Business

A business means any person engaged in the business of providing, or who undertakes to provide, armored car personnel, security officers, personal protection specialists, private investigators, couriers, security canine handlers, security canine teams, detector canine handlers, detector canine teams, alarm respondents, locksmiths, central station dispatchers, electronic security employees, electronic security sales representatives or electronic security technicians and their assistants to another person under contract, express or implied.

Submit these items to DCJS:

  1. Initial Business License Application after logging into or creating an account at www.dcjs.virginia.gov/online, and pay applicable non-refundable fees.
     
  2. For each principal and supervisor of the applying business:
    submit a Criminal History Processing Form with the applicable non-refundable processing fee, and schedule an appointment to have your fingerprints scanned at www.fieldprintvirginia.com or call 877-614-4364.  DCJS will automatically be notified once you have been fingerprinted.
     
  3. Documentation verifying that the applicant has a Certification of Insurance reflecting DCJS as a certificate holder, that shows a policy of comprehensive general liability insurance with a minimum coverage of $1,000,000 of general aggregate liability insurance issued by an insurance company authorized to do business in Virginia.
     
  4.  Irrevocable Consent for Service for each non-resident applicant.
     
  5.  Identification number issued by the Virginia State Corporation Commission for verification that the entity is authorized to conduct business in Virginia.
     
  6.  A physical address in Virginia where records required to be maintained by the Code of Virginia and the Virginia Administrative Code are kept and available for inspection by DCJS, and the physical address for all locations in Virginia in which regulated services are offered. A post office box is not considered a physical address.
     
  7. Designate at least one individual as the compliance agent who is certified or eligible for certification. For more information, view the Compliance Agent page
     
  8.  Designate on the license application the type of private security business license you are seeking. The initial business license fee includes one category. A separate fee will be charged for each additional category. The separate categories are identified as: Security Officers/Couriers (Armed and Unarmed); Private Investigators; Electronic Security; Armored Car; Personal Protection Specialists; Locksmiths and Detector Canine or Security Canine Handlers. Alarm Respondents crossover into both the Security Officer and Electronic Security categories, therefore if you are licensed in either of these categories, you may provide these services without purchasing an additional category.

Additional Requirements for Electronic Security Services Businesses (Only)

The definition of an Electronic Security Services Employee is one who has access to information concerning the design, extent, status, password, contact list, or location of an end user’s electronic security equipment. The definition of Electronic Security Services Employee does not include Electronic Security Sales Representative, Technicians, Technician Assistants, or Central Station Dispatchers who are individually defined and must already meet the fingerprint requirements for a Private Security Services Registration  

Electronic Security Services businesses are required to ensure that anyone who meets the definition of an Electronic Security Employee follow the following steps:

  1. Log into or create an account at www.dcjs.virginia.gov/online,
     
  2. Submit an Electronic Security Personnel or Supervisor Application and pay applicable non-refundable fees
     
  3. Schedule an appointment to have fingerprints scanned, and pay the applicable non-refundable processing fee

Applications should be submitted to DCJS at least 30 days prior to expiration.

Submit these items to DCJS:

  1. Renewal Business License Application after logging into or creating an account at www.dcjs.virginia.gov/online, and paying applicable non-refundable fees.
  2. For each new principal and supervisor of the applying business:
    submit a Criminal History Processing Form with the applicable non-refundable processing fee, and schedule an appointment to have your fingerprints scanned at www.fieldprintvirginia.com or call 877-614-4364.  DCJS will automatically be notified once you have been fingerprinted.
  3. Documentation verifying that the applicant has secured a Certification of Insurance reflecting DCJS as a certificate holder, showing a policy of comprehensive general liability insurance with a minimum coverage of $1,000,000 of general aggregate liability insurance issued by an insurance company authorized to do business in Virginia.

Any person engaged in the business of providing, or who undertakes to provide, armored car personnel, security officers, personal protection specialists, private investigators, couriers, security canine handlers, security canine teams, detector canine handlers, detector canine teams, alarm respondents, locksmiths, central station dispatchers, electronic security employees, electronic security sales representatives or electronic security technicians and their assistants to another person under contract, expressed or implied.

 

Any person who engages in the business of or undertakes to (i) sell, (ii) install, service, maintain, design or consult in the design of any electronic security equipment to an end user; (iii) respond to or cause a response to electronic security equipment for an end user; or (iv) have access to confidential information concerning the design, extent, status, password, contact list, or location of an end user's electronic security equipment. 

Please Business page of our website for details. 

Please visit the Business page of our website for details. 

