                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

LICENSING, CERTIFICATION, AND REGISTRATION REQUIRED; QUALIFICATIONS; TEMPORARY
LICENSES (§ 9.1-139)

A. No person shall engage in the private security services business or solicit
private security business in the Commonwealth without having obtained a license
from the Department. No person shall be issued a private security services
business license until a compliance agent is designated in writing on forms
provided by the Department. The compliance agent shall ensure the compliance of
the private security services business with this article and shall meet the
qualifications and perform the duties required by the regulations adopted by the
Board.

B. No person shall act as a private security services training school or solicit
students for private security training in the Commonwealth without being
certified by the Department. No person shall be issued a private security
services training school certification until a school director is designated in
writing on forms provided by the Department. The school director shall ensure
the compliance of the school with the provisions of this article and shall meet
the qualifications and perform the duties required by the regulations adopted by
the Board.

C. No person shall be employed by a licensed private security services business
in the Commonwealth as armored car personnel, courier, armed security officer,
detector canine handler, unarmed security officer, security canine handler,
private investigator, personal protection specialist, alarm respondent,
locksmith, central station dispatcher, electronic security sales representative,
electronic security technician&#8217;s assistant, or electronic security
technician without possessing a valid registration issued by the Department,
except as provided in this article. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
article, a licensed private security services business may hire as an
independent contractor a personal protection specialist or private investigator
who has been issued a registration by the Department.

D. A temporary license may be issued in accordance with Board regulations for
the purpose of awaiting the results of the state and national fingerprint
search. However, no person shall be issued a temporary license until (i) he has
designated a compliance agent who has complied with the compulsory minimum
training standards established by the Board pursuant to subsection A of &#xA7;
9.1-141 for compliance agents, (ii) each principal of the business has submitted
his fingerprints for a National Criminal Records search and a Virginia Criminal
History Records search, and (iii) he has met all other requirements of this
article and Board regulations.

E. No person shall be employed by a licensed private security services business
in the Commonwealth unless such person is certified or registered in accordance
with this chapter.

F. A temporary registration may be issued in accordance with Board regulations
for the purpose of awaiting the results of the state and national fingerprint
search. However, no person shall be issued a temporary registration until he has
(i) complied with, or been exempted from the compulsory minimum training
standards established by the Board, pursuant to subsection A of &#xA7; 9.1-141,
for armored car personnel, couriers, armed security officers, detector canine
handlers, unarmed security officers, security canine handlers, private
investigators, personal protection specialists, alarm respondents, locksmith,
central station dispatchers, electronic security sales representatives,
electronic security technician&#8217;s assistants, or electronic security
technicians, (ii) submitted his fingerprints to be used for the conduct of a
National Criminal Records search and a Virginia Criminal History Records search,
and (iii) met all other requirements of this article and Board regulations.

G. A temporary certification as a private security instructor or private
security training school may be issued in accordance with Board regulations for
the purpose of awaiting the results of the state and national fingerprint
search. However, no person shall be issued a temporary certification as a
private security services instructor until he has (i) met the education,
training and experience requirements established by the Board and (ii) submitted
his fingerprints to be used for the conduct of a National Criminal Records
search and a Virginia Criminal History Records search. No person shall be issued
a temporary certification as a private security services training school until
(a) he has designated a training director, (b) each principal of the training
school has submitted his fingerprints to be used for the conduct of a National
Criminal Records search and a Virginia Criminal History Records search, and (c)
he has met all other requirements of this article and Board regulations.

H. A licensed private security services business in the Commonwealth shall not
employ as an unarmed security officer, electronic security technician&#8217;s
assistant, unarmed alarm respondent, central station dispatcher, electronic
security sales representative, locksmith, or electronic security technician, any
person who has not complied with, or been exempted from, the compulsory minimum
training standards established by the Board, pursuant to subsection A of &#xA7;
9.1-141, except that such person may be so employed for not more than 90 days
while completing compulsory minimum training standards.

I. No person shall be employed as an electronic security employee, electronic
security technician&#8217;s assistant, unarmed alarm respondent, locksmith,
central station dispatcher, electronic security sales representative, electronic
security technician or supervisor until he has submitted his fingerprints to the
Department to be used for the conduct of a National Criminal Records search and
a Virginia Criminal History Records search. The provisions of this subsection
shall not apply to an out-of-state central station dispatcher meeting the
requirements of subdivision 19 of &#xA7; 9.1-140.

J. The compliance agent of each licensed private security services business in
the Commonwealth shall maintain documentary evidence that each private security
registrant and certified employee employed by his private security services
business has complied with, or been exempted from, the compulsory minimum
training standards required by the Board. Before January 1, 2003, the compliance
agent shall ensure that an investigation to determine suitability of each
unarmed security officer employee has been conducted, except that any such
unarmed security officer, upon initiating a request for such investigation under
the provisions of subdivision A 11 of &#xA7; 19.2-389, may be employed for up to
30 days pending completion of such investigation. After January 1, 2003, no
person shall be employed as an unarmed security officer until he has submitted
his fingerprints to the Department for the conduct of a National Criminal
Records search and a Virginia Criminal History Records search. Any person who
was employed as an unarmed security officer prior to January 1, 2003, shall
submit his fingerprints to the Department in accordance with subsection B of
&#xA7; 9.1-145.

K. No person with a criminal conviction for a misdemeanor involving (i) moral
turpitude, (ii) assault and battery, (iii) damage to real or personal property,
(iv) controlled substances or imitation controlled substances as defined in
Article 1 (&#xA7; 18.2-247 et seq.) of Chapter 7 of Title 18.2, (v) prohibited
sexual behavior as described in Article 7 (&#xA7; 18.2-61 et seq.) of Chapter 4
of Title 18.2, or (vi) firearms, or any felony shall be (a) employed as a
registered or certified employee by a private security services business or
training school, or (b) issued a private security services registration,
certification as an unarmed security officer, electronic security employee or
technician&#8217;s assistant, a private security services training school or
instructor certification, compliance agent certification, or a private security
services business license, except that, upon written request, the Director of
the Department may waive such prohibition. Any grant or denial of such waiver
shall be made in writing within 30 days of receipt of the written request and
shall state the reasons for such decision.

L. The Department may grant a temporary exemption from the requirement for
licensure, certification, or registration for a period of not more than 30 days
in a situation deemed an emergency by the Department.

M. All private security services businesses and private security services
training schools in the Commonwealth shall include their license or
certification number on all business advertising materials.

N. A licensed private security services business in the Commonwealth shall not
employ as armored car personnel any person who has not complied with, or been
exempted from, the compulsory minimum training standards established by the
Board pursuant to subsection A of &#xA7; 9.1-141, except such person may serve
as a driver of an armored car for not more than 90 days while completing
compulsory minimum training standards, provided such person does not possess or
have access to a firearm while serving as a driver.

HISTORY: 1976, c. 737, § 54-729.29; 1977, c. 376, § 54.1-1902; 1978, cc. 28,
428; 1984, cc. 57, 779; 1988, cc. 48, 765; 1991, c. 589; 1992, c. 578, §
9-183.3; 1994, cc. 45, 47, 810; 1995, c. 79; 1996, c. 541; 1998, cc. 53, 122,
807; 2000, c. 26; 2001, cc. 821, 844; 2002, cc. 578, 597; 2003, c. 124; 2004, c.
470; 2008, c. 638; 2015, c. 202; 2016, c. 561; 2018, c. 214.