COLORADO SECURITY GUARD COMPANY LICENSING (LOCAL)

The license. No state license exists. Local business-level licenses: Denver 'Private Security Employer' license (D.R.M.C. Ch. 42 Art. V); Colorado Springs 'Contract Security Agency License' (City Code 2.3.2); Westminster 'Security Guard Business License' (W.M.C. Ch. 5-13). Denver is the primary jurisdiction for this book. [1]

Who needs it. Denver: any person who provides or agrees to provide the services of a security guard on a contractual basis to another, AND any person using its own employees to provide security services for itself or its premises (in-house). Colorado Springs: any person who provides or agrees to provide the services of a private security guard on a contractual basis. Westminster: any business whose primary purpose is to provide protection to persons or property or to preserve the peace (incidental in-house security exempt if conditions in 5-13-3(B) met). [1]

Local licensing. Colorado has NO state-level license for security guard companies, no state qualifying-agent role and no state exam. The legislature's own findings in HB25-1262 (not enacted) state that only a limited number of municipalities regulate private security and most of the state has no requirements; the bill died in House Finance on 04/07/2025 (13-0), and a search of the legislature's bill database found no 2026 successor bill. Verified municipal regimes: (1) City and County of Denver - Private Security Employer (PSE) license plus individual Security Guard license, administered by DLCP; covers contract AND in-house security employers. (2) Colorado Springs - Contract Security Agency License plus Private Security Guard License, City Clerk; code repealed and reordained by Ord. 26-53 effective Oct. 5, 2026. (3) Westminster - Security Guard Business License (City Clerk / Police review) plus a general City business license; the city does not license individual guards. No county-level licensing identified. Operators must check every city in which they will post guards.

Your guards. Denver: every guard working for a PSE needs an individual Denver Security Guard license (16-hour basic course from an eligible training provider for new licenses, 8-hour annual refresher, FBI background check, medical certificate, letter of hire from the PSE); a PSE may not let unlicensed persons perform security services. Colorado Springs: Private Security Guard License (at least 8 hours basic training with minimum 75% score); agencies may not knowingly employ unlicensed guards. Westminster: city does not license individual guards. Pueblo: Police Department security guard license. [1]

Role

Denver: 'general manager(s)' designated on the PSE application (code term: 'principal and managing agent'). Colorado Springs: principals and managing agents. Westminster: each owner/officer/director and/or manager. No state qualifying-agent role exists. [7]

Experience

No minimum industry experience requirement found for the business, its general manager, principals or managing agents in Denver, Colorado Springs or Westminster. Denver and Colorado Springs applications require only a five-year work (and/or school) history statement for each principal and managing agent. [1]

Age & background

Denver: license shall be denied if the applicant or a principal is under 18; each general manager provides a valid Denver security guard license OR an affidavit of criminal and employment history plus an FBI background check run within 60 days. Colorado Springs: every principal and managing agent at least 18 (21 for a firearm endorsement); new principals/managing agents must submit to a background check. Westminster: applicant under 21 'may be considered cause for denial'; each owner/officer/director/manager is fingerprinted for CBI and FBI checks. [1]

• Denver: general managers without an active Denver security guard license must submit an affidavit of criminal and employment history and an FBI background check within the past 60 days. [7]
• Denver: the affidavit must cover five years of employment (or education) history. [10]
• Denver: a new general manager must be approved before beginning employment; terminations/contact changes within 72 hours. [9]
• Denver rule 8.1.1: new principal or managing agent needs Director approval before acting. [5]
• Colorado Springs: every principal and managing agent must be at least 18. [20]
• Colorado Springs: new principal or managing agent must submit to a background check and pay fees; agency notifies City Clerk within 10 days. [20]
• Westminster: applicant under 21 may be cause for denial (discretionary). [24]
• Westminster: grounds for denial apply to individual applicants and to directors, officers or general partners of an applicant. [24]

