How do you get a Delaware security guard license (Delaware State Police Professional Licensing)?
Working as a security officer in Delaware requires the credential issued by the Delaware State Police, Detective Licensing / Professional Licensing Section. Delaware licenses security guards through the Professional Licensing Section of the Delaware State Police, which also licenses private investigators and the security agencies that employ guards. The route is a fingerprint-based criminal background check, the training Delaware requires through an approved provider, and the application — normally filed through or alongside a licensed security company. Delaware placing guard licensing inside the state police rather than a consumer-affairs department shapes the process: the background standard is applied by law enforcement directly, and the licensing section publishes the training curriculum guards must complete through approved instructors. Individual licences are obtained through a licensed agency, and Delaware maintains a firearms qualification requirement for armed guards administered under police supervision. Delaware requires a separate armed guard authorisation with firearms training and a qualification course of fire administered under Delaware State Police rules, with periodic requalification. Training hours, fees and renewal cycles are set by the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing and revised periodically, so verify the current requirements with the Delaware State Police, Detective Licensing / Professional Licensing Section before your first shift, because in most states the card is required before you start work rather than after.
- Confirm the current requirements with the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing before enrolling in anything.
- Complete the training Delaware requires through an approved provider.
- Submit fingerprints and clear the criminal background check.
- Apply through the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing — in most cases via a licensed security company — and receive the credential.
- Apply separately for the armed permit if the post requires it, then renew both on their own cycles.
Governing law: Delaware private security licensing law (Delaware Code, Title 24, Chapter 13)
Delaware security guard license at a glance
This guide is general information about Delaware licensing, not legal advice. Delaware State Police Professional Licensingrules, fees and deadlines change — confirm your own position with the board, or with a licensed attorney, before you rely on anything here.
Delaware security guard license types: the full Delaware State Police Professional Licensing ladder
Progression is by permit type and specialisation rather than by a licence ladder. Delaware placing guard licensing inside the state police rather than a consumer-affairs department shapes the process: the background standard is applied by law enforcement directly, and the licensing section publishes the training curriculum guards must complete through approved instructors. Individual licences are obtained through a licensed agency, and Delaware maintains a firearms qualification requirement for armed guards administered under police supervision.
Unarmed security officer
The core credential issued by the Delaware State Police, Detective Licensing / Professional Licensing Section: authorises unarmed security work after the background check and the training Delaware requires. This is the credential most Delaware officers hold and the one this page centres on.
Armed security officer
Delaware requires a separate armed guard authorisation with firearms training and a qualification course of fire administered under Delaware State Police rules, with periodic requalification. It is a separate application with its own training, qualification and, generally, a higher minimum age and stricter background standard.
Security supervisor
Not always a separate credential, but a distinct role that several states and most employers back with additional training on incident command, reporting and use-of-force decision-making. Confirm with the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing whether Delaware attaches any requirement to it.
Site and specialty endorsements
Additional requirements attaching to particular settings — healthcare, education, gaming, ports, utilities and federal contract sites — which may come from the state, from a separate regulator or from the client contract, and frequently exceed the state's baseline.
Private investigator licence
A separate credential, in most states from the same regulator as guard licensing, with substantially higher experience requirements. Security experience may count toward it, but it is not an upgrade path you fall into.
Security company licence
The business credential a contract security provider must hold in Delaware, normally requiring a qualifying individual, insurance and in several states a bond. A client should verify the company licence as well as the individual registrations.
Approved training provider
Delaware delivers guard training through approved schools and instructors, who hold their own authorisation from the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing. Training from an unapproved provider does not satisfy the requirement, so confirm the provider's current approval before paying.
Exact experience hours and fees vary by license type and can change, confirm current requirements on the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing Security Guard program page.
Delaware unarmed vs Delaware armed Security Guard in Delaware, what is the difference?
How do you get a Delaware unarmed Security Guard license?
- 1
Confirm what Delaware currently requires before you spend anything
Delaware licenses security guards through the Professional Licensing Section of the Delaware State Police, which also licenses private investigators and the security agencies that employ guards. Training hour requirements, approved provider lists, fees and application routes are all set by the Delaware State Police, Detective Licensing / Professional Licensing Section and revised periodically, and the guard-training market includes providers who advertise on out-of-date requirements. Check the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing's own published requirements and its list of approved providers first, then buy training — not the other way round.
- 2
Complete the training Delaware requires through an approved provider
Guard training typically covers the role and legal authority of a security officer, powers of observation and detention, report writing, emergency and incident response, public interaction and de-escalation, and use-of-force law. Several states split the requirement between training completed before your first shift and further hours completed within a set period afterwards, so establish which parts are pre-assignment. Training delivered by a provider without current approval from the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing does not count, however good the course.
- 3
Submit fingerprints and clear the background check
A fingerprint-based state and federal criminal history review is the core of guard licensing and normally the step that sets the timeline. Delaware applies its own disqualification rules, and a history that is a bar in one state may not be in another. If there is anything in your record that might be relevant, raise it in the application rather than hoping it will not surface — non-disclosure is treated more seriously than most underlying offences.
