NEBRASKA SECURITY GUARD AGENCY LICENSE

The license. Private Detective Agency License (Nebraska Private Detective Licensing Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-3201 to 71-3213; 433 NAC 3). There is no separate state 'security agency', 'security guard company' or 'Private Security Agency Registration' license. The PDA license reaches a contract security company only when it provides 'secret service or private policing' services, which the SOS rule defines to include NON-UNIFORMED security services; no state license for a uniformed-only guard company was found. [9]

Who needs it. Any person (individual, firm, partnership, LLC, association, corporation or other entity) that, other than as a sole-proprietor private detective or as an employee plain clothes investigator, engages in the 'private detective business' - i.e. advertises or holds itself out as engaged in the 'secret service or private policing business'. The statute does not define 'secret service or private policing'; 433 NAC 3-001.02 defines it to include general investigative work, NON-UNIFORMED security services, surveillance, location of missing persons and background checks. A guard company providing plain-clothes/non-uniformed security (or any investigations/surveillance) therefore needs the PDA license; a company furnishing only uniformed guards is not named in the statute or rule and, on the SOS rule's wording, appears to fall outside the state license. [2]

Local licensing. Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-3203 preserves the power of cities and villages to appoint 'special policemen' by ordinance, but that power may not 'infringe upon or nullify' a state PD license. Neb. Rev. Stat. 16-205 and 17-525 let first-class cities, second-class cities and villages license/tax and regulate any business by ordinance, and 14-102 gives Omaha (metropolitan class) general powers. A local layer (which would make NE 'mixed' for uniformed guard companies) cannot be ruled out.

Your guards. Employees who conduct investigations for a licensed agency (including non-uniformed/plain-clothes security work) must hold a Plain Clothes Investigator license (application, agency voucher, fingerprints, 80% exam; $25 + $38). A PCI license is void on termination of employment or expiration of the agency license. No state registration or guard card for uniformed security officers was found. Forms: https://sos.nebraska.gov/private-detectives [2]

Role

Qualifying Agent (term used on the SOS agency application) - the person designated on the agency application who meets the private detective experience/exam requirements and has overall day-to-day management responsibility and supervision of plain clothes investigators; must be an officer or director (corporation), member or manager (LLC), or partner or manager (partnership/other). [2]

Experience

Minimum 3000 hours of verifiable investigative experience; or 2500 hours with an associate degree in Criminal Justice or closely related field; or 2000 hours with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice or closely related field (accredited, regionally recognized institution). 'Verifiable investigative experience' = prior work as city/county/state/federal law enforcement officer, military police officer, private investigator in another state, or licensed Nebraska plain-clothes investigator, or other relevant investigative experience approved by the Secretary (433 NAC 3-005.01A-C, 005.02). Statute 71-3205(3) leaves experience/competence to the Secretary. [2]

Age & background

At least 21 years old, U.S. citizen, of good moral character, temperate habits and good reputation for truth, honesty and integrity; two legible sets of fingerprints to the Nebraska State Patrol for an FBI national criminal history check; State Patrol character/reputation investigation (results within 90 days). [1]

• Minimum score of 80% on the SOS license exam. [2]
• Corporation: each officer performing the duties of president, secretary, treasurer and manager in Nebraska is licensed for the agency; other entities: each partner/member/manager/officer with a right to participate in Nebraska management. Any officer or managing partner must submit fingerprint cards before an agency license issues. [2]
• The qualifying individual completes the Plain Clothes Investigator application packet (application, Authorization for Release of Information, two fingerprint cards, Citizenship Attestation Form, copy of driver's license) for the State Patrol background check. [8]
• No license may be issued or renewed to anyone engaged in debt collection in Nebraska under the Collection Agency Act. [1]
• Color 1" x 1 1/2" facial photograph taken within 90 days (SOS Requirements chart: two passport-sized photos). [2]
• United States Citizenship Attestation Form (Neb. Rev. Stat. 4-108 to 4-114), part of the qualifying individual's PCI packet. [15]

Exam

License exam (Nebraska private detective / private detective agency / plain clothes investigator written license exam; no other official name) [2]

Who sits it

The agency's designated qualifying individual (433 NAC 3-005.01D via 005.03); also sole-proprietor private detective applicants and employee plain clothes investigator applicants (006.01A). The SOS Requirements chart marks 'Written Exam' for all three license types. [2]

Administered by

None - administered in person by the Nebraska Secretary of State Licensing Division (no third-party testing vendor named in any source) [4]

Delivery

In person at the Secretary of State office in Lincoln, third Wednesday of each month at 10:00 a.m.; the application must be complete and all minimum requirements met first, and the applicant must contact the Licensing Division at (402) 471-8606 beforehand. Rule: the test may not be held more than 30 days after the applicant's request. Location conflict: SOS web page and Requirements sheet say 1201 N Street, Suite 120; the PDA/PD/PCI instruction sheets say 1221 N Street (the instruction sheets' own letterhead says 1201 N. St., Suite 120). [2]

