Scope and current rules: This guide addresses California private security, not police authority. Rules and site policies can change. Confirm your license type, current BSIS requirements, local rules and employer authorization before carrying equipment. A proprietary private security officer (PSO) is a different registration category; BSIS describes PSOs as unarmed and says they may not carry the listed weapons, including electronic control devices, batons or chemical agents.
For security guards, a guard card alone is not a baton permit. BSIS says on-duty baton carry requires the appropriate security guard registration and baton training from a Bureau-approved baton training facility; the current BSIS licensing page also describes issuance of a baton permit to qualified licensees.
How does a guard obtain a baton permit?
- Confirm that your registration and job category are eligible, and check employer policy.
- Find a BSIS-approved baton training facility and complete the required course and examination. The Bureau’s baton training manual describes a minimum eight-hour course.
- Follow current BSIS application instructions and wait for the required permit and registration before carrying on duty.
- Confirm current documentation, renewal and uniform rules with BSIS; do not assume an older manual reflects every current administrative requirement.
BSIS’s elective syllabus lists up to four hours of credit for baton training within the guard skills syllabus; that credit limit is not the length of the separate eight-hour baton certification course described in the Bureau manual.
Can a guard carry a baton in plain clothes?
BSIS says its licensees carrying a baton or exposed firearm must have the relevant active license and permit and comply with uniform requirements. Ask BSIS and your employer about the specific assignment and required uniform, badge and patches.
Benefits and considerations
Where authorized and supported by employer policy, a baton can be an additional defensive option for trained personnel. It can cause serious injury; training, judgment, lawful conduct and reporting matter more than the equipment choice. A permit is not blanket authorization to use force.
Choosing duty equipment
Confirm the employer-approved baton model and length, a compatible holder, belt width and attachment, manufacturer maintenance guidance, and whether training or replacement components are needed. Never assume that every holder fits every baton. Browse baton options or ask us to confirm a specific holder.
Official resources
- BSIS security guard registration fact sheet
- BSIS firearms permit fact sheet
- BSIS firearms assessment
- BSIS baton training manual and current application information
- BSIS guard training syllabus and power to arrest and appropriate use of force manual
- BSIS uniform requirements
Sources reviewed October 27, 2026. This educational overview is not legal advice; confirm current requirements with BSIS, your employer and qualified counsel. HolstersMaster is not BSIS or a training provider.