NEVADA SECURITY GUARD AGENCY LICENSE

The license. Private Patrol Officer license. This is the business license under NRS Chapter 648 for a person or company that employs and provides guards, watchmen, patrol officers and similar personnel to others. The Board's older publications also say "Private Patrolman Operator (PPO)". [1]

Who needs it. Any person, partnership or corporation (NAC 648.215 says "corporation" includes LLCs and foreign LLCs) that engages in or advertises the business of private patrol officer. One unlicensed act counts as engaging in the business (NRS 648.063). Exempt: a bona fide in-house (proprietary) patrol officer employed regularly by an employer for that employer's own affairs (NRS 648.018(4)), along with law enforcement on duty and the other exemptions in NRS 648.018. [1]

Local licensing. State license only. Under NRS 648.140(1) a PILB license authorizes business in every county and city, and "A county or city shall not enact ordinances regulating persons licensed pursuant to this chapter, except general business regulations designed to raise revenue or assure compliance with building codes and ordinances or regulations concerning zoning and safety from fire." (src nrs-648). So a city or county general business license may still be needed where the office is located, but no local security-company license or exam applies. NAC 648.500 bars using a home as the principal place of business where a local ordinance prohibits it. In a county of 100,000 or more, the sheriff may contract with the Board for fingerprinting and provisional employee registration (NRS 648.1495, 648.203). That is administrative and is not a separate local license.

Your guards. Every employee of a licensee must be registered and hold a PILB "work card" (NRS 648.060, 648.1493). Registration is valid 5 years. A provisional registration expires after 90 days. The fee is capped at $135 ($85 regular / $129 expedited per the Board's 05/2026 instructions). Employees of private patrol licensees must pass the Board's work-card exam with 100% (NAC 648.341). The licensee must notify the Board within 3 days after employees begin work. Armed employees need Board firearms certification (NAC 648.345-648.350): 8 hours of training with a 75% written exam, at least 5 hours of range training (8 under pending R127-24), and requalification every 6 months. Applications: https://pilb.nv.gov/work-cards/. [1]

Role

Qualifying agent (QA) of a corporate or LLC applicant. An individual applicant qualifies personally. NRS 648.110(2) applies the experience requirement to "each applicant, or the qualifying agent of a corporate applicant". [1]

Experience

At least 5 years' experience as a private patrol officer, or the equivalent as determined by the Board. 1 year = 2,000 hours, so 10,000 hours in total. Degree credit (NAC 648.275): an associate's degree in police science or criminal justice = 8 months; a bachelor's = 1 1/2 years. The Board requires the employer to certify the experience on the application forms. [1]

Age & background

The applicant, including each director and officer of a corporate applicant, must be at least 21 and of good moral character and temperate habits. There must be no conviction of (1) a felony relating to the practice or (2) any crime involving moral turpitude or the illegal use or possession of a dangerous weapon. The Board's Licensing page and info sheet paraphrase the felony bar as "A felony", which is broader, and add US citizenship or lawful work authorization and an FBI/Nevada DPS fingerprint check. The statute controls on the conviction bar. [1]

• 1 year of experience = 2,000 hours [1]
• Degree credit: associate's in police science/criminal justice = 8 months; bachelor's = 1 1/2 years (NAC 648.275) [2]
• Experience must be certified by the employer on the Board's forms [24]
• Citizenship or lawful work status. This is a Board-page requirement and is not in the NRS 648.110 text. [18]
• Pass the written licensing exam with 75% or better. The exam applies only to individual applicants and qualifying-agent applicants. [18]
• A corporation applying to qualify an agent must file the corporation-agent employment contract, which must set out the agent's responsibilities, duties and authority in detail (NAC 648.250). Pending R127-24 would also prescribe mandatory contract contents. [2]
• A person may not be QA in the same license category for more than one corporation (NAC 648.265) [2]
• A person holding an individual license must surrender it for cancellation or abeyance before approval as QA in the same category. Pending R127-24 would change this to abeyance only, with no surrender. [2]
• A current licensee may change to QA status for a corporate licensee in the same category without retaking the written exam (NAC 648.260) [2]
• If the qualifying person dies, becomes disabled or leaves, the corporation may operate for no more than 120 days without a new qualified person [2]
• The licensee or its QA must be physically present in Nevada to supervise registered employees working in Nevada [1]
• Corporate applicant: a background biography and an FBI fingerprint card for each of the three principal officers, and for those of any parent or holding company (NAC 648.230) [2]
• True financial statement on Board forms [2]
• Must maintain a principal place of business (NRS 648.148). NAC 648.113 interprets this as including a home or shared office "located in this State". [1]
• Partnerships: every partner must be licensed (NAC 648.270) [2]
• Uniforms, badges and patches must be submitted as a color photograph with the application or before use (NAC 648.530). The Board's guidelines require pre-approval of uniforms and marked vehicles. [2]

