Private Patrol Service ($15,000) Bond - City of Los Angeles, CA in California

Brief Summary

If your guards patrol Los Angeles streets, sidewalks or other public areas, you need a city permit from the Board of Police Commissioners on top of your state PPO license. The $15,000 bond is part of that file. You pay a yearly premium instead of setting aside $15,000, and the bond is usually issued quickly once you apply.

Los Angeles Municipal Code Section 52.34 makes it unlawful to run a private patrol service in the city without both a California private patrol operator license and a permit from the City. The $15,000 Private Patrol Service bond runs to the City of Los Angeles and backs that permit. A security company that works only inside private property is not a private patrol service under the city's definition.

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How to Apply for a Private Patrol Service ($15,000) Bond:

• Make sure your guards actually patrol public areas. Private property only work does not need this permit.
• Hold a current California private patrol operator license.
• Call the Commission Investigation Division at (213) 996-1250 for an appointment and the current bond form.
• Have the $15,000 bond issued in the exact legal name on your PPO license.
• Bring the P-664 application, a copy of the PPO license, uniform and insignia photos, and the bond to the appointment.
• Register each street patrol officer on form P-683.

Detailed Information About the California Private Patrol Service ($15,000) Bond:

Who needs it

Under LAMC Section 52.34, a private patrol service is any private patrol operator, as defined in the California Business and Professions Code, that supplies street patrol officers to members, subscribers or customers. The LAPD Commission Investigation Division describes it as a state licensed security company that patrols within the public right of way, whether on foot, bicycle, motorcycle, vehicle or another device.

If your officers stay inside the properties you guard, you are not a private patrol service for this permit. Guards employed directly by stores, industrial plants, community associations or private clubs who do not use city streets to move between locations are also outside the definition.

What the permit involves

Each owner or corporate officer applies in person to the Commission Investigation Division at 100 West 1st Street, Room 147, using form P-664. The LAPD states there is no fee for this registration. The registration lists the company's name, address and organization, its method of operation, the territory it plans to serve, its officers and employees, and its procedure for investigating citizen complaints against street patrol officers. You also submit a copy of your state PPO license and photos of uniforms, badges and patches so the city can check they do not resemble police insignia. On request you must show workers' compensation, general liability and auto insurance in the amounts state law requires.

Each street patrol officer then registers separately on form P-683 with a guard card, driver's license and any firearm or baton permits.

The bond

The bond is a $15,000 surety bond naming the City of Los Angeles as obligee. It guarantees that the company will follow the city's private patrol rules, and it gives the city or a harmed party a way to recover if it does not. The city's online pages do not publish the bond wording, so confirm the current bond form and how to submit it with the Commission Investigation Division at (213) 996-1250 before the bond is issued.

Eligibility and Requirements for a California Private Patrol Service ($15,000) Bond:

• A surety admitted to write bonds in California.
• Bond amount of $15,000 with the City of Los Angeles as obligee.
• Business name on the bond matching the state PPO license.
• Proof of workers' compensation, general liability and auto insurance on request.
• Owner credit review, which mainly affects the premium rate.

California Private Patrol Service ($15,000) Bond FAQs:

Official and Additional Resources for the California Private Patrol Service ($15,000) Bond: