Security Guard Training in 2027: What Is Changing and What to Expect

If you have read that California is rewriting security guard training in 2027, the real story is more specific, and more useful, than the headline. California did pass a major training law this fall. But its biggest changes do not start in 2027, first aid and counter-terrorism are still electives, and the part that will affect your next shift is how you handle people with cameras. This guide separates what is in force today from what is coming, and what you can do about it now.

Part of our licensing and training section. For the basics, see de-escalation for security guards and can security guards detain people.

Quick answer

What California requires today

The Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) sets the training that every California security guard registrant must complete. Its published training outline breaks the requirement into three parts.

Training	Hours	When it is due
Power to arrest	3	Before registration is issued (or within six months of employment if you cannot give your employer the certificate)
Appropriate use of force	5	Same as above; the exam requires a score of 100%
Four mandatory courses: public relations, observation and documentation, communication, liability and legal aspects	4 each	Two within 30 days of the registration card or employment start, two within six months
Electives (first aid/CPR, trespass, workplace violence, crowd control, WMD and terrorism awareness and others)	Varies, most up to 4	Fills the rest of the 32-hour skills block
Annual continuing training	8 per year	Every year; at least 2 hours must review appropriate use of force

Two details are easy to miss. First, a 2025 law, SB 652, requires the power to arrest and use of force training to be administered and certified by a single course provider and completed within six months before you apply. Second, BSIS says registrants should keep their certificates until the registration expires or is canceled, and employers keep records for the length of the employment. Confirm current rules on the BSIS website before enrolling.

What SB 1203 actually does

SB 1203, authored by Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas and sponsored by the Service Employees International Union, is the bill behind most of the 2027 headlines. The legislative tracker Digital Democracy lists it as chaptered by the Secretary of State on September 30, 2026 as Chapter 1016, Statutes of 2026, and a local news outlet reported on October 1 that the Governor signed it as part of a package of ten bills by the same senator.

The bill changed a lot as it moved through the Legislature. Spring and summer drafts showed different numbers: a March 2026 amendment described 34 initial hours and 16 annual hours, while an August analysis described 42 initial hours and a July 2028 start. The tracker summary of the final bill lists these changes, all effective January 1, 2029:

• Initial security officer skills training for registrants rises from 32 to 42 hours, delivered in person in a traditional classroom rather than online.
• Annual refresher training rises from 8 to 12 hours, and at least 4 of those hours must cover de-escalation skills.
• Two hours of the training cover workers’ rights; a labor organization can be certified to provide that portion.
• Employers must pay employees for time spent in annual training.
• BSIS will set criteria for judging whether de-escalation training meets the required principles and methods.
• Employers must report physical altercations with the public in more situations, including when a security officer needs first aid or medical attention.

Because the numbers differed between drafts, treat the 2029 figures as the tracker’s summary and check the chaptered text on the California Legislature’s website or BSIS before you rely on an exact hour count. Supporters, including the bill’s author, say guards face more dangerous situations without enough training. Opponents, including security companies and an industry association, argued the bill would add heavy costs; an Allied Universal lobbyist estimated at least $1 billion in added annual cost, and an industry leader warned it could push companies toward automation. The cost estimate comes from an opponent.

Will first aid, trauma and counter-terrorism training become mandatory?

This is where the 2027 headlines go further than the law. Today, BSIS lists First Aid/CPR (up to 4 hours) and Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Awareness (4 hours) as electives. A March 2026 draft of SB 1203 would have required the power to arrest course to cover emergency response, including response to medical emergencies, and described terrorism awareness as an elective topic only. We found no source showing that the final law makes full first aid, CPR, trauma care or counter-terrorism training mandatory for every guard.

Medical emergencies are common on guard posts, and many employers and client contracts require first aid or CPR regardless of state law. A hands-on bleeding control or CPR class is a practical way to stand out, and observation skills from the mandatory observation and documentation course are your front line for noticing anything that looks wrong.

Advanced de-escalation: what it means in practice

The consistent direction across drafts is more de-escalation, taught by practice rather than lecture. The March 2026 draft required role-play and interactive methods, and the tracker summary of the final bill sets minimum annual de-escalation hours. For a working guard, practicing means rehearsing how you open a conversation, keep your distance, speak calmly, give a person a choice, and know when to step back and call for help.

• Keep space between you and the person; a guard standing too close escalates a tense situation.
• Use a calm voice and plain words. Say what you are asking and why.
• Offer a choice that gets the result you need, such as leaving or speaking with a supervisor.
• Do not argue, touch or chase unless the law and your post orders allow it.

Our guide to de-escalation for security guards covers the techniques in more depth.

Handling social media auditors

The part of the 2027 conversation that has no training mandate at all is also the part many guards worry about most. A county-government technical bulletin describes first amendment auditors as people who record officials, often inside public buildings, to test how staff respond. It notes that most are peaceful, but some are abusive, follow and record employees, or deliberately try to provoke a reaction that can be posted online. Guards at malls, hospitals, office lobbies and government-adjacent sites meet them too.

What the law generally says

• Public property: recording government activity in public places is protected by the First Amendment, subject to reasonable time, place and manner limits, according to that bulletin.
• Private property: the owner sets the rules. The ACLU of Virginia notes that an owner can order a person off if they break those rules, and a person who refuses to leave may face trespass.
• California shopping centers: the California Supreme Court held in the PruneYard case that peaceful speech is allowed in shopping centers regularly open to the public, subject to reasonable owner rules. Later decisions limited it to common areas designed for lingering, such as plazas and food courts, and excluded private apartment complexes.

Those sources describe public agencies and general rules, not private guards specifically, and the rules change by state and by property. Treat this as background, not legal advice, and follow your employer’s post orders.

A calm, step-by-step response

1. Stay calm and keep your hands visible and relaxed. The goal is to avoid giving a viral clip.
2. Identify yourself and, once, state the property policy in plain words, for example that filming is allowed in the lobby but not in the staff area.
3. If the person breaks the policy, ask once, politely, that they stop or leave.
4. If they refuse, do not argue or grab anything. Contact your supervisor and, if needed, the police.
5. Never take a phone or camera and never demand deletion of footage.
6. Write your own report of times and facts. If you wear a body camera, follow your site policy on recording.

The UNC School of Government recommends the same ladder for public buildings: explain the policy, ask for compliance, order the person to leave, then involve law enforcement.

One more caution: audio is a separate issue from video. California generally requires all-party consent for recording confidential communications, and the Digital Media Law Project notes that California looks at whether a party had a reasonable expectation that no one was listening. Our body camera guide explains how to handle audio on duty.

How to prepare now

• Practice de-escalation scenarios with a coworker or supervisor, including a scenario where someone is filming you.

Gear and books that support the training

You do not need equipment to complete the required courses. These items help turn elective training into something you can use on shift.