What Is the 8-Hour Guard Card Course?
The 8-hour guard card course is the BSIS-required training every new California security guard must complete before applying for a guard card. It has two parts — 3 hours of Power to Arrest and 5 hours of Appropriate Use of Force — taught by a single provider in one day, with a certificate issued the same day. It is the first of four steps toward your California guard card.
What the Course Covers
Part A — Power to Arrest (3 hours): the responsibilities and ethics of a citizen arrest, limits on the power to arrest, search and seizure restrictions, and criminal and civil liability.
Part B — Appropriate Use of Force (5 hours): legal standards for use of force, objectively reasonable force and de-escalation, duty to intercede, implicit and explicit bias, and disability and behavioral-health awareness.
Who Needs It
Anyone applying for a California guard card. No prior experience is required — the course serves both brand-new applicants and current professionals meeting BSIS training requirements. You must be at least 18 and legally eligible to work in the U.S.
Where It Fits in the Bigger Picture
The 8-hour course is Step 1. After it, you apply through BSIS, complete Live Scan fingerprinting, and finish 32 hours of skills training within six months. See the full path on our Guard Card requirements guide.
Related Questions
Is the 8-hour course the same as a guard card?
Do I pass or fail the 8-hour course?
How much is the 8-hour guard card course?
More questions? See our full FAQ and the step-by-step Guard Card requirements guide, or contact us. Verified against bsis.ca.gov. BSIS License ATG #2995.
Take the 8-Hour Course
Power to Arrest + Appropriate Use of Force, in one day, same-day certificate. LA & Orange County.
Book the 8-Hour Course — $80