Tennessee Security Guard License Requirements

In Tennessee, security guards are registered by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Private Protective Services, under the Private Protective Services Licensing and Regulatory Act (Tenn. Code Ann. Title 62, Chapter 35). There are two registrations: unarmed security guard and armed security guard. Tennessee’s unarmed requirements are among the lightest in the country (a 4-hour course), and you can usually start working as soon as your complete application and fee are submitted. Armed guards must be 21, complete firearms training, score at least 70 percent on the range, and wait for their card. This guide covers the training, the fees that changed in 2025, special rules for bars and schools, criminal history and renewal.

Unarmed vs. armed registration

	Unarmed security guard	Armed security guard
Minimum age	18	21
Training	4 hours	4 hours + 8 hours firearms classroom + 4 hours marksmanship
Range qualification	—	70% on an approved silhouette target course
Initial fees	$75 application + $20 registration	$100 application + $30 registration
Renewal	$70, with 2 hours of refresher training	$85, with 4 hours of refresher training and range requalification
Work while pending	Yes, carrying a copy of the complete application	No, wait for the registration card

If you change from unarmed to armed (or back), you file a new application and pay the applicable fees.

Who can register

• At least 18 years old (21 for armed).
• A U.S. citizen or resident alien.
• Pass a fingerprint background check through IdentoGO (Tennessee’s ORI number for this program is TN920120Z).
• Meet the criminal history rules below.
• Complete the required training.

Criminal history

Tennessee uses a five-year rule. A felony conviction, or a misdemeanor involving weapons, shoplifting, assault or violence, controlled substances or theft, does not permanently bar you, but you must have completed your sentence or probation at least five years before you apply. Note that the clock starts when the sentence or probation ends, not on the conviction date. Armed applicants must also be legally able to possess firearms under state and federal law, which can be a lifetime bar for some felonies regardless of the five-year rule.

The training

Training must come from a trainer certified by the state. The Department publishes a suggested curriculum.

Unarmed: 4 hours

The 4-hour course covers orientation, legal powers and limitations, emergency procedures and general duties. Recent law enforcement or correctional training, completed within a year of applying, can qualify you for an exemption under Tenn. Code Ann. §62-35-118(d).

Armed: 16 hours total

Armed guards complete the 4-hour general course, 8 more classroom hours on firearms law, handling and maintenance, and 4 hours of marksmanship training. You must score at least 70 percent on a commissioner-approved silhouette target course with a firearm approved under the Department’s rules. Since January 1, 2026, an enhanced armed registration is required to use approved shotguns and rifles on duty.

Extra training for special posts

• Less-lethal weapons: at least 4 hours of certified training for each device you carry (baton, stun gun or chemical spray).
• Bars, clubs and venues serving alcohol on-premises: training in de-escalation, safe restraint, first aid and CPR within 15 days of being assigned there.
• Schools (public, charter, private or church-related): 8 hours of active shooter training before providing armed security there.

How to register, step by step

1. Complete the training with a state-certified trainer.
2. Create an account in CORE, Tennessee’s online licensing system, and complete the application.
3. Pay the fees: $95 for unarmed or $130 for armed.
4. Get fingerprinted at an IdentoGO location using ORI number TN920120Z. Fingerprint processing fees are set by the TBI and FBI and paid to IdentoGO.
5. Unarmed guards can start work once the complete application and fee are submitted, carrying a copy of the application.
6. Armed guards wait for the registration card before carrying a firearm on duty.

What it costs

Fee	Unarmed	Armed
Application	$75	$100
Registration (issuance)	$20	$30
Total initial state fee	$95	$130
Timely renewal (every 2 years)	$70	$85
Late renewal penalty	$20 per month, up to 3 months	$20 per month, up to 3 months
Conditional armed registration	—	$15
Fingerprints	Set by TBI/FBI	Set by TBI/FBI

These fees took effect in June 2025. Older websites show lower amounts ($50 unarmed, $75 armed), which are out of date.

Working while your application is pending

Tennessee lets unarmed guards work once a complete application has been submitted and the fee paid. Carry a copy of the application on duty. If your application is denied, you must stop working until a new complete application shows as open and processing. Armed guards may not work armed until they receive their registration card.

Your authority in Tennessee

A guard registration does not make you a police officer. Tennessee allows a private person to arrest for a public offense committed or attempted in their presence, when a felony has been committed and there is reasonable cause to believe the person committed it, or for a felony committed even if not in their presence (Tenn. Code Ann. §40-7-109). A person making a citizen’s arrest must take the arrested person to a magistrate or officer without unnecessary delay. In retail, Tennessee law protects merchants and their employees who detain a suspected shoplifter with probable cause, in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable time. Many contract posts are observe-and-report only, so follow your post orders.

Renewal

• Term: two years.
• Unarmed: 2 hours of refresher training and the $70 renewal fee.
• Armed: 4 hours of refresher training, range requalification at 70 percent, and the $85 renewal fee.
• Grace period: 90 days after expiration, with a $20 late fee for each month.
• After the grace period: you must reinstate through CORE with everything required for a new application, including training and a new IdentoGO background check.

Choosing a trainer and employer

Confirm that your trainer is certified by the Department for the course you need, and ask whether the price includes the less-lethal or alcohol-venue training your post may require. Employers in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga often provide the 4-hour course to new hires for free. For armed jobs, ask whether the employer pays for range time and ammunition, and whether it handles enhanced registration for rifles or shotguns.

Working bar and nightlife security in Tennessee

Nashville’s Broadway, Memphis’s Beale Street and college towns like Knoxville employ a large number of door staff and bar security. Tennessee treats this work seriously:

• Registration still applies. If you are providing security services, you need a guard registration, even at a bar. Venues that employ their own security on-premises register as a proprietary security organization for alcohol venues (PSO-A).
• Extra training within 15 days. At places serving alcohol on-premises, you must complete training in de-escalation, safe restraint, first aid and CPR within 15 days of assignment.
• Restraint matters. The safe-restraint training exists because positional asphyxia and improper holds have caused deaths in bar settings. Never put weight on someone’s back or neck, and release and call EMS if a person says they cannot breathe.
• ID checks and refusals. Learn how to check IDs and refuse entry politely. Most door incidents start with a refusal handled badly.

Bar security is fast-paced and good experience, but it is also where most use-of-force complaints start. Write a report after every incident, even minor ones, and keep copies. Our guides to becoming a bouncer and de-escalation cover the skills that keep you and the venue out of trouble.

Schools are another growing area. Tennessee requires 8 hours of active shooter training before an armed guard provides services at a public, charter, private or church-related school. If you want school security work, ask employers whether they provide that training and whether the school district has its own additional requirements.

Moving to Tennessee from another state

Tennessee does not accept other states’ guard registrations. You need a Tennessee registration and Tennessee training. Recent law enforcement or correctional in-service training may exempt you from part of the training. Tennessee’s permitless carry law does not replace the armed guard registration for on-duty carry as a security guard.

Common reasons Tennessee applications stall

• An incomplete application, which does not allow you to work.
• Fingerprints taken under the wrong ORI number.
• Applying less than five years after finishing a sentence or probation for a listed offense.
• An armed range score under 70 percent.
• Missing the 15-day deadline for training at an alcohol-serving venue.