ALASKA SECURITY GUARD AGENCY LICENSE

The license. Security Guard Agency license (armed or unarmed security guard agency); issued by DPS under AS 18.65.400-.490 and 13 AAC 60 [1]

Who needs it. Any person in the business of furnishing for hire private watchmen, patrol services, or other services designed to prevent theft, misappropriation, or concealment of goods, money, or valuable documents. Exception (AS 18.65.460): an employer need not seek licensure for its own employees who provide unarmed plant security on the employer's premises. [1]

Local licensing. Licensing is by the State (DPS) under AS 18.65.400, which applies statewide; the statute contains no express preemption of local regulation. 13 AAC 60.010(b) requires an agency to hold a valid Alaska business license 'in addition to any other corporate or municipally required license or registration', so municipal business licenses/registrations may also apply.

Your guards. Every guard the agency employs must hold an individual DPS security guard license (form 12-183; $50 fee plus fingerprint fees; at least 8 hours pre-assignment training before applying; 40 hours in-service within 180 days; 8-hour annual refresher; insurance or bond). A licensed agency may employ an applicant on a temporary basis up to 30 days once a completed application with fee is submitted and the agency manager notes temporary status; the qualified agent or manager signs an indemnification and hold-harmless agreement on the guard application. Agencies must submit a confidential employee list for the previous six months by March 31 and September 30 each year; guards report employer changes within five days (status change form 12-183-2). [3]

Role

Qualified agent [3]

Age & background

Each applicant or partner and the qualified agent must be: (1) a U.S. citizen or resident alien with work permit; (3) at least 18; (4) neither addicted to nor dependent on alcohol, narcotics, or other drugs; (5) not suffering from a psychopathic condition or mental illness impairing memory, reason, judgment or perception; (6) without a felony conviction within 10 years before application unless fully pardoned. Fingerprint-based state and national criminal history check is part of the license application (AS 18.65.410(a)). [3]

• Qualified agent must reside in Alaska and be an officer, owner, partner, or individual in a management capacity responsible for all agency activities. [3]
• Qualified agent must meet the individual security guard qualifications and submit a security guard license application (13 AAC 60.020(d)). [3]
• President and qualified agent must sign and notarize the agency application. [3]
• Corporate officers and persons with more than 20% financial interest: no felony conviction within 10 years unless fully pardoned. [3]
• Agency must hold a valid Alaska business license plus any other corporate or municipally required license or registration. [3]
• Applicants under 13 AAC 60.010(a) must meet the training requirements of 13 AAC 60.110 (guards: 8 hours pre-assignment, 40 hours in-service within 180 days, 8-hour annual refresher). [3]
• Armed security guard agency: each applicant, owner, partner and qualified agent must affirm no firearm disability; agency provides a training program description and list of firearms instructors with copies of their certifications (13 AAC 60.045). [3]

Insurance

Certificate of insurance or bond: comprehensive liability (death, injury, false arrest, detention or imprisonment, malicious prosecution, libel, slander, defamation of character, violation of right to privacy) minimum $100,000 per person and $200,000 per occurrence; plus property damage insurance or bond $100,000 per occurrence; may not be modified or cancelled without 30 days' notice to DPS; failure to maintain is grounds for revocation of the agency license. [3]

Surety bond

Bond OR insurance (either satisfies; may be furnished by the applicant or the applicant's employer). Statute requires 'a bond or proof of a policy of insurance' and delegates the amount to regulation (AS 18.65.450); 13 AAC 60.120 sets the same amounts for a bond as for insurance: comprehensive liability $100,000 per person / $200,000 per occurrence plus property damage $100,000 per occurrence, with 30 days' cancellation notice to DPS. [1]

Branch offices

No separate branch license or fee found. The agency application must list branch office addresses and branch office managers; duplicate licenses must be displayed in all branch offices. [3]

• Security guard agency application fee: $200, nonrefundable (statute, AS 18.65.410(a)) [1]
• Security guard agency application fee: $200, non-refundable (regulation, 13 AAC 60.020(b)(3)) - agrees with statute [3]
• Security guard agency application fee: $200 check or money order payable to State of Alaska (DPS form 12-182 Rev. 3/03) - agrees [6]
• Agency renewal fee: $50, non-refundable (13 AAC 60.040(c)(2)) [3]
• Change of ownership: new application, $200; change of qualified agent: $25 (13 AAC 60.030(f)) [3]
• Qualified agent's individual security guard license (if not already licensed): $50 nonrefundable application fee plus fingerprint processing fees under 13 AAC 68.900 (13 AAC 60.060(c)(4)) [3]
• Current guard application form 12-183 (Rev. 1/2026) lists two separate $50.00 checks; the second check is not labeled on the form [7]
• State criminal justice information with fingerprints submitted: $35 (13 AAC 68.900(a)(2)(B)); FBI forwarding fee set by the FBI [4]
• Fingerprinting by DPS: $30 first set; $10 each additional set taken at the same time (13 AAC 68.900(a)(4)) [4]
• Alaska business license (AS 43.70.030): $50 a year ($25 for qualifying sole proprietors aged 65+ or disabled veterans) [2]

