KENTUCKY SECURITY GUARD COMPANY LICENSING (LOCAL)

The license. No Kentucky STATE license exists for a security guard agency / contract security company. The only guard-agency license found is LOCAL: the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government armed security AGENCY license under Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances (LMCO) Chapter 124 ('Armed Security Officers'), required of businesses furnishing ARMED security officers in Louisville Metro (Jefferson County). In-house employers of armed officers ('companies') get a Chapter 124 REGISTRATION instead. No license for unarmed-only guard companies was found at state level or in Louisville (the 2024-25 unarmed proposal O-209-24 expired). [1]

Who needs it. Louisville Metro (all of Jefferson County) only: any person, firm, company, partnership, corporation or other entity in the business of furnishing the services of armed security officers in Louisville Metro needs the Chapter 124 agency license; an entity employing armed officers solely for itself ('company') needs a Chapter 124 registration; each armed officer needs an LMCO 124.05 license. Elsewhere in Kentucky, and for unarmed-only guard businesses, no guard-specific license was found; a guard company that also performs 'private investigating' (KRS 329A.010) needs a private investigator company license from the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Private Investigators. [2]

Local licensing. Kentucky has no statewide licensing of security guard agencies or guards, no state exam and no state regulation chapter for them (the Department of Professional Licensing's board list has no security board; 201 KAR Chapter 41 / KRS 329A cover private investigators only). KRS 329A.085 preempts local regulation of PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS only, so local governments may regulate guards. Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government regulates ARMED security under LMCO Chapter 124: agency license (124.03: principals must be U.S. citizens, 21+, background standards; $100 nonrefundable annual fee; insurance $100,000 property damage / $1,000,000 one person / $3,000,000 more than one person per incident, or proof of sufficient assets; license posted at principal office in Louisville Metro; non-transferable), company registration for in-house armed security, individual armed officer license (124.05) with a Director-recognized training course including a written examination and range qualification (124.08), Metro Revenue Commission occupational license (124.09), civil fines (124.99). Unarmed security licensing (O-209-24, 'Christopher's Law') expired in committee 3/19/2025. Ordinance No. 132-2026 (O-280-25, passed 7/30/2026, signed 8/11/2026) amended LMCO Chapter 149 so cited late-night businesses at persistent illegal activity properties must have a 'Security Provider' (an LMCO 124.05-licensed armed guard or a person with commissioned law-enforcement experience within the prior 5 years) on site 2:00-5:00 a.m.; it creates no new agency license. Other Kentucky cities/counties were not surveyed. Statewide general setup: Secretary of State (or county clerk for sole proprietorships/general partnerships), Department of Revenue tax registration, and local occupational license taxes.

Your guards. No state guard card/registration in Kentucky. Louisville Metro requires each ARMED security officer to hold an LMCO 124.05 license from the Director: U.S. citizen, 21+, background standards, Kentucky residents must hold a valid CCDW license (non-residents sign a no-mental-incompetency affidavit), completion of a Director-recognized 124.08 training course (subjects incl. legal basis/limits of security authority, Kentucky Penal Code, arrest/force/search and seizure, report writing, crowd control, first aid, defensive tactics, firearms qualification, with a written examination and range qualification) or qualifying armed law-enforcement/military experience or KRS 61.900 commission, and evidence of permanent employment with a licensed agency or registered company. Officer license decisions within 30 days. Sworn local police officers with 400-hour KLEC-certified basic training are exempt (124.05(H)), but officers specially commissioned under KRS 61.360, 61.900 or 95.160 are not. Unarmed guards are not licensed (O-209-24 expired). [1]

Role

No state qualifier. Louisville Metro (LMCO 124.03) has no single 'qualifying agent': every person listed on the agency application must personally qualify - for a corporation its incorporators, Board of Directors and officers; for a sole proprietorship or partnership the sole proprietor or each partner (limited or otherwise). [1]

Age & background

Each listed agency principal must: be a U.S. citizen; be at least 21; not have been dishonorably discharged from the U.S. military; not be convicted of or under indictment for a felony, illegal use/carrying/possession of a deadly weapon (KRS 500.080(4)), impersonating a law enforcement officer or government employee, illegal use/sale/possession of a controlled substance (KRS 218A), or any crime of moral turpitude (misdemeanor satisfied if conviction was 2+ years before application; felony satisfied only with pardon or restoration of civil rights plus federal firearm-disability relief); not be adjudged mentally incompetent (unless set aside for fraud or error); and not have been hospitalized for psychiatric or drug/alcohol treatment in the past 2 years unless a physician or clinical psychologist certifies fitness. [1]

• Application must give, for a corporation, its name and address and the names, addresses and either Social Security numbers or complete fingerprint sets of incorporators, directors and officers (sole proprietor/partners likewise). [1]
• No license if the applicant uses a designation or trade name that, in the Director's opinion, implies association with any municipal, county, state or federal government or agency. [1]
• The former requirement that agency applicants hold a Kentucky concealed-carry (CCDW) license was REMOVED by Ord. 218-2017 (struck 124.03(B)). [1]
• Agency and armed officers must also obtain the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Revenue Commission occupational license (LMCO 124.09, existing text). [6]

