Kentucky Security Guard License Requirements

Kentucky has no statewide license for security guards. The state licenses private investigators, but not guards, so for most unarmed security jobs in Kentucky there is no state card to apply for. The big exception is Louisville: Louisville Metro Government licenses armed security guards and the agencies that employ them under Chapter 124 of the Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances. Elsewhere, employers set the standards, and a few cities may have their own rules. This guide explains what applies statewide, Louisville’s armed guard license in detail, armed carry elsewhere in Kentucky, and your legal authority.

Where you need a license in Kentucky

Type of work	Where	License required?
Unarmed security	Anywhere in Kentucky	No state license; check local rules
Armed security	Louisville Metro (Jefferson County)	Yes, Louisville Metro armed security guard license
Armed security	Elsewhere in Kentucky	No state guard license; employer rules and state firearm law apply

Because the state does not license guards, your employer’s background check, training and policies are what stand between you and a post. Hospitals, universities, distilleries, logistics hubs and federal facilities often add requirements of their own.

Louisville Metro armed security guard license

Louisville requires anyone working as an armed security guard for an agency or company to be licensed by Louisville Metro Government. You must be tied to a registered agency or company; unaffiliated individuals cannot get a license. Agencies must also be registered and renew every year.

Requirements

• Be a U.S. citizen and at least 21.
• No dishonorable discharge from any branch of the U.S. military.
• No felony conviction and no pending felony indictment. A felony case requires a pardon or restored civil rights plus federal authorization to possess a firearm.
• Any misdemeanor conviction must be at least two years before your application.
• No adjudication of mental incompetency (unless set aside), and no psychiatric or drug or alcohol treatment hospitalization in the past two years, unless a licensed physician or clinical psychologist gives a written statement that you are fit.
• For Kentucky residents, a valid Kentucky concealed carry deadly weapons license (CCDW) under KRS 237.110, kept current while licensed.

Training

You must complete a course from an approved trainer covering orientation, fire prevention, the legal limits on security officers, basics of the Kentucky Penal Code, arrest and use of force, report writing, crowd control, first aid, defensive tactics and firearms. The course includes a written exam and a firing range qualification. Louisville Metro publishes a list of approved trainers.

Application documents

• Completed, signed application and the $25 fee.
• A signed intent-to-hire letter from the agency or company.
• Your criminal record from the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts, plus a statewide records check from every state you lived in during the past five years.
• A copy of your CCDW (Kentucky residents).
• The armed security guard licensure affidavit (available from the licensing office).

Unarmed security work in Kentucky

For unarmed posts, including in Louisville, there is no state or Louisville license to obtain under the armed-guard ordinance. Employers typically require you to be at least 18, pass a background check and drug screen, and complete their own training on post orders, report writing, patrol and emergency procedures. First aid, CPR and AED certification and de-escalation training make you more competitive. If you work in a city other than Louisville, ask your employer or the city clerk whether any local ordinance applies.

Armed work outside Louisville

Outside Louisville, Kentucky does not license armed guards. Kentucky allows permitless concealed carry for adults 21 and older who may legally possess firearms, and it still issues the CCDW license, which many employers require because it documents a background check and training and is recognized in more states. Employers set their own firearms training and qualification standards. Some locations, such as schools, courthouses and federal property, restrict firearms regardless of your status. Get your employer’s firearm policy in writing.

Your authority in Kentucky

Security guards in Kentucky have no police powers unless they are separately appointed as special law enforcement officers. Under KRS 431.005, a private person may make an arrest when a felony has been committed and they have probable cause to believe the person being arrested committed it. Kentucky’s shoplifting law (KRS 433.236) allows a merchant or the merchant’s employee or agent with probable cause to detain a suspected shoplifter in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable time to investigate, without civil or criminal liability. Most employers’ post orders are stricter than the law, so follow them and write a report every time you act.

How to get started, step by step

1. Decide on armed or unarmed work, and where your posts will be.
2. Check your own record through the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts.
3. Apply to security companies or in-house departments.
4. For unarmed posts, complete the employer’s screening and training.
5. For armed posts in Louisville, get your CCDW, complete an approved course and range qualification, and apply to Louisville Metro with your employer’s intent-to-hire letter and the $25 fee.
6. For armed posts elsewhere, meet your employer’s firearm requirements.

Costs

Item	Cost
State guard license	None
Louisville armed guard license application	$25
Kentucky CCDW (armed, Louisville residents)	Set by state law and the county sheriff
AOC criminal record check	Set by the AOC
Approved training and range qualification	Set by the trainer

Choosing an employer in Kentucky

Without a state license, your employer is your main source of training and legal support. Ask what training you will receive before your first post, whether you will be observe-and-report or expected to detain anyone, who pays for certifications, and, for armed jobs in Louisville, whether the company is registered with Louisville Metro and which trainers it uses. Security work is concentrated in Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, Northern Kentucky and around large employers such as hospitals, universities, distribution centers and manufacturing plants.

Getting hired for unarmed security in Kentucky

With no state license, Kentucky employers decide based on what they can verify about you. These steps make a real difference:

• Clean up your record first. Kentucky expanded expungement in recent years, including for some felonies. An expunged record can open doors that a training certificate cannot.
• Get certified on your own. First aid, CPR and AED, and a de-escalation course are the most requested credentials.
• Show you can write. Bring a short sample report, or practice with our incident report template before interviews.
• Be available for nights and weekends. That is where most openings, and many promotions, start.
• Ask about the armed track. If you want armed work in Louisville, ask whether the employer is registered with Louisville Metro and will sponsor your training once you are 21 and have your CCDW.

Many Kentucky officers start at events, retail or distribution centers and move to hospitals, campuses, distilleries, corporate security or armed posts once they have a year or two of clean experience and good evaluations. Keep copies of every certificate and evaluation; with no state license, they are your professional record.

Kentucky weather swings from humid summers to icy winters, and many posts are outdoors at plants, lots and construction sites. Dress in layers, keep spare batteries for your radio and flashlight, and check our cold-weather gear and boots guides for gear that holds up on long shifts.

Moving to Kentucky from another state

There is no Kentucky guard card to transfer. Your previous license and training still help you get hired. For armed work in Louisville, you need the Louisville license; non-residents should ask the licensing office how the CCDW requirement applies to them.

Common problems for Kentucky guards

• Working armed in Louisville without a Louisville Metro license.
• A misdemeanor conviction within two years, which delays a Louisville armed license.
• Letting a CCDW lapse while holding a Louisville armed license.
• Assuming permitless carry covers armed security work in Louisville.
• No intent-to-hire letter from an employer, which Louisville requires.