SJDB Voucher Security Training: Workers' Comp to Guard Card

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

Yes, you can use a California workers' comp retraining voucher to pay for security guard training, as long as the school is a California public school or a provider on the state's Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL). The voucher comes from the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit (SJDB), which is worth up to $6,000 for workers injured on or after January 1, 2013, whose employer doesn't offer qualifying work after an injury causes a partial permanent disability (Labor Code 4658.7).

Below, we cover who qualifies, what the voucher pays for, how to confirm a school, and each step to a Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) guard card, plus the separate $5,000 Return-to-Work Supplement Program (RTWSP) and key deadlines. If the benefit itself is new to you, start with our plain-English explainer on what the Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit is.

Key Takeaways

• The SJDB voucher is worth up to $6,000 for injuries on or after January 1, 2013, and it's the same amount at every level of partial permanent disability.
• You qualify if a 2013-or-later injury left you with a partial permanent disability and your employer doesn't offer regular, modified, or alternative work lasting at least 12 months within 60 days after the claims administrator receives the physician's Return-to-Work & Voucher Report finding you permanent and stationary.
• Training must come from a California public school or an ETPL-listed provider. You can check any school's listing in CalJOBS.
• The claims administrator pays within 45 calendar days of receiving your completed voucher, receipts, and documentation.
• RTWSP must receive your application for the separate $5,000 Return-to-Work Supplement within one year of the date your voucher was served.
• The voucher can't be settled or cashed out as part of your claim.

Who Qualifies for the SJDB Voucher

You qualify for the voucher if a work injury on or after January 1, 2013, left you with a partial permanent disability and your employer didn't offer you qualifying work in time. Both conditions have to be true. The rules come from Labor Code 4658.7 and the Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) regulation at 8 CCR 10133.31.

The amount doesn't grow with your disability rating. A worker rated at a low percentage and a worker rated much higher get the same voucher, according to the DWC SJDB FAQ.

The 60-Day Job Offer Rule

The key date is when the claims administrator receives the physician's Return-to-Work & Voucher Report (form DWC-AD 10133.36) finding you permanent and stationary (P&S) with a permanent disability. The employer then has 60 days to offer regular, modified, or alternative work that lasts at least 12 months (Labor Code 4658.7; 8 CCR 10133.31; 8 CCR 10133.34). If no valid offer arrives in that window, you're entitled to the voucher.

Not every offer counts. Under Labor Code 4658.1:

• Regular work pays the same wages you earned when you were hurt.
• Modified or alternative work pays at least 85% of those wages.
• All three must be within a reasonable commute of where you lived when you were injured.

If you're unsure whether an offer you received meets these tests, ask your attorney or DWC Information & Assistance before you turn it down or accept it.

Older Injuries and "Vocational Rehabilitation"

If you were hurt between 2004 and 2012, different rules apply. Under Labor Code 4658.5, those vouchers range from up to $4,000 to $10,000 depending on the disability rating and are used at "state-approved or accredited schools" (DWC points to the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education, or BPPE, for private schools) (DWC SJDB page). Vouchers issued before January 1, 2013, don't expire. Vouchers issued on or after that date, even for 2004 to 2012 injuries, expire two years after they're furnished or five years after the injury, whichever is later (DWC SJDB FAQ).

You may still hear the term "vocational rehabilitation." That older benefit was kept only for injuries before January 1, 2004, with a five-year sunset, under SB 899 (CHSWC summary). For current claims, it was replaced by the SJDB voucher. The rest of this guide covers 2013-and-later injuries.

What the $6,000 Voucher Pays For

The voucher covers training and several job-search costs, all drawn from one shared total (Labor Code 4658.7; 8 CCR 10133.31). Three categories have their own caps inside that total. Everything else in the list can use whatever is left.

