Daily Activity Report (DAR): How to Write One, With Example

A daily activity report (DAR) is the record of everything that happened on your shift: when you arrived, what you checked, who came and went, what you found on patrol, and what the next officer needs to know. It is the most common document a security officer writes, and the one supervisors, clients and sometimes lawyers read most closely. A good DAR proves you did your job. A vague one makes it look like you didn’t, even when you did. This guide shows exactly what to include, how to write entries that hold up, a full example, and the mistakes to avoid. You can also download a free DAR template in our shift forms pack.

DAR vs. incident report

New officers often confuse the two. They work together, but they are not the same document:

	Daily activity report (DAR)	Incident report
When	Every shift, from start to finish	Only when something specific happens
Covers	Routine activity: patrols, checks, visitors, observations	One event in full detail: who, what, when, where, how
Length	A timed log, usually one to three pages	As long as the incident requires
Link between them	Notes the incident briefly with the time and report number	Gives the full account

When something happens, your DAR gets a short entry (“0214 Responded to alarm, rear door. See incident report #1047.”) and the full story goes in the incident report. The DAR shows where the incident fits in your shift; the incident report explains it.

Who reads your DAR

• Your supervisor checks that patrols were done, problems were reported and post orders were followed.
• The client often receives DARs as proof of the service they pay for. Sloppy reports can cost your company the contract.
• The next officer relies on your pass-down notes to know what is still open.
• Insurers and lawyers may request DARs after a slip-and-fall, theft or assault on the property.
• Police and courts can use them as evidence. Write every DAR as if a judge will read it, because one might.

What to include in a DAR

1. Header information

• Your name and badge or license number
• Site name and exact post (for example, “Main lobby desk” or “Mobile patrol, Lots A–C”)
• Date and shift times (start and end, in 24-hour time)
• Supervisor on duty and how to reach them
• Weather and lighting conditions if you work outdoors

2. Start-of-shift check

Record what you received and its condition: radio and spare battery, keys (by number), access cards, flashlight, phone, body camera, vehicle and mileage. Note anything missing or broken and who you told. If keys or a radio go missing later, this entry protects you.

3. Timed activity log

This is the heart of the DAR. Every entry starts with the time, in 24-hour format, followed by what you did or saw. Typical entries include patrol rounds and checkpoints, doors and gates checked, visitors and contractors signed in and out, deliveries, alarm activations, lights out or hazards found, phone calls received, and any contact with police, fire or EMS.

4. Incidents (brief)

List each incident with the time, a one-line description and the incident report number. Keep the full detail in the incident report.

5. Pass-down notes

What the next shift must know: open issues, broken equipment, expected visitors or deliveries, people banned from the property, and anything you promised a client you would follow up on.

How to write entries that hold up

The difference between a weak DAR and a strong one is almost always detail. Compare:

Weak entry	Strong entry
Did patrol. All OK.	0215 Exterior patrol, Bldg A. All 6 exterior doors secure. Light out above loading dock door 3; reported to maintenance by email 0225.
Suspicious guy in parking lot.	0347 Observed white male, approx. 30, 5’10”, gray hoodie, black jeans, checking car door handles in Lot B, row 4. Called police 0348 (dispatcher #212). Subject left on foot northbound on Elm St. at 0350. See incident report #1048.
Delivery came.	1012 FedEx Freight truck, plate TX ABC-1234, driver J. Ramirez, delivered 3 pallets to dock 2. Signed for by receiving clerk M. Chen.
Fire alarm.	2231 Fire alarm panel showed trouble signal, zone 4 (2nd floor east). Checked area: no smoke or fire. Called monitoring company 2234 (operator #18); technician dispatched, ETA 2330.

• Use 24-hour time for every entry. “0347” can’t be misread; “3:47” can.
• Write facts, not opinions. Write “slurred speech, unsteady on feet,” not “drunk.”
• Be specific. Locations, door numbers, plate numbers, names, badge or dispatcher numbers, descriptions.
• Record who you notified and when, by name.
• Leave no unexplained gaps. A four-hour hole in your log looks like four hours of nothing.
• Never erase or white-out. On paper, draw one line through a mistake and initial it. On a tablet, follow your system’s correction process.

