Maryland Security Guard License: Requirements,
Training and Armed Permits

Maryland security guard license at a glance

This guide is general information about Maryland licensing, not legal advice. Maryland State Police Licensing Divisionrules, fees and deadlines change — confirm your own position with the board, or with a licensed attorney, before you rely on anything here.

Maryland security guard license types: the full Maryland State Police Licensing Division ladder

Progression is by permit type and specialisation rather than by a licence ladder. Because the same division handles both guard certification and Maryland's handgun permitting, an armed guard in Maryland is dealing with one agency for two separate credentials — and the handgun permit process, with its own training and qualification requirements, is the slower of the two by a distance. Maryland guard certification is obtained through a licensed security guard agency, and the agency submits the application and fingerprints on the applicant's behalf.

Exact experience hours and fees vary by license type and can change, confirm current requirements on the Maryland State Police Licensing Division Security Guard program page.

Maryland unarmed vs Maryland armed Security Guard in Maryland, what is the difference?

How do you get a Maryland unarmed Security Guard license?

1. 1

   Confirm what Maryland currently requires before you spend anything

   Maryland certifies security guards through the Licensing Division of the Maryland State Police, which also licenses the security guard agencies that employ them and issues the state's handgun permits. Training hour requirements, approved provider lists, fees and application routes are all set by the Maryland State Police, Licensing Division and revised periodically, and the guard-training market includes providers who advertise on out-of-date requirements. Check the Maryland State Police Licensing Division's own published requirements and its list of approved providers first, then buy training — not the other way round.

2. 2

   Complete the training Maryland 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 Maryland State Police Licensing Division does not count, however good the course.

3. 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. Maryland 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. 4

   Apply through the Maryland State Police Licensing Division and receive the credential

   File the application with the current fee, in most cases through the licensed security company employing you. Because the same division handles both guard certification and Maryland's handgun permitting, an armed guard in Maryland is dealing with one agency for two separate credentials — and the handgun permit process, with its own training and qualification requirements, is the slower of the two by a distance. Maryland guard certification is obtained through a licensed security guard agency, and the agency submits the application and fingerprints on the applicant's behalf. Confirm whether the credential is personal to you or tied to the agency in Maryland, 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. 5

   Add the armed permit if you need it, and renew everything on time

   Armed security work in Maryland requires a Maryland State Police handgun permit in addition to guard certification, with its own training, qualification and renewal requirements. 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 Maryland security guard license transfer to other states?

Guard credentials do not travel. A Maryland credential rests on a background check conducted under Maryland'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 Maryland State Police, Licensing Division for work in Maryland, and with the destination regulator before assuming a Maryland credential helps you elsewhere.

Reciprocity agreements change, always confirm the current list and requirements on the Maryland State Police Licensing Division Security Guard program page before applying.

How much does a Maryland security guard license cost, and how long does it take?

Guard licensing is inexpensive relative to most regulated occupations, and Maryland 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 Maryland State Police Licensing Division, 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 Maryland State Police, Licensing Division.

Maryland 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 Maryland 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. Because the same division handles both guard certification and Maryland's handgun permitting, an armed guard in Maryland is dealing with one agency for two separate credentials — and the handgun permit process, with its own training and qualification requirements, is the slower of the two by a distance. Maryland guard certification is obtained through a licensed security guard agency, and the agency submits the application and fingerprints on the applicant's behalf. Armed security work in Maryland requires a Maryland State Police handgun permit in addition to guard certification, with its own training, qualification and renewal requirements. Hour requirements, approved provider lists and any examination standard are set by the Maryland State Police, Licensing Division and revised periodically, so confirm the current requirements with the Maryland State Police Licensing Division 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 Maryland security guard license

Verify a Maryland security credential through the Maryland State Police, Licensing Division, 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 Maryland the individual registration and the company licence are distinct credentials. GlobalCybers verifies both before every security placement.

Do security guards need a license in Maryland?

Yes. Maryland certifies security guards through the Licensing Division of the Maryland State Police, which also licenses the security guard agencies that employ them and issues the state's handgun permits. 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 Maryland 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 Maryland?

Complete the training Maryland requires through a provider currently approved by the Maryland State Police Licensing Division, submit fingerprints for the criminal history check, and file the application with the fee, in most cases through the licensed security company employing you.

Because the same division handles both guard certification and Maryland's handgun permitting, an armed guard in Maryland is dealing with one agency for two separate credentials — and the handgun permit process, with its own training and qualification requirements, is the slower of the two by a distance. Maryland guard certification is obtained through a licensed security guard agency, and the agency submits the application and fingerprints on the applicant's behalf. Confirm the current training and application requirements with the Maryland State Police, Licensing Division first, because the guard-training market includes providers advertising on out-of-date rules.

Maryland Security Guard licenses, Frequently Asked Questions

Maryland State Police, Licensing Division · 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 mdsp.maryland.gov/Organization/Pages/CriminalInvestigationBureau/LicensingDivision/LicensingDivision.aspx before applying.

Maryland State Police Licensing Division credentialed? Find a job.

We verify your Maryland State Police Licensing Division credential and match you with permanent employers in Maryland. Renewal fees paid after placement.