8, 40, or 90 Hours: Which Security Program Fits You?

Last reviewed October 15, 2026 by Daryl Williams, Bentley Forbes Security Training Academy.

California requires 40 hours of initial training for an unarmed security guard: an 8-hour course before you apply for your guard card, then 32 more hours within six months of registration, according to the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS). Our 40-hour course matches the 40-hour total (ask how it splits between pre- and post-registration hours), and our 90-hour Intermediate Security Program is longer than the 40 hours the state requires.

The right security officer training program depends on your goal. Someone who needs to start working soon has different needs from a career changer paying with a Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit (SJDB) voucher, which our complete guide to using an SJDB voucher for security guard training explains. This post compares the three programs by hours, separates what the state requires from what's optional, and lists the questions to ask before you enroll.

Key Takeaways

• The 8-hour course meets the training requirement for a guard card application. It doesn't finish your initial training.
• A 40-hour course matches the full initial state requirement for unarmed guards.
• The 90-hour Intermediate Security Program is longer than the 40-hour state requirement. Ask us for the current course outline, including which hours count toward state requirements, before you decide.
• SJDB voucher users should get a written cost breakdown for their claims administrator, who decides on approval and payment.
• Every registered guard needs 8 hours of continuing training each year, whichever program they started with.

What the State Requires, and What Goes Beyond It

The state sets a floor, not a ceiling. Two of our programs match the state's 8-hour and 40-hour markers, and one is longer. The chart shows where each program lands against the two state markers.

The 8-hour and 40-hour bars line up with the two state markers. The Intermediate (90) bar runs past the state's 40-hour total. Ask us for the current outline to see what those hours cover and which count toward state requirements.

What the 8-Hour Course Covers

The 8-hour course is the training you must finish before you can apply for a guard card. It combines Power to Arrest (3 hours) and Appropriate Use of Force (5 hours), and the exam requires a score of 100%.

Since January 1, 2026, SB 652 requires a single course provider to administer and certify the entire course, and you must complete it within six months before you submit your application. The BSIS alert on SB 652 words it as "instructed in its entirety and certified by one instructor." Our SB 652 guard card changes post covers what that means if you've taken part of the course elsewhere.

Some of it has to happen in a classroom. BSIS's regulation designates five use-of-force topics as in-person: objectively reasonable force, use of force review and analysis, de-escalation, use of force scenario training, and active shooter (16 CCR § 643, Appendix). For the rest, see our breakdown of guard card training online vs. in person.

The course alone won't get you through the process. You also need to be 18 or older and pass a DOJ and FBI Live Scan background check (BSIS guard fact sheet), and the initial registration fee is $60. Our step-by-step guide to getting a guard card in California walks through each step.

What a 40-Hour Guard Card Course Gets You

A 40-hour course is sized to the full initial state requirement: the 8-hour pre-registration course plus the 32 post-registration hours. That matters because the post-registration hours have deadlines. Under BPC 7583.6, 16 of them are due within your first 30 days as a registered guard and the rest within six months.

The state defines what those hours include. BSIS lists four mandatory 4-hour courses (Public Relations; Observation and Documentation; Communication and Its Significance; and Liability/Legal Aspects), with electives making up the rest (BSIS training requirements).

A 40-hour program can suit people who'd rather take all 40 hours with one school than arrange the post-registration hours separately after starting a job. Starting January 1, 2027, SB 1148 also lets someone who has passed the 8-hour course complete the 32 post-registration hours before the registration is issued; the deadlines don't change. Our guard card training timeline shows how the 30-day and six-month windows play out. Before you enroll anywhere, ask which electives the school teaches and how it schedules the hours around your registration date.

Why Would Someone Choose 90 Hours?

Mostly because they want more training hours than the state requires. The Intermediate Security Program (90 hours) is longer than the state's 40-hour initial requirement. Course outlines can change, so we don't list its contents here. Ask us for the current course outline.

Longer isn't automatically better. The useful question is whether the extra hours match where you want to work. These three situations are where the question tends to come up.

If You're Changing Careers

If you're coming from another field, you might want more preparation than the minimum before your first post. Ask which of the extra hours count toward state requirements and which are additional, so you know exactly what you're paying for.

If you're changing careers after a work injury, your work restrictions come from your treating physician or Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME). Ask them before you choose a role. As general context, security jobs range from monitoring or dispatch desk work to foot patrol to armed posts that need range qualification, though actual duties vary by employer. Our post on security jobs for people with a permanent disability looks at these options in more detail.

If You're Paying With an SJDB Voucher

An SJDB voucher has a cap, and training is only one of its allowed uses. If you're weighing a longer program, ask for a written cost breakdown first, so you and your claims administrator can see how it sits alongside any other expenses you plan to claim. The voucher section below explains the rules.

