities in California. They provide different types of training related to security services. They also offer mobile and on-site training for 10 or more students to help you learn as a group.