A Guide to Starting Your Minnesota Security Guard Career
Minnesota security guards are overseen by the State of Minnesota Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services, a division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS). Unarmed security guards are officially referred to as protective agents in the state.
The Minnesota DPS does not require individuals to be licensed as a protective agent. In fact, there is no such thing as a “security guard license” in the state (but you will get an ID card that you’ll need to carry when on duty).
However, you must be employed by a licensed Protective Agent Services provider (a.k.a. the security agency), and they do answer to the Minnesota DPS which has several laws and policies for hiring and training new employees.
As a protective agent, you’ll work under the license and insurance coverage of the agency that hires you, but you still must satisfy the basic Minnesota DPS requirements before being allowed to work as a security guard.
Minnesota Security Guard Qualifications
As long as the security agency hires individuals who meet the minimum state requirements as set forth by the Minnesota DPS, the company can determine their own advanced training policies and requirements.
The following outlines the basic applicant qualifications and requirements to work for a Protective Agent Services provider as a Minnesota unarmed security guard:
- Be 18 years of age or older and have a valid US driver’s license
- Be a US citizen or present documentation of right to work in the US
- Be a high school graduate and able to read and write in English
- Submit fingerprints and pass a criminal background check (some agencies may also ask you to take a drug test). Note: A criminal record of any kind will disqualify you from working as a protective agent in Minnesota
- Present 5 unrelated letters of reference from people you have known at least 5 years
- Complete 12 hours of pre-assignment training within the first 21 days of employment and present a certificate of completion from a state approved training provider
The training can be taken in-person or via online classes. Minnesota mandates the training must cover topics including, but not limited to, private security officer roles and duties, patrol and observation techniques, surveillance operation and documentation, incident response, first aid and CPR, and public communications.
Additionally, protective agents must take 6 hours of refresher training every year. The requirements to become an and a minimum age of 21 after completing pre-assignment training.
So, the first thing most people do is apply for a job with a licensed Minnesota Protective Agent Services provider. It sounds a little backwards, but the thinking here is that after you get a job offer the agency will guide you through the application and background check process and hook you up with state-approved security training.
The good news? There’s no shortage of Protective Agent Services companies in Minnesota and they are always hiring. A web search for “Security Guard Jobs in Minnesota” is a great place to start.
Defencify’s Minnesota Online Security Guard Training Gives you an Edge
Defencify is one of the state-approved providers of unarmed protective agent training and refresher training in Minnesota. The difference is Defencify courses are remote, self-paced classes, not live instructor-led training.
Defencify’s Minnesota New Security Guard Training Course (12 hours) and Renewal Security Guard Training Course (6 hours) are approved by the Minnesota Board of Private Detective and Protective Agent Services and guaranteed to satisfy Minnesota’s protective agent training requirements.
The courses are created by Defencify instructional designers working together with the Minnesota PDS licensing personnel to ensure the training covers all the topics you need to work as a protective agent in the state of Minnesota. It uses modern eLearning technologies and adult learning concepts tied to interactive lessons and games to make training engaging and fun.
Upon successful course completion, you’ll receive a Minnesota-approved certificate of completion to be used as proof of education to show potential employers.
So, rather than appearing at your protective agent job interview needing to take training like most everyone else, you can set yourself apart from other candidates by showing that you have already completed the state-required instruction using Defencify’s remote online training.
You don't have to wait to get hired to take the course. All that’s left to do is the fingerprint and background check (and we can help with that too). Defencify gets you hired faster!
In addition to arriving at your interview with an edge, Defencify allows you to take the course at your convenience. Enroll in just a few clicks and begin immediately instead of waiting for the next live class to fill up.
Complete the training at your pace, on your device, at the time and place of your choosing. Defencify’s remote training eliminates travel time and expenses, fixed schedules, and conflicts with other commitments.
Visit defencifytraining.com to learn more about registering for the training you need to get your career started as a protective agent in Minnesota today!
For Minnesota Protective Agent Services providers, Defencify can help streamline the training process for your entire workforce. Sign up for a trial of defencify courseware to see how Defencify can get your new hires into the field faster.