Compare licensing rules
Pick up to three states or countries to see their rules side by side.
| Montana | |
|---|---|
| Status | Licence required |
| Regulator | Montana Department of Labor and Industry – Private Security Program |
| Who holds the licence | Individuals |
| Minimum age | 18 |
| Experience | 5,400 cumulative hours (three years full-time) of investigative work, government or military investigative service, fire investigation, or licensed insurance investigation (max 2,700 hours); up to 2,700 hours can come from approved training or education such as the Montana Law Enforcement Academy (ARM 24.182.512) |
| Exam | Yes |
| Training | Department-approved firearms training and annual requalification only if armed |
| Bond or insurance | $500,000 per-occurrence commercial general liability including personal injury; firearms liability cover if armed |
| Fees | Application $80; armed endorsement $50; annual renewal $160 ($80 extra if late); fingerprint check fees set by Montana DOJ and FBI |
| Renewal | Every year; licences expire 1 March (renewal window 1 January to 1 March, online); $160 renewal fee; yearly certificate of insurance; 8 hours CE each year |
| Continuing education | 8 hours every year (ARM 24.182.2103); state-bar CLE on related legal topics counts, firearms training does not |
| Reciprocity | No reciprocity: out-of-state applicants apply in full and must arrange their own exam proctor |
| Recording calls | All-party consent |
| GPS trackers | No dedicated tracking-device offence; covert GPS monitoring can be prosecuted under the stalking statute, which defines monitoring to include GPS and other electronic devices (MCA 45-5-220) |
| Firearms | Separate armed endorsement ($50) needed to carry a firearm on duty: Department-approved firearms training, firearms liability insurance and annual requalification with a POST-certified or licensed firearms instructor |
Reference information, not legal advice. Each profile lists its sources and the date it was checked.