Security guard license requirements in Georgia (2026)

If you run a guard company in Georgia — or you’re about to start one — the rules live in one place: the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies, under the Secretary of State. This guide covers what the Board actually requires for unarmed guards, armed guards, and the company license itself, with every requirement linked to the Board’s own pages.

Requirements checked as of August 5, 2026. Rules change; before you act on anything here, confirm it on the Board’s site.

Who regulates guards in Georgia

The Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies (Macon, under the Secretary of State’s Professional Licensing Boards) licenses security companies and registers their armed employees, under O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 38 and Board Rule Chapter 509. Applications go through the state’s GOALS portal.

One thing that surprises people: in Georgia, licenses are issued to companies, not to individual guards. Guards work under a licensed company, and it’s the company that registers them. The Board’s FAQ is explicit that an individual cannot get registered on their own — the employing licensed company submits the application.

Unarmed guards: training, not registration

Georgia is lighter on unarmed guards than most owners expect — but not zero.

No state registration. Unarmed security guards are not required to be registered with the Board.
Training is still mandatory. Every unarmed guard must complete 24 hours of classroom instruction under Board Rule 509-3-.02 — role of private security, legal aspects, patrol and observation, incident response, security resources, customer service, and first aid — taught by a Board-certified instructor. Per the Board’s FAQ, training must be completed before the guard starts working, and that includes temporary employees.
You keep the records. Under O.C.G.A. § 43-38-7.1, the licensed company must maintain registration and training records for its unarmed guards and forward their fingerprints to the Georgia Crime Information Center for a GBI/FBI background check. “Not registered with the state” does not mean “no paperwork.”

Because there’s no state registration for unarmed guards, there’s no state fee for them either — the fee schedule says so in as many words.

Armed guards: registration, weapon permit, 21 years old

Arming a guard changes everything. Per the Board’s FAQ, an armed security guard must be at least 21 years of age and meet the requirements of O.C.G.A. §§ 43-38-7 and 43-38-10. The employing company applies for the guard’s registration within 30 days of hiring, with fingerprint results included.

What the guard needs before carrying on duty:

The same 24-hour basic course as unarmed guards (Rule 509-3-.02).
A minimum of 15 hours of handgun training (Rule 509-3-.10), passing the written exam and range qualification with at least 80% — the FAQ confirms the guard must qualify with the specific weapon carried on duty. Shotgun duty requires two additional classroom hours (Rule 509-3-.08).
A Board-issued weapon permit. A Georgia weapons carry license from the probate court is not valid on duty. Carrying concealed requires a written justification from the employer and Board approval. And the Board limits duty weapons: revolvers up to .357, semi-automatics up to .45, and a 12-gauge riot-type shotgun only with Board-approved employer request (Rule 509-4-.01).

The initial registration fee for an armed security guard is $70, plus a $5 online processing fee. Adding or changing a weapon type is $25.

One timing trap from the statute: once a candidate completes the mandated prelicensure training, the application must be filed within 180 days (O.C.G.A. § 43-38-7). Training that sits on a shelf expires into a retrain.

Starting a company: the agency license

To operate a security business in Georgia you need a company license, held through a qualifying individual — the owner, a partner, or a corporate officer. Under O.C.G.A. § 43-38-6 and Rule 509-2-.02, that person must have one of:

Two years’ full-time experience (30+ hours/week) as a supervisor or administrator in in-house security operations or with a licensed security agency,
Two years’ experience in law enforcement, or
A four-year degree in criminal justice or a related field from an accredited college.

They must also clear a GBI/FBI fingerprint background check, and pass the security agency exam administered by PSI. Per the Board’s FAQ, there are no exam waivers — not for law enforcement veterans, not for licenses held in other states — and Georgia does not reciprocate with any other state on company licensure.

The fee is $100 application + $500 license ($600 total) for a security company; a dual detective-and-security license runs $800. In-house security departments need a license too — same fee line, and the FAQ confirms there are no exemptions for company licensure, even for P.O.S.T.-certified owners.

Renewals and continuing education

Georgia runs on a two-year cycle tied to odd-numbered years (Rule 509-2-.01):

Company licenses expire June 30 of each odd-numbered year. On-time renewal is $500 for a security company; late renewal (through July 31) is $600, and reinstatement after that is $750.
Employee registrations and weapon permits expire August 31 of each odd-numbered year. On-time renewal is $65, late is $80.
Continuing education: registered security officers need 8 hours of CE every two years before renewal (Rule 509-3-.12; first renewal after initial registration is exempt).
Weapon requalification is annual, per the Board’s FAQ — separate from, and in addition to, the CE hours.

Common pitfalls (straight from the Board’s own pages)

Registrations don’t transfer. A guard’s registration is tied to the employer that filed it. When a guard changes companies, the new employer must file a new application and fee — fingerprints included. A guard working for two companies needs two registrations.
The probate court carry permit isn’t a duty permit. The Board’s FAQ answers this directly: on duty, only the Board’s weapon permit counts.
“Unarmed = unregulated” is wrong. The 24-hour training, the records, and the fingerprint checks still apply — and they’re your obligation as the licensee, not the guard’s.
P.O.S.T. certification exempts the officer, not the company. An active certified peace officer doesn’t need an individual license to work for a licensed company (O.C.G.A. § 43-38-14) — but there is no P.O.S.T. exemption for the company license itself.
Departures have paperwork too. Guards must turn in their registration to the company when employment ends, and the employer notifies the Board.

Keeping all of this current is the actual hard part

Getting licensed once is a project; staying licensed is a system. A 20-guard company in Georgia is tracking a company license on one renewal date, armed registrations on another, annual weapon requalifications, CE hours, and 24-hour training records for every unarmed hire — and one lapsed credential can put an armed guard on post illegally. Watchbill tracks every guard’s certifications and expiration dates in one place and warns you before anything lapses, so compliance stops living in a spreadsheet you check when you remember to. We’re onboarding independent guard companies now — join the beta at getwatchbill.com.

Requirements change; verify with the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies before acting. This guide is educational, not legal advice.