Expense	Limit	Notes
Tuition, fees, books, and other training expenses	Shared total	Only at a qualifying provider
Licensing or certification fees, including exams	Shared total	For example, a state registration fee
Tools required by the training	Shared total	Must be required by the program
Computer equipment	Up to $1,000	Request for Purchase (voucher page 4); no games or entertainment media
Vocational or return-to-work counseling, placement agency, résumé help	Up to $600 combined	One cap for all three services
Miscellaneous expenses	$500	Request for Miscellaneous Expenses (voucher page 3); no itemized receipts, but not for transportation, travel, phone or internet, clothing or uniforms, or incidentals

For security training, the lines that matter most are tuition, the state guard card fee, and any required gear the program lists. The $500 miscellaneous amount doesn't need itemized receipts, but it can't be used for transportation, travel, phone or internet access, clothing or uniforms, or incidental expenses (8 CCR 10133.31), so don't plan on it for a guard uniform. For a line-by-line look, including what the voucher won't cover, see our guide to what the SJDB voucher covers.

One more rule shapes every decision: you can't trade the voucher for cash in a settlement. The statute says "settlement or commutation of a claim for the supplemental job displacement benefit shall not be permitted" (Labor Code 4658.7). If you don't use it, it simply goes unused.

Which Schools Can Accept the Voucher

For injuries on or after January 1, 2013, the voucher pays for training only at "a California public school or ... a provider that is certified and on the state's Eligible Training Provider List" (Labor Code 4658.7; 8 CCR 10133.31). There's no general "accredited school" category, and out-of-state schools don't qualify under this rule.

The ETPL is run through the Employment Development Department (EDD). It "helps adults and people who have lost their jobs find training programs," and it was created under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and updated by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014 (EDD ETPL page). Providers register in CalJOBS, the Local Workforce Development Board reviews them, and approved providers then list their programs.

How to Check a School in CalJOBS

DWC tells workers to search CalJOBS for approved SJDB training providers (DWC SJDB page). According to EDD, you go to "Training Providers and Schools," open Provider Search, and filter for WIOA-eligible programs, which are marked with green checkmarks. The same EDD page names the SJDB voucher as a way to pay ETPL providers.

Bentley Forbes Security Training Academy (BFSTA) is an ETPL-listed training provider. Ask us which of our programs are listed, and confirm it yourself in CalJOBS. A listing is how the voucher's provider rule is met, so check that the specific program you want appears in it. Approval and payment of your specific voucher still come from your claims administrator. Our step-by-step guide to finding an SJDB-approved provider in CalJOBS walks through each screen of the search.

A Note on WIOA Funding

America's Job Center of California (AJCC) offices call themselves "your one-stop shop for no-cost job and training services" (EDD). You can use the center finder on that EDD page to locate the nearest one. WIOA training funds are separate from your voucher and aren't automatic. The local workforce board or AJCC decides who's eligible and what gets funded.

Step by Step: From SJDB Voucher to Guard Card

The path from voucher to working guard runs through six steps: get the voucher, confirm the school, get a written cost breakdown, train, submit receipts, and apply to BSIS. Each step has its own paperwork, so keep copies of everything.

Step 1: Get the Voucher in Writing

The voucher is a specific form, DWC-AD 10133.32 (PDF). Your claims administrator must send it within 20 calendar days after the 60-day offer window closes (8 CCR 10133.31). Find the proof-of-service date on the voucher and write it down. The one-year Return-to-Work Supplement deadline runs from that service date, not the date you open the envelope.

If the form doesn't arrive, contact your claims administrator first. You can also email DWC at DWCSJDBinquiries@dir.ca.gov (DWC SJDB FAQ) or call the DWC Information Services Center at 1-800-736-7401 (DWC Information & Assistance).

Step 2: Confirm the Provider Qualifies

Before you enroll, check the school against the provider rule described above. Look it up in CalJOBS yourself rather than relying on a website badge or a phone call. It's also worth telling your claims administrator which school you've chosen, so any questions come up before you pay.

Step 3: Get a Written Cost Breakdown

Ask the school for a written, itemized quote: tuition, fees, books, and any required tools. Claims administrators pay based on documentation, so a clear breakdown makes the later steps easier. At BFSTA, you can start a workers' comp training voucher screening and ask for a written cost breakdown you can submit with your voucher.

Step 4: Complete Your Training

For a guard card, the first requirement is an 8-hour Power to Arrest and Appropriate Use of Force course. Since January 1, 2026, under SB 652, the course must be administered and certified by a single course provider and completed within six months before you apply. BSIS's alert describes it as "instructed in its entirety and certified by one instructor" (BSIS SB 652 alert). After your registration is issued, you owe 32 more hours within six months, 16 of them within the first 30 days, plus 8 hours of continuing training every year (BSIS training page). Our 40-hour guard card timeline lays those stages out on a calendar.

