Hiring security in Delaware? Here's who regulates it, what a company and its guards must be licensed to hold, how armed guards are permitted, and how to verify a license yourself in minutes.
Hiring a security company in Delaware? Confirming its license is the single most important check you can make — it's what tells you the provider is lawful, insured, and accountable, and it shields you from the negligent-hiring liability that comes with putting an unvetted, uninsured operation on your property. This guide covers who regulates security in Delaware, what a company and its guards must hold, how armed work is permitted, and exactly how to verify a license yourself.
In Delaware, security is regulated by DSP Professional Licensing. A company must hold a Class B Licence — Private Security Agency (Class C covers a combined investigative and security agency), and guards hold a Noncommissioned security guard licence (the “Yellow Card”). There is no public register that answers this for you — see the verification steps below.
Delaware has no public licence lookup for security: the state's DELPROS system covers the Division of Professional Regulation's boards only, and private security sits with the State Police instead. Field checks a buyer can make instead: the licence must be posted at the place of business, agencies must keep a current employee book on site, and armed guards must open-carry in uniform bearing the agency patch.
Who regulates security in Delaware
Private security in Delaware is regulated at the state level by the Delaware State Police, Professional Licensing Section, under the Board of Examiners of Private Investigators and Private Security Agencies. A legitimate firm holds a Class B Licence — Private Security Agency (Class C covers a combined investigative and security agency) from DSP Professional Licensing, meaning it has cleared the state's ownership, background-check, insurance, and record-keeping requirements. That license number is the first thing to confirm — ask for it in writing and verify it yourself on Delaware State Police Professional Licensing Section (no public lookup — verification by email) rather than trusting a certificate on the wall. The licensing authority can also suspend or revoke a license for misconduct, so a live status check tells you not just whether a firm is licensed, but whether it's in good standing.
What each security credential authorizes in Delaware
"Licensed" alone doesn't tell you what an officer is actually cleared to do — Delaware uses more than one credential, and they aren't interchangeable. Here's what each one authorizes:
| Credential | What it authorizes |
|---|---|
| Noncommissioned security guard (Yellow Card) | Unarmed security work; minimum age 18 |
| Commissioned security guard (Red Card) | Carrying a firearm or projectile weapon on duty; minimum age 21; carrying without it is unlawful |
| Class B Licence — Private Security Agency | Owning and operating a private security agency; the owner must be at least 25 with four years' management experience at a licensed security agency, five years' investigative experience, or police service |
Guards and training
Individual officers in Delaware generally must hold a Noncommissioned security guard licence (the “Yellow Card”), and the state requires a Board-approved security guard training programme certified by mandatory testing with a passing grade of 75%, covering rules and regulations, legal requirements and limitations, use of force, ethics, emergency services, diversity, communication, asset protection and terrorism — Delaware sets NO hour count; the standard is competency-based. A valid company license doesn't guarantee every officer on the roster is credentialed and trained, so confirm the guards actually assigned to your site hold current registrations — verifying the company and the people are two separate checks.
Armed guards and firearms in Delaware
Arming a guard in Delaware takes more than the base credential: an armed officer needs a commissioned security guard licence (the “Red Card”), an endorsement on the unarmed card, which involves an approved firearms course and initial qualification administered by a Professional Licensing Firearms Instructor, with a minimum of 40 hours of training (waivable on prior law-enforcement credentials), then at least three qualifying shoots per calendar year on at least two separate days, at least 60 days apart, one of which must be a low-light shoot, with a minimum age of 21. Armed coverage also raises your exposure — a firearms incident can reach the client through vicarious-liability and negligent-hiring theories, and standard general-liability policies often exclude firearms — so confirm the specific armed credential (not just the base registration) and the firm's firearms coverage, and reserve armed posts for a documented threat. Our armed vs. unarmed guide covers the decision in depth, and you can compare armed security services directly.
How to verify a security license in Delaware
Verification takes only a few minutes and is the check that protects you:
- Get the license number in writing from the provider — don't accept a logo or a verbal claim.
- Know what the official source can and cannot tell you — Delaware State Police Professional Licensing Section (no public lookup — verification by email). Because it will not confirm a security provider for you, ask the firm for the authorization it actually holds and confirm that with the body that issued it.
- Confirm the record is active, unexpired, matches the exact legal business name and address, and shows no disciplinary action.
- Verify the officers — confirm each holds a current Noncommissioned security guard licence (the “Yellow Card”), plus the armed credential for any armed post.
- Confirm insurance and subcontracting — request a current certificate of insurance and confirm it meets or exceeds for a Class B private security agency, a $10,000 surety bond (minimum one year) plus $1,000,000 liability insurance per occurrence; a Class C combined agency requires a $15,000 bond, plus workers' compensation, and ask in writing whether any of your posts will be subcontracted to another firm.
Re-verify at renewal. Renewal in Delaware: agency licences run two years from the last day of the month of approval; the unarmed Yellow Card runs five years; armed firearms licences are valid one year. A credential can also be suspended between renewals, so a check isn't one-and-done — re-check at renewal time and before signing a new contract.
Our national guide on how to verify a security company's license explains what to look for on the record; our hiring guide and cost guide cover the rest of vetting and pricing.
Misdemeanor (no class letter assigned). Whoever violates the chapter, except where another penalty is provided, is guilty of a misdemeanor and may be fined a civil or administrative penalty of not more than $10,000. The underlying prohibition is that no person may act as a private security guard or engage in the business of a private security agency without first obtaining a licence or identification card. (24 Del. C. §1330). And the exposure isn't only the provider's — an operator who puts an unlicensed, uninsured guard on site inherits the negligent-hiring liability, which is exactly what a two-minute license check prevents.
Hire a licensed security company in Delaware
Ready to hire in Delaware? Get free quotes from licensed security companies, browse verified providers, or estimate pricing with our security cost calculator before you talk to anyone.
Frequently asked questions
Who licenses security companies in Delaware?+
How do I verify a security company's license in Delaware?+
What do armed security guards need in Delaware?+
What's the penalty for hiring an unlicensed security company in Delaware?+
Share this guide
Sources
- Delaware State Police Professional Licensing Section (no public lookup — verification by email)
- 24 Del. C. ch. 13 — Private Investigators, Private Security Agencies and Armored Car Agencies
- 24 DE Admin. Code 1300 — Board of Examiners of Private Investigators & Private Security Agencies
- Delaware State Police — Security Guards
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics — Security Guards