Passing score

80% [2]

Retakes

Must wait at least 21 days before retaking; after three failed attempts the applicant is considered incompetent to receive a license and is not eligible to test again; a passing score is valid for 2 years from the exam date. [2]

Surety bond

$10,000 surety bond executed by a surety company authorized in Nebraska, filed before issuance or renewal and continuously maintained; conditioned on faithful and honest conduct of the licensee and its plain clothes investigators; injured persons may sue on it; aggregate surety liability capped at the bond amount; surety may cancel on 30 days' notice to the Secretary. SOS: bond (or continuation certificate) must carry original signatures of the bonding company and licensee; SOS advises a bond that does not expire before the end of the licensing period. [1]

• Private Detective Agency application fee (initial and renewal): $100.00, non-refundable. Statute 71-3204(2) lets the Secretary set fees 'sufficient to cover the costs'; the amounts are in the rule. [2]
• Background check application fee: $38 per application in addition to the license fee; not charged on renewal. [2]
• Agency instruction sheet: $100 application fee + $38 background check fee for the qualifying individual (matches rule and Requirements chart '$100 + $38'). [8]
• Plain Clothes Investigator (each employee doing investigative/non-uniformed work): $25.00 + $38 background check. [2]
• Private Detective (sole proprietor, no employees): $50.00 per rule and Requirements chart ('$50 + $38'). [2]
• CONFLICT: the SOS Private Detective instruction sheet lists a '$25 application fee' for the sole-proprietor PD license; 433 NAC 3-008.01A ($50) controls. Does not affect the agency fee. [10]
• All fees non-refundable. [2]

1. Complete the Application for Private Detective Agency License (licensee name, business address, Qualifying Agent and position, all officers/members/managers), sign with original signatures and complete the notarized Affidavit. Corporations list president, secretary, treasurer and any person with manager duties; other entities list each partner/member/manager/officer with management rights. [8]
2. Qualifying individual completes Plain Clothes Investigator materials: application, Authorization for Release of Information, two fingerprint cards, Citizenship Attestation Form, copy of driver's license. [8]
3. File a $10,000 surety bond (or continuation certificate) signed by the bonding company and the licensee, original signatures. [8]
4. Pay the $100 application fee and $38 background check fee in advance; answer all questions; submit readable fingerprint cards and photos. [2]
5. After the application is complete and minimum requirements are met, contact SOS ((402) 471-8606) and sit for the written exam (third Wednesday monthly, 10:00 a.m., Lincoln); 80% required. [7]
6. Nebraska State Patrol character/reputation investigation and FBI fingerprint check (up to 90 days). License issues unless the Patrol reports within 90 days that the applicant is not of proper character. [1]
7. Post the license prominently at the principal place of business in Nebraska. [1]
8. Each individual working for the agency in Nebraska completes Plain Clothes Investigator license materials (with agency Voucher of Employment). [8]

Renewal

All licenses expire June 30 of the first even-numbered year after issuance (biennial; the 2026-07-09 agency roster states all licenses expire 06/30/2028). Renew by paying the renewal fee ($100 agency; no $38 background fee on renewal) no later than the expiration date and filing the SOS renewal application; bond must be continuously maintained. [1]

Disqualifiers & waivers

No license to an individual applicant, or to an entity whose individuals participating in Nebraska management, have been convicted in Nebraska or any other state/territory of any felony or any misdemeanor involving a sex offense or moral turpitude; the only waiver is a full pardon (71-3206). The Secretary may also, after opportunity for hearing, deny, refuse to renew, suspend or revoke for significant change in management, non-compliance, insolvency, bankruptcy, bad or improper conduct of the licensee or its officers/agents/employees, or other reason inconsistent with the public interest (71-3210); appeals under the Administrative Procedure Act (71-3211). Debt collectors are barred (71-3205(4)). Violations are a Class II misdemeanor (71-3213). [1]

