CT Security License Requirements: Training, Fees, and Renewal

To work as a private security officer in Connecticut, you need a Security Officer Training Certification Identification Card issued by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP). The CT security license requirements are set by Connecticut General Statutes § 29-161q: you must be at least 18, of good moral character, clear of disqualifying convictions, and you must complete an eight-hour approved training course before submitting Form DPS-135C with fingerprints, a photo, and about $203 in fees to the Special Licensing and Firearms Unit (SLFU).¹² The card is valid for five years. Armed work adds its own layer on top.

Who Qualifies

The baseline is short: 18 or older, and of “good moral character.”² The statute does not add a separate citizenship or residency test for unarmed officers, though ordinary federal employment verification still applies.

The background screen is pass-fail. You will be disqualified for any of the following convictions:²

Any felony, no matter when it happened.
Any sex-related offense.
Any crime involving moral turpitude, a broad category that reaches offenses like fraud, theft, and certain drug crimes.

You are also barred if a prior security license was revoked or suspended, if you were denied a security service company license for any reason other than lack of experience, or if you are a former police officer who was decertified or whose certification was revoked or refused renewal.²

The Eight-Hour Training Course

Before applying, you must finish at least eight hours of classroom instruction taught by an instructor approved by DESPP.² Tuition is paid to the private provider and typically runs a few hundred dollars.

The required curriculum covers four areas:

Basic first aid.
Search and seizure, including Fourth Amendment limits on citizen interaction.
Use of force.
Criminal justice and public safety, including observation and reporting.

When you pass, the instructor issues a Training Certificate. Without it, the SLFU will not process your application.¹

Application Package and Fees

The application is Form DPS-135C, the Application for Security Officer Training Certification Identification Card. It asks for personal information, physical descriptors, and five years of employment history.¹ Assemble the following:

Completed Form DPS-135C.
Your Training Certificate.
Two sets of fingerprints on the commissioner’s forms.
A recent passport-sized photograph.
Proof of identity, such as a Social Security card plus a Connecticut driver’s license or state ID.

The government fees:

Licensing fee: $100, payable to the state.¹
State criminal history check: $75.³
Federal criminal history check: $13.25.³
Fingerprinting fee: $15 if taken at Connecticut State Police headquarters.³

That is roughly $203 in fees before you add training tuition, which can push the total investment to $400 or more.

Where To Send It and What Happens Next

Mail the complete package to the SLFU at DESPP headquarters in Middletown:¹

Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
Special Licensing & Firearms Unit
1111 Country Club Road
Middletown, CT 06457

The SLFU runs your prints through state and national databases and verifies your documentation. Expect several weeks. If everything clears, DESPP mails the physical card.

You do not have to wait for the card to start working. Since July 2018, an applicant may begin security duties once the application is on file with DESPP. What you cannot do is work before finishing training and actually submitting the application; doing so carries a $75 fine per offense.²

Employer Registration

Your license is only half of what has to be on file. Your employer must register you with the SLFU as soon as you are hired, pay a $40 registration fee per employee, and submit your photograph. A company that skips this or lets you work without proper certification risks suspension or revocation of its own license, so it is worth confirming your registration went through.⁴

Armed Officer Add-Ons

Carrying a firearm on duty raises the bar. You must be at least 21, hold a valid Connecticut pistol permit under C.G.S. § 29-28, and obtain a special firearms endorsement from DESPP, sometimes called a “blue card endorsement.”¹

The endorsement requires an eight-hour firearms training and qualification course, followed by an annual refresher. Carrying a firearm on a security assignment without the endorsement draws a $75 fine per violation for both the officer and the employer.¹

Renewal

The card runs for five years. DESPP sends a renewal notice at least 90 days before expiration.² Renewal costs $100.

Watch the grace period. Your license stays valid for 90 days past its expiration date, so you can keep working during that window, but a late filing adds a $25 fee. Miss the 90 days and the license cannot be renewed at all; you would start the whole process over.²

Renewal applicants still go through state and national background checks, but the statute waives the background check fees and new fingerprints are not required.²

Out-of-State Licenses

Connecticut has no reciprocity agreements for security licensing. A credential from another state does not transfer, and you will need to complete the full Connecticut process, including the eight-hour course, fingerprinting, and background checks. A Connecticut card likewise will not carry over if you move elsewhere.

1
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Security Officers
2
Justia Law. Connecticut Code 29-161q – Qualifications of Security Officers
3
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. State Police Bureau of Identification
4
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Private Security Companies