Protection for the people who protect.
Coverage for private patrol operators, event security, armed and unarmed guard companies and patrol services.
Quick answer A security guard company's insurance usually combines general liability including assault and battery, professional liability, workers' comp, patrol vehicle auto coverage and bonds, often from specialty markets because many standard policies exclude assault and battery.
- Security guard companies face claims most businesses never see, including use of force, false arrest, failure to protect and injuries to guards.
- Many standard liability policies exclude assault and battery, so security firms are usually written by specialty markets that include it.
- Workers' comp is required for a security guard company's employees in California and is often the largest part of its insurance cost.
- Armed security operations generally have higher liability exposure and fewer insurance markets than unarmed operations.
- Security guard insurance underwriters rate on armed or unarmed operations, site types, payroll, contracts and claims history.
By Sam Alishahi · CA Insurance License #4348151 · Reviewed November 2026 · How this page is researched
A specialty market for a high-risk trade
Guard companies face claims most businesses never see: use of force, false arrest, failure to protect, and injuries to guards on the job. Many standard policies exclude assault and battery, so security firms are usually written by specialty markets that include it.
Clients and property managers often set detailed insurance requirements in guard contracts, and workers' comp is usually the largest cost. I package liability, workers' comp, patrol vehicles and bonds for firms licensed by California's Bureau of Security and Investigative Services.
- General liabilityIncluding assault and battery, where the market allows.
- Professional liabilityClaims of failure to prevent a loss.
- Workers' compGuard injuries, usually the largest line.
- Auto and bondsPatrol vehicles and client or license bonds.
What underwriters will ask
Having these ready means I can go to market on the first call. The quote form asks for the same things, and anything you don’t know yet can wait.
- License: BSIS private patrol operator license.
- Operations: armed or unarmed, site types and any event work.
- Payroll: guard and office payroll, and headcount.
- Contracts: client insurance requirements.
- Vehicles: patrol cars and drivers.
- History: current policies and claims.
The BSIS filing your PPO license rides on
In California, BSIS requires a private patrol operator (PPO) to file or have on file a liability policy as a condition of issuance, reinstatement, reactivation, renewal, or continued maintenance of the license (B&P Code 7583.39). Section 7583.40 defines that policy as "a commercial general liability policy of insurance issued by an insurance company authorized to transact business in this state that provides minimum limits of insurance of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for any one loss or occurrence due to bodily injury, including death, or property damage, or both." Neither the statute nor BSIS's insurance page names an aggregate, so check the aggregate against your client contracts.
How the filing works:
- A certificate of liability insurance, issued by an authorized agent or employee of the insurer, goes to BSIS electronically or in a manner the Bureau authorizes. BSIS wants one at initial licensure, at each renewal or replacement of the policy, and on request.
- The insurer lists BSIS as certificate holder and reports the insured's name, license number, policy number, start and end dates, and any cancellation date.
- BSIS's PPO insurance page says the certificate must show "occur" or "occurrence" coverage; claims-made general liability is not permitted.
- If you fail to maintain the insurance or can't show proof when asked, the license is automatically suspended by operation of law until you do. BSIS first notifies you in writing that you have 30 days to provide proof.
Neither Section 7583.40 nor BSIS's PPO insurance page addresses nonadmitted (surplus lines) insurers. If your liability is placed with a nonadmitted market, confirm with BSIS that the certificate will be accepted before the old policy ends.
Workers' comp is tied to the license as well. BSIS regulation 16 CCR 621.2 defines "dishonesty or fraud," as used in B&P 7587.4, to include failing to provide workers' comp where the law requires it, and 7587.4 lets the director suspend or revoke a license for dishonesty or fraud. Rules outside California vary by state.
Firearms permits and the renewal clock
Armed posts add a permit to track for every armed guard, so I ask for the permit roster with every armed submission.
- The applicant must be at least 21 and complete the course of firearms training at a Bureau-approved facility, a written exam and range qualification. A registered guard also passes an assessment of judgment, restraint and self-control within six months before applying.
- The permit allows an exposed firearm only of the caliber(s) listed on the card.
- It expires two years from issue. Renewal requires four range qualifications, two in each 12-month period of the term, none closer than four months apart, each preceded by a two-hour use-of-force and de-escalation review. The renewal application is due at least 60 days before expiration, and an expired permit can't be renewed.
Keep the roster current and send it with each renewal. If an armed post is added mid-term, tell me before the guard stands post, not at audit.
Security guard insurance, answered
Why is security guard insurance hard to place?
Guards are exposed to confrontations, and many carriers exclude assault and battery. Specialty markets write the class with the right coverage.
Do armed guards cost more to insure?
Generally yes. Armed operations have higher liability exposure and fewer markets.
Is workers' comp required?
Yes, for employees in California. It's often the largest part of a guard company's insurance cost.
What do underwriters rate on?
Armed or unarmed, site types, payroll, contracts and claims history.
Does BSIS accept a claims-made general liability policy for a PPO license?
No, according to BSIS's PPO insurance page. The Certificate of Liability Insurance must show "occur" or "occurrence" coverage, with at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and BSIS listed as certificate holder.
How many hours of training does a California guard card require?
An approximately eight-hour Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force course before the registration issues, at least 32 hours of security officer skills within six months of issuance (16 within 30 days), then eight hours every year (B&P 7583.6 and 7583.7).
How often do armed guards requalify with their firearm in California?
Four times per two-year permit term: two range qualifications in each 12-month period, with none closer than four months apart, per BSIS's Firearms Permit Fact Sheet. The permit expires two years from issue and can't be renewed after it expires.
Do you offer security guard company insurance outside California?
Yes. Clients across the country send the same quote form. Sam Alishahi is licensed in all 50 states and Washington, DC and places policies there directly. The shopping across carriers works the same way. Rules, minimums and markets differ by state — see insurance requirements by state.
Official sources
- B&P Code 7583.39 (PPO insurance on file, certificate, suspension)
- B&P Code 7583.40 (CGL, $1,000,000 per occurrence)
- BSIS: Private Patrol Operator insurance requirement
- B&P Code 7583.6 (guard training hours)
- B&P Code 7583.7 (Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force course)
- BSIS Firearms Permit Fact Sheet
- IRMI: The Auto Exclusion in the CGL Policy
- BSIS Initial Statement of Reasons, Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force Training (6/29/23)
- 16 CCR 621.2 (dishonesty or fraud includes failure to provide workers' comp)
- IRMI: Pleading Can't Change a Battery into Negligence
Tell me about your firm. I'll shop it.
Your license, payroll and the sites you cover are enough to start.
Alishahi Insurance · Saman Alishahi, independent insurance broker, California License #4348151. General information, not a quote or a promise of coverage; coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued. Some policies may be placed with nonadmitted (surplus lines) insurers, which are not members of the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA).
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(877) 711-4545Answered 24/7 · CA License #4348151
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