Illinois security and alarm company licenses: agencies, PERC cards and discipline

Agency and branch licenses under 225 ILCS 447, qualifications and insurance, PERC cards, firearm control cards, license numbers in ads and discipline.

Illinois licenses security guard companies and alarm contractors through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) under one law: the Private Detective, Private Alarm, Private Security, Fingerprint Vendor, and Locksmith Act of 2004 (225 ILCS 447). The Act requires an agency license for the company, a license for the person in charge, registration of employees and, for armed work, a firearm control card. This guide explains each layer and how to check it.

Agency licenses and branch offices

Section 10-5 makes it unlawful to act as, advertise as or use a title implying a private security contractor or private alarm contractor without an IDFPR license, and unlawful for a business to operate as a private security contractor agency or private alarm contractor agency unless licensed as an agency. An agency may not operate a branch office "without first applying for and receiving a branch office license for each location". This site lists every agency and branch office license IDFPR shows as Active with an unexpired date and an Illinois address.

Qualifications and insurance

To be licensed as a private security contractor or private alarm contractor an individual must, among other things, be at least 21, have no felony conviction within the last 10 years, be of good moral character, pass an IDFPR examination, and have at least 3 of the previous 5 years of qualifying experience, such as managing a licensed agency (sections 20-10 and 25-10). Each must also obtain general liability insurance in an amount set by rule and give IDFPR proof of it before a license is issued; failing to maintain the insurance results in cancellation of the license without a hearing. Proof of continued insurance is also a condition of renewal (section 35-20).

Employees: the PERC card

Under section 35-30, employees of a licensed agency must apply for a permanent employee registration card, widely called a PERC card. No one under 18 may get one, nor anyone under 21 if the work will be armed, and people with recent convictions for felonies involving bodily harm, weapons, violence or theft are presumed unfit. Before starting, each employee must give the agency a verified Employee's Statement covering their work history for the previous five years.

Training is required too. Section 25-20 requires registered employees of a private security contractor agency who provide guarding or respond to alarms to complete at least 20 hours of basic training within 30 days of employment, covering arrest and search and seizure, civil and criminal liability, use of force, report writing, fire safety and other subjects, plus 8 more hours within six months that may be site-specific.

Armed officers need a firearm control card

Section 35-35 says no one may carry a firearm in the course of these duties without a valid firearm control card issued by IDFPR, after an approved firearm training course and with a valid Firearm Owner's Identification card. Only licensees and registered employees of private detective, private security and private alarm agencies, and employees of a registered armed proprietary security force, may carry while on duty or commuting directly to and from work.

License numbers in advertising

Section 35-15 says a licensee "may not knowingly advertise those services without including the licensee's license number in the advertisement", and each day a non-compliant ad runs is a separate offense. Section 35-5 requires each licensee to display its license prominently at every place where business is conducted. An ad or website with no Illinois license number is a reason to ask questions.

Who is exempt

Not everyone who touches security needs one of these licenses. Section 25-5 exempts, among others, government employees acting within their official duties and a "person, watchman, or proprietary security officer employed exclusively by only one employer in connection with the exclusive activities of that employer", so a company's own in-house guards are outside the private security contractor rules (an armed proprietary security force has its own registration). Section 20-5 exempts people who only sell, install or repair automobile alarms, licensed electrical contractors who work only on fire alarm systems or answer fire alarm emergency calls, and certain sellers of trademarked alarm equipment who meet insurance and authorization conditions. If a company says it is exempt, ask which exemption it relies on.

Discipline is public

IDFPR may reprimand, place on probation, suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a license, and fine up to $10,000 per violation, for grounds listed in section 40-10, including fraud in obtaining a license, professional incompetence, unprofessional conduct likely to deceive or harm the public, certain convictions and grossly negligent services. IDFPR's licensing file records disciplinary entries, and each Illinois listing on this site shows them exactly as IDFPR publishes them, with case number, action, dates and reason. An entry is history, not necessarily a current restriction; the status shown is today's.

How to check an Illinois security or alarm company

1. Find the agency here by city or name and read its license type, first-licensed date, expiry and any discipline on record.
2. Confirm the license on IDFPR License Look-Up.
3. Ask for a certificate of general liability insurance naming you as certificate holder.
4. For guard services, ask to see PERC cards for officers assigned to your site, and firearm control cards for any armed officers.
5. For alarm work, confirm who will monitor the system and whether the monitoring company is licensed too.

IDFPR's public file lists city, ZIP and county only, so listings for Illinois show no street address or phone. Use the form on a listing and we will pass your message on.

Updated 2026-10-16.

General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Security Company Check is not a recommendation or a guarantee of anyone's work. A license record shows registration status on the date shown, not workmanship, insurance coverage at the time of your job, or suitability for your project. Confirm license, insurance and permits directly before you hire. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.