Insurance

Denver PSE (Rule 7.1; DLCP pages): workers' compensation and employers' liability minimum $100,000; commercial general liability minimum $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence; automobile liability minimum $500,000 CSL per occurrence if the PSE holds a vehicle endorsement (covering owned, non-owned and hired autos); notify DLCP within 72 hours of any insurance change. D.R.M.C. 42-138 lists the coverage types but leaves amounts to the director, so the Rule sets the numbers. Colorado Springs (Ord. 26-53 sec. 2.3.209, eff. Oct. 5, 2026): workers' comp/employers' liability not less than $1,000,000 (or a statement that WC is not required); auto liability $1,000,000 CSL; CGL $1,000,000 CSL per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate; 24-hour notice of insurance changes. Westminster (W.M.C. 5-13-7): CGL bodily injury $500,000 each person / $1,000,000 each occurrence and property damage $500,000 each person / $1,000,000 each occurrence; City named additional insured; 30 days' cancellation notice. [5]

Branch offices

No branch-office license or separate branch requirement found in Denver, Colorado Springs or Westminster codes. The Denver license must be posted at the principal place of business, and a change of place of business must be reported within 72 hours. [1]

• Denver PSE application fee (DLCP page): $100 if employing 1-24 guards in Denver; $200 if 25 or more. [7]
• Denver PSE annual license fee (DLCP page): $100 (1-24 guards); $200 (25 or more). [8]
• D.R.M.C. 32-95(1) application fee (CB17-1177): $100.00 for PSEs employing fewer than 25; $200.00 for 25 or more (matches DLCP page). [1]
• D.R.M.C. 32-95(2) license fee per year (CB17-1177): $100.00 for 'twenty-five (25) or fewer'; $200.00 for 'more than twenty-five (25)'. CONFLICT: an employer with exactly 25 guards owes $100 under the ordinance text but $200 under the DLCP page; the ordinance controls legally. [1]
• Denver: veterans exempt from the application fee. [1]
• Denver late renewal (D.R.M.C. 32-10(c); DLCP page): penalty of 20% of the license fee if filed within 30 days after expiration, 50% if filed 31-90 days after; after 90 days the license cannot be renewed and a new application is required. [8]
• Colorado Springs Contract Security Agency License (City Clerk page): annual $110; late renewal $55; duplicate $5. [19]
• Westminster: $60 annual security guard business license fee plus a one-time $30 fee on new applications (called 'investigation fee' in W.M.C. 5-13-5(E) and 'Application Fee' on the city web page). [24]
• Westminster fingerprinting via CABS: $53.50 per applicant (State $16.50 + FBI $22.00 + Rolling Fee $15.00). The same packet also states a $34.50 Westminster PD fingerprint processing fee (CBI $16.50 + FBI $18.00) - internal inconsistency; the CABS figure appears current. [24]

1. Denver Step 1: obtain a certificate of insurance meeting the minimums (auto liability too if seeking a vehicle endorsement) and designate general manager(s). [7]
2. Denver Step 2: gather required documents (PDF/JPG only): declaration of uniform design completed within 60 days, insurance certificate, general manager ID and Denver guard license or affidavit + FBI check; vehicle/weapons endorsement request forms if applicable. [7]
3. Denver Step 3: register an account in Denver's Permitting and Licensing Center. [7]
4. Denver Steps 4-5: apply online and pay application and license fees in the portal. [7]
5. Denver Step 6: city review (target 7 business days; 14 days to cure a notice of deficiency; endorsements and background incidents get police review; applications closed after 12 months). [7]
6. Denver Step 7: license emailed on approval and must be displayed. [7]
7. Colorado Springs: apply through the City Clerk online portal with business license application, proof of age over 18, color images of uniforms and vehicles, and insurance certificates listing the City as certificate holder. [19]
8. Westminster: complete a business and sales tax license application in the online portal, then apply for the Security Guard specialty license with the packet; each applicant fingerprinted; application reviewed and approved by the Police Department. [24]

Renewal

Denver: one year from issuance; renewal application with affidavit that all guards are licensed and certificates of insurance, filed no more than 90 days before expiration (32-10(b)); 90-day late-renewal window with 20%/50% penalties. Colorado Springs: contract security agency license expires one year from issuance; uniforms and vehicle designs resubmitted or affirmed annually. Westminster: expires December 31 of the year issued; renewed annually. [1]

