CT Security License: Training, Filing Fees, and Renewal

To work as a private security officer in Connecticut, you need a Security Officer Training Certification Identification Card issued by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP). The Connecticut security license requirements are set by state statute and administered through the Special Licensing and Firearms Unit (SLFU): you must be at least 18, meet a strict background standard, complete an eight-hour approved training course, pass state and federal criminal history checks, and submit Form DPS-135C with roughly $200 in fees.¹ The card is good for five years.²

Who Qualifies

Connecticut General Statutes § 29-161q sets the baseline. You must be at least 18 years old and of “good moral character.”² There is no separate state citizenship or residency requirement for unarmed officers, though normal federal employment verification still applies.

The background screen is pass-fail. You will be automatically disqualified if you have been convicted of any felony, any sexual offense, or any crime involving moral turpitude, which covers offenses involving dishonesty or disregard for the rights of others, such as fraud, theft, or certain drug crimes.²

You are also disqualified if a prior security license was revoked or suspended, if you were denied a security service company license for any reason other than lack of experience, or if you are a former police officer who was decertified or had your certification revoked or refused renewal.² Check these first; the application fees are not refundable if the background check rules you out.

The Eight-Hour Training Course

Before you can apply, you must complete at least eight hours of classroom instruction from an instructor approved by DESPP.² The course covers basic first aid, search and seizure, use of force, and criminal justice and public safety. Private instructors run these classes and set their own tuition, generally in the low hundreds of dollars.

When you pass, the instructor issues a Training Certificate. SLFU will not process your application without it.¹

What to File and What It Costs

The application is Form DPS-135C, Application for Security Officer Training Certification Identification Card. You will list personal information, physical descriptors, and five years of employment history.¹

Submit the completed form with:

Your Training Certificate
Two sets of fingerprints on forms provided by the commissioner
A recent passport-sized photograph
Proof of identity, such as a Social Security card and a valid Connecticut driver’s license or state-issued ID

Government fees run about $203:

$100 licensing fee, payable to the state¹
$75 state criminal history check³
$13.25 federal criminal history check³
$15 fingerprinting fee if printed at Connecticut State Police headquarters³

Add training tuition and the full starting cost can approach $400. Fingerprint fees must be paid online before you submit the paperwork, and your application has to include the applicant tracking number or receipt as proof of payment.¹

Where to Send It

Mail the complete package to:¹

Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
Special Licensing & Firearms Unit
1111 Country Club Road
Middletown, CT 06457

SLFU runs your prints through state and national criminal databases and verifies your documentation. Review typically takes several weeks. If everything clears, DESPP mails the physical card.

Can You Work While Your Application Is Pending?

Yes. Since July 2018, Connecticut has allowed security officers to start working once the application is actually on file with DESPP, rather than waiting for the card to arrive. You still cannot be put on duty until you have completed training and submitted the application. Working without at least a pending application carries a $75 fine per offense.²

If You Want to Carry a Firearm

An unarmed license does not cover armed work. To carry a firearm on duty you must be at least 21, hold a valid Connecticut pistol permit under C.G.S. § 29-28, and obtain a separate firearms endorsement from DESPP, sometimes called a “blue card endorsement.”¹

The endorsement requires an eight-hour firearms training and qualification course, plus an annual refresher every year after. Carrying a firearm on assignment without the endorsement draws a $75 fine per violation for both the officer and the employer.¹

Renewal

The license is valid for five years. DESPP sends a renewal notice and application form at least 90 days before expiration.² Renewal costs $100, the same as the original.

Watch the grace period. Your license remains valid for 90 days past its expiration date, so you can keep working during that window, but a late filing adds a $25 fee. If you let it lapse more than 90 days past expiration, it cannot be renewed and you have to start over from scratch.²

Renewal still requires another state and national criminal history check, but the statute waives the background check fees for renewing applicants, and you do not need new fingerprints.²

Out-of-State Licenses Do Not Transfer

Connecticut has no reciprocity agreements for security licensing. A valid credential from another state will not substitute for a Connecticut card; you have to complete the full process here, including the eight-hour training, fingerprinting, and background checks. A Connecticut card similarly will not transfer out, since each state administers its own licensing program.

1
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Security Officers
2
Justia Law. Connecticut Code 29-161q – Qualifications of Security Officers
3
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. State Police Bureau of Identification