How to Start a Security Guard Company in Virginia: DCJS License $550 to $800, Officer Registration $25

Starting a security company in Virginia means dealing with the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), not just the State Corporation Commission (SCC). The SCC forms your entity, but it issues no business license. Security work is regulated by DCJS under Va. Code 9.1-138 through 9.1-148, which requires a DCJS business license for the company and a separate DCJS registration for each person doing the work. This guide follows the order that matters most: the business license and compliance agent, the fees, officer registration, training, the specialty categories, and finally the entity and local license.

Many people search for a private investigator license in Virginia or a Virginia security guard license. In practice, the paperwork is a business license plus individual officer registration. Virginia does not issue a security guard card through the State Police or a sheriff.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Security licensing rules, fees and deadlines change, so confirm every figure with the agency named before you file. For complex situations, consult a qualified Virginia attorney or CPA.

What You Need Before You Apply

Gather these items first. Most delays come from one missing item.

• A company name that meets SCC rules. An LLC name must include "limited company," "limited liability company," "LC," "L.C.," "LLC" or "L.L.C." and be distinguishable from names already on file.
• Formation paperwork: Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011, $100) or Articles of Incorporation (Form SCC619, $75).
• A compliance agent, designated in writing. No business license issues without one.
• A Virginia registered agent who meets the requirements described in Step 6.
• Fingerprints for the people DCJS requires, plus the $50 fingerprint processing fee.
• Training certificates for each role you plan to fill.
• Proof of insurance for any independent private investigator you hire (see Step 5).
• A fee budget that covers Step 2 and your local license.

Step 1: Designate a Compliance Agent and Apply for the Business License

Under Va. Code 9.1-139 A, no one may engage in or solicit private security services without a DCJS business license. The license cannot issue until your company designates a compliance agent in writing. That person ensures the business follows the regulations, so choose someone who will be involved in daily operations. The compliance agent must also meet the qualifications in the regulation, found in 6VAC20-172. Read those qualifications before you name anyone.

Apply through DCJS at dcjs.virginia.gov. Choose the license term carefully, because the one-year and two-year initial licenses carry different fees (see Step 2). DCJS processing times vary, so ask DCJS for timing before you commit to a launch date.

Step 2: Budget the DCJS Fees

Do not treat $550 as your total. The business fees are set in 6VAC20-172-20, and most companies pay several of them.

Business fee	Amount
Initial 1-year license	$550
Initial 2-year license	$800
2-year renewal	$500
Each additional license category	$50
Fingerprint processing	$50
Initial compliance agent certification	$50
Compliance agent renewal	$25
Entry-level training course approval	$75
In-service training course approval	$50
Reinstatement	50 percent above the renewal fee
Paper application surcharge	$5

As an illustration, a company that takes a two-year license ($800), adds two more categories ($100), and certifies a compliance agent ($50) would pay $950 before fingerprint fees and training approvals. Confirm with DCJS whether the fingerprint fee applies once or per person before you build your budget. The $5 surcharge applies to paper applications, so ask DCJS whether electronic filing is available to you.

Step 3: Register Every Person Who Does the Work

Under Va. Code 9.1-139 C and 6VAC20-174-20 and 6VAC20-174-40, anyone your business employs in a security role must hold a DCJS officer registration. That covers unarmed and armed security officers, armed couriers, private investigators, locksmiths, alarm and electronic security staff, and similar roles. The registration belongs to the individual. A business license alone does not let an unregistered employee work.

Officer registration fee	Amount
Initial registration	$25
Renewal	$20
Fingerprint processing	$50
Firearm endorsement	$10
Additional category	$20
Replacement card	$20

Registrations last up to 24 months. Temporary registration runs up to 120 days. The minimum age is 18. Put every officer's expiration date on a calendar. An officer whose registration has lapsed should not be working.

Step 4: Complete Entry-Level Training

Each role has its own training hour requirement under the DCJS regulations.

Role	Entry-level hours	Details
Unarmed security officer	18	Plus 4 hours of in-service training each year
Armed security officer or armed courier	50	18 core, 8 arrest authority, 24 handgun; 53 hours with shotgun
Private investigator	60	Entry-level course
Locksmith	18	Entry-level course
Electronic security technician	14	Entry-level course

Read the unarmed row carefully. Unarmed security officers need 18 hours of entry-level training, not 40, plus 4 hours of in-service training each year. Course approval fees appear in the business fee schedule at $75 for entry-level and $50 for in-service. Confirm with DCJS whether the course you plan to use needs approval.

Keep training certificates in each officer's file so you can answer questions quickly.

Step 5: Decide Which Specialty Categories You Need

Each additional category costs $50 on the business license and may carry its own officer registration and training. Pick categories based on the services you will actually sell.

Guards and couriers

Unarmed guard work needs 18 hours of entry-level training. Armed security officers and armed couriers need 50 hours: 18 core, 8 on arrest authority and 24 on handgun, or 53 hours if the course includes shotgun.

Private investigators

Private investigator work requires 60 hours of entry-level training. An investigator must be registered and work for a licensed business, or be an independent contractor hired by one. An independent investigator carries their own $1 million general liability coverage and gives proof of that coverage before the hire (6VAC20-172-40 B2a).

Many people search for a private investigator license in Virginia, but the framework is the same: a business license plus an officer registration for each investigator.

Locksmiths

A locksmith performs lock services or advertises as one. Employed locksmiths register under a licensed business. Entry-level training is 18 hours.

