How do I renew my guard card?
The state will notify you 90 days prior to your guard card’s expiration via postal mail. If your address is not correct, you will not receive the notice. You have a 90-day grace period to apply for renewal. You do not have to take a class to renew! You only need to mail in the renewal form along with a $100 renewal fee payable to the state.
Note: If you mail the renewal in, it must be notarized. We can notarize it for you for free if you have taken any class with us before. Otherwise, we will charge a $5 fee to notarize.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you don’t renew by the end of the 90-day grace period, the state will NOT renew your guard card, and you must start the process over again, including taking the guard card class.
Link to renewal formHelp! My guard card expired, what do I do?
If your guard card has expired, you are required to start the process over again. This includes completing another guard card class. The state will not renew your card after you surpass the 90 day grace period (i.e. expired on January 1, you have a grace period until April 1 to renew). You must retake the required training and submit a new application to continue working as a security officer.
We recommend contacting us immediately to get back on track with your training and avoid any further lapses in your certification. Once you complete the class, you will be able to reapply for your guard card through the state. We understand time is of the essence in these situations, reach out to us and we will try to get you in our next available guard card class.
How do I work as an armed security officer?
In order to work as an armed security officer, you must have completed a few steps prior. You must already have a CT Guard Card, a CT Pistol permit, and be employed by a security company. Upon hire, your employer is legally mandated to “register” you with the state as being employed by them. You would have filled out a form when you were hired and had your photos taken. If your company did not do this for you, they are not in compliance with state statute, and you cannot apply to be an armed security officer. Work with your employer to have this corrected.
Once you know your employer registered you with the state, you can move forward. Take an 8 hour “CT Blue Card Course” offered by a number of instructors throughout the state. In this class, you will have to qualify with the weapon you will be carrying while on duty. You may qualify with more than one weapon. If your employer will be providing you with a weapon, you must qualify with that specific weapon. You cannot carry any other weapon on duty that you did not qualify with in your CT Blue Card Course.
Once you successfully pass the blue card course, you will mail in the application received during class along with a fee, payable to the state. Once your application is approved (this usually takes less than a few weeks), you will receive a new version of your CT Pistol Permit. You will have a “Class 1 Endorsement” on this new permit. This endorsement is your “CT Blue Card”.
Please reach out to us if you have any further questions on working as an armed security officer in the State of CT.