1. Obtain a valid Alaska business license (AS 43.70) and any corporate or municipally required license/registration. [3]
2. Designate an Alaska-resident qualified agent; if not currently licensed, the qualified agent submits a completed individual security guard license application with attachments. [6]
3. Obtain the bond or liability/property-damage insurance certificate meeting 13 AAC 60.120 (30-day cancellation notice to DPS). [3]
4. Prepare a written description of the agency guard training program. [6]
5. Armed agencies: attach a list of firearm instructors and a copy of each instructor's certification. [6]
6. Complete DPS form 12-182 (armed/unarmed, Alaska addresses, branch offices and managers, business history, service area, parent/affiliated companies, registered agent and officers or partners, >20% owners, three credit/personal references, qualifier questions); president and qualified agent sign before a notary. [3]
7. Mail the application with the $200 fee and attachments to Alaska State Troopers, Permits & Licensing Unit, Anchorage. [6]
8. On approval DPS issues the agency license, which must be displayed conspicuously at the principal place of business, with duplicates in all branch offices. [3]

Renewal

Renewal on a DPS form with notice of changes and an affirmation that each qualified agent, corporate officer, partner, and >20% owner remained in compliance with 13 AAC 60.010(a); must be received at least 30 days before expiration; attach bond/insurance proof, $50 non-refundable renewal fee, and copy of the Alaska business license (13 AAC 60.040). Term: AS 18.65.430 makes 'a security guard license' valid two years, renewable for two-year terms with a $50 renewal fee; the statute does not expressly name the agency license and 13 AAC 60.040 states no term. No agency renewal form is posted on the DPS page. [3]

Disqualifiers & waivers

Disqualifiers (13 AAC 60.010): felony conviction within 10 years unless full pardon (applicant/partners/qualified agent, and corporate officers and >20% owners); alcohol/drug addiction or dependence; disqualifying mental condition; non-citizen without resident alien work permit; under 18; for armed agencies, firearm disability. Revocation under AS 18.65.440 (APA, AS 44.62) for false statements, violations, felony or moral-turpitude conviction while licensed, knowing impersonation of a law enforcement officer, or knowingly continuing to employ a guard convicted of a felony/moral-turpitude crime or who impersonated an officer; failure to maintain insurance/bond and falsifying the employee report are also revocation grounds. Waiver (13 AAC 60.850): commissioner may waive chapter requirements on written request EXCEPT the personal qualifications in 13 AAC 60.010(a) and 60.050(a). Violations are misdemeanors: up to 60 days and/or $1,000 fine (AS 18.65.480). [3]

• form dated Rev. 1/2026; file posted October 2026DPS form revision only (not a change in statute or regulation): the individual Security Guard License application is now form 12-183 (Rev. 1/2026), posted under /2026/10/; it lists two $50.00 checks and 'One set of classifiable fingerprints'. The agency application (12-182 Rev. 3/03) and guard renewal (12-183-1 Rev. 3/03) were not revised. DPS form 12-183 (Rev. 1/2026) [7]

• AS 18.65.400 - 18.65.490 — Alaska Statutes Title 18, Ch. 65, Art. 5. Security Guards (license, applications, bonding and insurance, duration, revocation, regulations, exceptions, firearms training, penalty, definitions) [1]
• AS 43.70.020 - 43.70.030 — Alaska business license required; license fee (business license required for agencies by 13 AAC 60.010(b) and 60.020(b)(4)) [2]
• 13 AAC 60.010 - 13 AAC 60.900 — Security Guards and Agencies (agency qualifications, application, license, renewal, armed agency, guard license, designation/advertising, uniforms, training, insurance and bond, temporary license, records, waiver, definitions) [3]
• 13 AAC 68.900 — Fees - Central Repository of Criminal Justice Information (fingerprint processing fees referenced by 13 AAC 60.060(c)(4)) [4]

1. Alaska Statutes AS 18.65.400 - 18.65.490 (Title 18, Ch. 65, Art. 5 Security Guards), BASIS print view · retrieved 2026-11-09
2. AS 43.70.020 - 43.70.030 Business license required; license fee · retrieved 2026-11-09
3. 13 AAC 60.010 - 60.900 Security Guards and Agencies, BASIS print view · retrieved 2026-11-09
4. 13 AAC 68.900 Fees (Central Repository of Criminal Justice Information) · retrieved 2026-11-09
5. Alaska DPS Division of Statewide Services - Permits & licensing (with link URLs) · retrieved 2026-11-09
6. DPS Application for License as a Security Guard Agency, form 12-182 (Rev. 3/03) · retrieved 2026-11-09
7. DPS Application for License as a Security Guard, form 12-183 (Rev. 1/2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
8. DPS Renewal Application for License as a Security Guard, form 12-183-1 (Rev. 3/03) · retrieved 2026-11-09
9. DPS Status Change/Disclosure - Security Guard License, form 12-183-2 (Rev. 3/03) · retrieved 2026-11-09
10. Alaska Online Public Notices - DPS Solicitation for Public Input, Regulatory Revisions, Administrative Order 360 (published 10/13/2025) · retrieved 2026-11-09
11. Alaska Legislature BASIS - 34th Legislature (2025-2026) bill list (short titles), used to screen for security-guard bills · retrieved 2026-11-09

Compiled from the primary government sources above, retrieved on the dates shown. This page is a research summary, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the issuing authority before you file.