Disqualifiers & waivers

Denver (D.R.M.C. 42-142, mandatory 'shall be denied', applies to applicant or a principal): under 18; felony conviction or release within 5 years; fraud/theft/deceit/misrepresentation misdemeanor or ordinance offense within 5 years; offense involving violence (incl. domestic violence) within 5 years; prior denial/suspension/revocation within 5 years; conviction for unlicensed operation; character and reputation lacking honesty/fairness/respect for law. Colorado Springs (2.3.214): mandatory denial for felony/drug felony within preceding 10 years; discretionary denial for any felony, 3+ misdemeanors in 5 years, DV/assault/menacing/weapons/firearms/unlawful sexual behavior offenses (incl. pending charges), false statements, prior denial/revocation, failure to maintain insurance. Westminster (5-13-5(B), discretionary): under 21; felony within 10 years; moral turpitude/violence misdemeanor within 5 years; unsatisfactory character; inability to speak/comprehend English. No formal waiver procedure found in these codes. [1]

• n/a (not enacted; postponed indefinitely 2025-04-07)Statewide licensing bill HB25-1262 (State Board of Private Security Services in DORA; officer licensing and employer registration from Aug. 1, 2026) was NOT enacted - postponed indefinitely by House Finance 13-0. Colorado has no state licensing on Jan. 1, 2027; no 2026-session successor bill found. HB25-1262 [28]
• Upon certification of passage of the referred question at the Nov. 4, 2025 election (certification date not captured)Denver renamed the Department of Excise and Licenses as the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection; 'director' becomes 'manager of licensing and consumer protection' throughout D.R.M.C. Ch. 42 Art. V (no substantive change to PSE requirements). Denver CB25-1003 (passed 07/28/2025) [2]
• 2026-10-05Colorado Springs repealed and reordained its security licensing code: 'Private Security Officer' renamed 'Private Security Guard'; camera-assisted technology disclosure; agency notice of guard resignation/termination cut from 72 to 24 hours; 24-hour insurance-change notice; insurance limits raised ($1M WC/EL, $1M auto, $1M/$2M CGL); guard temporary permit maximum cut from 90 to 60 days. Colorado Springs Ord. No. 26-53 (City Code 2.3.201-2.3.215) [21]
• 2026-10-05Colorado Springs general Business License Provisions (City Code Ch. 2 Art. 1), which apply to all city business licenses including security agencies, updated (text not reviewed). Colorado Springs Ord. No. 26-52 [19]
• 2027-04-01LATER IN 2027 (after the Jan. 1, 2027 edition date): Denver entertainment-licensing overhaul - nightlife and adult entertainment businesses must adopt Department-approved security plans and prohibit weapons on premises, with an exception for armed security guards properly licensed under D.R.M.C. Ch. 42 Art. V. Affects client venues; does not amend the PSE license or 32-95. Denver CB26-0921 [4]

• None at state level (C.R.S.). HB25-1262 'Regulate Private Security Officers & Agencies' (would have created a State Board of Private Security Services in DORA) was postponed indefinitely 04/07/2025; status Lost — No Colorado statute licenses contract security businesses [26]
• D.R.M.C. Ch. 42, Art. V, secs. 42-131 to 42-144 and 42-161 (repealed and reenacted by CB17-1177; 'director' -> 'manager' terminology amended by CB25-1003) — Denver - Private security employers and security guards [1]
• D.R.M.C. sec. 32-95 — Denver - Fees: security guards or private security employers [1]
• D.R.M.C. Ch. 32, Art. I, incl. sec. 32-10 (reenacted by CB23-0551) — Denver - General licensing provisions: term of licenses, renewals, late renewal penalties [3]
• Code of the City of Colorado Springs 2001, Ch. 2, Art. 3, Part 2, secs. 2.3.201-2.3.215 (repealed and reordained by Ord. 26-53, eff. Oct. 5, 2026; codification pending) — Colorado Springs - Private Security Services [20]
• Westminster Municipal Code Title V, Ch. 13, secs. 5-13-1 et seq. (printout in city application packet, Supp. No. 9, Update 1, 2022) — Westminster - Security Guard Businesses [24]
• Denver Rules Governing Security Guards & Private Security Employers (eff. Nov. 1, 2018), adopted under D.R.M.C. 42-161 — Rules Governing Security Guards & Private Security Employers [5]

