Becoming a Security Guard – Baltimore, MD
In Maryland the security guard training and certification process is a little more muddled and complicated than other states. Many people looking to become certified through the Maryland state government get confused; hopefully this page will help you a bit with the process. In the state of Maryland, a person wishing to become a security guard needs to apply and be approved by the Maryland State Police. This is because the MD State Police set the regulations for security officers, as they are considered the first line of defense in the law enforcement hierarchy in Maryland. The official website which lays out the requirements for security guards in Maryland is: mdsp.maryland.gov
The first thing the Maryland State Police require of security guard applicants is that they already be hired, or are in the process of being a hired by a Maryland security company. The MDSP website above also has a section where it lists all the security companies who are currently licensed and registered within Maryland. Those are the companies a Maryland resident should apply to if they are looking to work in security. Unless you are employed or applying to be employed, you may not apply for a security guard license in Maryland. The Maryland security guard certification applications can be found on the above website, and need to be sent completed along with passport sized photos and proof that the fingerprinting and background check process has been completed and passed. The Maryland security guard license application itself only has a $15 dollar processing fee, but there are additional fees related to background checks and fingerprints.
The Maryland security guard license application itself should be sent to:
Maryland State Police
Licensing Division
1111 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208
Attn.: Security Guard Unit
In Maryland, those wishing to work as armed security officers need to be at least 21, and working for a security company before they can complete the process of being licensed as an armed guard. Armed Guard licensing also happens through the Maryland State Police, just as with Unarmed Security Guard licensing. A person needs to undergo additional background checks and testing (such as drug testing) to ensure the character of the people who are applying to carry firearms in MD. Next firearms training needs to be completed, and a weapons permit obtained. As with unarmed guards, Maryland armed guards are required to be employed with a security company in order to achieve MD licensing. For more information a person can call the Maryland State Police Licensing Division at 410-653-4500.
Security Guard Jobs in Baltimore Maryland
In Baltimore MD, the best way to become a security guard is to apply for open security guard jobs in Baltimore and then apply for licensing through the Maryland State Police Department. Many security guard jobs are even posted on the Baltimore Craigslist page, others are posted through other online job sites such as Indeed or Monster. Some security guard jobs expect you to have already taken a security guard training course prior to applying. There are many security guard training programs located in Baltimore. Most of them cost around $100 dollars for the course. Training classes in Baltimore for security guards usually last between 8 and 20 hours depending on what they are covering. Some of them just cover the basic security guard requirements, others go more in depth, still others train on firearms and weapons use. Once you have a certificate that shows you have completed a security guard training program, security companies may be more apt to hire you. Even if you receive a certificate through a security guard training company, you will still need to register with the Maryland State Police Department in order to be properly licensed through the state. The hiring Maryland security company will need to assist in the registration process, as there is part of the application that indicates who the security guard works for.
Security Guard Training Outside of Baltimore
Besides Baltimore Maryland, other Maryland cities have security guard training located within the state. Landover Maryland security guard training classes take place at Blueline Security Services. Maryland Security Academy is another place to take security guard training courses, this academy is located in Pike, Woodlawn Maryland. Hyattsville, Dundalk, Temple Hills, and Lanham Maryland all also have security guard training courses located within the city. Prospective security guards can enroll in the training courses through these locations in order to meet the minimum training requirements of most Maryland security guard companies.
Keep in mind that in Baltimore and all other cities in Maryland, those wishing to become armed guards need to go through additional firearms training. Some of the Baltimore security guard training centers offer the firearms training hours on site. There are additional hours which will need to be spent at a firing range in order to practice with the actual firearm which will be carried on the job. Again, Baltimore armed security guards will need to also register through the Maryland State Police for proper certification and licensing.