Questions to Ask Security Companies

Questions to Ask Security Companies Before You Sign

Updated 2026-07-15 · 7 min read · Sacramento, CA dispatch

PPO #122730

Short answer

Before signing, confirm the company holds an active BSIS Private Patrol Operator license, carries adequate general liability coverage, trains and background-checks its own officers rather than subcontracting blindly, and will provide written incident and coverage reports. A vague or evasive answer on licensing or insurance should end the conversation.

Licensing and insurance come first, before price

In California, a company providing contract security guard or patrol services must hold a Private Patrol Operator (PPO) license issued by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS), and individual guards must hold a current guard card. Ask for the PPO license number and verify it directly on the BSIS website rather than taking a printed certificate at face value.

Insurance matters as much as licensing: ask for the certificate of insurance naming the association or property as an additional insured, and confirm general liability limits are adequate for the property's risk profile, not just a minimum boilerplate policy.

Vetting questions and disqualifying answers

Question	Acceptable answer	Disqualifying answer
What is your BSIS PPO license number?	Provides it immediately, verifiable online	Hesitates, provides an individual guard card number instead, or has no license
Do you background-check and train your own officers?	In-house screening and a defined training program with documented hours	Relies entirely on subcontracted labor with no visibility into vetting
What insurance do you carry and can we be named additional insured?	General liability certificate provided promptly with adequate limits	Refuses to share the certificate or offers only minimum statutory coverage
How do you handle an officer who fails to show for a shift?	Documented backup staffing process with notification to the client	No process; property finds out only when coverage is already missed
Will you provide monthly coverage and incident reports?	Yes, standard part of service with a sample report available	Reports available only if specifically requested, or not at all
What is your officer turnover rate?	Shares an approximate figure and discusses retention practices	Refuses to answer or claims not to track it

Red flags worth walking away from

Pressure to sign a multi-year contract before a trial period or without providing references
Pricing dramatically below every other quote with no explanation for the gap
No named point of contact for the property, only a general dispatch line
Inability to describe how officers are equipped to communicate (radio, phone, GPS check-in) during a shift
No mention of de-escalation or non-confrontational response training when asked how officers handle a hostile individual

Ask for references and actually call them

Request two or three references from properties of comparable size and risk profile, and ask those references specifically about responsiveness after an incident and how billing disputes were handled, not just general satisfaction.

This is not legal advice; a property attorney or the association's insurance broker can help review the proposed contract's indemnification and liability language before signature.

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Questions to Ask Security Companies Before You Sign — the follow-ups

How do I verify a BSIS license is actually active?

Use the BSIS online license search tool with the company's PPO number or name; it shows current status and expiration date directly from the state.

Should a board require a bid from at least three vendors?

Three comparable quotes is a common practice that gives the board a market range and makes any one vendor's pricing easier to evaluate on its merits.

Is the cheapest quote ever the right choice?

Rarely on its own; a quote well below the market range often reflects lower wages, less training, or thinner insurance, all of which show up later as service or liability problems.

What should an RFP for security services include?

Scope of coverage hours and post locations, required licensing and insurance, reporting format, and a defined evaluation period before any long-term renewal.

Tell us about your property

Send a few details and a supervisor will walk your site, identify the vulnerable hours, and return a written coverage plan with flat hourly pricing — no obligation.

Same-day response on urgent coverage requests

Licensed, guard-card verified, uniformed officers

GPS-tracked patrol reports delivered every morning

Short-term, event, and long-term contracts available