Licensing

PURPOSE: Under section 84.340, RSMo, the St. Louis, Missouri Board of Police Commissioners has the authority to regulate and license all private security personnel, serving, or acting as such, in St. Louis. These rules establish procedures, training requirements and license fees for those persons so employed in this industry. (1) General Procedures. Each applicant must appear in person at the office of the private security section. Each applicant must complete an application form. S/he must provide all information requested in the application for a determination of his/her qualifications to hold a license as a private security officer. Each applicant must present a current letter (no older than ten (10) days) from the intended employer where the proposed employer states an intention to hire the applicant. Prior to an application being processed by the private security section, a criminal history inquiry will be made through the St. Louis Police Department’s computer terminal. If the inquiry reveals that the applicant has an open criminal arrest record, s/he will be required to obtain a certified final court disposition or a report from a circuit or prosecuting attorney. If the case is still open, the application process will not be completed until a final disposition is obtained. Police officers from other jurisdictions including St. Louis County Police, St. Louis Airport Police, St. Louis Deputy Sheriffs, and St. Louis City Marshals, serving or acting as private security officers do not possess police powers at the location of their assignments in the City of St. Louis unless licensed by the board of police commissioners of the City of St. Louis. (A) All St. Louis Airport Police Officers, St. Louis Deputy Sheriffs, and St. Louis City Marshals desiring to obtain a private security license to work as private security officers in the City of St. Louis will be processed and trained through the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Private Security Section. (B) Municipal police officers who desire to work private security in the City of St. Louis must first obtain a valid license from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Private Security Section. While working in the City of St. Louis, the officer must display a badge/identification card clearly showing the name of the company for which s/he is working. (C) Police officers from outside the state of Missouri must first obtain a valid license from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Private Security Section. Applicants will be processed in the normal manner and will be required to complete the private security officer training class after a satisfactory background check has been conducted. Police officers from states other than Missouri may not wear their department uniforms while working security in the City of St. Louis. (2) Standards. Each applicant for a license to work as a private security officer in the City of St. Louis shall meet the standards set by the board of police commissioners, which require that an applicant— (A) Be a citizen of the United States or legal resident-alien permitted to work in this country; (B) Be at least twenty-one (21) years of age; (C) Be able to read, write, and understand the English language; (D) Meet physical and mental standards established by the board of police commissioners; (E) Be capable of understanding and performing the duties and responsibilities of a licensed private security officer within the scope of departmental policies and procedures; (F) Has received an Honorable Discharge or a General Discharge Under Honorable Conditions, when applicable. An Undesirable Discharge, a Discharge Under Dishonorable Conditions, or a Discharge Under Other Than Honorable Conditions will disqualify the applicant; (G) Be of good moral character; (H) Have no felony convictions; (I) Be able to pass a character investigation by this department as indicated through a criminal record check; (J) Satisfactorily complete the training program prescribed by the board of police commissioners; (K) Pass a written examination based on the information given in the training course; (L) Never have had a security license revoked or denied by another jurisdiction for a criminal law violation; (M) Not withhold any information which would determine fitness relevant to being licensed as a private security officer; and (N) Be free of any type of chemical dependency. (3) Issuance/Denial of License. When an applicant has successfully completed the requirements set by the board of police commissioners, the board will issue a license. An applicant may be denied a license for any of the following reasons: (A) Failure to meet the standards in section (2); (B) Falsifying information on any of the forms provided by the private security section to establish eligibility. Applicants who falsify such documents shall be ineligible to receive a private security officer license and cannot reapply for at least six (6) months from the date the false application was submitted; (C) Failure to provide whatever additional information is deemed necessary in order to establish eligibility; (D) The references and/or employment background records indicate a poor or unsatisfactory character or work record; (E) Any facts or actions which make the applicant unsuitable or ineligible for licensing; (F) Resigned under investigation, resigned under charges, or was discharged from any police force; (G) Has been denied a security license by any agency; and (H) The employer is not in good standing with the board of police commissioners. (4) Notification of License Denial. Applicants and their employers will, in event of license denial, be given a written notification of the denial. Specific reasons will be given to an applicant who appears in person at the office of the private security section. Applicants may appeal, in writing, to the board of police commissioners within thirty (30) days of denial notification. The appeal should contain a brief rebuttal of the reasons for denial. The board of police commissioners will then notify the applicant, in writing, of its final decision in the matter. (5) Restricted License. The board of police commissioners reserves