Colorado Springs Security Guard License Requirements

To work as a security guard in Colorado Springs, you need a Private Security Officer license from the City Clerk’s Office before your first shift. The Colorado Springs security guard license requirements start with a job offer from a licensed contract security agency, run through a criminal background screen and fingerprinting, and end with a $110 annual fee paid to the city. You cannot apply on your own, and you cannot work for an agency that doesn’t hold its own city-issued agency license.

Who Qualifies

The first gate is employment. The city does not issue licenses to independent guards, so you need a confirmed position with a licensed Colorado Springs security agency, and an authorized representative of that agency must sign your application certifying the company has already run its own background check on you.¹

The second gate is your record. Under Colorado Springs Code Section 2.3.214, the city will deny a license if you have a felony conviction from Colorado or any other state (including out-of-state offenses that would be felonies here), three or more misdemeanor convictions in the past five years, a prior security license that was denied, suspended, or revoked, a conviction for operating without a license under the city’s security provisions, or a willful misrepresentation on the application itself.²

Pay attention to the time windows. The misdemeanor rule looks back five years. The felony rule has no time limit at all; a conviction from any point in your past can block you.

What Goes in the Application

Code Section 2.3.210 sets out what the city needs from you: full name and any aliases, your current address and every address from the previous five years, date and place of birth, Social Security number, physical description, a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID, a photograph, and a complete set of fingerprints.³

The Employer Certification section is where applications most often stall. If the agency representative hasn’t signed off confirming their internal background check and your eligibility, the city rejects the application at intake. Make sure that signature is in place before you submit.

Fingerprinting

Only two vendors are authorized to process non-criminal-justice fingerprints in Colorado: IdentoGO and Colorado Fingerprinting.⁴ The Colorado Springs Police Department has pointed applicants specifically to Colorado Fingerprinting for this purpose.⁵

When you book the appointment, use the service code assigned to Colorado Springs security licensing so your results route to the right agency. Vendor fees generally run around $57, plus CBI and FBI processing. Record the transaction details on your application form; mismatched records are a common reason files sit untouched.

Fees

Every fee below is nonrefundable and set by Code Section 2.3.205.⁶ For the initial application, expect:

Annual license fee: $110
Temporary permit fee: $60
Annual background check: $7

Once you’re licensed, situational fees include $15 per additional agency if you work for more than one employer, $15 to transfer to a new agency, $5 for a duplicate license card, and $55 if you renew late. Fingerprinting vendor fees are separate and paid directly to the vendor.

Submitting the Application

The City Clerk’s Office accepts applications through its online licensing portal, where you can create an account, upload documents, pay, and track status.¹ If you prefer in person, the office is at 30 South Nevada Avenue, Suite 101, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.

After submission, the police department reviews your criminal history and verifies the information you provided against state and federal databases. If approved, the Clerk issues a physical license card you must carry while on duty.

Starting Work Before Your License Comes Through

The temporary permit costs $60 and lets you begin security duties while your full application is pending. It carries a hard condition: you must complete basic security officer training within 90 days, or the permit expires and you can’t work until the full license is issued.

One restriction matters if you were hired for an armed post. You cannot get a firearms endorsement on a temporary permit. The firearms endorsement is only available once your full Private Security Officer license is in hand.¹

Firearms Endorsement

If you’re going to be armed, Code Section 2.3.213 requires at least 16 hours of basic firearms training before the endorsement is added to your license:

Classroom instruction: minimum 9 hours
Live fire practice: minimum 4 hours
Weapons qualification course: minimum 3 hours

The instructor must be certified through either the National Rifle Association or Colorado’s Peace Officer Standards and Training program. Your training certificate has to identify the courses taken, hours completed, the issuing agency, the instructor’s name and certification, and the training dates.⁷

You need at least 75% on both the written exam and the range qualification, and that score must have been earned within the previous six months. Your employing agency also has to provide a letter authorizing you to carry on duty.

Planning to carry concealed? Add another four hours: at least one hour of concealed-carry classroom instruction and three hours of live fire practice using the same concealed-carry holster you’ll wear on the job.⁷

The firearms endorsement has its own disqualifiers. Any conviction related to domestic violence, weapons offenses, domestic abuse, or unlawful sexual behavior will block the endorsement regardless of how long ago it occurred.

Renewing Your License

The license is good for one year from the date it was issued or last renewed. Renewal costs the same $110 as the initial license, plus the $7 annual background check fee. Miss the deadline and the city adds a $55 late renewal fee.¹

Working while your license is expired violates the city’s General Licensing Code and can be used as grounds for denial if you later try to reapply. Track the expiration date carefully. The $55 fee is minor compared to losing eligibility.

If You’re Denied, Suspended, or Revoked

A denial can be appealed in writing to the Licensing Officer, with your grounds for challenging the decision stated in the appeal. The same criteria in Section 2.3.214 that justify a denial also justify suspension or revocation of a license already in effect, so a guard who picks up a felony conviction mid-employment faces the same result as an applicant who had one on arrival.²

When a license is suspended or revoked, the Clerk’s Office notifies your employer, and the agency has to help retrieve your ID card.

1
City of Colorado Springs. Security License
2
American Legal Publishing. Colorado Springs Code of Ordinances – 2.3.214 Denial, Suspension or Revocation of License
3
American Legal Publishing. Colorado Springs Code of Ordinances – 2.3.210 Application Requirements for Private Security Officers
4
Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Employment and Background Checks
5
City of Colorado Springs. Fingerprint Information
6
American Legal Publishing. Colorado Springs Code of Ordinances – 2.3.205 Fees
7
American Legal Publishing. Colorado Springs Code of Ordinances – 2.3.213 Private Security Officer Training