Security Guard Requirements in Idaho: What do you need to become a Security Guard in Idaho

The state of Idaho does not license armed or unarmed security guards. Individual municipalities, however, do have regulations in place. Security guards in cities such as Boise and Lewiston answer to a city authority as well as an individual employer.

Prospective security guards can expect to meet some standard requirements regardless of whether they are licensed. The minimum age is 18; this is the standard nationwide. Employees typically have background checks. Employers also look for a high school diploma or several years of meaningful work history.

Select an Idaho Security Guard Topic:

• Find Security Training Near You
• City Security Guard Mandates
• Requirements Set by Security Agencies
• Requirements for Public Sector Employment
• Expectations for Armed Security Guards

City Security Guard Mandates

Multiple Idaho cities regulate the security industry. They use different titles for security personnel. Requirements vary slightly from city to city.

Boise licenses patrol services and patrol agents (http://cityclerk.cityofboise.org/licensing/patrol-services/ Prospective). Security guards must be at least 18. They cannot have recent convictions for felonies or for misdemeanors involving dishonesty or theft; any sentence must have been completed at least three years in the past. Individuals who provide security for special events are exempt from licensing requirements but must have background checks. Security services must be covered by insurance policies and bonds. Agents must hold bonds if they are not covered by employer bond.

Idaho Falls licenses private patrol services and private patrol persons (http://www.idahofallsidaho.gov/city/city-departments/city-attorney/city-code.html). Like many jurisdictions, Idaho Falls makes some individuals exempt from licensure. In Idaho Falls, guards employed by “interstate or intrastate carriers” are among those exempt. The minimum age for licensees is 21. Patrol persons must be citizens. Individuals are ineligible if they have been convicted of felonies or of other crimes involving “moral turpitude”. Security services and patrol persons are to have their services guaranteed through bonds and insurance policies.

Lewiston licenses security guard services and individual security guards. The license service must provide a list of employees and carry out background checks.

Security guards in other municipalities may want to check with their city clerk.

Requirements Set by Security Agencies

Even in situations where the main responsible party is the employer, expectations make their way down to the level of the individual employee. Services may have a good deal of financial investment in the conduct of employees. They may have insurance policies that cover employees and contractors.

Many large security agencies operate across state lines; they may set standards far above those of local statutes and ordinances. A high school diploma or GED is typically the minimum educational level. Prospective hires may need to have comprehensive physicals and undergo drug screenings. Employers may cite a number of physical and verbal/ communication skills.

Job expectations can vary a good deal. In some positions, security officers have frequent interaction with the public. Employers may value customer service experience. Many positions favor those with military, police, or corrections experience. An individual with a degree in criminal justice may also be given consideration.

Requirements for Public Sector Employment

State workers may patrol campuses or oversee security at special events. Although the public sector represents only a portion of security jobs, state job descriptions give some sense of what is required or desired in the security industry.

Idaho boasts multiple security classifications, including security officer and senior security officer. Security officer is the entry-level position, though some positions may require experience as a dispatcher. A security officer is expected have some knowledge of security procedures. He or she should also have the ability to write reports. Human Resources cites a number of physical skills that may be necessary, such as carrying incapacitated persons and standing and walking for up to eight hours. The Department notes that some positions may require background checks and psychological evaluations. CPR certification is required: if not before hiring, within six months after.

A senior security officer position, unlike a security officer position, may require an individual to earn firearm qualifications or qualifications “less lethal weapons”. Some positions will be open only to individuals with law enforcement training. Requirements will depend on the particular position.

A security officer supervisor is expected to understand safety issues as they relate to large building complexes. A candidate is expected have had some experience training others as well as carrying out other duties such as writing reports and making oral presentations.

The Idaho Division of Human Resources website provides information about general expectations in the public sector (https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/idaho). Additional information is available when there are job vacancies.

Expectations for Armed Security Guards

Requirements for armed positions can be particularly stringent. An armed security officer typically has to be at least 21. He or she must go through a comprehensive background check. The security agency may require personality testing.

A recent ad for armed security officer in Boise listed multiple eligibility avenues including military or security experience, an academic degree, or completion of the Police Officer’s Standard Training (POST) course but noted that successful candidates from the past have had considerable military or police experience. Firing range was to be assessed by testing.