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LAST EDIT March 18, 2018
38 states and the District of Columbia require state-level licensing/certification of security officers.
12 states do not require security guards to register with the state; although, depending on location, the officer may need to register with the local city government, e.g., neither Kansas nor Missouri require state licensing but officers from both states are required to register with their respective city governments.
| State | Agency | URL |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Security Regulatory Board | Agency Link |
| Alaska | Department of Public Safety | Agency Link |
| Arizona | Department of Public Safety | Agency Link |
| Arkansas | Arkansas State Police | Agency Link |
| California | California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services | Agency Link |
| Colorado | No State-Level Licensing | |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Division of State Police, Special Licensing & Firearms Unit | Agency Link |
| Delaware | Delaware State Police | Agency Link |
| District of Columbia | The Security Officers Management Branch (SOMB) of the DC Police Department | Agency Link |
| Florida | The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | Agency Link |
| Georgia | The Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies | Agency Link |
| Hawaii | No State-Level Licensing | |
| Idaho | No State-Level Licensing | |
| Illinois | The Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation | Agency Link |
| Indiana | Private Investigator & Security Guard Licensing Board | Agency Link |
| Iowa | Department of Public Safety | Agency Link |
| Kansas | No State-Level Licensing | |
| Kentucky | No State-Level Licensing | |
| Louisiana | State Board of Private Security Examiners | Agency Link |
| Maine | State Police Special Investigations Unit | Agency Link |
| Maryland | State Police | Agency Link |
| Massachusetts | No State-Level Licensing | |
| Michigan | Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs | Agency Link |
| Minnesota | Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services | Agency Link |
| Mississippi | No State-Level Licensing | |
| Missouri | No State-Level Licensing | |
| Montana | Board of Private Security | Agency Link |
| Nebraska | No State-Level Licensing | |
| Nevada | Private Investigator’s Licensing Board | Agency Link |
| New Hampshire | Department of Public Safety | Agency Link |
| New Jersey | State Police | Agency Link |
| New Mexico | Regulation and Licensing Department | Agency Link |
| New York | Department of State | Agency Link |
| North Carolina | North Carolina Department of Public Safety's Private Protective Services Board | Agency Link |
| North Dakota | Private Investigation and Security Board | Agency Link |
| Ohio | Department of Public Safety's Private Investigator Security Guard Services | Agency Link |
| Oklahoma | Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training's Private Security Division | Agency Link |
| Oregon | Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) | Agency Link |
| Pennsylvania | No State-Level Licensing | |
| Rhode Island | Office of the Attorney General | Agency Link |
| South Carolina | South Carolina Law Enforcement Division | Agency Link |
| South Dakota | No State-Level Licensing | |
| Tennessee | Department of Commerce and Insurance's Private Protective Services Division | Agency Link |
| Texas | Department of Public Safety's Private Security Bureau | Agency Link |
| Utah | Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing | Agency Link |
| Vermont | Secretary of State | Agency Link |
| Virgina | The Verginia Department of Criminal Justice | Agency Link |
| Washington (State) | The Washington State Department of Licensing | Agency Link |
| West Virginia | The West Virginia Department of State Private Investigator & Security Guard Licensing | Agency Link |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services | Agency Link |
| Wyoming | No State-Level Licensing |
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