Armed Security Guard Training in Washington

In the state of Washington, an armed security guard needs to be licensed. The licensing process is governed by the Washington State Department of Licensing. In order to be approved for a license there are certain criteria that must be met first.

Basic Requirements for armed security guards in Washington:

• Must be at least 21 years old
• No felony convictions in the past 10 years
• May be asked to submit to drug testing (which may be ongoing
• Submit fingerprint card
• Must have good moral character
• Have not committed any acts of fraud
• Hired or have an offer of hire from a licensed company
• Must be licensed as an unarmed security guard
• State issued driver’s License
• Good physical conditioning

Training Curriculum:

The pre-assignment training required topics must include the following:

• Role of Private Security
• Legal Aspects
• Patrol and Observation
• Incident Response
• Security Resources: Surveillance operation and documentation
• Customer Service Issues: Working with and addressing the public
• First Aid Overview
• Report Writing

Note: You must be licensed as an unarmed security guard, in which case you have already met the above training requirements. Additionally, you must have a commission issued firearms certificate that is current.

Additional training:

Must complete four-hours of refresher training every year (Please see training requirements)

• Customer service training (1 hour)
• Emergency response and post related training (3 hours)

For more information, please read the armed private security license requirements and Chapter 18.170 RCW Security Guards.