Security Guide
How to Verify a Security Company Is Licensed in Washington
The checks a property manager should run before signing a security contract in Washington State.
Why This Check Matters
If an unlicensed contractor puts a person in a uniform on your property, the exposure lands on the property owner. Verification takes ten minutes and eliminates the single largest risk in the vendor relationship.
The Five-Item Checklist
- Company license number. Verify it directly through the Department of Licensing lookup, not a screenshot.
- Surety bond. Required for licensure; confirm it has not lapsed.
- Certificate of insurance. Request it from the carrier, with your entity as additional insured.
- Officer licensure. Every Officer assigned should hold a current Guard license — ask how the vendor tracks expirations.
- Workers' compensation. Confirm Officers are employees covered under Washington L&I, not subcontracted labor.
Questions That Separate Vendors
Licensure is the floor. What distinguishes contractors is what happens after the contract is signed:
- How many training days does an Officer complete before standing your post alone?
- Who supervises the overnight shift, and how is a missed patrol detected?
- What does a shift report look like, and how quickly do you receive it?
- What is the escalation path at 3 a.m., and who answers?
Our answers are public: thirteen days through OIP 1, OIP 2, and probation; Supervisors on shift; GPS-verified patrol logs delivered the same shift; and a 24/7 Emergency Services line that reaches a human.
Red Flags
Cash-rate quoting well below market, no written post orders, no named Supervisor, personal vehicles with magnetic signs, and reluctance to produce the license number. Any one of them should end the conversation.
Local Accountability
We are headquartered in Puyallup and cover King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap, and Thurston Counties with local Supervisors — not a dispatch desk in another state.
Work With Diligence Security
Diligence Security LLC protects people across King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap, and Thurston Counties. Explore our Patrol Officer programs, On-site Security posts, Emergency Fire Watch, and Event Security, or review the Service Areas we cover. Contact us for a site evaluation, or see our Officer training and guard card certification if you are staffing a Team of your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I check if a security company is licensed in Washington?
- Ask for the company's private security company license number and verify it through the Washington State Department of Licensing license lookup. Also request the certificate of insurance and confirm the surety bond is current.
- Does a security company have to be bonded and insured in Washington?
- Yes. Licensed private security companies in Washington must maintain a surety bond and general liability insurance as a condition of licensure.
- What insurance limits should a security contractor carry?
- Confirm the general liability limit is appropriate to your property and that your entity is named as an additional insured on the certificate before Officers start work.
Protect your people with a Team you can trust and verify.
Request a professional site evaluation or immediate emergency deployment. Local Supervisors respond fast across the Puget Sound.