BSIS FIREARMS PERMITASSESMENT REQUIREMENTS BSIS FIREARMS PERMIT - ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENT FOR SECURITY GUARDS June 5, 2018 General InformationEffective July 1, 2018, a BSIS security guard registrant seeking an initial BSIS firearms permit must complete an assessment for the purposes of determining whether he/she possesses, at the time of the assessment, appropriate judgement, restraint, and self-control to carry a firearm while on duty (Business and Professions Code Sections 7583.23 and 7583.47). The specific assessment is the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16pf), which is a personality test widely used in various settings including employers of protective services personnel (e.g., police officers, firefighters and security guards), with scoring standards designed for the attributes specified in BPC Section 7583.47: appropriate judgment, restraint and self-control. In addition, the bureau secured PSI Services LLC (PSI) to administer the 16pf assessment. PSI is an industry leader in administering licensing, credentialing and public safety tests and has 23 testing centers located throughout California where individuals can take the assessment. The fee to take the assessment is $60.00 and must be paid as part of the assessment appointment scheduling process. When Will Completion of the Assessment Be Required? A BSIS security guard registrant applying for an initial BSIS firearms permit will need to complete and pass the assessment as a condition to obtain the firearms permit. Given that other BSIS license types (e.g., private investigator license, private patrol operator license, alarm company operator license, etc.) can be associated with the firearms permit, under certain circumstances an individual seeking to associate a firearms permit to a security guard registration will need to complete/pass the assessment as a condition for the association. As background, a person is permitted to work with an exposed firearm in the capacity of a BSIS licensee only if all the following conditions are satisfied: (1) the person holds a current, clear BSIS firearms permit; (2) the person holds a current, clear license type that can legally be associated with a BSIS firearms permit; and (3) the bureau's records reflect the person's firearms permit as being associated (i.e. linked) to the qualifying license. Below is information on when the assessment is and is not required. Assessment Required
1. A BSIS security guard registrant applying for an initial BSIS firearms permit on or after
July 1, 2018 will need to complete and pass the assessment as a condition for issuance of the firearms permit.
2. A person who holds a firearms permit before July 1, 2018, and obtains an initial security guard registration on or after July 1, 2018 and requests to associate the security guard
registration to the firearms permit will need to complete and pass the assessment to have the registration associated with the permit.
3. A person who obtains a firearms permit on or after July 1, 2018 and associates it with
another qualifying license at issuance, and subsequently requests to associate the firearms
permit with his/her security guard registration will need to complete and pass the assessment to have the registration associated with the permit.
Assessment Not RequiredA person who holds a BSIS security guard registration and a BSIS firearms permit before July 1, 2018 and requests to associate the same firearms permit and same security guard registration (e.g. registration and permit numbers are the same as those held before July 1, 2018) on or after July 1, 2018 will NOT need to complete the assessment to have the registration associated with the permit. Any situation relating to the issuance of a firearms permit to a security guard registrant or the association of a security guard registration with a firearms permit that falls outside the above scenarios will be handled on a case-by-case basis. NOTE: The bureau can only make these determinations at the time of reviewing the application or security guard registration/firearms permit association request documents. How Will I Know When I Must Complete the Assessment? If you are required to take the assessment, the bureau will mail you a Notice of Eligibility for Assessment letter (see "How Do I Schedule an Appointment to take the Assessment" section for additional information about this letter) to the Address of Record (AOR) listed on your Firearms Permit Initial Application or, if seeking to associate the firearms permit to a security guard registration, to the AOR on file with the Bureau for your firearms permit. More information will be provided when PSI completes its webpage relating to the assessment. How Do I Schedule an Appointment to take the Assessment? You may schedule an appointment to take the assessment only after the bureau issues you the Notice of Eligibility for Assessment letter. This letter notifies you to contact PSI to schedule the appointment and provides PSI's contact information, a brief explanation of assessment fee payment options, and the process to request a reasonable accommodation to take the assessment. NOTE:: You must have a scheduled appointment and have paid the assessment fee to take the assessment.More information will be provided when PSI completes its webpage relating to the assessment. How Do I Pay the Assessment Fee? The $60.00 assessment fee is paid directly to PSI and must be paid before you can schedule an appointment to take the assessment. PSI will accept major credit cards as well as debit cards and pre-paid cards. In addition, cashier's checks and money orders will be accepted; however, the payment will need to be received by the PSI Call Center staff before they will schedule your appointment. NOTE: The law permits the assessment fee to be paid by the firearms permit applicant, his/her designee, or his/her employer if the employer voluntarily chooses to do so. It is outside the bureau's jurisdiction to advise on who should pay the cost of the assessment. More information will be provided when PSI completes its webpage relating to the assessment. What Happens After I Complete the Assessment? PSI staff will provide each person who completes the assessment in totality with a proof of completion letter that includes the person's first and last name and the date and time of the assessment administration appointment. This letter should be kept in the event it is needed as proof of having completed the assessment. If PSI notifies BSIS that the person demonstrated appropriate judgement, restraint and self-control for the purposes of carrying a firearm while on duty, the bureau will issue the person an initial firearms permit or associate the security guard registration with the firearms permit. If PSI notifies BSIS that the person did not demonstrate appropriate judgment, restraint and self-control for the purposes of carrying a firearm while on duty, the bureau will issue a letter notifying the person that his/her application for a firearms permit, or request to associate the firearms permit with a security guard registration, is denied. The denial letter will include information on the process to appeal the denial. The bureau anticipates issuance of the firearms permit or denial letter to an individual within 10 business days from the date the individual completed the assessment. Persons should not call the Bureau for their assessment results. For confidentiality reasons, assessment results will not be provided or discussed by telephone. To stay up-to-date on assessment activities, subscribe to the bureau's Interested Parties email list at http://www.bsis.ca.gov/subscriptions.shtml as well as routinely check this webpage for the next several weeks.
Phillip V. Hughey CEO, Director of Operations Chief Training Instructor Retired 21 year US Marine Corps Veteran Phillip V. Hughey is retired from the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) after 21 years of military and law enforcement service. He served as an Adjunct Instructor with Mira Costa, Palomar and Grossmont College where he was the primary instructor for the POST Approved SWAT MP-5 course and advisor instructor in the development of Grossmont College Security Training Program and Palomar College Firearms Training Program for the citizen.