Yes. You must: be at least 18 years old; possess a valid photo ID issued by the state or federal government, and it must have a valid expiration date (i.e., Driver's License OR US Passport, etc.); register with the NJ State Police for a background check; be fingerprinted by a MorphoTrust agency; and take and pass a SORA Initial 24-hour training class given by a licensed SORA instructor.​

The Security Officer Certification is valid for a period of 2 years for unarmed and 1 year for armed. A renewal application must be submitted to the NJ State Police, and you must take a RENEWAL class PRIOR to the expiration of your certification. However, you will not have to be fingerprinted again, if you resubmit before your certification expires.

As part of your certification process, a criminal background check will be conducted. Certification will be denied if you have been convicted of: a crime of the first, second, third or fourth degree; any offense involving the unlawful use, possession or sale of a controlled dangerous substance; or any offense where the registration of the individual would be contrary to the public interest, as determined by the Superintendent. The fee for your background check is non-refundable, so check the SORA HELP webpage on theNJSP.gov page or contact the New Jersey State Police for clarification if you have a question about a particular issue.

There are some companies who may hire people without a security license, however, according to the Security Officer Registration Act, “No person shall be employed as, or perform the functions and activities of, a security officer unless that person is registered with the Superintendent as required in this section. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.” (Section C.45:19A-4a)

If the steps are not completed within 30 days from completing your application, you must submit a new application. Please note: All application fees are non-refundable, and When you log in to the NJSP website, choose the RETURNING APPLICANT button, and use the username and password that you originally chose.

Your registration information and class roster are sent to the NJ State Police the day before the class. If you fail to attend the class, we can reassign you to another class. Just call us as soon as possible. Please remember: The class fee is non-refundable, and If the date of the next available class ends after your 30-day period, you will have to submit another application to the NJ State Police. See Question above.

No. Effective October 1, 2024, the State Police have discontinued the 30-day Temporary Security License that was issued at the time of registration. According to the NJSP: "Applicants will have a 30-day period to complete the necessary requirements, including fingerprinting and completion of the security officer training course. However, it is important to note that applicants are not permitted to be employed as security officers until the entire process has been completed and officially approved by the Private Detective Unit."

An Armed S.O.R.A. card signifies that the security officer has taken the steps required to obtain the Armed card. It does NOT signify that the owner has been authorized a NJ Permit to Carry a firearm. Only a person who is authorized to carry a firearm in NJ is approved to work as an armed security officer. However, a person with an armed SORA card can also work unarmed security. Please note that there are separate processes in New Jersey to: *purchase a firearm, *be permitted to carry a firearm, and *to be certified to be an Armed Security Officer. Click HERE for a link to the NJ State Police website's information on firearms.

Going from an UNARMED (yellow) card to an ARMED (red) card requires a separate application with the State Police. In other words, you have to go through the same initial process you went through to get your very first certification. Just remember: 1) You MUST sign into NJSP.org under "RETURNING SORA APPLICANT" in the SORA section under the "Services" tab, and 2) Choose "Armed Security Officer Certification" under the "NEW APPLICATIONS" tab after you sign in. Please read the question above "WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ARMED SORA CARD AND A REGULAR ONE" for information on having an ARMED (red) card. We conduct Unarmed to Armed classes necessary to complete the process. Please check our class schedules page for the next class or call us if you do not see one listed.

*You can renew your SORA card up to 90 days before it expires. Armed, or red SORA cards must be renewed every year; Unarmed, or yellow SORA cards must be renewed once every 2 years. First step: Apply for your Renewal license on the New Jersey State Police website (NJSP.org--Services dropdown--SORA Information. Under "Related Links" on the right side, choose "Security Officer, Instructor, Owner and Bounty Hunter Applications". Click Returning Applicant on next page, then sign in with your original username and password. Then follow the prompts from there. The cost is under $80 and does not require fingerprints. Make sure you write down your new 6-digit registration number and save the confirmation email from the State Police. Second step: Within 30 days from registration, you must complete an 8-hour SORA Renewal class with a licensed SORA Instructor (hopefully us!). You should get your new electronic card emailed to you within a few days. If it seems like it is taking a while, you can contact them via email pdu@gw.njsp.org or call 609-341-3426.