How to Get a Security License in Illinois: PERC, Training, Fingerprints

To work as a security guard in Illinois, you need a Permanent Employee Registration Card, known as a PERC, issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR). Getting a security license in Illinois means completing a 20-hour basic training course, passing a fingerprint background check, and filing an online application with a $55 fee under the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004.¹ If you plan to carry a firearm on duty, you’ll need a separate Firearm Control Card on top of the PERC.

Who Needs a PERC and Who Doesn’t

Every employee of a licensed private security, private detective, private alarm, fingerprint vendor, or locksmith agency in Illinois must hold a valid PERC (or an agency license) before performing any licensed activity.² Working without one puts both you and the agency in violation of the Act.

Some roles are exempt. Peace officers don’t need a PERC, even when moonlighting for a licensed agency. Neither do employees who never access confidential security information, never visit client locations, and don’t provide traditional security services. The statute names ushers, ticket takers, cashiers, drivers, and reception staff as examples.²

Basic Eligibility Rules

You must be at least 18 to hold an unarmed PERC, and at least 21 if you intend to carry a firearm.² Beyond age, the IDFPR will deny a PERC to anyone who:

Has been declared incompetent by a court due to mental disease or defect and not restored.
Received a dishonorable discharge from the U.S. armed forces.
Had a PERC or agency license denied, suspended, or revoked under the Act within the past year, with certain administrative exceptions.

How a Criminal Record Is Handled

No criminal conviction automatically bars you from getting a PERC in Illinois.³ The IDFPR reviews each applicant’s record individually and decides whether a conviction makes the person unfit.

Certain convictions carry a strong presumption against you. If you’ve been convicted of a felony involving bodily harm, weapons, violence, or theft within the past ten years, the statute presumes you are unfit. You can still apply, but the burden falls on you to convince the Department otherwise.²

Disclose every conviction on the application. The fingerprint check will surface anything you leave off, and hiding a record gives the Department a separate reason to deny.³

The 20-Hour Training Requirement

Every registered security employee must complete at least 20 hours of basic training from a qualified instructor at a state-certified training agency. The curriculum covers legal authority, use of force, and emergency procedures. Illinois allows delivery in a classroom, seminar, or online, so remote completion of the basic course is possible.⁴

The statute says the 20 hours must be finished within 30 days of starting employment, not before you apply.⁴ In practice, most applicants complete training first, because the online portal asks for both the training certificate and the training agency’s license number as part of the filing. If you’re applying on your own before being hired, you’ll need the certificate in hand.

Fingerprint Background Check

Every applicant must submit fingerprints through a vendor licensed by the IDFPR. The process uses Livescan digital equipment, and the results go electronically to both the Illinois State Police and the FBI.⁵ Your PERC will not be issued until the security clearance is complete.¹

You can find an authorized vendor through the IDFPR’s online directory.⁶ The vendor charges a separate fee that varies by location. Hold on to the receipt: it contains a Transaction Control Number that links your background check to your application, and you’ll enter that number when you file online.

Filing the Application Online

The whole application goes through the IDFPR’s Online Services Portal. Before you start, have these items ready:

Social Security Number
Training certificate from your completed 20-hour basic course
Transaction Control Number from your Livescan fingerprint receipt
Training agency license number from the certified agency where you trained

Create a portal account if you don’t already have one, then work through the fields. The system cross-references your training agency’s license number against state records, so double-check that entry. The non-refundable application fee is $55, payable by credit or debit card.¹

After the payment clears, you’ll see a confirmation that the IDFPR received your application. Processing time depends on the queue and how long your background check takes. Once approved, you can download your digital PERC through the same portal account.

Working While You Wait

The wait for approval can be frustrating when you already have a job offer. Illinois allows temporary employment before the PERC is issued, but only if all of the following are true:

The agency has submitted your complete application, including fingerprint receipt and fees.
The Illinois State Police criminal history check has come back clean, and the agency has IDFPR verification of that result.
The agency exercises due diligence to confirm you’re qualified under the Act.
The agency keeps a monthly roster of employees working under pending applications, submits it to the IDFPR, and retains it for at least 24 months.

This only works through an employer. You can’t put yourself on temporary status; the agency takes on responsibility for verifying eligibility and keeping records.²

Adding a Firearm Control Card for Armed Work

A standard PERC covers unarmed work only. To carry a firearm on duty, you need a separate Firearm Control Card (FCC), and the requirements are steeper.

You must be at least 21.² On top of the 20-hour basic course, armed guards must pass an additional 48-hour firearm training course approved by the IDFPR.⁷ The course includes live-fire qualification and must be taught by a firearm instructor who meets the IDFPR’s own licensing standards. On completion you receive a Firearm Training Certificate, which you submit with your FCC application.

Once issued, the FCC must be carried at all times while you’re armed on duty.⁸ The IDFPR also offers a firearm training waiver for applicants with qualifying prior experience, subject to its own requirements.

Renewing Your PERC

A PERC has an expiration date, and the renewal window generally opens two to three months before that date. You can look up your specific expiration through the IDFPR’s license lookup tool.⁹

At renewal you’ll pay a renewal fee and must be in good standing. Every IDFPR-licensed individual, PERC holders included, must complete a one-hour sexual harassment prevention course during each renewal cycle. That applies even though the PERC has no other continuing education requirement.¹⁰

If your PERC expires, you lose authorization to work in security immediately. You’ll then need to apply for reinstatement or restoration, with fees that grow the longer the card has been lapsed. Set a calendar reminder, and keep your contact information current in the portal so renewal notices reach you.

If Your Application Is Denied

A denial isn’t the end of the process. The IDFPR must afford applicants due process when making fitness determinations based on criminal history.² You can file a Petition for Hearing, available on the IDFPR’s Security Professions page.⁷

A hearing lets you present evidence of rehabilitation, employment history, and character references. If your record falls within the ten-year presumption for violent or theft-related felonies, the hearing is where you can rebut that presumption. A clean record since the conviction, letters from employers, and completion of rehabilitation programs all carry weight.

1
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Instructions for Making Application for a Permanent Employee Registration Card (PERC)
2
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 447/35-30 – Employee Requirements
3
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Frequently Asked Questions About How Having a Criminal Conviction Could Affect Getting a Permanent Employee Registration Card License
4
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 225 ILCS 447/25-20 – Training Private Security Contractor and Employees
5
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Fingerprint Background Check Guide
6
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Fingerprint Vendors List
7
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Security Professions
8
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/24-2
9
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Online License Renewal
10
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Illinois Continuing Education (CE) Requirements