Virginia Private Security and Private Investigation Licensing Guide

Virginia maintains a centralized, statewide licensing regime for private security services and private investigators under Va. Code § 9.1-138 et seq.

Licensing is administered by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).

The statute regulates private security services businesses, including private investigators, security officers, personal protection specialists, armored car personnel, and related professions as defined by statute. Business entities must obtain a private security services business license. Individual personnel performing regulated services must be registered or certified with DCJS.

Armed personnel are subject to additional firearms endorsement requirements administered within the statutory and regulatory framework.

Licensure, registration, or certification is required prior to engaging in regulated services. Both business entities and individual practitioners are regulated at the state level.

Firearms permitting for general concealed carry is governed under separate provisions of Virginia law and is not itself a private security or private investigation license.

Regulation of private security services and private investigation is centralized at the state level.

Virginia regulates private security and private investigation under a unified statutory framework administered by DCJS.

Business entities must obtain a private security services business license. Individual security officers, private investigators, and personal protection specialists must obtain appropriate registration or certification.

Firearms endorsement is administered within the DCJS framework and does not replace required business licensure or individual registration.