Private Protective Services

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide specific details on the effectiveness and safety implications of allowing private guards to carry more powerful firearms.

Private Protective Services Act

This bill establishes a new certification process for private security guards to carry rifles or shotguns after completing specific training and meeting certain requirements.

What This Bill Does

• Creates a new type of registration called 'enhanced armed guard' for private security personnel who meet specified criteria.
• Requires these guards to complete special training, pass background checks, and receive approval from the commissioner before being certified.
• Allows enhanced armed guards to carry rifles or shotguns if approved by the commissioner when there is an immediate threat.
• Requires secure storage of weapons when not in use.
• Establishes annual renewal requirements for certification.

Who It Names or Affects

• Private security companies and their employees who want to become enhanced armed guards.
• The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, which will oversee the registration process.

Terms To Know

enhanced armed guard

A private security officer certified to carry specific weapons after completing special training and meeting certain requirements.

rifle-caliber weapon

A firearm designed for shoulder firing using fixed cartridges, including rifles or shotguns.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify the exact types of weapons that can be carried.
• It is unclear how many people will apply and qualify for this new certification.

Official Summary Text

This bill authorizes an armed security guard/officer who has successfully completed enhanced armed guard training as described in this bill and applied for and received an enhanced armed guard certification from the commissioner of commerc
e and insurance ("enhanced armed guard") to carry a rifle-caliber weapon only if certified to carry such firearm. An enhanced armed guard may carry only the type of rifle-caliber weapon that the commissioner prescribes by rule when in the performance of
t
he guard's duties. Additionally, an enhanced armed guard may only deploy a rifle-caliber weapon, whether in an offensive or defensive posture, when a legitimate threat necessitating such deployment is perceived to exist or be imminent. During such time
a
s a threat necessitating deployment of a rifle-caliber weapon is not perceived to exist or be imminent, the rifle-caliber weapon must be securely stored in such manner as the commissioner may prescribe by rule.

CERTIFICATION

In order to be eligible for
certification as an enhanced armed guard, this bill requires an applicant to meet all of the following criteria:



Hold a current registration card issued by the commissioner to act as an armed security guard/officer in this state, and be in good standing.



Have a minimum of five years of experience as a full-time law enforcement officer and be either retired, or at the time of prospective certification will be retired, from the employing law enforcement agency in good standing, or separated, or at the time of prospective certification will be separated, from the employing law enforcement agency in good standing; or have a minimum of four years of experience as a full-time member of the armed forces of the United States while in a combat arms military occupational specialty and be either retired, or at the time of prospective certification will be retired, from the armed forces having received an honorable discharge or separated, or at the time of prospective certification will be separated, from the armed forces having received an honorable discharge.



Submit to and pass a criminal background check and a psychological evaluation as described by present law, to the commissioner's satisfaction.



Successfully complete a written examination and an in-person enhanced armed guard training course approved by the commissioner, to the commissioner's satisfaction.

This bill authorizes the commissioner to request from an applicant such information as the commissioner deems necessary to constitute proof of an applicant's
eligibility pursuant to this bill. Upon receipt of a completed application and finding after investigation that the applicant meets all eligibility requirements for enhanced armed guard certification, the commissioner must issue a certification to the a
p
plicant upon the payment of fees as established by the commissioner.

EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL OF CERTIFICATION

This bill provides that an enhanced armed guard certification expires one year from the date of issuance. In order to renew the certification,
an enhanced armed guard must submit to an annual criminal background check, to be conducted by the commissioner. The commissioner may set a reasonable fee to cover the cost to conduct the annual background check.

TRAINING COURSE

This bill requires the
enhanced armed guard training course developed or approved by the commissioner to be offered no less than quarterly, be at least 16 hours in length, and, in addition to legal, weapon handling, marksmanship, and tactics training, to include scenario-based
t
raining on when a rifle-caliber weapon may be deployed in an offensive or defensive posture and training on the secure storage of a rifle-caliber weapon when the weapon is not deployed. The commissioner may contract with a third party to administer such
t
raining.

This bill authorizes the commissioner to apply as full or partial credit toward the enhanced armed guard training required by this bill, a rifle-caliber weapon training course that an applicant completed while in the armed forces or employed as
a law enforcement officer, as long as the commissioner finds that such training is equivalent or superior to that which is required by this bill.

ON MARCH 31, 2025, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENTS #1 AND #2 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 683, AS AMENDED.

AMENDMENT
#1 makes the following revisions:



Changes references of "enhanced armed guard certification" to "enhanced armed guard registration" throughout the bill.



Revises present law provision exempting certain persons and entities from application of the "
Private Protective Services Licensing and Regulatory Act
" to, instead, only exempt such person and entities from the requirements of obtaining a license or registration under such Act.



Changes the provisions authorizing an enhanced armed guard to carry a rifle caliber weapon under the bill to, instead, carry a rifle or shotgun.



Defines "rifle" as
any firearm designed, made or adapted to be fired from the shoulder and to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed metallic cartridge to fire a projectile through a rifled bore by a single function of the trigger
.



Defines "shotgun" as
any firearm designed, made or adapted to be fired from the shoulder and to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth-bore barrel either a number of ball shot or a single projectile by a single function of the trigger
.



