FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who is required to be licensed? Qualifications/documentation of qualification 

 

Definitions from ARS §32-2601-16

"Private security guard service" means any agency, individual or employer in the business of furnishing to the public for hire, fee or reward dogs, watchmen, patrol service, private security guards or other persons to protect human life or to prevent the theft or the misappropriation or concealment of goods, wares, merchandise, money, bonds, stocks, notes, choses in action or other property, valuable documents, papers and articles of value.

 

Note to Peace Officers: Peace officers operating a security agency (business) must be licensed per the requirements of this webpage. This means the submission of an application, fees, a workman's compensation policy, liability insurance, a list of employees and a recent letter from the agency head (or designee) that the officers may wear department uniforms and drive department vehicles. If your agency will not permit the use of agency uniforms and vehicles, you must follow the instructions below pertaining to security uniforms and vehicles. Recent inquiries of various risk management and human resources entities has shown that they WILL NOT cover officers working in this capacity, the only exception is typically if the job was coordinated through an authorized agency off duty work coordinator - check with your department for further information as the policy may vary between agencies. If your agency will cover you in this security capacity, submit a written statement from BOTH your HR and Risk Management directors, in addition to all the other required application paperwork. Consult with your agency head and HR department before creating a security business due to conflicts related to peace officer status and liability while working for a security company.

 

Instructions to start a security guard agency:

Security Guard Agency License Instructions

 

Qualifications of Licensee

A security guard agency license is issued to an individual who is the Qualifying Party regardless of the agency structure (sole proprietorship, partnership, limited liability company, or corporation). The Qualifying Party is sometimes called the Licensee.

 

The Qualifying Party must meet the requirements as listed in ARS §32-2612 B

Qualifications for Licensee

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The Qualifying Party (or Resident Manager) … shall have at least three years of full-time experience as a manager, supervisor or administrator of a security guard agency or three years of full-time supervisory experience with any federal, United States military, state, county or municipal law enforcement agency. The qualifying party must pass the background check.

 

Documentation of Qualifications

The necessary documentation to fulfill the above Statute must be described in a letter from an individual or individuals, such as a former supervisor, who can specifically state their work relationship with you and personally verify your appropriate supervisory experience. The letter should contain the date the supervisory position was achieved, duties performed, date of termination (if applicable). The author of the letter must be clearly identified by name and include an address and contact telephone number. The author must sign the letter.
 

You may also submit documentation from an agency from which you retired or were previously employed. This documentation may be in the form of retirement papers, letters of recommendation, performance evaluations, or military records such as DD 214, NCOERs, OERs, awards, etc. (a DD 214 alone is insufficient evidence - we also need the copy that shows the type of discharge received). Generally, military personnel in grade E-5 or higher and officers will be considered to have served in supervisory capacities, however, at least three years of supervisory experience must be documented. Submitted documents must explicitly state that you have the required experience from verifiable sources. Failure to provide sufficient documentation of your experience from appropriate sources will result in the rejection of your application. 

 

Allow at least 15 business days after the submission of your application before calling the unit to check your status. Repeated phone calls will only delay your application.