Exam

Private Patrol Officer Exam [19]

Who sits it

Individual applicants and qualifying-agent applicants, not every corporate officer. A current licensee moving to QA status in the same category does not retake it (NAC 648.260). [18]

Administered by

None. The Board prepares the exam itself. Current NAC 648.310 lets the Board designate police or other law enforcement officials to administer it. Pending R127-24 would remove that option, so the Board alone would administer it. No PSI, Pearson VUE or Prometric involvement and no candidate bulletin was found. [2]

Delivery

Written exam prepared and given by the Board (an oral exam is permitted by statute) in January, April, July and October. It is given at the same time to all applicants, with the time, date and place fixed by the Executive Director (NAC 648.310). Question types: true/false, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice and definitions. The application must be received and verified complete one month before the exam date, and the applicant must have written confirmation before attending. Location is listed as "To Be Determined". 2026 dates: Jan 7, Apr 8, Jul 8 and Oct 7, 2026. No 2027 dates were posted as of 2026-11-09. Whether the exam is on paper or computer is not stated. [2]

Questions

50 [19]

Time limit (minutes)

60 [19]

Passing score

75% or better [19]

Retakes

A failed applicant may not be reexamined until paying another $100. No waiting period or attempt limit is stated. The exams are quarterly, and the application itself is valid for 6 months after filing. [1]

Candidate handbook ↗

Insurance

Before any license is issued or renewed: third-party liability insurance with limits of at least $200,000 from an insurer authorized in Nevada, or Board-approved self-insurance. A self-insurer must keep at least $200,000 on deposit at an FDIC-insured institution, with withdrawals cosigned by a Board agent (NAC 648.480). The license is automatically suspended 10 days after notice that insurance is not in effect unless proof is given (NRS 648.135(2)). The Board's booklet says the certificate must name the PILB as certificate holder and an updated certificate is due at each policy renewal. The July 2026 portal instructions require a current certificate at each renewal. Pending R127-24 would repeal NAC 648.325 as duplicative. [1]

Branch offices

Register each branch office address in writing at $50 per branch per year, and notify the Board within 10 days of opening, closing or moving one. The Board may issue a branch certificate. A branch manager needs no license solely for that role, but the Board may investigate the manager (NAC 648.510). [1]

• Examination fee: $100 per examination, nonrefundable (NRS 648.070). The Board info sheet says "$100 per category". [1]
• Reexamination: $100 [1]
• Background investigation deposit: $750 for the first license category plus $250 for each additional category. The applicant is liable for the entire investigation cost and must pay it before taking the exam. [1]
• Application processing fee: $20 per application, nonrefundable. Source: Board info sheet REVISED 11/2023 only; no NAC section was found. [24]
• Annual license fee: prescribed by the Board, capped at $500 per category, prorated by month for new licenses. The current dollar amount was NOT found. [1]
• New licenses run from July 1 and are prorated by month [24]
• Branch office: $50 per branch per year [1]
• Abeyance: the statute sets renewal of a license in abeyance at up to $100 per category, and reinstatement from abeyance at $100 per category plus the annual fee. Board info sheet: "Abeyance Fee - $ 100.00 - per license (per year)". [1]
• Reinstatement of a forfeited (unrenewed) license within 30 days: $100 (NRS 648.146). The Board booklet calls this a $100 late fee per license if paid by July 31. [1]
• Late renewal fee per Board booklet (Jan 2019): $100 per license if paid by July 31 [25]
• Credit card payments carry a 2.45% service fee (effective Oct. 1, 2021). No cash accepted. [21]
• Employee work-card (registration) fee, for reference: the statutory cap is $135. NAC 648.3403 sets $95 with two fingerprint cards or $85 with an electronic fingerprint receipt. The Board's 05/2026 instructions list $85 regular and $129 expedited, plus $10 if a fingerprint card is submitted. The $129 expedited fee does not appear in the NAC. [2]

1. Request the license application from the Board by email. No business-license application is posted online. [18]
2. File a written, signed and verified application with the $100 exam fee per category and the $750/$250 investigation deposit. A corporation's application is signed by the president, secretary and treasurer and comes with a certified certificate of incorporation and a Secretary of State good-standing certification. [1]
3. Include the personal history, financial statement, business and branch addresses, categories sought, fingerprints, photograph, proof of qualifications, partner/officer/director/manager names and any fictitious-name certificate. [1]
4. Sign the criminal-history release. Refusing is grounds for denial (NAC 648.290). [2]
5. The application is valid for 6 months after filing. The Board runs a background investigation, and the investigation fee must be paid in full before the exam. [1]
6. Once the application is complete, the Board notifies the applicant of the exam date. The application must be verified complete one month before the exam. [19]
7. Pass the written Private Patrol Officer exam with 75% or better [19]
8. The Board votes on the application at a public meeting. Example: a new corporate PPO license on the Sept 2026 agenda. [13]
9. Within 90 days after approval, meet the remaining prerequisites (proof of $200,000 insurance naming PILB as certificate holder; prorated license fee) (NAC 648.320). Pending R127-24 would repeal this and require all prerequisites before approval. [2]
10. The license issues and must be posted at the principal place of business. It runs to June 30. [1]

