Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
Do you offer a military discount? –
No. Everyone pays the same price.
The 8-hour guard card class is $150, or $296 with Live Scan fingerprinting and the BSIS application included. The firearms course is $312. There are no discounts for active duty, veterans, law enforcement, students, groups, or referrals.
Part of what you pay is not ours to discount anyway. The BSIS application fee and the state’s fingerprinting fees are pass-through — we collect them and send them on.
Military service also does not reduce the training hours. BSIS sets those and we cannot waive any of them.
There is a real benefit on the state side, though, and it is worth knowing about:
– The Department of Consumer Affairs expedites license applications for active-duty service members, and for spouses and domestic partners of active-duty personnel stationed in California. BSIS is a DCA bureau, so this covers both guard card and firearms permit applications.
– Military spouses may also have their initial application and license fees waived.
That is the state’s program, not ours, and we cannot apply it on your behalf. Current criteria and required documentation are at dca.ca.gov.
How can I verify Valley Guard Training is BSIS-licensed? +
Look us up yourself. Do not take our word for it.
Search the Department of Consumer Affairs license database at search.dca.ca.gov. Our licenses:
– TFF 1123 — firearms training facility
– TFB 1336 — baton training facility
We have been BSIS-licensed since December 1993 and we operate from one location: 16140 Cohasset Street, Van Nuys, CA 91406.
You can run the same check on any training provider, and you should. Search the license number or the business name. Three things worth knowing when you do:
– A real BSIS training facility has a license number it will give you without hesitation. If a school will not, that tells you what you need to know.
– It has a physical address in California, not just a website.
– It requires part of the guard card course to be completed in person. Any site selling you a complete California guard card with no in-person component is selling a certificate that is not valid. BSIS will not accept it — and if one ever does slip through, it is your registration that is at risk when it comes to light, not theirs.
More on that: How to avoid online guard card training scams and 3 biggest guard card training myths.
If you want to confirm our license status directly with the state, BSIS is at (916) 322-4000 or bsis@dca.ca.gov. More about us at About.
Do you help me find a security job after training? +
Not directly. We are a training facility, not a staffing agency. We do not place graduates, guarantee interviews, or send your information to employers.
What we do have is a job board at our Van Nuys location. It is in the back, where the guards train.
Stop by any time we are open and look through it. There is no charge, and you do not need to have trained with us.
We are at 16140 Cohasset Street, Van Nuys, CA 91406, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. See Contact for hours.
One thing that should go without saying: nobody here will ever ask you for money in exchange for a job lead. If someone claiming to represent us does, it is not us.
What forms of payment do you accept? +
We accept:
– Cash
– American Express, MasterCard, Visa, and Discover
– Apple Pay and tap-to-pay
The card has to be in the name of the student or the person paying, and that person needs to be present with the card at the time of payment.
We do not accept:
– Credit card payments over the phone, for any reason
– Personal checks
Online class signups are paid by card at checkout. Deposits and balances are handled in person at our Van Nuys location.
Since we never take card numbers over the phone: if someone calls claiming to be from Valley Guard Training and asks for your card details, it is not us. Hang up and call us directly at (818) 989-7825.
