VERMONT SECURITY GUARD AGENCY LICENSE

The license. Private security guard services agency license (26 V.S.A. § 3172); OPR license type 044-SS 'Security Services Agency' (combination PI + security agency: 044-IS). OPR application title: 'Private Investigative or Security Agency'. [1]

Who needs it. Any agency, meaning a business organization that employs, intends to employ, or holds itself out as employing two or more licensed security guards/PIs, must be licensed before offering security services to the public. 'Security' covers armed or unarmed guard service, armed transport, guard dogs, alarm response and armored transport (26 V.S.A. § 3151(4)). A single Licensed Security Guard with no employees practices as a sole proprietor (separate application, $250). In-house guards employed only by one non-agency employer are excluded (§ 3151a(b)(3)). [4]

Local licensing. Licensing is by the State (OPR) under 26 V.S.A. ch. 59. No county or municipal licensing layer for security agencies appears in any state source reviewed. Separately, the agency must be registered with the Secretary of State Business Services Division and must register each business name with OPR (3 V.S.A. § 133).

Your guards. The agency must register all security employees with OPR as Registered Security Employees: 18+, 8-hour approved training, character review with VCIC check, Supervisor Authorization form signed by the agency. They work under a licensed security guard on staff and must carry ID showing the employing licensee. Armed or guard-dog work requires a specialty designation (firearms training plus FBI check). OPR instructions say starting work before the registration is issued is a criminal offense. Terminations must be reported within 72 hours. [1]

Role

Qualifying Agent: one or more full-time agency employees, each holding an individual Licensed Security Guard license in good standing (same license category as the agency). The renewal instructions call this person the 'Licensed... Security Guard in charge of the agency'. [4]

Experience

Two or more years of security work as determined by the Director. The statute says not less than two years. The OPR reference form says 2,000 hours in the two-year period immediately preceding application, or 4,000 hours for a combination PI + security license. The experience may include guard licensure in another state, guard employment with a licensed security agency, or sworn law-enforcement service. [4]

Age & background

At least 18. A high standard of character, integrity and reputation, which may be informed by a criminal background check, verified employment history, and references from at least two professional peers. OPR runs a VCIC check, and the licensee instructions list an FBI fingerprint check as required. [4]

• 40 hours of approved training in private security before licensure [4]
• Pass the examination in private security required by 26 V.S.A. § 3175 [4]
• Character and fitness, informed by background check, verified employment history and at least two professional-peer references [4]
• Upload at least 2 completed character references and verification of experience [12]
• Reference providers must be over 18, unrelated, and have known the applicant at least five years [17]
• Experience quantified: 2,000 hours in the two years immediately before application (4,000 for a combination license) [17]
• FBI fingerprint background check (per the licensee application instructions; the FAQ mentions FBI checks only for armed-specialty applicants) [12]
• CPR certification (AHA or Red Cross) within two years before applying and before renewal (OPR FAQ). Rule 6-3 also requires CPR/AED certification within three months of hire by an agency. [6]
• Rule 6-3: all agency security personnel must hold CPR/AED certification within three months of hire, and the agency must keep the records [4]
• The qualifying agent must hold a license in the same category as the agency [11]
• The qualifying agent must be a full-time agency employee licensed in good standing (an 'employee of an agency' means W-2 payroll, not an independent contractor, per Rule 1-3) [4]
• An agency employing registered security employees must have a licensed security guard on staff to supervise them [4]
• Fast Track Endorsement path (licensed in another state for 3+ years, 3 V.S.A. § 136a) still requires the Vermont jurisprudence exam plus license verifications [12]

Exam

Vermont State Jurisprudence Examination [12]

Who sits it

The individual applying for a Licensed Security Guard license, which is the license needed to serve as an agency's qualifying agent or to practice as a sole proprietor. This includes Fast Track Endorsement applicants. The agency entity itself does not take an exam, and neither do registered (employee) guards (Rule 4-2 has no exam). [11]

Administered by

No third-party testing vendor is identified. The Director (OPR) prepares/administers the exam under § 3175, and the answer sheet is uploaded into the OPR online application. [1]

Delivery

The applicant completes the exam and uploads the completed answer sheet to the OPR Online Services application. No test center or proctoring is mentioned in any source. [12]

Insurance

None found. No liability-insurance requirement appears in ch. 59, the OPR rules or the agency application instructions, and § 3172 lists the only agency license prerequisites. [1]

Surety bond

None found. The statutory prerequisites for an agency license are the complete list in § 3172 (application, fee, Vermont business registration), and no bond appears in ch. 59, the OPR rules or the agency application instructions. [1]

Branch offices

No separate branch-office license or fee was found in the statute, rules or fee schedule. The license must be displayed at the principal place of business, each business name must be registered with OPR (3 V.S.A. § 133(2)), and training records must be kept at the agency's regular place of business in Vermont (§ 3176(f)). [1]

