Frequently Asked Questions

Not the decision — but you can find out what BSIS will be looking at, which is usually the real question.

BSIS will not pre-screen a record over the phone and will not give you an advance ruling. The only way to get a decision is to apply. We cannot tell you either; we never see background check results.

What you can do is pull your own record first. California lets you request your own criminal history from the Department of Justice through a Record Review. You complete the Record Review request form, we roll your fingerprints here in Van Nuys, and DOJ sends the record to you rather than to an agency. The form is on our Forms and Manuals page under Record Review.

That shows you your California record. Your FBI record is separate — you request that directly from the FBI through their Identity History Summary Checks process at fbi.gov.

Worth knowing before you worry too much: BSIS generally cannot deny you over a conviction that was dismissed or expunged under Penal Code sections 1203.4, 1203.4a, 1203.41, 1203.42 or 1203.425, and there is a seven-year limit on what the Bureau can consider. Serious felonies under Penal Code 1192.7 and offenses requiring registration under Penal Code 290 are the exceptions, and can be considered regardless of age.

For anything the Bureau can consider, it weighs whether the offense is substantially related to the duties of a security guard, how long ago it happened, and evidence of rehabilitation. A record is not an automatic disqualification.

If you are denied, BSIS sends a written notice and you have 30 days to appeal in writing.

Questions about your own record: BSIS at (916) 322-4000.

Seven years, for most convictions.

Under California law, BSIS generally cannot consider a conviction that is more than seven years old when deciding whether to issue a licence or registration. There are exceptions — serious felonies as defined in Penal Code section 1192.7, and offenses requiring registration under Penal Code section 290, can be considered regardless of how long ago they occurred.

Separately, BSIS generally cannot deny an application based on a conviction that was dismissed or expunged under Penal Code sections 1203.4, 1203.4a, 1203.41, 1203.42 or 1203.425 — whatever its age.

That is about what the Bureau can act on, not about what appears on the record. Older convictions, and convictions that were dismissed or expunged, can still show up on the DOJ and FBI records BSIS receives. Showing up and counting against you are two different things.

For a conviction the Bureau can consider, it weighs whether the offense is substantially related to the duties of a security guard, how much time has passed, and evidence of rehabilitation.

We do not run or review the check. We take your Live Scan prints at our Van Nuys office and transmit them to DOJ. Everything after that is between you and BSIS — reachable at (916) 322-4000.

You have 30 days to appeal, in writing. Do not let that lapse — missing the deadline generally ends the appeal option for that application.

How it works:

– BSIS mails you a written notice stating the reason for the denial
– You have 30 days from that notice to appeal in writing
– If the appeal does not resolve it, you can request an administrative hearing and make your case in person

At a hearing you can present evidence supporting your eligibility — documentation of rehabilitation, character references, court records showing a matter was resolved, employment history. The point of the process is that a denial is a first decision, not a final one.

Read the notice carefully and write down the date you received it. The reason BSIS gives is what you are answering, so it decides what evidence is worth gathering.

This applies to the guard card and the exposed firearm permit alike.

We do not file appeals, do not represent students at hearings, and cannot reverse a BSIS decision. Take the notice and your questions to BSIS at (916) 322-4000 or bsis.ca.gov. For a denial you intend to fight seriously, an attorney who handles professional licensing is worth a conversation.

They can hold things up. Unpaid court debt can result in a hold on your application, which stops BSIS processing it until the hold is released.

Deal with it before you apply if you can. If you cannot pay in full, contact the court that issued the ticket and set up a payment agreement — being on an agreement is generally enough, and it is far quicker than sorting it out after your application is already stuck.

If a hold has already been placed, call BSIS at (916) 322-4000 and ask exactly what they need to release it. Then take that to the court. Nobody can tell you from the outside which agency placed a hold or what will clear it.

We do not contact courts, pay balances, or clear holds on a student’s behalf. Your training and fingerprinting are not affected either way — a hold sits on the application at the state end, not on anything we do.

Possibly, but a hold may need clearing first. If you are in arrears, BSIS may place a hold on your application or your registration.

The agency that placed the hold is the one that can release it — that is your county child support agency, not BSIS and not us. Contact them and ask exactly what they need. Usually that means setting up a payment arrangement rather than clearing the whole balance.

Once the agency releases the hold, BSIS can continue processing.

We do not get involved beyond pointing you to the county agency. We do not contact child support agencies, negotiate arrangements, or clear holds for students.

Two practical notes. Handle it before you apply if you can — clearing a hold after the application is in usually costs more time than starting clean. And a hold does not stop you training: you can complete the course and hold the certificate while you sort the arrears out.

If you are not sure which agency placed the hold, BSIS at (916) 322-4000 can tell you.