• n/aNo 2025-2026 amendment to the Private Detective Licensing Act (71-3201 to 71-3213) or 433 NAC 3 was found: statute source notes end with Laws 2020, LB910 (71-3204) and Laws 2003, LB 267 (71-3205); the rules.nebraska.gov docket has no 433 NAC 3 filing (a 433 NAC 2 collection-agency rule is unrelated). Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-3204 source note; rules docket [1]
• Three calendar months after adjournment of the 2026 session (bill history's last actions dated April 17, 2026, implying about mid-July 2026; exact date not confirmed from a primary source) - before 2027-01-01LB935 (2026) creates a Class IIIA felony for knowingly installing/using a mobile tracking device on another's property without consent (Nebraska Criminal Code, secs. 13-16). Exempts a private investigator 'licensed under sections 71-3201 to 71-3213' acting in the normal course of business with the property owner's consent for listed purposes (crimes, fugitives, lost/stolen property or court-awarded assets, workers' compensation claims), unless the client is subject to a protection order or seeks to aid a crime; the general business-entity exemption expressly does not apply to private investigators. Laws 2026, LB935, secs. 13-16, 45 [19]
• Three calendar months after adjournment of the 2026 session (secs. 19 and 21 are in the sec. 45 list)LB935 (2026) sec. 19 amends the unlawful intrusion statute 28-311.08 (exam topic 'Intrusion'); the slip-law text includes viewing/recording 'by unmanned aircraft', a threat-to-distribute offense and a three-year filing period (underline/strike formatting is lost in text extraction - confirm exactly which words are new against the slip law PDF). Laws 2026, LB935, secs. 19, 21, 45 [19]
• 2026-04-14 (approval)LB935 approved by the Governor April 14, 2026 (passed with emergency clause). Sections operative January 1, 2027 (secs. 20, 26-32, 34, 39, 47: e.g. 28-358.01, no-contact periods, 29-4315, 42-927) do not touch the PD Act; no enacted change taking effect after 2027-01-01 affecting this license was found. Laws 2026, LB935 [20]
• 2025-10-17SOS Plain Clothes Investigator application form revised (footer 'Updated 10/17/2025') - the form the agency's qualifying individual also completes. SOS PCI Application [13]
• n/aLB1039 (2026, corporal punishment by school security guards) and LB670 (2025, school safety plans/training) were indefinitely postponed - no change to school security-agency MOU rules (79-2702 to 79-2704). LB1039; LB670 bill histories [20]

• Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-3201 to 71-3213 — Private Detective Licensing Act (definitions; license required; local special police; SOS rules and fees; application, State Patrol check and qualifications; disqualification; $10,000 bond; posting; June 30 even-year expiration/renewal; denial/suspension/revocation; APA appeal; agent/employee compliance; Class II misdemeanor penalty) [1]
• Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-2702 to 79-2704 — School resource officers and security guards - a 'security agency' (contractor employing security guards used by a school district) must have a memorandum of understanding with the district requiring 20 hours of school-based training [22]
• Neb. Rev. Stat. 29-401 — Duty of sheriffs, marshals, 'security guard', police and peace officers to arrest and detain law violators (context; not a licensing statute) [18]
• Neb. Rev. Stat. 14-102; 16-205; 17-525 — Municipal powers (metropolitan city general powers; first-class, second-class city and village license/occupation tax and regulation by ordinance) - legal basis for any local licensing layer (context) [23]
• 433 NAC 3 (Title 433 Licensing, Chapter 3 - Private Detectives; effective 2014-05-25/26 per rules.nebraska.gov metadata) — Private Detectives - definitions (incl. non-uniformed security services), advertising, forms, application requirements, experience, qualifying designee, license exam, fees [2]

1. Neb. Rev. Stat. 71-3201 to 71-3213, Private Detective Licensing Act · retrieved 2026-11-09
2. 433 NAC 3 - Private Detectives (Nebraska Rules & Regulations system) · retrieved 2026-11-09
3. SOS 'Rules and Regulations' PDF - Chapter 3 Private Detectives (scanned; OCR text, cross-check copy) · retrieved 2026-11-09
4. Nebraska Secretary of State - Private Detectives page · retrieved 2026-11-09
5. Nebraska Secretary of State - Licensing Division · retrieved 2026-11-09
6. Nebraska Secretary of State - Private Detective Statutes list · retrieved 2026-11-09
7. Requirements for Private Detective Licensing (SOS guidance document, Revised 02/22/2018) · retrieved 2026-11-09
8. Nebraska Private Detective Agency License Instructions · retrieved 2026-11-09
9. Application for Private Detective Agency License · retrieved 2026-11-09
10. Nebraska Private Detective License Instructions · retrieved 2026-11-09
11. Application for Private Detective License · retrieved 2026-11-09
12. Nebraska Plain Clothes Investigator License Instructions · retrieved 2026-11-09
13. Application for Plain Clothes Investigator License (Updated 10/17/2025) · retrieved 2026-11-09
14. Voucher for Plain Clothes Detective · retrieved 2026-11-09
15. United States Citizenship Attestation Form · retrieved 2026-11-09
16. Active Private Detective Agency Licensees (roster dated 2026-07-09) · retrieved 2026-11-09
17. Neb. Rev. Stat. 14-102 - Metropolitan city powers · retrieved 2026-11-09
18. Neb. Rev. Stat. 29-401 - Law violators; arrest by sheriff or other peace officer (mentions security guard) · retrieved 2026-11-09
19. LB935 (2026) Slip Law · retrieved 2026-11-09
20. Nebraska Legislature bill histories (LB935, LB1039, LB670) and keyword-search notes · retrieved 2026-11-09
21. Nebraska Rules & Regulations proposed-rules docket (Secretary of State rows) · retrieved 2026-11-09
22. Neb. Rev. Stat. 79-2702 to 79-2704 (school security guards / security agency MOU) · retrieved 2026-11-09
23. Neb. Rev. Stat. 16-205 and 17-525 (municipal license/occupation tax and regulation powers) · retrieved 2026-11-09
24. 433 NAC 3 - Private Detectives · 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.