California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services
Getting a California guard card with a criminal record
A security guard card is one of the more background-check-heavy licences in California -- BSIS runs both a DOJ and an FBI check on every applicant -- but that doesn't mean a record is automatically disqualifying. What matters is what the conviction was and how BSIS's fitness review treats it.
How BSIS actually reviews applicants
BSIS requires Live Scan fingerprinting for every guard card applicant, and the Bureau's own description of the process is direct: criminal history information received on an applicant from DOJ and/or FBI requires Bureau staff to review it in its totality to determine the applicant's fitness for licensure. Like most Department of Consumer Affairs boards, BSIS is barred by Business and Professions Code section 480(f) from requiring you to disclose a conviction on the application itself -- the fingerprint-based record is what BSIS actually works from.
What that review is bound by
Even though BSIS has discretion, it operates inside the same Business and Professions Code section 480 framework as every other Department of Consumer Affairs board. That means BSIS generally cannot reach back more than seven years for most convictions, cannot deny you for a conviction dismissed under Penal Code section 1203.4 without proof problems, and cannot deny you for an arrest that never became a conviction -- including one resolved as an infraction, citation, or juvenile matter.
Firearms and baton permits are a separate, stricter layer
A guard card itself is one licence; carrying a firearm or baton on the job requires a separate permit with its own review. If your record involves violence or weapons offences, expect the firearms and baton permits to draw a noticeably harder look than the base guard card, even if the guard card itself is approved.
What helps your application
- A certified copy of your Penal Code 1203.4 dismissal order, if you have one
- Proof of completed probation and any required classes or treatment
- Time elapsed since the offence, documented with stable employment or references
- A written explanation if BSIS requests one -- optional disclosure forms exist in multiple languages
What this means for employers
Private security employers who want to hire you before your guard card clears are themselves bound by California's Fair Chance Act (Government Code section 12952) if they have five or more employees -- they generally can't ask about your conviction history on the job application itself, separate from whatever BSIS requires for the licence.
If your application gets flagged
A flagged application doesn't mean a final denial -- it means BSIS is taking a closer look before it decides. If you're contacted for more information, responding promptly and completely tends to move the review faster than silence does. Bringing the certified dismissal order, proof of probation completion, and a short written explanation up front, rather than waiting to be asked, is the single biggest thing applicants control in how long this stage takes.
Other BSIS licence types work similarly
BSIS also licenses private investigators, alarm company agents, locksmiths, and repossession agency employees, among others. Each has its own fee and exam structure, but the underlying criminal history review runs through the same DOJ/FBI fitness process described here -- so if a guard card doesn't fit your goals, the same background-check realities generally apply to these related licences too.
Common questions
What crimes automatically disqualify someone from a guard card?
BSIS doesn't publish a fixed disqualifying-crimes list for guard cards; it reviews each applicant's full DOJ/FBI history individually to judge fitness for licensure. Violent offences and crimes involving dishonesty or weapons typically draw the closest scrutiny.
Does BSIS find out about a dismissed conviction?
Likely yes, through the DOJ/FBI Live Scan check, even after a Penal Code 1203.4 dismissal. The dismissal doesn't hide the record from a fingerprint-based background check, but Business and Professions Code 480(c) still limits how BSIS can use it against you.
Can I get a guard card but not a firearms permit?
Yes, these are reviewed separately, and the firearms and baton permits generally get stricter scrutiny than the base guard card, especially for records involving violence or weapons.
How long does the background check take?
It varies, but processing a guard card application with a criminal history on record commonly takes meaningfully longer than a clean application, partly because of DOJ/FBI Live Scan turnaround times.
Will a dismissed DUI stop me from getting a guard card?
Not by itself. A standalone DUI, especially a dismissed one, usually isn't the kind of offence that drives a guard card denial unless there's a pattern or it's connected to the job's duties.
Official source: California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services
Sources
- https://www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/app_processing_timeframes.shtml
- https://www.bsis.ca.gov/
- https://www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/app_delay.shtml
Legal information on this page was last checked against primary sources in October 2026. California law changes; if you are reading this long after that date, confirm before you rely on it.