Security questions, answered
One page per question, with the direct answer first. Rates and rules change, so each page shows when it was last reviewed.
For clients hiring protection
Armed or Unarmed Security: Which Do You Need?
Most clients need unarmed security. Unarmed guards typically cost $35 to $60 an hour and handle observation, access control and deterrence. Armed guards typically cost $55 to $95…
Read the answerCan a Security Guard Detain or Arrest You?
A security guard is a private citizen and has no police powers, but in many states a guard may make a citizen's arrest or briefly detain someone in limited circumstances, such as…
Read the answerCan You Hire a Police Officer for Security?
In many cities, yes. Police departments often run off-duty or extra-duty programs that let businesses and event organizers hire officers for security, usually arranged through the…
Read the answerDo Security Guards Need a License?
In most United States states, yes: security guards must hold a state license or registration, which usually involves training and a background check. A minority of states do not…
Read the answerHow Many Security Guards Do I Need?
A small shop usually needs one guard for its open hours, while a post covered 24 hours a day needs two to three people across twelve-hour or eight-hour shifts. Count posts, not…
Read the answerHow Much Does a Bodyguard Cost?
A bodyguard, also called executive protection or close protection, typically costs $85 to $180 an hour on XGuard. A ten-hour day with one agent therefore runs roughly $850 to…
Read the answerHow Much Does a Private Investigator Cost?
A 2026 industry survey of 32 firms reported an average of about $132 an hour for a private investigator, with rates from $25 to $250. XGuard publishes no private investigator rate…
Read the answerHow Much Does It Cost to Hire a Security Guard?
On XGuard, an unarmed security guard typically costs $35 to $60 an hour and an armed guard $55 to $95 an hour. A full eight-hour day therefore runs about $280 to $480 unarmed or…
Read the answerHow Do You Hire a Bodyguard?
To hire a bodyguard, start by assessing what you are actually protecting against, then confirm the professional holds the license your state requires, check their identity and…
Read the answerHow Do You Hire a Security Guard?
To hire a security guard, define what you need protected and when, decide between armed and unarmed, verify the guard's license and identity, agree the rate and minimum hours, and…
Read the answerHow Do You Hire Security for an Event?
To hire security for an event, confirm the venue's requirements, estimate your guest count and risks, decide how many guards you need, then book verified licensed professionals…
Read the answerWhat Does a Security Guard Do?
A security guard protects people, property and information by observing, deterring problems and reporting them. Typical duties are controlling who enters, patrolling a site,…
Read the answerWhat Is a Fire Watch and When Do You Need One?
A fire watch is a trained person who patrols a building and looks for fire hazards when its sprinkler or alarm system is out of service, or while hot work such as welding is under…
Read the answerFor security professionals
Can You Be a Security Guard With a Felony?
Sometimes, but it depends on your state, the offense, and how much time has passed. Many states refuse a license for recent or violent felonies, a few allow older or non-violent…
Read the answerHow Much Do Armed Security Guards Make?
Independent armed guards on XGuard typically set rates of $55 to $95 an hour, against $35 to $60 for unarmed guards, so armed work generally pays more. The federal Bureau of Labor…
Read the answerHow Much Does a Security Guard Make?
The median United States security guard earned $38,020 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the federal agency that tracks jobs and pay. That is an…
Read the answerHow Do I Become a Bodyguard?
To become a bodyguard, start with a security guard license in your state where one is required, then add close-protection training, physical fitness, protective driving, first…
Read the answerHow Do I Become a Security Guard?
To become a security guard, you must usually be at least 18, pass a criminal background check, complete your state's required training, and hold a state license where one is…
Read the answerHow Do I Get a Guard Card in California?
To get a Guard Card in California, you must be at least 18, finish the Power to Arrest course, be fingerprinted by Live Scan for a Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of…
Read the answerHow Do I Get a Security Guard License?
To get a security guard license, confirm you meet your state's age and record rules, complete approved training, submit fingerprints for a background check, and apply to your…
Read the answerHow Do I Get an Armed Security Guard License?
To get an armed security guard license, you first hold the basic unarmed guard license, then complete your state's firearms training, pass a qualification on the range, and meet a…
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