Georgia Security Guard License Requirements

Georgia splits security work into two very different paths. Unarmed security officers do not register with the state, but they must complete 24 hours of state-mandated training before they work, and they must work for a company licensed by the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies. Armed security officers must be registered with the Board through their employer and hold a Board-issued weapon permit. This guide covers both paths, the training, the 80 percent firearms standard, fees, the criminal history rules and Georgia’s odd-year renewal cycle. Everything below was checked against the Board’s rules (Chapter 509), its FAQ and O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 38.

Unarmed vs. armed in Georgia

	Unarmed security officer	Armed security officer
State registration	Not required	Required (employee registration)
Training	24 hours classroom, before working	24 hours + 15-hour firearms course
Weapon permit	—	Exposed and/or concealed handgun permit; shotgun optional
Minimum age	18 (employer standard)	21
Background check	By employer	GBI and FBI fingerprint check by the Board
Tied to employer?	Yes, you must work for a licensed company	Yes, registration is valid only for the listed employer

Georgia’s model puts most of the responsibility on the licensed company. The company must train you to the Board’s standard, keep your training certificate on file for five years, and, for armed officers, file your registration and weapon permit application.

Who qualifies

O.C.G.A. §43-38-7 sets the qualifications for licensees and registrants. You must:

• Be at least 18 years old (21 for an armed registration and weapon permit, according to the Board).
• Be a U.S. citizen or registered resident alien. The application requires a secure and verifiable document, or immigration documents for non-citizens.
• Be of good moral character and not have committed an act of dishonesty or fraud.
• Not have been convicted of a felony, a crime involving the illegal use, carrying or possession of a dangerous weapon, or a crime of moral turpitude.
• Disclose every arrest and conviction, including nolo contendere pleas and first-offender treatment.
• Provide five years of address and employment history with no gaps.

Criminal history

The disqualifying convictions above are not an automatic lifetime bar. The Board can review the nature of the crime, the date and the circumstances, and may still approve you at its discretion. Send certified court dispositions and a clear explanation letter for every “yes” answer on the background questionnaire. For armed work, the rule is stricter: no weapon permit may be issued to anyone with a felony conviction unless they show a pardon or restoration that specifically restores the right to carry firearms. Federal law also bars firearm possession after any felony or misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. The Board’s FAQ notes that people in that situation may not carry a projectile-type Taser even as unarmed guards.

The training

24-hour basic training (everyone)

Since January 1, 2022, Board Rule 509-3-.02 requires at least 24 hours of classroom instruction for security officers. The curriculum covers the role of private security, legal aspects (arrest, use of force, liability), patrol and observation, incident response, security resources, customer service, and a first aid overview. The training must be completed before you provide security services, and instructors must be licensed by the Board. Your employer keeps your certificate on file for five years. Temporary event staff must also be trained before the event.

15-hour firearms training (armed)

Under Rule 509-3-.10, armed applicants complete at least 15 hours of handgun training with a Board-licensed firearms instructor: deadly force (1 hour), liability (2 hours), ballistics (1 hour), handgun types (3 hours) and range qualification (8 hours). You must pass a written exam with at least 80 percent and score at least 80 percent on the range. The course of fire is 48 rounds (24 at 3 yards, 18 at 7 yards and 6 at 15 yards), fired twice, with the higher score counting. You qualify with the same type of weapon you will carry.

Shotgun authorization adds at least two classroom hours and the same 80 percent standards. Board rules limit duty handguns to a revolver up to .357 caliber or a semi-automatic up to .45 caliber. A 12-gauge riot shotgun requires a written request from your employer and Board approval.

Annual requalification and continuing education

Armed officers requalify on the range every year. Registrants also need 8 hours of continuing education before each renewal: 2 hours of homeland security, 2 hours of firearms-related training and 4 hours of industry training. Your first renewal is exempt.

How to get an armed registration and weapon permit, step by step

1. Get hired by a Board-licensed security company. Your registration will be valid only for that employer.
2. Complete the 24-hour basic course and the 15-hour firearms course, and pass the 80 percent written and range tests. Apply within 180 days of finishing prelicensure training.
3. Your employer files the application through the state’s GOALS online system, with the notarized employee and employer affidavits, the background questionnaire, your five-year history, proof of citizenship, the firearms range form and weapon permit requests.
4. Get fingerprinted through Fieldprint Georgia (GAPS). Choose “Secretary of State (SOS)” and “Private Detective/Security Business.” The Board must approve your request before you can book a LiveScan appointment. Results reach the Board within about 48 hours after GBI receives them.
5. Wait for approval. The Board issues the registration card and weapon permit only after it receives all documents, fees and a satisfactory GCIC and NCIC background report.
6. Carry your card whenever you are on post, at work or in uniform.

What it costs

Fee	Amount
Armed security officer registration (initial)	$70
Online processing fee	$5 ($10 on paper)
On-time renewal	$65
Late renewal	$80
Additional weapon or change of weapon type	$25
Fingerprints (Fieldprint)	Paid to the vendor
24-hour and 15-hour courses	Set by the school

There is no state fee for unarmed officers, since they do not register. All Board fees are non-refundable. Fees can change; check the current fee schedule in GOALS before you pay.

Can you work while your registration is pending?

Unarmed: there is no registration to wait for, but you must finish the 24-hour training before your first shift.

Armed: no. The Board’s FAQ says practicing without a license is a misdemeanor, with each day a separate offense, and it can lead to denial and discipline against your employer. The Board can issue early only in narrow cases, such as an already-registered officer moving to a new employer, or a post on a federal installation with an official adjudication letter.

Carrying a firearm on duty

A weapon permit covers you only while on duty and while traveling directly to and from your post, with no stopovers. An exposed permit allows open carry. A concealed permit requires a sworn employer statement explaining why concealed carry is needed, and the Board decides each case. While you act under the permit, you are exempt from some of Georgia’s general weapons-carry restrictions. Permits cannot be transferred, and they are suspended automatically if your registration is suspended.

Renewal

• Cycle: employee registrations and weapon permits expire on August 31 of every odd-numbered year, so the next expiration is August 31, 2027.
• Fee: $65 on time, $80 late.
• Requirements: 8 hours of continuing education (not required at your first renewal) and your annual firearms requalification.
• Changing jobs: a new employer must file a new application. Registrations do not transfer between companies.

Detaining people in Georgia after the 2021 law change

Georgia repealed its old citizen’s arrest law in 2021 (House Bill 479). The new version of O.C.G.A. §17-4-60 is much narrower. It allows certain people, including business owners and their employees and agents, to detain someone they reasonably believe committed a theft on the premises, for a reasonable time and only to wait for police. The law forbids using force intended or likely to cause great bodily harm, except in self-defense or defense of others.

For security officers this means two things. First, know exactly what your post orders allow. Many Georgia contracts are observe-and-report only. Second, document every detention in detail: what you saw, what you said, how long the person was held, and when police arrived. A clear written report protects you and your employer. Our incident report template follows that format.

Moving to Georgia from another state

Georgia has limited license recognition agreements with several states, but they cover private detectives working cases from their home state, not security officers. Out-of-state guards need Georgia’s 24-hour training, and armed officers need a Georgia registration and weapon permit. A Georgia weapons carry license (the personal permit from a probate court) does not replace the Board’s weapon permit for security work.

Common reasons Georgia applications stall

• Gaps in the five-year address or employment history.
• Missing certified court dispositions for past arrests.
• Fingerprint requests made before the Board has received the application.
• Range scores below 80 percent, or qualifying with a different weapon type than the one carried.
• Using a third-party email address instead of your own.