Renewal

Annual. Licenses and pocket cards expire June 30, and the renewal form, fee and information are due on or before June 30. The Board's window is May 15 - June 30, through the online portal (July 2026 instructions) or at an office, and each year requires a new photo and a current insurance certificate. An unrenewed license is automatically forfeited but may be reinstated within 30 days for $100 (NRS 648.146). The Board booklet says the license expires and renewal is denied after July 31. No continuing-education requirement for the business license was found. [1]

Disqualifiers & waivers

Mandatory bars (NRS 648.110(1)): under 21; lack of good moral character or temperate habits; a felony conviction relating to the practice; any crime of moral turpitude or illegal weapon use or possession. These apply to the applicant and to each corporate director and officer. Discretionary refusal (NRS 648.100(3)): acts that would be grounds for discipline; dishonesty or fraud; untruthfulness or lack of integrity; a prior refusal or revocation, including as officer, director, partner or manager of a refused or revoked firm; unlicensed practice; false statements; refusing information. Other bars: refusing the criminal-history release (NAC 648.290) and child-support noncompliance (NRS 648.085). No statutory waiver or pre-application determination exists, because NRS 622.085's criminal-history petition process expressly excepts chapter 648. [1]

• n/aNo 2025 amendments to NRS Chapter 648. The official text is revised through the 2025 legislation, no section history note cites a 2025 statute, and there are no future-effective versions apart from the federal child-support contingencies. The Legislature's next regular session is 2027, so no statutory change takes effect by 2027-01-01. NRS Chapter 648 [Rev. 4/15/2026--2025] [1]
• Not effective as of 2026-11-09; date unknown (on Legislative Commission approval and filing with the Secretary of State)PENDING, NOT IN EFFECT: LCB File R127-24, the PILB omnibus regulation. The Board adopted it at its June 30, 2025 hearing, and LCB received the adopted text on 06/01/26. Changes: defines 'qualifying agent' and mandates the contents of the QA employment contract; the Board alone administers exams in Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct 'and at any other time the Executive Director deems necessary'; repeals NAC 648.235, so no corporate license without a QA; repeals NAC 648.320, so all prerequisites before approval instead of the 90-day window; repeals NAC 648.325 (duplicative insurance rule); abeyance without surrender; one fingerprint set instead of two; work-card exam must be Board-administered; terminations of registered employees reported within 3 days; armed: 21+, no firearms course or carry while provisionally registered, range training from 5 to 8 hours, instructor certification online within 2 days; fines payable by card. Under NRS 233B.070(1) a permanent regulation takes effect only when the Legislative Counsel files it with the Secretary of State. It does not take effect unless the Legislative Commission approves it, and no approval was found. Books should present current NAC as controlling on 2027-01-01 and flag R127-24 as pending. LCB File No. R127-24 (amending NAC 648.110, .140, .250, .260, .265, .310, .330, .338, .3385, .3403, .341, .342, .343, .3435, .344, .345, .346, .350, .431, .433, .439; repealing NAC 648.235, .320, .325) [5]
• PendingR127-24 exam-administration change (pending): the Board would administer exams itself, with no police designees R127-24 sec. 6 (NAC 648.310) [5]
• current lawLegal rule on effectiveness of permanent regulations (supports treating R127-24 as not in force) NRS 233B.070(1) [4]
• n/aLCB Legislative Commission review list (Sept 24, 2026) confirms that regulations need Commission approval. R127-24 is not on the list. LCB Regulations to be reviewed, Sept 24, 2026 [10]
• n/a (review only)Governor's Executive Order 2026-003 regulatory review: the PILB held a stakeholder meeting on 9/23/2026 that was not a rulemaking. No resulting NAC 648 change had been proposed or adopted as of 2026-11-09. PILB Stakeholders Meeting agenda, Sept 23, 2026 [16]
• 2025 enactment; exact date not identifiedNRS 622.530 (license by endorsement for natural persons licensed in another state) was amended in 2025 (Stats. 2025, p. 823). The nature of the change is not identified in the saved source. No PILB endorsement regulation exists in NAC 648, and the section covers natural persons, so its relevance to a corporate PPO license is doubtful. NRS 622.530 (A 2025, 823) [3]