The official number issued to a private security services business licensed by DCJS. The number will be 11- followed by 4 digits – (11-1234). 

You must display your business license number on business advertising material, display advertisements in telephone directories, letterhead, business cards, local newspaper advertising, contracts, and any electronic medium, including the Internet, social media, and digital advertising. 

Any sole proprietor, individual listed as an officer or director with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, board member of the association, or partner of a licensed firm or applicant for licensure may be considered a "principal" of a company. This person(s) must submit fingerprints with the business license application. 

A company is required to be licensed if it is engaged in the business of providing, or who undertakes to provide, armored car personnel, security officers, personal protection specialists, private investigators, couriers, security canine handlers, alarm respondents, central station dispatchers, electronic security employees, electronic security sales representatives or electronic security technicians and their assistants to another person under contract, expressed or implied. 

Exclusively owned or private. For example: Kings Dominion Amusement Park employs personnel for their security needs. Kings Dominion is a proprietary business and their security employees are "in-house" proprietary security personnel. Additionally, "loss prevention" or "assets protection" for stores such as Kmart or Target are individuals employed by the company and therefore are not required to be registered with DCJS. 

If your business cannot provide all security services requested by your client, you may subcontract those services to another licensed private security services business.  If you choose to do this, keep in mind that a 1099 cannot be issued to the subcontractor. 

The business may begin providing this service only after they have been issued a private security services business license. 

Yes, it may be issued while waiting the results of the state and national fingerprint search. In addition, all other requirements must be met. 

Yes, it is a Class I misdemeanor to engage in the private security services business without a license. 

A $50.00 fee for each additional category of service over one category that the licensee provides. 

No, you can only solicit business once issued a private security services business license.

This is an individual designated by the business and certified by DCJS whose responsibilities are to ensure that the licensee and all employees conform to all application requirements, administrative requirements and standards of conduct pursuant to the Code of Virginia and the state regulations. Compliance agents also maintain documentation for all employees, or persons, that verifies compliance with requirements pursuant to the Code of Virginia and the state regulations. 

Yes, a business is required to maintain one compliance agent but may designate as many compliance agents as needed.  If a company has more then one compliance agent it must advise DCJS of the primary agent for contact purposes.

No, the compliance agent does not have to be trained and registered in any category unless he/she is actually providing regulated services in addition to compliance agent duties. 

If a new legal entity is created a new private security services license must be obtained.

No. Timely renewal of applications for licenses, registrations, and certifications are the responsibility of the individual businesses, training schools, instructors, compliance agents, and individual personnel. DCJS normally sends out a reminder as a courtesy to the last known mailing address or email address, but due to current technical difficulties the Department is unable to send individual reminders. The Department is working to address this issue. 

To ensure that you renew timely, remember the expiration date is listed directly on your credential, and it is your responsibility to submit for renewal 30 days in advance of the expiration.  Should you fail to renew prior to the expiration, you may apply for reinstatement during the immediate 60 days after your expiration date.   There are limited reasons in which an individual may request an extension, for more information on extensions, see the Extension FAQ.

Renewals should be submitted a minimum of 30 days prior to their expiration. 

The license immediately becomes null and void and the business may not provide regulated services without the required liability coverage.  Each day of uninsured activity would be construed as an individual violation of the requirement to maintain current liability coverage and could result in sanctions to include monetary fines up to $2500.00 per day or suspension or revocation of the license.

Documents must be maintained after employment is terminated for a period of not less than 3 years. 

Compliance agents ensure that the licensee and all employees conform to all application requirements, administrative requirements and standards of conduct pursuant to the Code of Virginia and the state regulations.  In addition, the agent ensures that all regulated employees carry a state issued photo identification.  Compliance agents also maintain documentation for all employees, or persons otherwise utilized, that verifies compliance with requirements pursuant to the Code of Virginia and the state regulations. 

The business must notify the department in writing within 10 calendar days and provide the name of the individual responsible for the licensee's adherence to applicable administrative requirements and standards of conduct during the period of replacement. 

A new certified compliance agent must be designated within 90 days following the sole compliance agent's termination.

No, a compliance agent must be designated in writing on forms provided by DCJS. 

Yes, DCJS needs written notification within 30 days of such a change. Written notification should include fingerprint cards and social security numbers of the new owners or principals. 

It can take up to 30 days to be issued a business license depending on when all requirements are met. 

Contact the Licensing Coordinator immediately to verify if any additional requirements need to be met. Any new officers will need to submit fingerprints and if there is an entity change it may require initial licensing requirements.