Firearms Training
In accordance with 6VAC20-174-340, a firearms training endorsement is required for all PSS personnel who carry or have immediate access to a firearm while on duty. You must qualify with each type of action and caliber of firearm to which you have access. Basic firearm training requirements vary based on your desired category:
- Initial registrations as an armed alarm respondent, armored car personnel, central station dispatcher, detector canine handler, electronic security sales representative, electronic security technician, electronic security technician's assistant, locksmith, private investigator, or security canine handler require Entry-Level Handgun (07E) training.
- Those seeking initial registration as any of the above categories and who do not carry or have immediate access to a firearm (e.g., a locksmith who doesn’t carry a firearm) are not required to complete 07E training.
- Initial registrations as an armed security officer/courier require Security Officer Handgun (075E) training.
- Initial registrations as a personal protection specialist require Entry-Level Handgun (07E) or Armed Security Officer handgun (075E) training and Advanced Handgun (09E) training.
- Initial registrations to any category that have access to shotgun and/or patrol rifles require Shotgun (08E) and/or Patrol Rifle (10E) training.
Additional Entry-Level Training
There are additional training requirements respective to your desired category. For instance, Security Officer Core Subjects (01E) and Armed Security Officer Arrest Authority training (05E) training is required for armed security officers/couriers.
Exemptions for Former LEOs
As a former LEO, you may be eligible for exemptions from some required trainings. Continue reading to find out more!
The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 (LEOSA) exempts qualified law enforcement officers holding a LEOSA photographic identification card from most state and local laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed firearms (subject to certain restrictions and exceptions).
If you currently have a LEOSA card, and the date of your LEOSA qualification is within one year of your initial PSS application, you may be eligible for exemptions for handgun-related trainings otherwise required of private security services applicants. Specifically, you may be exempt from Security Officer Handgun (075E), Entry-Level Handgun (07E), and/or Advanced Handgun (09E) training. For more information specifically about LEOSA, please see 18 USC § 926C and the NRAExplore Understanding LEOSA webpage.
Furthermore, if you have been employed as a LEO within five years prior to your PSS application date, you may additionally be eligible per 6VAC20-174-190 for partial exemption from non-firearm trainings, e.g., Security Officer Core Subjects (01E). Official documentation must accompany your application:
- Completion of law-enforcement entry-level training; and
- Five continuous years of law-enforcement employment provided such employment as a law-enforcement officer was not terminated due to misconduct or incompetence.
Even if you do not have a LEOSA card, some training exemptions may be available to you as a former LEO.
If you do not have a LEOSA card, some training exemptions may be available to you as a former LEO.
Per 6VAC20-174-350, persons having previous department-approved firearms training may be authorized credit for such training if it meets or exceeds the compulsory minimum training standards for PSS personnel, provided such training has been completed within the 12 months before the date of application. Official documentation of the following must accompany your application:
- Completion of department-approved firearms training; and
- Qualification at a Virginia criminal justice agency, academy, or correctional department.
Furthermore, if you have been employed as a LEO within five years prior to your PSS application date, you may additionally be eligible per 6VAC20-174-190 for partial exemption from non-firearm trainings, e.g., Security Officer Core Subjects (01E). Official documentation must accompany your application:
- Completion of law-enforcement entry-level training; and
- Five continuous years of law-enforcement employment provided such employment as a law-enforcement officer was not terminated due to misconduct or incompetence.
Martin is a recently retired LEO who wants to work as a personal protection specialist. He submits his initial application on November 2, 2024, and notices while completing it that his selected category requires completion of Personal Protection Specialist (32E), Entry-Level Handgun (07E), and Advanced Handgun (09E) training.
Because Martin received his LEOSA card on May 12, 2024, i.e., within one year of his initial application, he may request training waivers for both firearm courses. If his exemptions are granted, Martin will only need to complete 32E, reducing his required training requirements by a third.
Daphne is a former LEO who had to quit the force in order to take care of her elderly father-in-law. She wants to work part time as an armed security officer, which for an initial registration requires completion of Security Officer Core Subjects (01E), Armed Security Officer Arrest Authority (05E), and Security Officer Handgun (075E) training. Because she will have access to a shotgun at her place of employment, she must also complete Entry-Level Shotgun (08E) training.
Daphne doesn't have a LEOSA card, nor does she qualify. However, when she served as a LEO, she completed department-approved firearms training with handguns and shotguns and at a Virginia academy. So, she is potentially eligible for exemptions from 075E and 08E. Since she served for five continuous years of law-enforcement employment within five years of her application, she may additionally be eligible for partial exemption from 01E. If her exemptions are granted, Daphne will reduce her training requirements by approximately 75%.
Eddie is a former LEO who retired and received his LEOSA card on October 31, 2018. He begins his initial application as a private investigator, with a handgun firearm endorsement, on July 4, 2024. This category requires completion of Private Investigator Subjects (02E) and Entry-Level Handgun (07E) training.
As the date on Eddie’s LEOSA card is more than 12 months older than the date of his initial application, he must either requalify for his LEOSA card before requesting exemption from 07E, or he must complete the 07E training. And because he served as a LEO more than five years before his initial application date, he is not eligible for partial exemption from 02E.
First, initiate an electronic application on our website. (A step-by-step guide on how to create an initial application is available here.) When you get to the following page, select “Yes” to the question, “Do you want to submit a training waiver request?”
At the bottom of the page, please select "Create Training Waiver(s)."
Once you click "Add Training Waiver," the following page will appear:
Make your selections, and then click “Continue & Upload Documents." As applicable, upload any supporting documentation, e.g., your LEOSA card (front and back), firearms training record, range score sheet, etc.
Note: Handgun range score documentation is NOT required if you hold a LEOSA card issued within 12 months of your application. If you are submitting a training exemption for shotgun or patrol rifle training exemptions, however, range score documentation is required and must include the agency/business, qualifying date, score and signed by a certified firearm instructor.
Continue through to the Confirmation Page, where you will be required to pay a Training Exemption Fee of $25.
Someone from our Compliance, Enforcement, Criminal Histories, and Training section will review your record and either approve or deny your Training Exemption Form. Training waivers are reviewed in the order in which they are received. It may take up to 30 business days to review and approve or deny your request.
If your training waiver is approved, you will receive a partial approval letter that includes any additional training required to complete your registration. If your training waiver is denied, you will receive an email explaining the decision.
Our online search tool can show you licensed PSS businesses within 5 to 100 miles of your location. Simply select “Business” as the License Type, your respective category (e.g., Security Officer Services), and your city or zip code.