Alarm and electronic security

This category covers installing, servicing or designing alarm or intrusion camera equipment, or having access to alarm data. Electronic security technicians need 14 hours of entry-level training.

A DCJS-licensed private security business does not need a DPOR contractor license to install, service or design electronic security equipment, including low-voltage and network cabling (Va. Code 54.1-1103 E). Other electrical work still requires a DPOR electrical contractor license with a master electrician qualifier. If your company plans that kind of work, read our guide to starting an electrician business in Virginia.

Bail bonding

Bail bondsmen are licensed separately by DCJS. Bail bonding is a different license from the security business license, and this article does not cover its fees or requirements.

Cybersecurity and IT consulting

No state license specific to cybersecurity or IT consulting has been identified. Check with DCJS before you market investigative or forensic services, because whether work such as digital forensics counts as private investigator activity is a question for the agency.

Step 6: Form the Entity and Get Your Local License

The SCC forms the entity and issues no business license. The security business license comes from DCJS. If your locality levies a general business license, it comes from your city, county or town.

Form the LLC or corporation

An LLC pays $100 to file Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011). You can reserve a name for $10 for 120 days. Online filings can be expedited: next day for $50 or $100 (submitted by 2:00 PM Eastern, response by 4:00 PM the next business day), or same day for $200 (submitted by 10:00 AM Eastern, response by 4:00 PM). Expedited service is online only and nonrefundable. File through the SCC Clerk's Information System at cis.scc.virginia.gov.

Virginia LLCs file no annual report. They pay a $50 annual registration fee to the SCC, due the last day of the 12th month after the month the LLC was organized, and every year after that. A late payment adds a $25 penalty, and the LLC is canceled at the end of the third month after the due date.

A corporation pays $75 to file Articles of Incorporation (Form SCC619) and files an annual report. The annual registration fee is $100 for up to 5,000 authorized shares, plus $30 for each additional 5,000 shares. Check the SCC annual fee schedule for current amounts. Virginia's corporate income tax is a 6 percent flat rate, according to Virginia Tax.

Your registered agent must be a Virginia resident with a Virginia street registered office, available during business hours. The agent must also be a member of the Virginia State Bar or a member, manager, officer, trustee or general partner of the entity. The company cannot be its own agent.

If you operate under a different name, file an Assumed Name Certificate with the SCC for $10. You do not file it with the circuit court.

Local BPOL license

The Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) is a local license tax under Va. Code 58.1-3700 and following. Each city, county or town administers its own, usually through the Commissioner of the Revenue. Not every locality levies a general license, and Va. Code 58.1-3704 allows a locality to levy none. Examples without a general county license include Stafford, Rockingham, Bedford County, Washington County, Montgomery County, Louisa and Fluvanna. Towns can displace the county tax, so check both the town and the county.

Localities set their own rates and filing deadlines. Each locality sets the BPOL class and rate for security services, so do not use another locality's rate as your number. Population also sets a floor. A locality over 50,000 people cannot require a license for gross receipts under $100,000. A locality with 25,000 to 50,000 people cannot require one for gross receipts under $50,000. No floor applies under 25,000 people. Localities over 50,000 may waive the license up to a ceiling you should verify with your Commissioner of the Revenue.

Employer obligations

Workers' compensation applies when you regularly have three or more employees in service (Va. Code 65.2-101). Virginia's minimum wage is $12.77 in 2026, $13.75 in 2027 and $15.00 in 2028, so set guard pay with those floors in mind.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Budgeting $550 as the whole cost. Add category fees, fingerprint fees, compliance agent certification and any training approvals.
• Scheduling people before they are registered. Each person doing security work needs a DCJS officer registration.
• Applying without a written compliance agent designation. No license issues without one.
• Assuming unarmed guards need 40 hours. The entry-level requirement is 18 hours, plus 4 hours of in-service training each year.
• Looking for a state business license. The SCC forms the entity and issues none. BPOL is a local tax, and some localities levy none.
• Filing the DBA with the circuit court. Virginia assumed name certificates go to the SCC for $10.
• Hiring an independent investigator without proof of insurance. The investigator must carry $1 million general liability coverage and show proof before the hire.
• Confusing bail bonding with security work. It is a separate DCJS license.

Tips for a Smoother Filing

1. Choose your compliance agent early and confirm their qualifications in 6VAC20-172.
2. Calendar every officer's registration expiration, the LLC's annual registration fee due date and your BPOL deadline.
3. Use the SCC expedited option only when you need speed, since it is nonrefundable.
4. Ask your Commissioner of the Revenue about BPOL early, because the answer depends on your locality and your gross receipts.
5. Contact the Virginia Small Business Development Center network at virginiasbdc.org for planning help.

What Results to Expect

If you follow these steps in order, the paperwork may be manageable, though it is not quick. Companies that designate the compliance agent, budget the full fee list and schedule training before hiring typically avoid the most common delays. Results vary with the categories you choose, your locality and how quickly DCJS and the SCC process your filings. Confirm current DCJS processing times directly with the agency.

Get Professional Help

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Security licensing, insurance requirements and entity choice all affect your liability. Consult a qualified Virginia attorney before you sign contracts or hire independent contractors, and a CPA before you choose between an LLC and a corporation. Official resources include DCJS at dcjs.virginia.gov, the SCC at scc.virginia.gov/businesses and Virginia Tax at tax.virginia.gov.