1. Denver Council Bill CB17-1177 (Series 2017): repeal/reenactment of D.R.M.C. Ch. 42 Art. V (secs. 42-131 to 42-161) and amendment of D.R.M.C. 32-95 fees (unsigned bill form as posted by Denver) · retrieved 2026-11-09
2. Denver Council Bill CB25-1003 (passed 07/28/2025): renames Dept. of Excise and Licenses to Dept. of Licensing and Consumer Protection; amended excerpts of D.R.M.C. 42-131 to 42-161 · retrieved 2026-11-09
3. Denver Council Bill CB23-0551: repeal/reenactment of D.R.M.C. Ch. 32 Art. I general licensing provisions (incl. 32-10 term and renewals) · retrieved 2026-11-09
4. Denver Council Bill CB26-0921 (amended 8-3-2026): entertainment licensing modernization, most provisions effective April 1, 2027 · retrieved 2026-11-09
5. Denver Excise & Licenses - Rules Governing Security Guards & Private Security Employers (eff. Nov. 1, 2018) [OCR of scanned PDF] · retrieved 2026-11-09
6. Denver DLCP - Private security employer · retrieved 2026-11-09
7. Denver DLCP - New private security employer application (steps, documents, fees) · retrieved 2026-11-09
8. Denver DLCP - Renewal private security employer (fees, late renewal) · retrieved 2026-11-09
9. Denver DLCP - Private security employer amendments and notifications · retrieved 2026-11-09
10. Denver DLCP - Frequently asked questions private security employer · retrieved 2026-11-09
11. Denver DLCP - Frequently asked questions security guards · retrieved 2026-11-09
12. Denver DLCP - Security guards (individual license) · retrieved 2026-11-09
13. Denver DLCP - Security guard policy development (CB17-1177 and 2018 rules history) · retrieved 2026-11-09
14. Denver DLCP - Security services index · retrieved 2026-11-09
15. Denver - Private Security Employer online application guide (portal walkthrough) · retrieved 2026-11-09
16. Denver - Declaration of Uniform Design form · retrieved 2026-11-09
17. Denver - Request for Weapons Endorsement form · retrieved 2026-11-09
18. Denver - Request for Vehicle Endorsement form · retrieved 2026-11-09
19. City of Colorado Springs City Clerk - Security License (Contract Security Agency / Private Security Guard) · retrieved 2026-11-09
20. City of Colorado Springs Ordinance No. 26-53 (signed) - City Code Ch. 2 Art. 3 Part 2 Private Security Services, secs. 2.3.201-2.3.215, eff. Oct. 5, 2026 [OCR] · retrieved 2026-11-09
21. City of Colorado Springs - Overview of Security Licensing Code Changes (eff. Oct. 5, 2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
22. City of Colorado Springs - Business License Application (Revised April 2024) · retrieved 2026-11-09
23. City of Westminster - Specialty Licenses (Security Guard License section) · retrieved 2026-11-09
24. City of Westminster - Security Guard Business License application packet, incl. printout of W.M.C. Title V Ch. 13 (Supp. No. 9, Update 1, created 2022-03-11) · retrieved 2026-11-09
25. Pueblo Police Department - Security Guard / Hack License Application · retrieved 2026-11-09
26. Colorado General Assembly - HB25-1262 bill status page (Status: Lost) · retrieved 2026-11-09
27. Colorado HB25-1262 introduced bill text - Regulate Private Security Officers & Agencies (NOT enacted) · retrieved 2026-11-09
28. Colorado Legislative Council Staff - HB25-1262 Final Fiscal Note (July 29, 2025) · retrieved 2026-11-09
29. Colorado General Assembly bill search results (security guard / private security / security officer), 2025-2026 sessions · 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.