Verified state licenses
State Licensed Private Security Companies 2026
Listing of 18331 private security companies with an active license verified against official state licensing boards like California BSIS and Illinois IDFPR. Verify each company's license before you hire.
18331 licensed companies Official state license lookup
State licensed companies by city
Los Angeles1662 state licensedChicago1016 state licensedNashville983 state licensedLong Island894 state licensedMiami876 state licensedFort Lauderdale639 state licensedOrlando548 state licensedWashington522 state licensedWest Palm Beach479 state licensedMemphis457 state licensedTampa406 state licensedSacramento379 state licensedNew York372 state licensedYonkers319 state licensedQueens289 state licensedSan Diego264 state licensedJacksonville254 state licensedBrooklyn249 state licensedAnaheim241 state licensedPoughkeepsie226 state licensedSan Francisco208 state licensedSt. Petersburg190 state licensedLas Vegas187 state licensedIndianapolis182 state licensedKnoxville167 state licensedFort Myers167 state licensedSarasota161 state licensedRiverside158 state licensedSan Jose156 state licensedBronx148 state licensedPort St. Lucie145 state licensedBakersfield132 state licensedHuntington Beach132 state licensedFresno126 state licensedStaten Island123 state licensedDenver119 state licensedPensacola117 state licensedAlbany116 state licensedCorona114 state licensedMilwaukee114 state licensedIrvine111 state licensedBuffalo111 state licensedOakland109 state licensedLong Beach106 state licensedTallahassee106 state licensedDaytona Beach103 state licensedChattanooga99 state licensedBaltimore97 state licensedLakeland93 state licensedMelbourne86 state licensedSimi Valley82 state licensedRancho Cucamonga76 state licensedGary73 state licensedOrange71 state licensedSanta Rosa70 state licensedRoseville70 state licensedOcala69 state licensedNaples66 state licensedMurrieta65 state licensedRochester64 state licensedGainesville63 state licensedSanta Ana61 state licensedHyattsville60 state licensedClovis59 state licensedVentura58 state licensedTemecula55 state licensedChula Vista55 state licensedSilver Spring55 state licensedModesto54 state licensedSpringfield53 state licensedUpland50 state licensedStockton50 state licensedSyracuse49 state licensedMission Viejo48 state licensedNewark48 state licensedMurfreesboro48 state licensedEl Cajon47 state licensedSan Bernardino46 state licensedNewport Beach45 state licensedVisalia45 state licensedCosta Mesa44 state licensedElk Grove44 state licensedPalm Desert43 state licensedOntario42 state licensedRedding42 state licensedBelleville42 state licensedMadison42 state licensedJohnson City40 state licensedSalinas39 state licensedFort Wayne39 state licensedFontana37 state licensedPeoria37 state licensedFairfield36 state licensedEscondido36 state licensedOxnard35 state licensedCarlsbad35 state licensedConcord34 state licensedThousand Oaks34 state licensedMoreno Valley34 state licensedVacaville33 state licensedOceanside33 state licensedAppleton33 state licensedBerkeley32 state licensedCamarillo31 state licensedSanta Cruz31 state licensedClarksville31 state licensedHenderson29 state licensedElizabeth28 state licensedColumbia26 state licensedSouth Bend26 state licensedReno25 state licensedRockford20 state licensedJersey City19 state licensedCamden19 state licensedGreen Bay19 state licensedToms River18 state licensedJackson18 state licensedCookeville18 state licensedAnnapolis16 state licensedPaterson15 state licensedHackensack15 state licensedEvansville15 state licensedEdison14 state licensedFreehold14 state licensedJeffersonville14 state licensedTrenton11 state licensedRacine11 state licensedJanesville11 state licensedBloomington10 state licensedKenosha10 state licensedLa Crosse10 state licensedEau Claire10 state licensedChampaign9 state licensedWaldorf9 state licensedMorristown9 state licensedNorth Las Vegas9 state licensedTerre Haute9 state licensedLafayette9 state licensedColumbus8 state licensedWausau7 state licensedSheboygan7 state licensedFond du Lac7 state licensedFrederick6 state licensedAnderson6 state licensedRhinelander6 state licensedDecatur5 state licensedMuncie5 state licensedCarson City4 state licensedStevens Point3 state licensed
How we verify state licenses
Official registry cross-check: our team matches each company's name, license number and status against the public lookups of state licensing boards (California BSIS, Illinois IDFPR) on a periodic basis.
Visible license number: every licensed company shows its license number on its profile so you can cross-check it yourself with the state board.
Continuous updates: licensing boards publish new licenses, expirations and disciplinary actions; we mark as “not verified” any company whose license lapses or is suspended.
Business-record checks: we combine license registries with public business records to list only companies that are actually operating.
Frequently asked questions
Who licenses private security companies in the US?
Private security is regulated at the state level by state licensing boards. In California, the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) licenses Private Patrol Operators and registers security guards; in Illinois, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) licenses private security contractor agencies. Hiring a state-licensed company ensures it meets its state's legal requirements and that its officers are properly registered and trained.
Where can I check the official license registry?
Each state licensing board publishes a free public license lookup — BSIS in California and IDFPR in Illinois. Our listing reflects the active licenses we've verified against those registries; we recheck status periodically and display each company's license number.
How many state licensed companies are in the listing?
We currently list 18331 state licensed security companies in our directory, across 149 US cities. You can filter by city using the grid above.
What should a properly licensed company have?
A properly licensed company should have: an active state license number, registered and trained security officers (guard cards, plus firearm permits for armed posts), general liability insurance, workers' compensation coverage, and uniforms and official IDs. Check all of these points before hiring.
What are the risks of hiring an unlicensed company?
Hiring an unlicensed company exposes you to legal risk (negligent-hiring liability if an incident occurs), operational risk (untrained, unregistered personnel) and compliance risk — states can fine both the operator and the business that uses them. Unlicensed operators also commonly cut corners on wages and insurance for their guards.