Hiring security in Virginia? 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 Virginia? 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 Virginia, what a company and its guards must hold, how armed work is permitted, and exactly how to verify a license yourself.
In Virginia, security is regulated by Virginia DCJS. A company must hold a Private Security Services Business license, and guards hold a security officer registration. Verify a license through Virginia DCJS — External Verification Tool.
What makes Virginia different
Virginia's DCJS runs one of the more structured training regimes, and — unlike most states — allows armed security officers at 18. Northern Virginia's proximity to Washington, D.C. keeps demand and wages high.
Virginia's Department of Criminal Justice Services runs one of the more structured training regimes in the country, and — unusually — it allows armed security officers at 18. The armed path is a Firearms Endorsement added to the officer registration, built on a 24-hour handgun course and renewed annually — more often than the underlying registration. A trap for researchers: DCJS lists both a 24-hour handgun course (75E, the correct one for armed security officers) and a 16-hour course (07E, for other categories), so 24 hours is the right figure here. Northern Virginia's proximity to Washington, D.C. keeps demand and wages among the highest in the state.
Who regulates security in Virginia
Private security in Virginia is regulated at the state level by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. A legitimate firm holds a Private Security Services Business license from Virginia DCJS, 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 Virginia DCJS — External Verification Tool 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 Virginia
"Licensed" alone doesn't tell you what an officer is actually cleared to do — Virginia uses more than one credential, and they aren't interchangeable. Here's what each one authorizes:
| Credential | What it authorizes |
|---|---|
| Unarmed Security Officer/Courier registration | Observation, access-control, and deterrence duties without a firearm; a licensed business may employ a pending applicant for up to 90 days while entry-level training is completed |
| Armed Security Officer/Courier registration + Firearms Endorsement | Carrying a firearm on duty (open carry by default; concealed only with an added civilian CHP); no 90-day working grace period — the endorsement must be issued before armed work begins |
| Personal Protection Specialist (PPS) registration | Close personal-protection ("bodyguard") work after the 60-hour 32E entry course; an independent-contractor PPS must carry $1M general-aggregate liability insurance (6VAC20-174); an armed PPS also needs the Firearms Endorsement plus advanced handgun training |
| Private Investigator (PI) registration | Paid investigative services after the 60-hour entry course (02E); an armed PI likewise needs the Firearms Endorsement |
| Special Conservator of the Peace (SCOP) | Court-defined arrest and use-of-force authority (up to that of a law-enforcement officer) confined to the employer's real property or a court-set pursuit distance; DCJS registration is only a prerequisite for petitioning the circuit court, not a grant of arrest power itself |
Guards and training
Individual officers in Virginia generally must hold a security officer registration, and the state requires 18 hours of entry-level training. 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 Virginia
Arming a guard in Virginia takes more than the base credential: an armed officer needs a Firearms Endorsement added to the officer registration, with a minimum age of 18. 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.
Virginia requires a DCJS Firearms Endorsement added to the officer's security registration before carrying on duty, and that endorsement by itself authorizes only open carry; to carry concealed while working, the officer must additionally hold a separate civilian Concealed Handgun Permit issued under Code of Virginia § 18.2-308, since the security endorsement itself does not authorize carrying a concealed weapon. Endorsements are tied to the specific firearm's caliber and action type carried on post and must be renewed annually, with retraining completed only within the 90 days immediately before the current endorsement expires — missing that window forces the officer back through entry-level firearms training rather than a simple renewal. A narrow exemption lets locksmiths and most electronic-security technicians (all but alarm respondents) skip the endorsement altogether if they instead hold a § 18.2-308 concealed handgun permit. On-duty uniforms may not use the word “police” and must display a firm insignia plus a name plate.
| On-duty carry | Open carry is authorized by the DCJS Firearms Endorsement alone; concealed carry on duty additionally requires a separate civilian Concealed Handgun Permit under §18.2-308 |
| Armed permit | DCJS Firearms Endorsement (security-specific, layered onto the Armed Security Officer/Courier or PPS/PI registration) — distinct from, and not satisfied by, a civilian CHP alone |
| Requalification | Annual firearms retraining, completed only within the 90 days before the endorsement's expiration date; missing the window requires redoing entry-level firearms training to reapply |
| Other weapons | No separate DCJS endorsement covers baton/OC/taser; locksmiths and electronic-security-business employees (except alarm respondents) are exempt from the Firearms Endorsement if they instead hold a §18.2-308 concealed handgun permit |
What security guards can and can't do in Virginia
Virginia gives an ordinary security officer no special statutory arrest power beyond the common-law citizen's arrest: an officer may detain someone only for a felony or a breach of the peace committed in their presence, using no more force than reasonably necessary, and DCJS's mandatory “Security Officer Arrest Authority” (05E) coursework teaches exactly these common-law limits. Retailers get a narrower, purpose-built privilege under Code of Virginia § 18.2-105.1: a merchant, agent, or employee with probable cause of shoplifting may detain a suspect on premises (or after close pursuit) for up to one hour pending police, backed by companion civil immunity under § 8.01-226.9. Businesses wanting real arrest authority on their own property instead petition a circuit court for Special Conservator of the Peace (SCOP) status under § 19.2-13; a SCOP's arrest power, force limits, and geographic reach are fixed entirely by the court's appointment order, and DCJS registration is only a prerequisite to petitioning, not the grant of authority itself.
How to verify a security license in Virginia
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 — Virginia DCJS — External Verification Tool, 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 officer registration, plus the armed credential for any armed post.
- Confirm insurance and subcontracting — request a current certificate of insurance and confirm it meets or exceeds $1,000,000 in general liability (a bond option may apply), plus workers' compensation, and ask in writing whether any of your posts will be subcontracted to another firm.
Re-verify at renewal. Renewal in Virginia: every two years for the business license. 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.
Class 1 misdemeanor (criminal), escalating to a Class 6 felony on a third or subsequent offense within a 36-month period; plus a separate civil monetary penalty of up to $2,500 per violation for regulatory breaches not criminally prosecuted. Operating an unlicensed private security services business, or a licensed business knowingly using unregistered individuals in regulated roles, is a Class 1 misdemeanor under §9.1-149; practicing a regulated private security trade without the required license/registration is likewise a Class 1 misdemeanor under §9.1-147, and unlawfully advertising such services is a Class 1 misdemeanor under §9.1-149.1, with a third or subsequent §9.1-147 offense within 36 months rising to a Class 6 felony. Separately, DCJS may impose a civil monetary penalty of up to $2,500 per violation under §9.1-150 when a violation is not criminally prosecuted. (Va. Code §§ 9.1-147, 9.1-149, 9.1-149.1, 9.1-150). 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 Virginia
Ready to hire in Virginia? 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 Virginia?+
How do I verify a security company's license in Virginia?+
What do armed security guards need in Virginia?+
Can security guards carry guns in Virginia?+
Can a security guard detain or arrest you in Virginia?+
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