Louisiana Security Guard License Requirements

In Louisiana, security officers are registered by the Louisiana State Board of Private Security Examiners (LSBPSE) under Louisiana Revised Statutes 37:3270 and following and the Board’s rules (Louisiana Administrative Code, Title 46, Part LIX). Your employer, a licensed security company, files your application within 20 days of hiring you, and you work on a temporary card while the Board processes it. Louisiana’s training is split in two: 8 hours within your first 30 days and 8 more within 60 days. Armed officers must be 21, qualify at 80 percent and retrain every year. This guide covers each step, the criminal history rules, the registration card classes and renewal.

Unarmed vs. armed registration

	Unarmed (or baton)	Armed
Minimum age	18	21
Training	8 hours within 30 days + 8 hours within 60 days	Same, plus firearms training and range qualification before any armed assignment
Range score	—	80% on a Board-approved silhouette course
Annual requirement	—	Firearms retraining: written test (at least 50 questions) and 80% qualification
Card	Classified as unarmed or baton	Classified by weapon type (for example, revolver, 9mm semi-automatic, shotgun)

Louisiana’s registration card lists your classification. The Board recognizes many classes, including unarmed, baton, revolver, semi-automatic pistol and shotgun combinations. You may only carry what your card authorizes. Moving from unarmed to armed requires a status change letter and verified firearms training.

Who can register

Security officers must meet the qualifications that apply to licensees under R.S. 37:3276, with two exceptions: resident aliens may apply, and the minimum ages are 18 for unarmed and baton registration and 21 for armed. You must submit a signed application, one set of classifiable fingerprints, a photo ID, a Form I-9 with identity documents (resident aliens also provide immigration papers) and your DD-214 if you served in the military.

Criminal history

Louisiana takes felony convictions seriously. Under the Board’s rules, an applicant with a disqualifying conviction must submit proof of a pardon (or similar relief) with the application, and if the background check shows a felony conviction without that proof, your employment must end immediately. Certain misdemeanors can also be disqualifying; with a disqualifying misdemeanor, you can keep working while an appeal is pending. If your record shows an arrest without a final disposition, you must provide the written disposition within 30 days, or the application can be denied. If you do not appeal a denial, your employer must terminate you 30 days after the written notice.

The training

All training is taught by Board-approved instructors, who send the Board a signed training verification form within 15 days of completion. No more than two of the training segments (initial, additional and firearms) may take place in the same 24-hour period.

Initial training: 8 hours within 30 days

Within 30 days of your first work assignment, you complete 8 hours of classroom training (or an approved curriculum-based course) and pass an exam. Topics include an orientation to the security law and Board rules, legal powers and limitations, emergency procedures, and general duties, field notes and report writing.

Additional training: 8 hours within 60 days

Within 60 days of your first assignment, you complete another 8 hours and pass a 50-question test with at least 70 percent. Missing these deadlines can bar you from being considered for registration for a year.

Armed training

Before any armed assignment, you complete firearms training covering the legal limits on using a weapon, handling, safety and maintenance, dim-light firing, a shoot/don’t-shoot program and stress factors, and you must score at least 80 percent on a Board-approved silhouette target course. Every year after that, you complete firearms retraining with a written test of at least 50 questions and the 80 percent qualification. Firearms instructors must hold an NRA, P.O.S.T., Department of Energy or military instructor certification.

Current or former law enforcement officers (including military law enforcement) who completed P.O.S.T. or equivalent training within a year before applying can submit proof instead of the classroom training, but must still complete annual firearms retraining.

How registration works, step by step

1. Get hired by a Board-licensed security company.
2. Complete the application with fingerprints, photo ID, I-9 documents and DD-214 if applicable.
3. Your employer files it within 20 calendar days of your hire date, with the application and fingerprint processing fees set by the Board.
4. Carry the temporary portion of the application on duty until your permanent card arrives.
5. Complete your training on schedule: 8 hours within 30 days and 8 more within 60 days. Armed officers complete firearms training before carrying.
6. Receive your permanent card from your employer, who must give it to you within 20 days of receiving it from the Board.

What it costs

The Board sets the application and fingerprint processing fees by rule, and they are non-refundable. Smaller fees are listed in the rules:

Fee	Amount
Application and fingerprint processing	Set by the Board (non-refundable)
Administrative fee on initial and renewal applications	$10
Replacement card	$10
Status change (armed training completed more than 30 days after armed registration)	$10
Training courses	Set by the instructor

In Louisiana the employer files the application, and many employers pay the fees. Ask before you are hired. Check the Board’s current fee schedule for exact amounts.

Working while your application is pending

Unarmed officers may work while the application is processed, carrying the temporary portion of the application, as long as it was filed on time and training stays on schedule. Armed officers must be registered and fully trained before working an armed post. For short emergency assignments, unarmed officers can work no more than 20 calendar days in any six-month period.

Your authority in Louisiana

A registration card gives you no police powers. Under Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure article 214, a private person may arrest someone who has committed a felony, whether in or out of their presence. In retail, article 215 allows a merchant or the merchant’s specifically authorized employee or agent to use reasonable force to detain a person reasonably believed to be shoplifting, for questioning, for up to 60 minutes unless police have been called. Your post orders may be stricter. Many New Orleans and Baton Rouge contracts are observe-and-report only.

Renewal

• Term: registration cards are valid for two years from the date of hire.
• Deadline: your employer files the renewal and fee at least 30 days before the card expires. The Board notifies the employer 60 days before.
• Armed: annual firearms retraining must stay current.
• Changing jobs: a new employer files within 20 days. If you are rehired by the same company within 60 days, you may be reinstated.

Working security in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast

Louisiana’s security work is shaped by tourism, festivals, industry and weather. New Orleans hotels, the French Quarter, Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, sports events and casinos employ large numbers of officers, often on temporary or event assignments. Refineries, chemical plants and ports along the Mississippi and the Gulf need officers who understand access control and industrial safety, and some require TWIC cards for port facilities. Hurricane season brings emergency staffing needs; know your employer’s storm procedures, and keep your training and registration current so you can be deployed quickly.

Heat and humidity are a real hazard on Louisiana posts for much of the year. Hydrate, take your breaks, and know the signs of heat illness. Good boots and breathable, rain-ready gear make long outdoor shifts manageable; see our guides to boots and weather gear for options that hold up.

Moving to Louisiana from another state

Louisiana does not accept other states’ guard cards as a Louisiana registration, although the law allows a transfer fee for certain out-of-state transfers. Expect to complete Louisiana training. Prior P.O.S.T. or equivalent law enforcement training within the past year may substitute for the classroom hours.

Common reasons Louisiana applications stall

• The employer missed the 20-day filing deadline.
• Training not completed within 30 and 60 days.
• A felony conviction without proof of a pardon.
• An arrest record without a disposition, not resolved within 30 days.
• Carrying a weapon type not listed on the card’s classification.