If You're Aiming for an Armed Post

Armed posts need a firearm permit on top of the guard card. The exposed firearm permit, for example, requires you to be 21 or older (BSIS firearm permit fact sheet) and complete a 16PF psychological assessment (BSIS firearms assessment). We also offer firearms, baton, OC, handcuffing, CPR/First Aid, active shooter, and dignitary protection training. These are separate courses unless we confirm in writing that a program includes them, so ask before you enroll.

Which Program Should You Ask About?

Start with your goal, then confirm the details that affect your plan. This table is a starting point for that conversation, not a promise about any program's contents.

Your goal	Program to ask about	What to confirm
Meet the training requirement to apply for a guard card	Security Guard 8-hour	One provider certifies the whole course, and you'll apply within six months of finishing
Match the state's 40-hour initial total	Security Guard 40-hour	How the post-registration hours are scheduled around your registration and the 30-day deadline
Want more training hours than the state's 40	Intermediate Security Program (90 hours)	The current course outline, which hours (if any) count toward state requirements, and whether any permit training is included or separate
Pay with an SJDB voucher	The program that matches your goal	A written cost breakdown for your claims administrator and whether that specific program appears on the ETPL in CalJOBS

Using an SJDB Voucher for Security Training

An SJDB voucher can pay for training at a qualifying provider, up to an aggregate of $6,000 for injuries on or after January 1, 2013 (Labor Code 4658.7). If you're not sure you qualify, start with our explainer on what the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit is.

Qualifying providers are California public schools or providers certified and listed on the state's Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL). BFSTA is an ETPL-listed training provider based in Los Angeles and Camarillo. Ask us which of our programs are listed, and confirm it yourself in CalJOBS; our guide to finding an SJDB-approved training provider in CalJOBS shows how.

The voucher covers more than tuition. Allowed uses include fees, books, licensing or certification fees, required tools, and some counseling and equipment costs, all within the same total (8 CCR 10133.31). Our post on what an SJDB voucher covers lists each category and its limits.

Plan around two practical points:

• Payment: the claims administrator pays you or the provider within 45 calendar days of receiving the completed voucher, receipts, and documentation (8 CCR 10133.31).
• Expiration: the voucher expires two years after it's furnished to you or five years after your injury, whichever is later (Labor Code 4658.7).

To get a written cost breakdown you can submit with your voucher, start a workers' comp training voucher screening. We can't promise that any specific program or claim will be approved. That decision, and the payment, come from your claims administrator. DWC has proposed updates to the SJDB rules, so confirm the current rules with your claims administrator (DIR news release).

After Initial Training: 8 Hours Every Year

Initial training isn't the end. Every registered guard needs 8 hours of continuing training each year, including at least 2 hours reviewing appropriate use of force (BSIS training requirements). That applies whether you started with 40 hours or 90.

These numbers will change. SB 1203 was signed by Governor Newsom on September 30, 2026 (Chapter 1016, Statutes of 2026), and its training changes take effect January 1, 2029 (SB 1203; Governor's legislative update):

• Post-registration training rises to 42 hours within six months of registration, 18 of them within the first 30 days, including 2 hours on workers' rights.
• De-escalation: 8 of the 42 hours cover de-escalation, taught in person by an instructor who is physically present for the whole course, and the 42 hours use traditional classroom instruction.
• Annual training rises to 12 hours, including at least 4 hours of in-person de-escalation role-play.
• Cost: the employer pays for the training and the training time when the guard works for, or has a pending offer from, the licensee.

The 8-hour pre-registration course and SB 652's rules don't change. Our SB 1203 training changes post explains what it means if you train now.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the 8-hour course enough to work as a security guard?

It meets the training requirement to apply for a guard card (you also need to be 18+ and pass a Live Scan background check), but you still owe 32 more hours within six months of registration. See what a 40-hour guard card course gets you.

Do I need the 90-hour program to get a guard card?

No. The state's initial requirement is 40 hours, and the 90-hour program is optional. See why someone might choose 90 hours.

Can I use my SJDB voucher for a longer program?

The voucher can pay for training at a California public school or an ETPL-listed provider, but your claims administrator decides what's approved. Get a written cost breakdown first. See using an SJDB voucher for security training.

Does a longer program replace annual continuing training?

No. The yearly 8-hour requirement applies to every registered guard. See after initial training.

Talk to Us About Your Goal

Tell us what you want to do in security, how soon you want to start, and whether you're using a voucher. If you're using a voucher, start a workers' comp training voucher screening. Otherwise, call (818) 827-7142 or contact BFSTA. Either way, ask for the current course outline and a written cost breakdown you can submit with your voucher for the program that fits.

This post is general information, not legal advice. Confirm training requirements with BSIS, and confirm voucher questions with your claims administrator, DWC Information & Assistance (1-800-736-7401), or an attorney.

Cover photo: Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash.