Hiring security in Tennessee? 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 Tennessee? 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 Tennessee, what a company and its guards must hold, how armed work is permitted, and exactly how to verify a license yourself.
In Tennessee, security is regulated by Tennessee PPS. A company must hold a Contract Security Company license, and guards hold a Security Guard/Officer Registration Card (issued as unarmed or armed). Verify a license through Tennessee — License Verification (verify.tn.gov).
What makes Tennessee different
Tennessee enforces an unarmed-first pathway (a 4-hour unarmed course before armed status), and “Dallas' Law” (2025) added active-shooter and venue-specific training requirements.
Tennessee enforces an unarmed-first pathway that trips up buyers who assume "armed guard" is a single credential: every officer must complete the 4-hour unarmed course and hold an unarmed registration before advancing to armed status, which layers on firearms classroom and marksmanship training (roughly 16 hours total) with a qualification. A recent change — "Dallas' Law," effective in 2025 — added active-shooter and venue-specific training on top of the base requirements: guards at alcohol-permitted venues need de-escalation, safe-restraint, and First Aid/CPR training, and school security guards need active-shooter training. Operating without a license is a Class A misdemeanor, and the verify.tn.gov portal lets you confirm both the Contract Security Company and the individual officer's registration in one place.
Who regulates security in Tennessee
Private security in Tennessee is regulated at the state level by the the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, Private Protective Services program. A legitimate firm holds a Contract Security Company license from Tennessee PPS, 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 Tennessee — License Verification (verify.tn.gov) 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 Tennessee
"Licensed" alone doesn't tell you what an officer is actually cleared to do — Tennessee uses more than one credential, and they aren't interchangeable. Here's what each one authorizes:
| Credential | What it authorizes |
|---|---|
| Contract Security Company license | Authorizes the business entity to contract out guard services to clients; required of any company providing security personnel for hire |
| Security Guard/Officer Registration (unarmed) | Authorizes unarmed guard duty only; carrying any firearm on duty, even under a personal Handgun Carry Permit, is prohibited |
| Armed Security Guard/Officer Registration | Authorizes on-duty open carry of a commissioner-approved firearm, contingent on 8 hrs classroom firearms training + 4 hrs marksmanship (70%), a written law-enforcement directive, and 2-year requalification |
| Dallas' Law / Active Shooter add-on classifications | Add-on classifications (per Dallas' Law and HB0322, effective 2023 and formalized by the 2025 rule amendments) layered on an armed OR unarmed registration for a $25 fee each: Dallas' Law requires First Aid/CPR/de-escalation/safe-restraint training for guards at on-premises alcohol establishments, and the Active Shooter classification requires 8+ hours of active-shooter training for guards at schools |
| Full-time sworn peace officer exemption | Under T.C.A. § 62-35-103, a full-time sworn peace officer working private security under contract with a properly licensed business is exempt from PPS registration/training; part-time officers are not exempt |
Guards and training
Individual officers in Tennessee generally must hold a Security Guard/Officer Registration Card (issued as unarmed or armed), and the state requires a 4-hour training course plus a passing exam. 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 Tennessee
Arming a guard in Tennessee takes more than the base credential: an armed officer needs an Armed Security Guard/Officer Registration, 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.
Tennessee restricts armed guards to open carry on duty only — administrative rules (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-05-02-.15) bar any guard, armed or unarmed, from carrying a firearm on the job on the strength of a personal Handgun Carry Permit; a civilian carry permit is explicitly not acceptable, and armed work requires the security-specific Armed Security Guard/Officer Registration plus a written directive issued (under T.C.A. §§ 39-6-1702 and 62-35-131) by the law enforcement official in the county of the employer's permanent business address. Under T.C.A. § 62-35-118, initial armed registration demands 8 classroom hours of firearms instruction and 4 hours of marksmanship training (70% minimum on a commissioner-approved silhouette course), completed within 60 days of employment, and firearms are limited to commissioner-approved standard-caliber revolvers/pistols (.32 auto through .45 ACP/GAP — including .380, 9mm, .357, 10mm and .40 S&W) or a standard 12-gauge shotgun. Requalification runs on a two-year cycle tied to registration renewal (a 4-hour refresher plus the 70% requalification shoot), not annually.
| On-duty carry | Open carry only while on duty; no concealed carry, and a personal civilian Handgun Carry Permit does not authorize on-duty carry |
| Armed permit | Armed Security Guard/Officer Registration (security-specific), plus a written directive issued under T.C.A. §§ 39-6-1702/62-35-131 by the law enforcement official in the county of the employer's permanent business address |
| Requalification | Every 2 years at registration renewal: 4-hour refresher plus requalification at 70%+ on a commissioner-approved silhouette course |
| Other weapons | Firearm must be a commissioner-approved standard revolver/semi-auto pistol caliber (.32 auto through .45 ACP/GAP) or a 12-gauge shotgun; switching between armed and unarmed status now requires a brand-new application with full initial fees, not a downgrade filing |
What security guards can and can't do in Tennessee
Tennessee grants security guards no special governmental arrest commission — a 2004 Attorney General opinion (Op. Tenn. Att'y Gen. 04-006, building on 03-018) confirms guards hold exactly the same arrest power as any private citizen under the state's citizen's-arrest statute (Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-7-109): an arrest is valid only for a public offense committed in the guard's presence, or a felony the guard has reasonable cause to believe was committed. Guards may use the force reasonably necessary to make an arrest, but the same opinion holds a guard has no authority to detain a suspect for questioning absent consent or an actual arrest — they must arrest or release, though they may approach a suspicious person and expel them from the premises. Separately, Tennessee's merchant-detention statute (Tenn. Code Ann. § 40-7-116) gives merchants and their agents a shopkeeper's privilege: probable cause to detain a suspected shoplifter, on or off premises, for a reasonable time, with civil and criminal immunity when acting reasonably. Tennessee has no Special Police Officer-style commission program for private security.
How to verify a security license in Tennessee
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.
- Open the official source — Tennessee — License Verification (verify.tn.gov), not a third-party directory.
- 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 Security Guard/Officer Registration Card (issued as unarmed or armed), plus the armed credential for any armed post.
- Confirm insurance and subcontracting — request a current certificate of insurance and confirm it meets or exceeds $300,000 in bodily and personal-injury liability plus $100,000 property damage, plus workers' compensation, and ask in writing whether any of your posts will be subcontracted to another firm.
Re-verify at renewal. Renewal in Tennessee: every two years. 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 (plus civil penalty). Operating a contract or proprietary security company, or working as a guard, without a currently valid PPS license/registration is a Class A misdemeanor, and the Commissioner may separately assess a civil penalty of up to $2,000 per occurrence against the unlicensed operator. (Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-35-136 (general penalty, Class A misdemeanor); § 62-35-130 (civil penalty up to $2,000 per occurrence); § 62-35-134 (unlawful employments/activities)). 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.
Find and compare licensed security companies in Tennessee
Once you know what Tennessee requires, comparing licensed providers is the next step. Browse security companies in Tennessee by city — Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Jackson, Cookeville, and check each firm's license status on its profile before you shortlist.
Get free quotes from licensed Tennessee security companies, or estimate pricing first with our security cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Who licenses security companies in Tennessee?+
How do I verify a security company's license in Tennessee?+
What do armed security guards need in Tennessee?+
Can security guards carry guns in Tennessee?+
Can a security guard detain or arrest you in Tennessee?+
What's the penalty for hiring an unlicensed security company in Tennessee?+
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