State Requirements for Guard Card
and Security Officers

The state of Arizona like most other states has certain requirements that must be met in order to obtain an unarmed security guard license. These requirements are both personal and certified training that must be provided when the application for licensing is submitted to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The license that will be issued will be valid for a two year time period. The requirements are:

• The applicant must be at least 18 years of age.
• Proof of legal residency in the United States and citizenship is required.
• There will be a complete background check.
• The applicant will submit fingerprints.
• The applicant will not have been dishonorably discharged from the Armed Forces.
• Applicants will not have any convictions for felonies or any domestic violence misdemeanors.
• Applicants will have a high school diploma or an equivalency certification.
• The unarmed security guard training must take place at a state certified facility and must be done in the state of Arizona.

The state of Arizona requires the unarmed security guard to attend eight hours training at a state certified training facility. The training will educate the applicant in the security procedures that will allow them to perform the duties of an unarmed security guard, and provide the applicant with the state certified training needed to be issued the two year unarmed security guard license in the state of Arizona.  The training will include:

• Legal and ethical issues while on the job.
• The limits of force allowable by Arizona laws.
• Crowd control
• Professionalism when dealing with the public and with legal, fire and medial personnel.
• Emergency medical including CPR
• Emergency fire procedures

The training will provide the Arizona unarmed security guard with the tools; they need to handle everyday situations in the security sector and in emergency situations. This training will also give the unarmed security guard the education to fill out written reports and deal with the public and authorities.

The trained and licensed unarmed security guard in the State of Arizona will find employment opportunities in many different areas of the security sector, such as:

• Public and private office buildings
• Hotels
• Schools
• Colleges
• Libraries
• Museums and art galleries
• Malls and retail stores
• Apartment complexes

These are a few of the employment opportunities that will be available to the unarmed security guard that holds an Arizona license from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The unarmed security guard in the state of Arizona like in other states will not be required to carry a weapon without further training and licensing. There are also employment opportunities in the private sector, providing property protection and other situations that may appeal to the licensed unarmed security guard. When working in the private sector the Arizona unarmed security guard license will still need to be renewed every two years prior to the expiration date, since in the state of Arizona there is no grace period after the expiration date.