• Security services agency (or PI agency) license application: $390.00 [3]
• Combination PI and security services agency application: $460.00 [3]
• Agency biennial renewal (PI or security, or both): $345.00 [3]
• Sole proprietor application: $250.00 [3]
• Sole proprietor biennial renewal: $250.00 [3]
• Licensed security guard (qualifying agent) application: unarmed $175.00 [3]
• Licensed security guard application: armed $230.00 [3]
• Licensed security guard biennial renewal: unarmed $140.00 [3]
• Licensed security guard biennial renewal: armed $205.00 [3]
• Registered employee application: unarmed $70.00 [3]
• Transitory permit application: $70.00 [3]
• Registered employee application: armed $140.00 [3]
• Registered employee biennial renewal: unarmed $95.00 [3]
• Registered employee biennial renewal: armed $150.00 [3]
• Instructor application: $140.00 [3]
• Instructor biennial renewal: $205.00 [3]
• Specialty or endorsement added to an existing license (e.g., armed specialty): $100.00 [3]
• Verification of license: $30.00 [3]
• Preapplication criminal background ('second chance') determination: $25.00 [3]
• Examination fee: set by the Secretary, not to exceed exam costs (no dollar amount published for the jurisprudence exam) [3]
• Disciplinary action surcharge: $250.00 [3]
• Late reinstatement penalty: $100.00 within 30 days of expiration. After that, the renewal fee plus $40.00 for each additional month or fraction of a month, capped at $1,500.00. [2]
• OPR fee chart (header 'Updated 7/1/2025') agrees with the statute: 044-SS Security Services Agency renewal $345 / application $390; 044-IS combination $345 / $460. The chart has no sole-proprietor row. [20]

1. Register the business with the Secretary of State Business Services Division and submit evidence (Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Authority, Trade Name or Partnership Certificate) [11]
2. Designate a qualifying agent. That individual separately applies for (or already holds) a Licensed Security Guard license: 40-hour training, jurisprudence exam, 2 references plus experience verification, VCIC/FBI checks. [11]
3. Submit the online agency application through OPR Online Services and pay the non-refundable fee [11]
4. Owners (officers, partners, members) complete an Affirmation about prior criminal convictions. Owners who will perform security services must also be licensed or registered. [11]
5. Identify those having an interest in the agency (or, for a publicly traded company, its officers and structure) [4]
6. Out-of-state agencies: have an official license verification sent to OPR from the agency's home state [11]
7. Processing: allow 3-5 business days. Incomplete applications are not processed (Rule 3-1(a)). [11]
8. After licensure: register every security employee with OPR before they start work (8-hour training, Supervisor Authorization form) and report terminations within 72 hours [1]

Renewal

Biennial, on fixed two-year periods; licenses lapse if not renewed. The OPR fee chart lists the PI & Security renewal date as May 31st of odd years, so the next renewal is May 31, 2027. Renewal opens six weeks before expiration through Online Services. The agency renews by paying $345 and verifying its active Licensed Security Guard in charge. An initial license issued 90 days or less before the renewal date runs through the next full period. [20]

Disqualifiers & waivers

Unprofessional conduct, which is a ground for denial, includes conviction of any felony or a crime involving fraud or dishonesty (§ 3181(b)(1)). An individual license may be denied for missing information, failing the character/integrity/reputation standard, or unprofessional conduct (§ 3174(d)). An agency application may be denied where principals were disciplined or have a substantial connection to a disciplined agency (Rule 4-5(b)). Convictions are not an absolute bar (3 V.S.A. § 123(j)(3)). A $25 'second chance' preapplication determination is decided within 30 days (§ 123(k)). Rule waivers are granted only in extraordinary circumstances (Rule 3-7). [1]

