Step 1 — Confirm you're eligible
- 18 or older.
- Able to pass a DOJ and FBI criminal history background check.
- Legally authorized to work in the United States.
Step 2 — Complete the 8-hour course at a BSIS-approved facility
Only a BSIS-approved training facility can issue the certificate BSIS accepts. Ask any school for its BSIS approval number before you pay — then verify it. If a school cannot produce one, walk away.
Step 3 — Live Scan fingerprinting
You submit fingerprints electronically through a Live Scan provider using the BSIS-specific request form. There are separate DOJ and FBI processing fees plus the rolling fee charged by the site.
Step 4 — Apply to BSIS and track it
- Submit the security guard registration application with the current fee (check bsis.ca.gov — fees change).
- Keep your training certificate; employers must see it.
- Check status through the DCA license search or your BreEZe account.
- You may not work as a security guard until your registration is issued (limited employer-specific exceptions apply — ask your employer, not the internet).
Step 5 — Get hired
Bring your guard card, valid ID, and a clean, pressed appearance. In Sacramento, mobile patrol and retail posts are the most common entry points. Summit Force hires locally and funds guard-card scholarships for community members who cannot cover the fees.
Practice quiz
3 questions. Nothing is recorded or submitted — this is study practice only, not an exam and not worth credit.
1.Who can issue the training certificate BSIS accepts?
2.Live Scan is:
3.Where should you confirm current application fees?
Official sources & further reading
Go to the primary source. Rules change, and only these agencies speak for themselves.