• NRS Chapter 648 (esp. NRS 648.013, 648.018, 648.060, 648.070, 648.100, 648.110, 648.120, 648.135, 648.140, 648.142-648.149, 648.1493, 648.1495, 648.150, 648.203) — Private Investigators, Private Patrol Officers, Polygraphic Examiners, Process Servers, Repossessors, Dog Handlers and Registered Employees [Rev. 4/15/2026--2025] [1]
• NRS Chapter 622 (esp. NRS 622.085, which excepts chapter 648 from the criminal-history petition process; NRS 622.530, license by endorsement) — General Provisions Governing Regulatory Bodies [Rev. 4/15/2026--2025] [3]
• NRS 233B.070 (when a permanent regulation takes effect; relevant to pending R127-24) — Nevada Administrative Procedure Act [Rev. 9/9/2026--2026R1] [4]
• NAC Chapter 648 (esp. NAC 648.113, 648.215-648.330, 648.338-648.3447, 648.345-648.355, 648.480-648.540) — Private Investigators, Private Patrol Officers, Polygraphic Examiners, Process Servers, Repossessors and Dog Handlers [Rev. 4/13/2026] [2]
• LCB File No. R127-24 (PENDING: adopted by PILB, received by LCB 06/01/26, NOT approved by the Legislative Commission and NOT in effect as of 2026-11-09) — Adopted Regulation of the Private Investigator's Licensing Board (qualifying agents, examinations, registration, firearms training, fines) [5]

1. NRS Chapter 648 [Rev. 4/15/2026--2025] · retrieved 2026-11-09
2. NAC Chapter 648 [Rev. 4/13/2026] · retrieved 2026-11-09
3. NRS Chapter 622 - General Provisions Governing Regulatory Bodies · retrieved 2026-11-09
4. NRS Chapter 233B - Nevada Administrative Procedure Act [Rev. 9/9/2026--2026R1] · retrieved 2026-11-09
5. Adopted Regulation R127-24 (PILB), received by LCB 06/01/26 · retrieved 2026-11-09
6. Revised Proposed Regulation R127-24 (RP1) · retrieved 2026-11-09
7. R127-24 Informational Statement · retrieved 2026-11-09
8. LCB 2024 Register numerical index (R127-24 entries) · retrieved 2026-11-09
9. lcb-register-2024-index-ref · retrieved 2026-11-09
10. LCB Regulations to be reviewed by the Legislative Commission, Sept 24, 2026 · retrieved 2026-11-09
11. PILB Notice of Intent to Act Upon a Regulation R-127-24 · retrieved 2026-11-09
12. PILB Board Meeting transcript June 30, 2025 (R127-24 adoption hearing) · retrieved 2026-11-09
13. PILB Board Meeting Agenda, September 9-10, 2026 · retrieved 2026-11-09
14. PILB Board Meeting transcript, September 9, 2026 · retrieved 2026-11-09
15. PILB Board Meeting transcript, June 10, 2026 · retrieved 2026-11-09
16. PILB Stakeholders Meeting agenda Sept 23, 2026 (EO 2026-003) · retrieved 2026-11-09
17. PILB Stakeholders Meeting transcript Sept 23, 2026 · retrieved 2026-11-09
18. PILB Licensing page · retrieved 2026-11-09
19. PILB Exam Dates page (Forms page calls it 'Licensee Exam Study Guide') · retrieved 2026-11-09
20. PILB Forms page · retrieved 2026-11-09
21. PILB Contact page · retrieved 2026-11-09
22. PILB Online Portal page · retrieved 2026-11-09
23. PILB Online Portal Renewal Instructions (Revised July 2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
24. PILB Licensing Information sheet (REVISED 11/2023) · retrieved 2026-11-09
25. PILB License Booklet (Jan 2019) · retrieved 2026-11-09
26. PILB Uniform & Vehicle Pre-Approval Guidelines Rev 05-2023 · retrieved 2026-11-09
27. PILB Work Cards page · retrieved 2026-11-09
28. PILB Armed Work Cards page · retrieved 2026-11-09
29. PILB Work Card Instructions Rev 05/2026 · retrieved 2026-11-09
30. PILB Work Card Application rev 06/2026 · retrieved 2026-11-09
31. PILB Registered Work Card Exam Study Guide rev 06/2026 · retrieved 2026-11-09
32. PILB Work Card Exam Answer Sheet & Questions rev 06/2026 · retrieved 2026-11-09
33. NRS Chapter 179 (PPO exam study material) · retrieved 2026-11-09
34. NRS Chapter 193 (PPO exam study material) · retrieved 2026-11-09
35. NRS Chapter 200 (PPO exam study material) · retrieved 2026-11-09
36. NRS Chapter 205 (PPO exam study material) · retrieved 2026-11-09
37. NRS Chapter 207 (PPO exam study material) · 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.