To get a Washington State guard card, you need a job offer from a licensed private security company, eight hours of pre-assignment training from a certified trainer, a fingerprint-based background check, and a completed application with a $101 fee submitted to the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL). Processing can take up to 60 days, but a temporary registration card from your employer lets you start working while your license is under review.1Washington State Department of Licensing. Frequently Asked Questions – Security Guards
Who Qualifies
You must be at least 18 for an unarmed license or 21 for an armed license.2Washington State Legislature. Washington Code 18.170 – Security Guards (Full Chapter) You need to be a U.S. citizen or a resident alien, and you must be employed by or have a confirmed offer from a licensed private security guard company before you apply.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 18.170.030 – Security Guard License Requirements The employer relationship isn’t optional. It’s built into the application itself, which requires a signature from the company principal or an authorized representative.
A criminal record is not an automatic bar. The DOL director reviews whether the conviction directly relates to security work and whether denying the license protects the public, and that review happens even if your employment rights have been restored under state law.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 18.170.030 – Security Guard License Requirements An older, minor offense usually won’t disqualify you. A recent violent or dishonesty-related conviction likely will.
The Training You Need First
Before you can be assigned to any post, you must complete at least eight hours of pre-assignment training with a DOL-certified trainer.4Washington State Legislature. WAC 308-18-300 – Preassignment Training Requirements Most security companies arrange this for new hires, though independent certified trainers also offer it.
The eight hours cover:
- Legal powers and limitations of a private security guard compared to law enforcement
- Use of force, including when physical intervention is justified and the duty to use only the minimum necessary
- Report writing and patrol procedures
- Emergency response and safety
- Ethics and professional conduct
You’ll also complete another eight hours of post-assignment training after you start working, on the same subject areas.5Washington State Legislature. WAC 308-18-305 – Private Security Guard Preassignment Training Your employer keeps those records on file for at least three years. You don’t submit them to the DOL, but the company has to produce them on request.
What It Costs
The initial unarmed license fee is $101, which includes the license background check fee.6Washington State Department of Licensing. Fees – Security Guards Fingerprinting and the criminal history check are billed separately:
- Unarmed applicants pay $12.05 for fingerprints plus $21 for the state background check, totaling $33.05.
- Armed applicants pay $12.05 for fingerprints plus $33 for the combined state and FBI background check, totaling $45.05.7Washington State Department of Licensing. Fingerprinting and Background Checks
Add training costs, which vary by provider. Renewal, once you’re licensed, is $95 per year.
How to Apply and How Long It Takes
You can apply online through the SecureAccess Washington (SAW) portal or mail a paper Private Security Guard License Application to the DOL in Olympia.8Washington State Department of Licensing. Get Your License – Security Guards (Unarmed) Online is faster, but the DOL still cites up to 60 days to issue a license after receiving a complete application and fee.1Washington State Department of Licensing. Frequently Asked Questions – Security Guards Mail adds transit time.
Fingerprinting is handled through the DOL’s contracted vendor. Schedule an appointment rather than counting on walk-ins, because delays here push back everything else.
You don’t have to wait 60 days to start earning. Once you’ve finished pre-assignment training and submitted a complete application, your employer can issue you a temporary registration card that lets you work immediately. The card is valid for up to 60 days, and the employer has to mail your application to the DOL within three business days of issuing it.9Washington State Legislature. RCW 18.170.090 – Temporary Registration Card One important limit: the temporary card does not let you carry a firearm, even if you’re applying for the armed endorsement. If your temporary card expires before the permanent license is issued, you cannot keep working.
Armed Guard Add-Ons
If you want to carry a firearm on duty, an unarmed guard card isn’t enough. You need an armed private security guard license, which requires a firearms certificate from the Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission. That involves separate marksmanship qualification and safety training beyond the eight-hour pre-assignment course.10Washington State Legislature. WAC 308-18-120 – Armed Private Security Guard Applications Resident aliens applying for the armed license must also provide proof of a valid alien firearm license.
The armed endorsement adds $10 to your licensing fees, and armed applicants go through the more expensive combined state and FBI background check. Your employer must keep proof of your annual shooting qualifications in your training file for as long as you carry the armed endorsement.
After You’re Licensed
Your guard card expires one year from the date it was issued, and renewal costs $95.11Washington State Legislature. RCW 18.170.160 – License Possession, Expiration, Renewal, Address Changes The statute doesn’t build in a grace period. If you miss the date, the license lapses and you can’t work until it’s reissued.
While on duty, carry your license card and show it on demand to any law enforcement officer or other authorized person.11Washington State Legislature. RCW 18.170.160 – License Possession, Expiration, Renewal, Address Changes If you change your home or business address, notify the DOL within 72 hours. Miss that deadline and you can miss official mail, which is a common way people end up unknowingly working on an expired license.
Working without a valid license is a gross misdemeanor in Washington, punishable by up to 364 days in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both.12Washington State Legislature. RCW 9A.20.020 – Authorized Sentences for Crimes Committed Before July 1, 1984 The same penalty applies to holding yourself out as a licensed guard when you aren’t. Armed guards also have to keep up annual shooting qualifications, documented in their employer’s training file.
Veterans: GI Bill Reimbursement
If you’re covered under the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (Chapter 30), Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606), or Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35), the VA may reimburse licensing and certification test fees up to $2,000 per test.13Veterans Affairs. Licensing and Certification Tests and Prep Courses The VA covers registration and administrative fees but not the cost of the physical license document.
To claim reimbursement, submit VA Form 22-0803 with your fee receipt and a copy of your test results or license, either through QuickSubmit on AccessVA or by mail to your regional VA processing office. If your pre-assignment training qualifies as a prep course, veterans under the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Chapter 35 can also seek reimbursement for that cost using VA Form 22-10272. Check the VA’s approval tool first to confirm your specific training or license is on the list.13Veterans Affairs. Licensing and Certification Tests and Prep Courses