Insurance

Louisville Metro agency license (LMCO 124.03(A)(4), as amended by Ord. 218-2017): evidence of insurance from an insurer authorized in Kentucky naming the agency as insured: $100,000 property damages; $1,000,000 for injury or death of one person; $3,000,000 for injury or death of more than one person, per incident arising out of the agency's operation. Alternative: demonstrable proof to the Director of sufficient assets to self-indemnify to those limits. Insurance must be re-posted at each annual renewal. Agencies/companies using exempt sworn police officers must still comply with the insurance provisions of LMCO 124.04 (text not seen). No state insurance requirement. [1]

Surety bond

No surety bond appears in LMCO 124.03 for the Louisville agency license (the financial-responsibility requirement is insurance, or proof of sufficient assets to self-indemnify); none at state level. Context only: an individual appointed by the Governor as a KRS 61.360 special local peace officer must post a $5,000 bond - that is not an agency license requirement. [16]

Branch offices

No branch-office license is provided in LMCO 124.03; the single agency license certificate must be displayed in the agency's principal office within Louisville Metro, and the license is not transferable. [1]

• Louisville Metro armed security agency license: $100 nonrefundable license fee (LMCO 124.03, as amended by Ord. 218-2017, effective 90 days after passage). [1]
• Annual renewal: $100 license fee with a new application and posting of insurance. [1]

1. Legally establish the business: sole proprietorships and general partnerships contact the county clerk; all other structures register with the Kentucky Secretary of State and apply for tax accounts at MyTaxes.ky.gov. [20]
2. Register for Kentucky tax accounts (Kentucky Tax Registration Application, online at MyTaxes.ky.gov or paper Form 10A100). [20]
3. Obtain local business licenses / occupational tax accounts where required (many Kentucky cities and counties). [20]
4. Louisville Metro, armed agencies: file the LMCO 124.03 agency application identifying the entity and all incorporators/directors/officers (or proprietor/partners) with SSNs or fingerprints; each must meet the 124.03(A)(3) qualifications. [1]
5. Louisville Metro: provide evidence of the required insurance (or proof of sufficient assets). [1]
6. Respond to any deficiency notice within 14 days (otherwise denial); the Director issues or denies within 60 days after the application is complete. [1]
7. Pay the $100 nonrefundable fee; post the license certificate within 72 hours in a conspicuous place in the agency's principal office within Louisville Metro. [1]
8. Ensure every armed officer holds an LMCO 124.05 armed security officer license (training course per 124.08), and obtain the Metro Revenue Commission occupational license (124.09). [1]

Renewal

Louisville agency license is valid one year; renewable annually on a new application, $100 fee and posting of insurance. Licenses are non-transferable and must be surrendered within 72 hours after revocation or ceasing business. [1]

Disqualifiers & waivers

Louisville agency principals are disqualified by a felony, illegal weapon offense, impersonating an officer, controlled-substance offense or crime of moral turpitude (conviction or pending indictment). 'Waiver' routes written into 124.03: a misdemeanor conviction 2+ years before application satisfies the rule; a felony requires a pardon or restoration of civil rights plus federal firearm-disability relief; prior psychiatric/substance hospitalization within 2 years requires a physician/psychologist fitness statement. The Director must also deny if any listed person committed an act that would be grounds for revocation, engaged in the armed-security business while unlicensed, made a material misstatement/omission, or uses a government-sounding trade name. Suspended/revoked agencies may request a hearing before the Director (124.11). [1]

• never (proposed effective date July 1, 2025; expired 2025-03-19)Louisville O-209-24 ('Christopher's Law') - would have created LMCO 124.21-124.33 licensing/training for unarmed security agencies, companies and officers, amended armed sections 124.01, 124.05, 124.08, 124.09, 124.10, 124.99 and moved administration to Metro ABC Specialty Permits and Licenses. NOT ENACTED: expired in the Public Safety Committee 3/19/2025. Listed so writers do not treat it as law. Louisville Metro Council O-209-24 [8]
• upon passage and approval (passed 2026-07-30; signed copy shows approval 2026-08-11)Louisville Ordinance No. 132-2026 (O-280-25, as amended) - amends LMCO Chapter 149 (criminal activity nuisances): a citation to the owner of a persistent-illegal-activity property with a late-night business (open any time 2:00-5:00 a.m.) must order a 'Security Provider' on site 2:00-5:00 a.m. for 12 months (deadly weapon involved), 6 months (violence) or 90 days (other); a Security Provider is an armed security guard licensed under LMCO 124.05 or a person with commissioned law-enforcement experience within the prior five years. Creates new demand for Chapter 124-licensed armed guards; no new agency license. Passed by Metro Council 7/30/2026; Mayor's approval date on the signed copy is 08-11-2026 (handwritten; seen visually). Effective upon passage and approval, i.e. in effect before 2027-01-01. Louisville Metro Ordinance No. 132-2026 (O-280-25), amending LMCO 149.02, 149.05, 149.06, 149.07 [3]
• n/aNo state-level change: no 2025 RS or 2026 RS bill on security guard / security agency licensing was found in the LRC subject indexes or became-law lists, and KRS 329A sections carry no amendment after 2017. No Louisville Chapter 124 amendment was introduced or enacted 2016-2026 other than Ord. 58-2016, Ord. 218-2017 and the expired O-209-24 (Legistar title search; PrimeGov agendas Apr 2023-Jun 2026). Nothing already enacted takes effect later in 2027. KRS 329A.070 (history); LRC 25RS/26RS indexes; Louisville Legistar [14]