Revises the provision requiring an applicant, to be eligible for registration enhancement, to submit to and pass a criminal background check to, instead, submit to, with results submitted to the commissioner of commerce and insurance, a
fingerprint-based criminal history record check to be conducted by the Tennessee bureau of investigation and then a fingerprint-based national criminal history record check to be completed by the federal bureau of investigation
.



Removes the requirement that the enhanced armed guard training course be developed by the commissioner of commerce and insurance and only requires it be approved by the commissioner.



Revises the renewal requirements for an enhanced armed guard registration enhancement to, instead, require such guard to (i) p
ay an annual renewal fee, as set by the commissioner
of commerce and insurance
;
(ii) s
ubmit to a criminal background check, with results submitted to the commissioner; and
(iii)

s
uccessfully complete an annual requalification course, approved by the commissioner, that is a minimum of eight hours in duration, of which no less than six hours consist of rifle and shotgun training and qualification on a weapon range.

AMENDMENT #2 makes the following revisions:



Removes the provision limiting the exemptions only to requirements to obtain a license or registration under the "
Private Protective Services Licensing and Regulatory Act
" instead of applying to the entire act.



Adds a provision prohibiting a person from carrying
a rifle or shotgun while providing security services without holding a current enhanced armed guard registration
.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 1384
By Watson

HOUSE BILL 683
By Lamberth

HB0683
000443
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 39 and Title 62, Chapter 35, relative to private
protective services.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 62-35-102, is amended by adding
the following new subdivision:
( ) "Enhanced armed guard" means an armed security guard/officer who has
successfully completed enhanced armed guard training as described in § 62-35-144(c)
and applied for and received an enhanced armed guard certification from the
commissioner as described in § 62-35-144(b);
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 62-35-125, is amended by
designating the existing language as subsection (a) and adding the following as subsection (b):
(b)
(1) An enhanced armed guard may carry a rifle-caliber weapon only if
certified to carry such firearm. An enhanced armed guard may carry only the
type of rifle-caliber weapon that the commissioner prescribes by rule when in the
performance of the guard's duties.
(2) An enhanced armed guard may only deploy a rifle-caliber weapon,
whether in an offensive or defensive posture, when a legitimate threat
necessitating such deployment is perceived to exist or be imminent. During such
time as a threat necessitating deployment of a rifle-caliber weapon is not
perceived to exist or be imminent, the rifle-caliber weapon must be securely
stored in such manner as the commissioner may prescribe by rule.

- 2 - 000443

SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 62, Chapter 35, Part 1, is amended by
adding the following as a new section:
62-35-144.
(a) To be eligible for certification as an enhanced armed guard, an applicant
must:
(1) Hold a current registration card issued by the commissioner to act as
an armed security guard/officer in this state, and be in good standing;
(2)
(A) Have a minimum of five (5) years of experience as a full-time
law enforcement officer and be either:
(i) Retired, or at the time of prospective certification will be
retired, from the employing law enforcement agency in good
standing; or
(ii) Separated, or at the time of prospective certification will
be separated, from the employing law enforcement agency in
good standing; or
(B) Have a minimum of four (4) years of experience as a full-time
member of the armed forces of the United States while in a combat arms
military occupational specialty and be either:
(i) Retired, or at the time of prospective certification will be
retired, from the armed forces having received an honorable
discharge; or
(ii) Separated, or at the time of prospective certification will
be separated, from the armed forces having received an
honorable discharge;

- 3 - 000443

(3) Submit to and pass, to the commissioner's satisfaction:
(A) A criminal background check; and
(B) A psychological evaluation as described in § 38-8-106(9); and
(4) Successfully complete, to the commissioner's satisfaction:
(A) A written examination; and
(B) An in-person enhanced armed guard training course
approved by the commissioner.
(b) The commissioner may request from an applicant such information as the
commissioner deems necessary to constitute proof of an applicant's eligibility pursuant
to subsection (a). Upon receipt of a completed application and finding after investigation
that the applicant armed security guard/officer meets all eligibility requirements for
enhanced armed guard certification, the commissioner shall issue a certification to the
applicant upon the appropriate payment of fees as established by the commissioner.
(c)
(1) The enhanced armed guard training course developed or approved
by the commissioner must be offered no less than quarterly, be at least sixteen
(16) hours in length, and in addition to legal, weapon handling, marksmanship,
and tactics training, must also include:
(A) Scenario-based training on when a rifle-caliber weapon may
be deployed in an offensive or defensive posture; and
(B) Training on the secure storage of a rifle-caliber weapon when
the weapon is not deployed.
(2) The commissioner may contract with a third party to administer the
training required by this section.

- 4 - 000443

(3) The commissioner may apply as full or partial credit toward the
enhanced armed guard training required by this section, a rifle-caliber weapon
training course that an applicant completed while in the armed forces or
employed as a law enforcement officer, as long as the commissioner finds that
such training is equivalent or superior to that which is required by this section.
(d) An enhanced armed guard certification expires one (1) year from the date of
issuance. To renew the certification, an enhanced armed guard must submit to an
annual criminal background check, to be conducted by the commissioner. The
commissioner may set a reasonable fee to cover the cost to conduct the annual
background check.
SECTION 4. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate rules to effectuate this act.
The rules must be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act,
compiled in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 5.
SECTION 5. For the purpose of promulgating rules, this act takes effect upon becoming
a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, this act takes effect July 1, 2025,
the public welfare requiring it.