the right to prohibit the holder of a license from carrying any firearms. Any such prohibition will be noted on his/her badge/identification (ID) card. (6) Temporary License. If an applicant appears to meet the standards for licensing, the commander of the private security section may issue a temporary license. This permits the applicant to work until a formal license is issued by the board. (A) While working under a temporary license the holder does not possess power of arrest and search or seizure and may not have a firearm or protective device upon or about his/her person. (B) A holder of a temporary badge/identification card must wear the card at the breast of the outermost garment while on duty and must be attired in an approved military style uniform. (C) A holder of a temporary license who transfers employment to another agency must return his/her temporary badge/identification card to the private security section for issuance of a new badge/identification card. (D) A holder of a temporary license must return the temporary badge/identification card to the private security section at the time the formal license is issued. (7) Secondary Employment License. Additional licenses may be approved by the board of police commissioners and issued by the private security section to a private security officer who wishes to work for more than one (1) employer. (A) A private security officer desiring a second license must present a letter of intentto-hire from the secondary employer. (B) A St. Louis Police Department computer inquiry will be made on each private security officer applying for a secondary license. If this inquiry reveals an open arrest record within the previous year, s/he will be required to obtain a certified copy of the final court disposition or a report from the circuit or prosecuting attorney. If the case is still open, the secondary license process will not be completed until final disposition is obtained. (8) License Renewals. A private security officer’s license is valid for one (1) year from date of issue and it must be renewed in the month it expires. (A) A St. Louis Police Department computer inquiry will be made on each private security officer renewing his/her license. If this inquiry reveals an open arrest record within the previous year, s/he will be required to obtain a certified copy of the final court disposition or a report from a circuit or prosecuting attorney. If the case is still open, the renewal process will not be completed until final disposition is obtained. (B) A private security officer wishing to renew his/her license must report to the private security section in the month the license expires, bringing— 1. A letter from his/her employer requesting renewal; 2. Badge/identification card; and 3. The fee for the renewal. (C) If firearms-qualified, the private security officer wishing to renew a license must provide proof of requalification through an approved firearms course. The private security officer must also submit a urine specimen for drug testing according to the provisions of these rules and regulations, unless otherwise exempted. (D) A license not renewed during the month it was issued automatically expires on the last day of the month unless the holder has applied to the commander of the private security section and received an extension of time. Such extension will be noted with a sticker on the license. This sticker will indicate the adjusted expiration date of the license. (E) Applicants for license renewal will be required to annually attend a renewal training program consisting of seven (7) hours training in selected security subjects and departmental regulations. (9) License Transfer. A license holder may work only for the company, agency, or business entity named on the license. A license holder who changes employers must transfer his/her license to the new employer before he/she begins working for the new employer. In order to transfer a license from one employer to another, the license holder must appear in person at the private security section and— (A) Bring a current dated letter issued (no more than ten (10) days prior to application) from the new employer, addressed to the board of police commissioners, outlining the duties of the new job and requesting the transfer of license; (B) Bring in license and badge/identification card; (C) Pay the fee established for processing transfers; (D) Will receive a new badge/identification card and license to the new company; and (E) A St. Louis Police Department computer inquiry will be made on each private security officer transferring his/her license. If this inquiry reveals an open arrest record within the previous year, s/he will be required to obtain a certified copy of the final court disposition or a report from the circuit or prosecuting attorney. If the case is still open, the transfer process will not be completed until final disposition is obtained. (10) License Reinstatements. A licensed private security officer who resigns may apply for reinstatement of his/her license under the following requirements and procedures: (A) Application must be made within three (3) months of the resignation date; (B) The applicant must have resigned while his/her license was in good standing; (C) The applicant must appear at the private security section with a currently dated letter from an employer requesting reinstatement; (D) The applicant should pay the fee established for processing license reinstatements; and (E) A St. Louis Police Department computer inquiry will be made on each private security officer reinstating his/her license. If this inquiry reveals an open arrest record within the previous year, s/he will be required to obtain a certified copy of the final court disposition or a report from the circuit or prosecuting attorney. If the case is still open, the reinstatement process will not be completed until final disposition is obtained. AUTHORITY: section 84.340, RSMo 2000.* Original rule filed April 8, 1988, effective July 11, 1988. Amended: Filed Feb. 13, 2002, effective Aug. 30, 2002. Amended: Filed May 14, 2008, effective Dec. 30, 2008. Amended: Filed April 23, 2012, effective Oct. 30, 2012. *Original authority: 84.340, RSMo 1939.