Frequently Asked Questions Private Security Employer

Excise and Licenses will no longer renew merchant guard company licenses or In-House Security licenses as of November 1st, 2018. Any company wishing to either renew a merchant guard company license or have In-House security will need to apply for a new private security employer license.

Companies that currently hold a merchant guard company license can continue working with their existing license until it expires. We recommend that current merchant guard companies apply for a private security employer license 30 days before their current license expires to allow time for application processing.

We recommend that current in-house security companies apply for a private security employer license as soon as possible, as they are not allowed to employ security guards.

Companies interested in becoming private security employers, who do not currently hold a merchant guard company license, will need to obtain a new private security employer license before starting their hiring of security guards.

Yes! All applications will be moved online. Companies are still welcome to visit Excise and Licenses in person if they would like to have a licensing technician walk them through the online application.

No - bars and restaurants that currently hold in-house security status will not be eligible to employ security guards. These entities must apply for a Private Security Employer license before employing security guards.

Only if the Private Security Employer is an Eligible Training Provider. 

If the basic FAQs above or the application information below does not answer your questions, you can visit our main Security Guard FAQ page for more information.

Finally, you can always call 311 with your questions.

Please refer to our online application guides below  for a step by step walk-through of how to fill out the online application. 

New Security Guard Online Application Guide(PDF, 3MB)

Renewal Security Guard Online Application Guide(PDF, 754KB)

New Private Security Guard Online Application Guide(PDF, 2MB)

Renewal Private Security Guard Online Application Guide(PDF, 1MB)

If you are experiencing what may be an issue with our website, please e-mail us at licenses@denvergov.org with full details of the issue so that we can help you troubleshoot.

An Affidavit of Criminal and Employment history is used to ensure that general manager applicants are of good moral character. As such, it is imperative that all questions are answered truthfully.

All questions on this form must be answered and five full years of employment (or education history) must be provided. Incomplete forms will be rejected.

Download an Affidavit of Criminal and Employment History form(PDF, 869KB).

If your company is seeking a vehicle endorsement you must maintain automobile liability insurance coverage  for the entire term of your license demonstrating a minimum combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage per occurrence of $500,000.

The automobile liability insurance must cover any vehicles that you will authorize your guards to use while providing security services - including the guard's own cars.

All private security employers must maintain the following minimum insurance requirements for the entire term of their license:

• Employer's Liability Insurance - minimum $100,000
• General Liability Insurance - minimum $1,000,000 combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage per occurrence
• Worker's Compensation Insurance - minimum $100,000

All Security Guards, unless working within the parameters of an approved plainclothes endorsement, must wear an approved uniform while providing security services.

Uniform designs are submitted to Denver Exise and Licenses for approval by Private Security Employer's via a Declaration of Uniform Design(PDF, 1010KB) form upon their application for a new license or a license renewal.  As part of filling out this form in it's entirety, the company will provide photographs or renderings of proposed uniform design(s), which are reviewed to determine compliance with Denver's laws and rules. 

• You may use multiple uniform designs, but you must submit each design for review and receive approval before using it.
• A new uniform design must be submitted for any non-identical set of verbiage, font, image, badge, and/or patch.
• Once a design has been approved, it can be used on any type of clothing (i.e. shirts, coats, vests, etc.).

If the company wishes to have multiple uniform designs approved, they should submit a distinct  Declaration of Uniform Design(PDF, 1010KB) form for each design.

Employer's Liability Insurance protects employers from financial loss if a worker has a job-related injury or illness not covered by workers' compensation. 

All private security employers must maintain the following minimum insurance requirements for the entire term of their license:

• Employer's Liability Insurance - minimum $100,000
• General Liability Insurance - minimum $1,000,000 combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage per occurrence
• Worker's Compensation Insurance - minimum $100,000

All general managers for a private security employer must provide either a copy of their active Security Guard license or an Affidavit of Criminal and Employment History(PDF, 869KB) AND an FBI background check to ensure that the applicant is eligible for licensing and of good moral character.

FBI background checks must be ran within 60 days of the application.

General Liability Insurance is a type of insurance policy that provides coverage to a business for bodily injury, personal injury and property damage caused by the business' operations, products, or injury that occurs on the business' premises.

All private security employers must maintain the following minimum insurance requirements for the entire term of their license:

• Employer's Liability Insurance - minimum $100,000
• General Liability Insurance - minimum $1,000,000 combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage per occurrence
• Worker's Compensation Insurance - minimum $100,000

A vehicle endorsement allows a Private Security Employer to authorize their security guards to use vehicles during the performance of security services. A vehicle endorsement is required whether the vehicles to be used are owned by the employer, the guards, or another entity.

Upon their application for a new license or a license renewal, a Private Security Employer may apply for this endorsement by submitting a Request for Vehicle Endorsement (PDF, 900KB)form.  Through this form, Private Security Employer's provide photographs or renderings of proposed vehicle design(s), which are reviewed to determine ordinance compliance. Please remember:

• You may use multiple vehicle designs, but you must submit each design for review and receive approval before using it.
• A new vehicle design must be submitted for any non-identical set of verbiage, font, decal, and/or special paint design.
• Once a design has been approved, it can be used on any vehicle, regardless of the make and model of the vehicle.

If the company wishes to have multiple uniform designs approved, they should submit a distinct  Request for Vehicle Endorsement(PDF, 900KB) form for each design.

A weapons endorsement allows a Private Security Employer to authorize their security guards to use weapons while working. Weapons typically are defined as firearms, tasers, batons, or pepper spray, but any other weapon that the employer wishes to use must be approved by Denver through obtaining the appropriate weapons endorsement.

Upon their application for a new license or a license renewal, a Private Security Employer may apply for this endorsement by submitting a Request for Weapons Endorsement(PDF, 942KB) form.  As part of filling out this form in it's entirety, Please remember:

• The weapons endorsement is associated only with the specific Weapons outlined in the private security employer application.
• A private security employer shall not add or modify the Weapons it provides or authorizes for use before receiving approval to do so from the Department.
• It is the Private Security Employer's responsibility to ensure that all of it's security guards are properly trained in the use of any weapons before they are authorized to carry said weapons. 

This is generally a valid driver's license. For other forms of valid ID, please see a full list of acceptable forms of ID.

General Managers may provide a copy of their Valid Denver Security Guard license in lieu of an Affidavit of Criminal and Employment History(PDF, 869KB) and an FBI Background check ran within the last 60 days. They may provide the Valid Denver Security Guard license due to the fact that they have already proved that they are of good moral character through the security guard licensing process.

Worker's Compensation Insurance is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment in exchange for mandatory relinquishment of the employee's right to sue their employer for the tort of negligence.

All private security employers must maintain the following minimum insurance requirements for the entire term of their license:

• Employer's Liability Insurance - minimum $100,000
• General Liability Insurance - minimum $1,000,000 combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage per occurrence
• Worker's Compensation Insurance - minimum $100,000

For instructions on how to check on the status of an application through the online portal, please download our Application Status Check-In Guide(PDF, 457KB).

If you have received a Notice of Application Deficiency e-mail, please download our Document Correction Guide(PDF, 1005KB)  for step by step  instructions on how to proceed.

If you are struggling with the online application, please download our New Private Security Employer License Application Guide(PDF, 2MB).