Denver Excise and License: Security Guard Requirements

To meet the Denver security guard license requirements, you must be at least 18, complete 16 hours of approved training, line up a job with a licensed private security employer, pass a fingerprint-based background check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and submit an online application to the city’s Department of Excise and Licenses with a $25 application fee and a $25 license fee.¹ The full process usually takes a few weeks once training, fingerprinting, and the city’s review are factored in.

Who Has to Be Licensed

Denver’s municipal code makes it illegal to perform security services in the city without a license, and equally illegal for an employer to put an unlicensed guard on a job.² It applies whether you’re covering a residential building, a commercial site, or event security. Your employer must separately hold a private security employer license before hiring you.³

Age and Job Offer

You have to be 18 or older to apply. For a firearm endorsement, the minimum is 21.² You also can’t apply speculatively. The city requires a letter of hire from a licensed private security employer before it will process the application, and that letter must be dated within the previous 60 days.¹

Training

You need at least 16 hours of initial training from a provider approved by the Department of Excise and Licenses. The department publishes the eligible provider list on its website, and only certificates from those providers count.⁴ Your certificate has to be dated within 60 days of when you submit your application, so don’t front-load training too far in advance. After the classroom hours, the city also requires you to watch a set of online training videos posted on the department’s website before you apply.¹

Background Check

Denver requires a fingerprint-based criminal history check through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which pulls both state and FBI records.⁵ The CBI charges $39.50 for the combined state and federal search, on top of a fee to the fingerprinting vendor (IdentoGO or Colorado Fingerprinting). Total out-of-pocket is usually around $50 to $75.

Your results must be dated within 60 days of application submission. When you upload them, the city wants a single combined file, in chronological order, with no pages upside down. Poorly formatted uploads are a common reason applications get kicked back.¹

What Will Get You Denied

The licensing ordinance lists specific convictions that trigger denial. The clock runs from the conviction date or release from incarceration, whichever is more recent, and looks back five years:⁶

Any felony within the past five years
Fraud, theft, or deceit misdemeanors within the past five years
Violence-related offenses within the past five years, including assault, child abuse, and domestic violence
A previous denial, suspension, or revocation of a Denver security guard license within five years
A conviction for doing security work in Denver without a license

The city can also deny an application when someone’s overall character and conduct don’t show honesty, fairness, or respect for the law. That catch-all gives the department discretion beyond the specific categories, and the same grounds can be used later to suspend or revoke an active license.²

Documents You Need to Upload

Everything is submitted digitally as a PDF or JPG. The city won’t accept paper. Applicants need:¹

A security guard training certificate from an approved provider, dated within the past 60 days
A certificate of physical and mental fitness signed by a physician, a physician’s assistant licensed by the Colorado Medical Board, or a registered nurse licensed by the Colorado State Board of Nursing, dated within the past 60 days⁷
A valid state or federal photo ID (driver’s license, passport, or similar)
A headshot photo that meets the city’s badging criteria
A letter of hire from your intended employer, dated within the past 60 days
CBI background check results, dated within the past 60 days, combined into one file

All legal documents must be signed and dated. Incomplete applications are rejected outright. Once you start an application you have 12 months to finish it before you have to begin again.

Submitting the Application

The application runs through the Denver Permitting and Licensing Center, the city’s online portal for business and occupational licenses.⁸ Create an account, go to the Business/Occupational section, and select the security guard license type. The portal lets you save and resume within 30 days; leave it longer and you start over.

Upload your documents, complete the form fields, and pay the $25 application fee plus the $25 license fee. The city accepts bank transfers and Visa, Mastercard, or Discover.¹

What Happens After You Submit

The department aims to complete initial review of a complete application within seven business days. If something’s missing, you’ll get a “notice of deficiency” email and have 14 days to fix it.¹ Miss that window and your application can stall or die, so watch your inbox.

Once approved, the city emails your professional license and a temporary badge document good for 10 calendar days. The permanent badge is mailed to the address on your application. The license itself is valid for one year.⁹

Firearm, Plainclothes, and Other Endorsements

A base license covers unarmed work. Carrying a firearm or working plainclothes requires an add-on endorsement, each with its own paperwork.

Firearm endorsement: a letter of firearm endorsement request from your employer dated within 60 days, plus firearm training certification completed within the past six months. You must be at least 21.²
Plainclothes endorsement: a letter of plainclothes endorsement request from your employer.
Firearm combined with unlimited plainclothes: a concealed handgun permit. Retired officers who qualify under the federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act can submit LEOSA identification and supporting documents instead.¹
Explosive detection canine endorsement: a letter from your employer and a valid explosive detection canine certificate.

All endorsement documents follow the same format: digital files, properly signed, dated within their validity windows.

Staying Compliant and Renewing

Once you’re working, you must carry your license on you every shift and display your badge on duty.¹⁰ Any change to your home address, mailing address, or employer must be reported to the department within 72 hours of the change. The 72-hour clock starts when the change happens, not when you remember. Falling behind on these notifications puts your license at risk, since the same grounds that support denial can support suspension or revocation.⁶

Licenses expire after one year. Renewal runs through the same online portal: log in, find your license under “My Records,” and select “Renew Application.”⁹ You’ll resubmit a current training certificate (completed within the past 90 days for renewals), a fresh letter of hire, and updated CBI results. Renewal review takes seven to 14 business days. Working with an expired license is illegal, so start early; if a license lapses too long, you may be pushed back to the new applicant process rather than a straight renewal.

1
City and County of Denver. New Security Guard Application
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City and County of Denver. Denver Revised Municipal Code – Ordinance CB 17-1177
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City and County of Denver. Private Security Employer
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City and County of Denver. Security Guard Training Providers
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Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Employment and Background Checks
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City and County of Denver. Security Guard Advisory Committee Causes for Denial
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City and County of Denver. Certificate of Physical and Mental Fitness – Security Guard Application
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City and County of Denver. Denver Permitting and Licensing Center
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City and County of Denver. Renewal Security Guard Application
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City and County of Denver. Security Guard Amendments and Notifications