Two 2026 laws change this later. Starting January 1, 2027, SB 1148 lets someone who has passed the 8-hour course complete the 32 post-registration hours before the registration is issued, with the same deadlines (SB 1148). Starting January 1, 2029, SB 1203, signed September 30, 2026, raises post-registration training to 42 hours (18 within the first 30 days) and annual training to 12 hours (SB 1203). The 8-hour course rules don't change.

Step 5: Submit Receipts for Payment

Send the completed voucher form, your receipts, and supporting documents to the claims administrator. It pays within 45 calendar days of receiving a complete package (8 CCR 10133.31). Payment can go to you as reimbursement, or straight to the training provider, counselor, or computer retailer. Ask your school whether it can bill the claims administrator directly, which can spare you from paying up front.

Step 6: Apply for Your Guard Card

With your 8-hour certificate in hand, you apply to BSIS. You must be at least 18, complete a Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI background check using the Security Guard Live Scan form (BSIS guard fact sheet), and apply online through BreEZe. The registration fee is $60 (BSIS fee notice), and licensing fees are an allowable voucher expense. Our complete guide to getting a guard card in California covers the application in detail.

The $5,000 Return-to-Work Supplement

If you received an SJDB voucher for an injury on or after January 1, 2013, you can also apply for a one-time $5,000 payment from the Return-to-Work Supplement Program (DWC RTWSP page). It's a separate payment from a separate program, and it isn't drawn from your voucher total.

The deadline is strict: "RTWSP must receive application within one year from the date the SJDB voucher was served to the injured worker" (DWC RTWSP page). Apply as soon as the voucher arrives rather than waiting until after class.

How to Apply

Applications are online only. If you don't have a computer, DWC district offices have kiosks (RTWSP FAQ), or you can call the DWC Information Services Center at 1-800-736-7401 (DWC Information & Assistance). Have these ready:

• Your SJDB voucher
• Your ADJ number
• Your claim number
• The proof-of-service date on the voucher

A decision comes within 60 days of a complete application, and payment follows within 25 days after that (DWC RTWSP page). If you're denied, you have 20 days to appeal (RTWSP FAQ). Questions go to RTWSP@dir.ca.gov or 510-286-0787.

The program is run by DWC and funded at $120 million a year from the Workers' Compensation Administration Revolving Fund (Labor Code 139.48).

Matching Security Roles to Your Work Restrictions

Your work restrictions come from your treating physician or Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME). Ask them before you choose a role. We can't tell you whether a specific condition fits security work, and nobody should make that call without your medical records.

As general context, security jobs vary widely in physical demand, and actual duties depend on the employer:

• Monitoring or dispatch posts tend to center on desk work, cameras, and radios.
• Foot patrol posts involve walking and standing for long stretches.
• Armed posts need an exposed firearm permit, which requires age 21 or older, a 16PF psychological assessment (BSIS firearms assessment), and range qualification (BSIS firearm fact sheet).

Bring a written list of your restrictions when you talk to schools and employers, and ask how a post's duties line up with it. For a closer look at role types and questions to ask, read our guide to security jobs with a permanent disability.

BFSTA Security Training Program Lengths

BFSTA offers three core security programs, listed here by length. Choosing among them depends on the kind of role you want and what your restrictions allow.

Program	Length
Security Guard 8-hour	8 hours
Security Guard 40-hour	40 hours
Intermediate Security Program	90 hours

For what the 90-hour program covers, ask us for the current course outline.

We also offer firearms, baton, OC, handcuffing, CPR/First Aid, active shooter, and dignitary protection training. Some of those add physical components, so check them against your restrictions first. This guide doesn't list prices. Instead, ask us for a written cost breakdown for the program you're considering, which you can give your claims administrator.

To compare the programs side by side and think through which length fits your goal, see our guide to choosing a security training program by hours. Our BPPE and School Performance Fact Sheet documents include the current catalog.

Deadlines to Watch

Two deadlines matter most: the voucher's expiration date and the RTWSP application window. Missing either one can cost you money you were entitled to.