- 4
Apply through the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing and receive the credential
File the application with the current fee, in most cases through the licensed security company employing you. Delaware placing guard licensing inside the state police rather than a consumer-affairs department shapes the process: the background standard is applied by law enforcement directly, and the licensing section publishes the training curriculum guards must complete through approved instructors. Individual licences are obtained through a licensed agency, and Delaware maintains a firearms qualification requirement for armed guards administered under police supervision. Confirm whether the credential is personal to you or tied to the agency in Delaware, because that determines what happens when you change employer — guards who assume a card is portable within a state sometimes discover at the worst moment that it is not.
- 5
Add the armed permit if you need it, and renew everything on time
Delaware requires a separate armed guard authorisation with firearms training and a qualification course of fire administered under Delaware State Police rules, with periodic requalification. Apply for it as a separate process, and expect a higher minimum age, a stricter background standard, live-fire qualification and periodic requalification. Then track renewal for both credentials: armed status generally lapses faster than unarmed status because the requalification cycle is shorter, and working a post with a lapsed permit is an enforcement matter for you and a contract problem for your employer.
Does a Delaware security guard license transfer to other states?
Guard credentials do not travel. A Delaware credential rests on a background check conducted under Delaware's rules and, in many cases, on a link to a security company licensed here, so relocating means registering from the beginning in the new state including its training requirement. Armed permits are even more state-specific, because firearms law and qualification standards differ substantially and a permit issued elsewhere carries no weight. There are no meaningful multi-state guard licensing agreements to rely on. Confirm the position with the Delaware State Police, Detective Licensing / Professional Licensing Section for work in Delaware, and with the destination regulator before assuming a Delaware credential helps you elsewhere.
Reciprocity agreements change, always confirm the current list and requirements on the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing Security Guard program page before applying.
How much does a Delaware security guard license cost, and how long does it take?
Guard licensing is inexpensive relative to most regulated occupations, and Delaware security companies frequently pay for it, though some states require the individual to hold the credential personally. The lines to budget for are the application fee set by the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing, fingerprinting, the approved training course, and for armed officers the firearms training, range qualification and periodic requalification — which is where the cost actually sits. Every one of these is revised periodically, so take current figures from the Delaware State Police, Detective Licensing / Professional Licensing Section.
Delaware security guard training, testing and licence verification
What does the training cover, and how do you check a licence?
Most states assess guards through mandated training rather than a standalone licensing examination, and Delaware follows that pattern: approved providers deliver the required content on the role and legal authority of a security officer, powers of observation and detention, report writing, emergency response, public interaction and de-escalation, and use-of-force law, usually with an end-of-course test. Delaware placing guard licensing inside the state police rather than a consumer-affairs department shapes the process: the background standard is applied by law enforcement directly, and the licensing section publishes the training curriculum guards must complete through approved instructors. Individual licences are obtained through a licensed agency, and Delaware maintains a firearms qualification requirement for armed guards administered under police supervision. Delaware requires a separate armed guard authorisation with firearms training and a qualification course of fire administered under Delaware State Police rules, with periodic requalification. Hour requirements, approved provider lists and any examination standard are set by the Delaware State Police, Detective Licensing / Professional Licensing Section and revised periodically, so confirm the current requirements with the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing before booking training — and confirm the provider's approval status at the same time, because training from an unapproved provider does not count.
How to verify a Delaware security guard license
Verify a Delaware security credential through the Delaware State Police, Detective Licensing / Professional Licensing Section, whose licensee lookup shows registration status, expiry and, importantly, whether an armed permit is held. Check the armed endorsement separately rather than assuming it comes with the card — that assumption is the most common error clients make. Confirm the employing security company's own licence and insurance too, since in Delaware the individual registration and the company licence are distinct credentials. GlobalCybers verifies both before every security placement.
Do security guards need a license in Delaware?
Yes. Delaware licenses security guards through the Professional Licensing Section of the Delaware State Police, which also licenses private investigators and the security agencies that employ guards. The credential is required before you work a post rather than obtained afterwards, and it rests on a fingerprint-based background check together with
the training Delaware requires through an approved provider. Working unlicensed is an enforcement matter for you and a contract problem for the security company employing you.
How do you get a guard card in Delaware?
Complete the training Delaware requires through a provider currently approved by the Delaware State Police Professional Licensing, submit fingerprints for the criminal history check, and file the application with the fee, in most cases through the licensed security company employing you.
Delaware placing guard licensing inside the state police rather than a consumer-affairs department shapes the process: the background standard is applied by law enforcement directly, and the licensing section publishes the training curriculum guards must complete through approved instructors. Individual licences are obtained through a licensed agency, and Delaware maintains a firearms qualification requirement for armed guards administered under police supervision. Confirm the current training and application requirements with the Delaware State Police, Detective Licensing / Professional Licensing Section first, because the guard-training market includes providers advertising on out-of-date rules.
Delaware Security Guard licenses, Frequently Asked Questions
Delaware State Police, Detective Licensing / Professional Licensing Section · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (33-9032) · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (Security Guards and Gambling Surveillance Officers) · ASIS International (private security standards and guidelines). Fees and rules can change, confirm current details at dsp.delaware.gov/professional-licensing before applying.
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