Bureau of Security and Investigative Services

Did You Know? - Proprietary Private Security Officer

The definition of a Proprietary Private Security Officer ("PSO") is an unarmed individual, (1) who is employed exclusively by a single employer, (2) whose primary duty is to provide security services for that employer, (3) whose services are not contracted to any other entity or person, (4) who is not exempt pursuant to Section 7582.2 of the Business and Professions Code, and (5) who meets both of the following criteria:

Is required to wear a distinctive uniform clearly identifying the individual as a security officer, and
Is likely to interact with the public while performing his or her duties.

Due to the enactment of Senate Bill 194 (Stats. 2005, ch 655), a person who meets the definition of a PSO must register with the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). A person hired as a PSO on or after January 1, 2006 must be registered on and after July 1, 2006. A person hired as a PSO before January 1, 2006 must be registered on and after January 1, 2007.
Any person wishing to register as a PSO must be at least 18 years of age, undergo a criminal history background check, submit an application to BSIS, and pay all necessary fees.
While PSO registration candidates do not need to provide proof of training to the Bureau, their employers must have proof of the PSOs completion of 16 hour of training within the first six months of receiving the PSO registration or six months from date of hire by the PSO employer in the employee's file. You can obtain a copy of the PSO Training Syllabus on the Bureaus web site.