The voucher expires "two years after the date the voucher is furnished to the employee, or five years after the date of injury, whichever is later" (Labor Code 4658.7; DWC SJDB FAQ). Expenses must be incurred and submitted before that date. Work out both dates and circle whichever one comes later. If your claim took a long time to reach the voucher stage, the two-year date may be the one that controls.

For example: injured in March 2023, with the voucher served in June 2026. The five-year date is March 2028 and the two-year date is June 2028, so the voucher expires in June 2028, and RTWSP must receive the application by June 2027.

The RTWSP window is the shorter of the two. Its clock starts when the voucher is served, not when you start or finish training, which is why the chart below places it right after the voucher arrives.

Keep a simple deadline sheet with four dates on it: the date the claims administrator received the physician's P&S report, the date the voucher was served, the RTWSP application date, and the voucher's expiration date. Guard card training has its own clock too, since the 8-hour course has to fall within six months before your BSIS application.

For Attorneys, QMEs, and Vocational Counselors

If you advise injured workers, a few practical habits can keep a security training plan on track. None of them replace your own review of the claim file.

• Put restrictions in writing early. A clear, current list of work restrictions helps the worker compare training options and ask schools better questions.
• Point clients to CalJOBS, not marketing. A school's own claim of approval is no substitute for the worker checking the state listing.
• Watch the counseling cap. Counseling, placement, and résumé services share one combined limit, so plan who provides what before the money is spent.
• Flag the RTWSP application at the same meeting the voucher comes up. Its clock runs in parallel with training, not after it.
• Ask for an itemized quote before enrollment. A written breakdown from the school gives the claims administrator something concrete to review before the worker pays anything.

Clients planning a training budget can review our breakdown of what the voucher covers before your next meeting.

Proposed SJDB Rule Changes

DWC has proposed updates to the SJDB rules, so confirm the current rules with your claims administrator. DWC posted draft SJDB rule amendments for public comment on December 2, 2024 (DIR news release 2024-99), and October 20, 2025 (DIR news release 2025-103). The drafts would limit education to California public schools or the EDD approved-provider list, and counseling to counselors on DWC's approved list. Check DWC's rulemaking page to see whether they've been adopted.

For someone considering security training, the practical point is the same under either version: pick a school you can verify on the state list, and confirm with your claims administrator before you pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my SJDB voucher for security guard training?

Yes, if the school is a California public school or an ETPL-listed provider and your injury was on or after January 1, 2013. Confirm the listing in CalJOBS and check with your claims administrator. See Which Schools Can Accept the Voucher.

Does the voucher amount depend on my disability rating?

Not for 2013-and-later injuries. The amount is the same at every level of partial permanent disability. Older injuries follow a rating-based scale, covered in Who Qualifies for the SJDB Voucher.

Can I take the voucher as cash in my settlement?

No. California law doesn't allow the benefit to be settled or commuted, so it has to be used for allowable expenses. See What the $6,000 Voucher Pays For.

Is the $5,000 Return-to-Work Supplement part of the voucher?

No, it's a separate payment from a DWC program, and you apply online. The application must be received within one year of the date the voucher was served. See The $5,000 Return-to-Work Supplement.

What if my claims administrator denies a training expense?

Ask for the reason in writing, then contact DWC at DWCSJDBinquiries@dir.ca.gov or the DWC Information Services Center at 1-800-736-7401 (DWC Information & Assistance). You can also file a Declaration of Readiness with the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) (DWC SJDB FAQ).

Talk to BFSTA About Your Voucher

Your voucher is a limited, time-bound benefit, so the best first step is a short conversation before you enroll anywhere. BFSTA is an ETPL-listed provider based in Los Angeles and Camarillo, and we can talk through program lengths and give you a written cost breakdown to send your claims administrator. Ask us which of our programs are listed, and confirm it yourself in CalJOBS. To ask about using your SJDB voucher, start a workers' comp training voucher screening, call (818) 827-7142, or contact BFSTA.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your eligibility, deadlines, and payments with your claims administrator, DWC Information & Assistance (1-800-736-7401), or a workers' compensation attorney, and confirm guard card requirements with BSIS.

Cover photo: Photo by Skytech Aviation on Unsplash.