Becoming a Security Guard in Albuquerque New Mexico

It is required by law for security guards in New Mexico to be licensed or registered through the state regulations and licensing board. In New Mexico there are three levels of licensing which one can achieve. Level three, armed security, takes the most amount of security guard training hours to complete. The following explains what is needed to attain each level.

Level One: Security Guard

In order to reach level one, a person must be 18 and have no felonies or misdemeanors. They need to be a person of good character. With the application and part of the process they will need to submit 2 passport sized photos to be used for their identification badge/registration card. They will need to submit two fingerprint cards which can be obtained from the New Mexico regulatory and licensing board. They will need a copy of employment history. 24 hours of level one training within the state and by a state approved training program needs to be complete. Once they have achieved this they can work for a security company under the supervision of a patrol officer.

Level Two: Security Guard Training

Everything listed in the above section that is required of people to achieve level one is also required in order to achieve level two. In addition to the above criteria a person also needs to have completed high school, and complete an additional 24 hours of security guard training within the first 12 months of being hired by a security company.

Level Three: Armed Security Guard in New Mexico

A level three guard needs to complete all of the above two category requirements, but must also be at least 21 years of age. They must then complete an additional 24 hours of security guard training on top of the already completed 48. These hours of training are designed to equip a security guard with the necessary skills and certification to be able to carry a firearm on the job. Once a person has achieved level 3 they are now considered an armed security guard.

Along each of these steps there are fees and costs associated with security guard training courses, application processing fees, and background checks and fingerprinting. Be aware that even though most of these fees are minimal, they can add up. For more information on the process in New Mexico you may visit the website of the regulatory and licensing board for the state: rld.state.nm.us.