To work as a security guard in Arkansas, you need a Private Security Officer (PSO) credential issued by the Arkansas State Police Regulatory Services Division. The core Arkansas security guard license requirements are being at least 18 years old, having a clean criminal record, completing eight hours of approved Phase I training, and submitting a notarized application with fingerprints and roughly $76 in fees. Armed guards need a separate Commissioned Security Officer (CSO) commission, which raises the minimum age to 21 and adds 16 hours of training.
Who Needs the Credential
Arkansas law makes it a criminal offense to perform paid security work without the proper credential from the ASP director.1Justia. Arkansas Code 17-40-301 – Unlawful Acts That covers guards, watchmen, and patrol officers, and it also covers anyone carrying a firearm on duty without a CSO commission.
A few people are exempt from the licensing chapter entirely:
- In-house employees working exclusively for a single employer to handle that employer’s own security, where a genuine employer-employee relationship exists.
- Certified Arkansas law enforcement officers who moonlight as guards on an individual or contractual basis.
- Federal, state, and local government officers and employees acting in their official capacity.2Justia. Arkansas Code 17-40-103 – Exemptions
If your employer contracts security services out to other businesses, the in-house exemption does not apply and you need the credential.
Baseline Eligibility
For an unarmed PSO credential, you must be at least 18 and cannot suffer from habitual drunkenness or narcotics addiction.3Justia. Arkansas Code 17-40-306 – License or Credential – Applicant Qualifications You also cannot have been adjudicated mentally incompetent or involuntarily committed to a mental health facility.
Criminal history is where most applicants hit a wall. The ASP director cannot issue a credential to anyone who has been convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or pleaded no contest to:
- Any felony in an Arkansas, federal, military, or out-of-state court.
- A Class A misdemeanor involving theft, a sexual offense, violence, dishonesty, or a crime against a person.
- An attempted felony or conspiracy to commit a felony classified as a Class A misdemeanor.
A pardon is the only way around a disqualifying conviction. Sealed or expunged records do not help, because the state and federal background check pulls them anyway and a prior conviction still disqualifies you even if a court later sealed it.4Arkansas Department of Public Safety. Private Security Officer Application
U.S. citizenship is not required. Applicants born outside the United States must provide proof of eligibility to work in the country, such as a U.S. passport, naturalization papers, a permanent residency card, or a work permit.5Arkansas Department of Public Safety. Rules for Licensing and Regulation of Private Investigators, Private Security Agencies, Alarm Systems Companies, Polygraph Examiners, and Voice Stress Analysis Examiners
Training: Unarmed Versus Armed
Every PSO applicant must complete Phase I training at an ASP-approved institution before applying. Phase I is a minimum of eight hours covering the legal limits of a security officer’s authority, state security regulations, field note-taking, and report writing, and it ends with a proficiency examination.6Arkansas Department of Public Safety. CSO Training Page Proof of completion signed by the trainer goes in your application packet.
If you plan to carry a firearm, you need the Commissioned Security Officer credential and must be at least 21.7Justia. Arkansas Code 17-40-337 – Commission – Applicant Qualifications The same criminal history and mental fitness bars apply, plus an additional disqualifier for anyone who has committed an act that would justify suspension or revocation under the chapter.
CSO applicants complete Phase II training on top of Phase I: a minimum of 16 additional hours, split evenly between classroom instruction on the legal limitations of deadly force and weapons safety, and firing range time where you must qualify on an approved course. That brings total pre-application training to at least 24 hours. The firearms portion must be taught by a certified firearms training instructor. Active, certified law enforcement officers are exempt from the training requirements but must provide proof of certification and a letter from their agency confirming active status.8Arkansas Department of Public Safety. Institution of Instruction – CSO Training Page
Application Packet and Fees
After training, you submit a notarized application packet to the ASP Regulatory Services Division. It must include the completed application form, proof of training completion signed by the trainer, and two classifiable fingerprint cards for the state and federal background check.
The credential fee for a security guard is $40, whether initial or renewal.9Justia. Arkansas Code 17-40-302 – Fees Background check fees are set separately under the Arkansas State Criminal Records Act and by the FBI, so they can change independent of the credential fee. Recent application forms have listed combined state and federal background check fees at approximately $36, putting the total initial cost around $76.4Arkansas Department of Public Safety. Private Security Officer Application All fees are non-refundable, and the application will not be processed without full payment.
Renewal Every Two Years
Every security credential expires two years from the date it was issued.10Justia. Arkansas Code 17-40-313 – License and Credential – Expiration and Renewal To renew, you must complete continuing education within the twelve months before your credential expires.
For unarmed PSOs, renewal training is a minimum of six hours covering the core Phase I subjects.11Code of Arkansas Rules. 17 CAR 350-1011 – Renewal Training Requirements for PSOs CSO refresher training is heavier and must include firing range qualification on an approved course in addition to classroom hours.12Code of Arkansas Rules. 17 CAR 350-1010 – Renewal Training Requirements CSOs also have a separate annual refresher obligation on top of the two-year renewal, and failing to complete it suspends the commission.
The renewal application fee is $40, plus the current background check fees at the time you renew. An expired credential is treated the same as no credential, so do not continue working if yours lapses.
Out-of-State and Military Applicants
Arkansas rules include a reciprocity provision for applicants holding a substantially similar license or credential from another state. To qualify, your out-of-state credential must be in good standing, with no history of revocation for bad faith or legal violations, and you cannot be on suspension or probation.13Arkansas Department of Public Safety. Rules for Licensing and Regulation of Private Investigators, Private Security Agencies, Alarm Systems Companies, Polygraph Examiners, and Voice Stress Analysis Examiners You should still expect to complete Arkansas’s background check and pay those fees.
Active-duty military members, returning veterans, and their spouses who establish Arkansas residency may be eligible for an expedited licensing process under the ASP’s rules for military applicants.5Arkansas Department of Public Safety. Rules for Licensing and Regulation of Private Investigators, Private Security Agencies, Alarm Systems Companies, Polygraph Examiners, and Voice Stress Analysis Examiners
What Happens If You Work Without One
Performing security services without the required credential, or carrying a firearm on duty without a CSO commission, is a Class A misdemeanor. Employers who knowingly allow an unregistered person to work security, or let an uncommissioned guard carry a firearm, face the same charge.1Justia. Arkansas Code 17-40-301 – Unlawful Acts A Class A misdemeanor in Arkansas carries up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. The ASP can also pursue administrative action against the employing agency’s license.