How to Renew Your California Guard Card Online

Your California guard registration isn't forever — it renews with BSIS every two years, and staying current on your training is what keeps you postable. Renewal is the simplest part of the guard-card lifecycle, but a lapse is the most expensive mistake a working guard can make. Here's the clean way to handle it.

When to renew

Check the expiration date printed on your registration (or look yourself up in BSIS's public license search). We recommend starting at least 60 days before expiration — that leaves room for training, the renewal application, and BSIS processing without risking a gap. Working with an expired registration isn't an option: employers verify status, and a lapsed card can mean coming off post until it's resolved.

Step 1: Complete your refresher training online

Keep your training current with the 8-hour refresher course — $79, fully online, covering the updates working guards actually need: current use-of-force standards, liability, and reporting discipline. Like all our courses, it saves progress automatically and issues a verifiable serialized certificate the moment you pass.

Step 2: Submit your renewal to BSIS

File your renewal application and fee directly with BSIS — their online licensing portal is the fastest route. The renewal fee is paid to the state (it's separate from any training cost; check BSIS's current fee schedule when you file). If your mailing address changed since your last registration, update it with BSIS first so nothing gets lost.

Step 3: Keep your certificate where you can find it

Your refresher certificate lives in your student account with a serial number any employer can verify. If a PPO or client audits training records, you (and they) can confirm it in seconds instead of digging through paperwork.

What if it already lapsed?

Don't guess — check your status in BSIS's license search and contact BSIS about your specific situation. Depending on how long it's been, you may be able to renew, or you may need to reapply. Either way, completing current training is the step you can control today, and it's required in both paths.