• 2025-07-01Administrative civil penalty for unlicensed practice, or for an employer permitting it, raised from $2,500 to $5,000 (3 V.S.A. § 127(b)(2)(A)). It applies to unlicensed security agencies and guards through 26 V.S.A. § 3179(a). 2025 Acts No. 58 (H.472), Sec. 5 [23]
• 2025-07-01OPR general fees in 3 V.S.A. § 125 amended. The license verification fee went from $20 to $30 (Act 58 text shows '$20.00 $30.00'). PI/security application and renewal amounts did not change. 2025 Acts No. 58 (H.472), Secs. 2 and 15 [23]
• 2025-07-013 V.S.A. § 133 (business registration) amended: 'Corporations Division' renamed 'Business Services Division' (technical). 2025 Acts No. 10 (H.243), Sec. 2 [2]
• 2026-04-30Technical corrections act amended 3 V.S.A. § 123(a)(9) and (g)(1) ('chapter' changed to 'subchapter'). It contains no Title 26 sections, so no change to 26 V.S.A. ch. 59. 2025 No. 91 (Adj. Sess.) [2026 Acts No. 91, H.927], Sec. 6 [26]
• 2026-06-08New 3 V.S.A. § 129c: the Director may rescind a license issued by administrative mistake or for an unpaid application fee, with a review process 2025 No. 119 (Adj. Sess.) [2026 Acts No. 119, H.588], Secs. 3 and 20(a) [27]
• 2026-06-083 V.S.A. § 129a amended: the Director may adopt rules for an alternative-to-discipline program 2025 No. 119 (Adj. Sess.) [2026 Acts No. 119, H.588], Secs. 5 and 20(a) [27]
• 2026-06-083 V.S.A. § 125 reorganized: general fees such as verification, exam, reinstatement, course approval, preapplication, temporary permit, apprenticeship, specialty and disciplinary surcharge moved to subsection (a). PI/security application and renewal amounts unchanged. 2025 No. 119 (Adj. Sess.) [2026 Acts No. 119, H.588], Sec. 18a [3]
• 2025-11-05 (guidance issued)OPR issued uniform guidance, not a rule: security uniforms must be visually distinct from law enforcement. OPR says it will frame future amendments to Rule 7-4. No rule amendment has been adopted. OPR guidance '3 Easy Practices to Visually Differentiate Security Professionals from Law Enforcement' [21]
• 2027-07-01ENACTED, EFFECTIVE AFTER 2027-01-01: 3 V.S.A. § 125 changes effective July 1, 2027 (2023 No. 170 § 3a; 2025 No. 50 § 4; 2025 No. 58 § 3) affect only peer-support-provider and community-based perinatal doula fees. No PI/security fee change is scheduled. 3 V.S.A. § 125 (history note) [3]
• 2027-05-31NEXT RENEWAL (not a law change): all PI & Security credentials, agencies included, expire May 31, 2027 (odd year), so the 2027 edition should cover the renewal cycle. OPR fee chart [20]

• 26 V.S.A. §§ 3151-3183 (Chapter 59) — Private Investigative and Security Services [1]
• 3 V.S.A. §§ 121-139 (Chapter 5, Subchapter 3) — Professional Regulation (OPR general law: background checks and second-chance determination § 123(j)-(k), unauthorized practice and reinstatement § 127, unprofessional conduct § 129a, rescission § 129c, business registration § 133, renewal § 134, endorsement § 136a) [2]
• 3 V.S.A. § 125 — Fees [3]
• Administrative Rules for Private Investigative and Security Services (OPR; Parts 1-9; no CVR number or effective date printed on the OPR PDF) — Administrative Rules for Private Investigative and Security Services [4]

1. 26 V.S.A. Chapter 59: Private Investigative and Security Services · retrieved 2026-11-09
2. 3 V.S.A. Chapter 5, Subchapter 3: Professional Regulation (§§ 121-139) · retrieved 2026-11-09
3. 3 V.S.A. § 125. Fees · retrieved 2026-11-09
4. Administrative Rules for Private Investigative and Security Services (OPR) · retrieved 2026-11-09
5. Private Investigative & Security Services (OPR profession page) · retrieved 2026-11-09
6. Private Investigative & Security Services FAQs · retrieved 2026-11-09
7. Private Investigative and Security Services Forms & Instructions · retrieved 2026-11-09
8. Private Investigative and Security Services Statutes, Rules & Resources · retrieved 2026-11-09
9. Private Investigative and Security Services Advisors & Meetings · retrieved 2026-11-09
10. OPR Fast Track Endorsement · retrieved 2026-11-09
11. Private Investigative or Security Agency Application Instructions (Feb 2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
12. Licensed Private Investigator or Security Guard Application Instructions (Feb 2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
13. Private Investigative and Security Services Agency Renewal Instructions (Feb 2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
14. PI & Security Renewal Instructions for Individuals (Apr 2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
15. Private Investigative and Security Services Employee Application Instructions (Feb 2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
16. PI & Security Supervisor Authorization Form (Apr 2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
17. PI & Security Qualifying Agent Character Reference Form (Apr 2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
18. Notification of Change in Designated Licensee or Manager Form (Apr 2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
19. Licensed Private Investigative Transient Practice Application Instructions · retrieved 2026-11-09
20. OPR Initial Licensing/Renewal Fees & Dates; 90 Day Initial Licensing Policy (Updated 7/1/2025) · retrieved 2026-11-09
21. 3 Easy Practices to Visually Differentiate Security Professionals from Law Enforcement (OPR guidance, issued 11/5/25) · retrieved 2026-11-09
22. PI & Security Services Firearms Qualification Program Minimum Standards (Apr 2026) · retrieved 2026-11-09
23. 2025 Acts and Resolves No. 58 (H.472), OPR professions (as enacted) · retrieved 2026-11-09
24. 2025 Acts and Resolves No. 10 (H.243), regulation of business organizations (excerpt Secs. 1-2) · retrieved 2026-11-09
25. 2025 Acts and Resolves No. 50 (S.53) (checked; no PI/security content) · retrieved 2026-11-09
26. 2026 Acts and Resolves No. 91 (H.927), technical corrections · retrieved 2026-11-09
27. 2026 Acts and Resolves No. 119 (H.588), OPR professions (as enacted) · 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.