Take notes during your shift

The best DARs are written from notes taken in real time, not reconstructed at 0545 from memory. Some practical ways to do it:

• A pocket notebook and pen. Cheap, reliable and works in any weather. Write the time first, then the detail.
• Your phone or tablet, if your employer allows it. Many security companies use reporting apps that timestamp entries for you.
• Voice notes, quick and hands-free on patrol, if your employer allows them. Record notes to yourself, not other people: laws on recording conversations vary by state, so follow your company’s policy.
• Photos, where permitted, of hazards, damage and license plates, noted in the DAR with the time taken.

Want a dedicated voice recorder?

Your phone can record voice notes, but many officers prefer a small dedicated recorder. It starts recording with one button, the battery lasts far longer than a phone’s, it keeps your notes separate from your personal device, and it works on posts where personal phones are not allowed on duty. When choosing one, look for one-touch recording, a clear date and time stamp on every file, long battery life, enough storage for weeks of notes, and an easy way to move files to a computer.

Before you use any recorder on duty, check your employer’s policy. Use it for notes to yourself; recording other people’s conversations is governed by state law and company rules.

Write the notes into your DAR as soon as you can, ideally after each patrol rather than at the end of the shift. Keep your field notes as your employer directs; in some cases they can be requested along with the report.

Example: a complete DAR

Here is an example for a fictional overnight post at an office building. Your form may look different, but the content should be this complete.

Field	Entry
Officer	J. Smith, license #12345
Site / post	Riverside Office Park, Bldg A lobby desk + exterior patrol
Shift	2200–0600, Tuesday
Supervisor	R. Lopez, on call, cell on post orders
Start-of-shift check	Radio #4 + spare battery OK. Keys ring 7 (14 keys) OK. Flashlight OK. Body camera #2 charged. Access card #A-22 OK.

Time	Activity
2200	On post. Received pass-down from D. Brown: east stairwell door 2-E sticks; maintenance aware.
2215	Lobby and elevator check. All clear. Front doors locked per post orders.
2240	Contractor K. Patel (CleanCo, badge 556) signed in for 3rd-floor cleaning.
2300	Exterior patrol. 6 of 6 doors secure. Light out above loading dock door 3. Emailed maintenance 2312.
2350	Interior patrol, floors 1–4. Door 2-E did not latch; secured manually.
0105	K. Patel signed out. 3rd floor checked after departure; all doors locked.
0214	Alarm, rear door 1-R. Responded; door closed and secure, no signs of entry. Monitoring co. notified 0216 (operator #18). See incident report #1047.
0300	Exterior patrol. All secure. Light at dock door 3 still out.
0347	Male checking car door handles, Lot B row 4. Police called 0348 (dispatcher #212). Subject left northbound on Elm St. 0350. Incident report #1048.
0405	Police unit 22 arrived, Officer T. Nguyen (#4471). Provided description and camera timestamps.
0500	Interior patrol, floors 1–4. All secure.
0555	Pass-down to M. Clark. Equipment returned in the same condition as received.

Field	Entry
Incidents	#1047 rear door alarm, 0214. #1048 suspicious person, Lot B, 0347.
Pass-down	Dock door 3 light still out (maintenance emailed 2312). Door 2-E not latching. Police may call about #1048; case number to follow.

Common DAR mistakes

• “All quiet” for the whole shift. Even a quiet shift has patrols, checks and times. Log them.
• Writing it all at the end. Times become guesses and details disappear.
• Opinions and slang. “Sketchy,” “drunk,” “crazy” and “attitude” invite challenges. Describe what you saw and heard.
• Missing names and numbers. Who you called, their badge or operator number, plate numbers, report numbers.
• Copy-paste entries. Identical entries night after night suggest the patrols didn’t happen.
• Leaving out your own mistakes. If you missed a round because you were handling an incident, say so and why.

Paper or electronic?

Many companies now use guard-tour or reporting apps that timestamp entries, scan checkpoints and attach photos. They make reports faster and harder to dispute, but the same rules apply: be specific, write facts, and fill gaps. If your post still uses paper, write legibly in ink, number your pages and keep copies as your employer directs. Either way, the officer, not the app, is responsible for what the report says.

Download a free DAR template

Our free shift forms pack includes a ready-to-use daily activity report with post and shift details, a start-of-shift equipment check, a timed activity log, an incident summary and pass-down notes, plus a patrol checkpoint log and a shift pass-down log. Print them or fill them in on your computer.