• Louisville Metro Code of Ordinances (LMCO) Chapter 124, §§ 124.01-124.12, 124.99 (Armed Security Officers) — Local ordinance licensing armed security agencies and officers. Codified text (amlegal) not retrievable; current text assembled from enacted Ord. 58-2016 (124.01 definitions), enacted Ord. 218-2017 (full 124.03 agency license and 124.05 officer license), and unchanged existing text reproduced in expired proposal O-209-24 (124.05(H), 124.08, 124.09, 124.10(A), 124.99). 124.02, 124.04, 124.06-124.07, 124.11-124.12 not seen. [1]
• Louisville Metro Ordinance No. 58, Series 2016 (O-106-16) — Amending LMCO 124.01, 124.03, 124.05 (definitions; Director = Codes and Regulations) [2]
• Louisville Metro Ordinance No. 218, Series 2017 (O-373-17) — Amending LMCO 124.03 and 124.05 (current agency license application/issuance; officer license) [1]
• LMCO Chapter 149 as amended by Louisville Metro Ordinance No. 132-2026 (O-280-25) — Criminal activity nuisances; late-night businesses at persistent illegal activity properties must use a 'Security Provider' (LMCO 124.05-licensed armed guard or recent commissioned officer) 2-5 a.m. [3]
• KRS Chapter 329A (KRS 329A.010-329A.095) — Private Investigators - licenses private investigating only, not guard/patrol services; KRS 329A.085 preempts local regulation of private investigators only [14]
• KRS 61.360 — Special local peace officers appointed by the Governor at a property owner's request - individual commission, not an agency license (context) [16]
• KRS 61.900-61.930 — Special law enforcement officers on public property - definition excludes private security guards (context) [17]

1. Louisville Metro Ordinance No. 218, Series 2017 (O-373-17) - signed enacted ordinance amending LMCO 124.03 (agency license) and 124.05 (officer license); clean V.1 copy appended · retrieved 2026-11-09
2. Louisville Metro Ordinance No. 58, Series 2016 (O-106-16) - signed enacted ordinance amending LMCO 124.01 definitions, 124.03, 124.05 · retrieved 2026-11-09
3. Louisville Metro Ordinance No. 132-2026 (O-280-25) - Legistar matter record, history and final V.3 text (LMCO Chapter 149, late-night business security) · retrieved 2026-11-09
4. Louisville Metro Council Legistar - search for all Chapter 124 / armed security ordinances and 2026 security/licensing ordinances · retrieved 2026-11-09
5. Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council Legistar - title searches for security guard legislation · retrieved 2026-11-09
6. Louisville Metro Council O-209-24 As Amended (12-3-24), proposed amendment of LMCO Chapter 124 (never enacted) - strike/underline-marked extraction; unmarked text = existing LMCO 124.01, 124.05(H), 124.08, 124.09, 124.10(A), 124.99 · retrieved 2026-11-09
7. Louisville Metro Council O-209-24 - plain extraction (interleaves struck and inserted words; prefer lou-o209-24) · retrieved 2026-11-09
8. Louisville Metro Council Public Safety Committee minutes, March 19, 2025 (O-209-24 Expired) · retrieved 2026-11-09
9. Louisville Metro Council Public Safety Committee action summary, 3/19/2025 (independent copy) · retrieved 2026-11-09
10. Louisville Metro Council O-280-25 (amendment by substitution as of 5/6/26, superseded by final V.3 in lou-ord132-2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
11. Louisville Metro Council Public Safety Committee, May 6, 2026 (O-280-25 postponed) · retrieved 2026-11-09
12. Louisville Metro Council Public Safety Committee action summary, 5/6/2026 (independent copy) · retrieved 2026-11-09
13. Louisville Metro Council action summary, 4/23/2026 (O-280-25 recommitted) · retrieved 2026-11-09
14. KRS Chapter 329A Private Investigators (KRS 329A.010-329A.095) · retrieved 2026-11-09
15. KRS Chapter 329A Private Investigators (independent re-fetch) · retrieved 2026-11-09
16. KRS 61.360 Special local peace officers · retrieved 2026-11-09
17. KRS 61.900-61.930 Special law enforcement officers · retrieved 2026-11-09
18. Kentucky General Assembly 2025 & 2026 Regular Session bill-record subject indexes and became-law lists · retrieved 2026-11-09
19. Kentucky Department of Professional Licensing - license verification board list · retrieved 2026-11-09
20. Business Registration - Kentucky Department of Revenue · 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.