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Quick answer
To get a New York security guard registration card you must complete the 8-hour pre-assignment training course at a DCJS-approved school and pass the school's written exam. The course includes one hour for review and the exam. Each school's certified instructor writes and grades the exam, and DCJS does not publish a question count or pass mark.
About the exam
New York Security Guard 8-Hour Pre-Assignment Course Exam
Anyone who wants to work as an unarmed security guard in New York needs a security guard registration card from the Department of State. Before applying, you must complete the 8-hour pre-assignment training course at a school approved by the Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) and pass its written examination (General Business Law 89-n). After you are hired, you also need a 16-hour on-the-job course within 90 days, and an 8-hour in-service course every year.
The course content is set by regulation (9 NYCRR 6027.3): an introduction, the role of a security guard, legal powers and limitations, emergency situations, communications and public relations, access control, ethics and conduct, and a one-hour review and examination. Each school's DCJS-certified instructor provides, gives and grades the exam (9 NYCRR 6027.12), so the questions differ from school to school.
Because there is no single state exam, this practice bank follows the regulation's topics and time weights. The legal questions come from the Security Guard Act, the Criminal Procedure Law on arrest by a private person, the Penal Law on justified force and trespass, and the merchant detention law (GBL 218). The emergency, communications and access control questions follow the regulation's topic headings and OSHA's emergency action plan rule.
Exam format
Security Guard 8-Hour Course: questions, time and pass mark
| Item | Official exam | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Course length | 8 hours: introduction 15 min, role of a guard 75 min, legal powers 2 h, emergencies 1 h, communications 1 h, access control 30 min, ethics 1 h, review and exam 1 h. | Verified Oct 2026 (9 NYCRR 6027.3) |
| Sessions | One 8-hour session, or two 4-hour sessions within seven days. Attendance at every section is required. | Verified Oct 2026 (9 NYCRR 6027.3, 6027.12) |
| Who writes the exam | The school's certified instructor provides, gives and grades it. | Verified Oct 2026 (9 NYCRR 6027.12) |
| Questions | Not published by DCJS. Schools set their own exams. | Not published by the agency; practice test uses 40 |
| Pass mark | Not published by DCJS. | Not published by the agency; practice test uses 70% |
| Registration fee | $36 initial application plus fingerprint fees; $25 renewal every two years (statute text). | From GBL 89-h and 89-m; confirm with the Department of State |
The practice test above draws 40 questions with a 45-minute timer and a 70% pass mark. Practice mode lets you work one topic at a time with explanations after every answer, and the cheat sheet view lists every question and answer for review.
Cost and booking
Fees, where to take it and retakes
Schools set their own price for the 8-hour course, so compare a few on DCJS's list of approved security guard training schools. The course must be taken in person at an approved school. When you pass, the school gives you a certificate that you submit with your registration card application to the Department of State.
The Security Guard Act sets a $36 application fee for the initial two-year registration, plus separate fingerprint fees, and a $25 renewal fee every two years. Fees can change, so confirm the current amounts with the Department of State before you apply.
What’s covered
200+ practice questions, by topic
Written from General Business Law Art. 7-A, 9 NYCRR Part 6027, Criminal Procedure Law 140 and Penal Law Art. 35. Every explanation cites its section.
- Role of the Security Guard, Licensing and Ethics55
- Legal Powers and Limitations60
- Emergency Situations30
- Communications, Public Relations and Reports30
- Access Control, Patrol and Loss Prevention25
Official sources
Facts on this page were checked against these pages in October 2026.
Why people fail
The mistakes that cost people the Security Guard 8-Hour Course
- Thinking a guard has police powers. A guard arrests only as a private person under CPL 140.30, which is narrower than a police officer's authority.
- Getting force rules wrong: when physical force is allowed against a trespasser, and why deadly physical force is never justified to stop a shoplifter.
- Mixing up the felony and non-felony arrest rules, such as where a private person may arrest for each.
- Overstepping the merchant detention rule (GBL 218): a reasonable detention to investigate, but no fingerprinting and no unreasonable holding.
- Forgetting the training timeline: 8 hours before work, 16 hours on the job within 90 days, and 8 hours of in-service training every year.
A study plan that works
- Before the course, read the legal powers sections: CPL 140.30 to 140.40 and Penal Law 35.15, 35.20 and 35.30.
- Run this quiz in Practice mode by category, starting with Legal Powers and Limitations, which carries two of the eight course hours.
- Learn the training and licensing rules in the Security Guard Act: the 8-hour, 16-hour and annual in-service courses and the renewal cycle.
- Take timed Tests (40 questions, 45 minutes) until you score 85 percent or better.
- Bring questions about anything that surprised you to your instructor on course day.
Try a few
Sample Security Guard 8-Hour Course practice questions
Six questions pulled straight from the bank, with the answer shown. For the timed, no-peeking version, use the quiz above.
Why: DCJS states that the 16-hour on-the-job course must be completed within 90 days of employment as a guard.
Source: DCJS Security Guard Training page; GBL 89-n(1)(b)
Why: CPL 140.30(2) lets a felony arrest be made anywhere in the state; a non-felony arrest only in the county where the offense was committed.
Source: CPL 140.30(2)
Why: Penal Law 35.30(4) does not permit deadly force to arrest for larceny. Only specified violent felonies in immediate flight, or defense against deadly force, qualify.
Source: Penal Law 35.30(4)
Why: GBL 218 says the detention does not authorize fingerprints; only police may take them under CPL provisions.
Source: GBL 218 (merchant detention privilege)
Why: A visible correction keeps the record honest and shows no concealment.
Source: 9 NYCRR 6027.4(a)(7) (report writing topic)
Why: The guard should follow site procedure and record the finding.
Source: 9 NYCRR 6027.3(a)(2) (role of a security guard)
FAQ
Security Guard 8-Hour Course questions, answered
Is there a state exam for the New York 8-hour security guard course?
No. Each DCJS-approved school's certified instructor provides, gives and grades the written exam at the end of the course (9 NYCRR 6027.12). The course content is set by DCJS regulation, so the topics are the same everywhere.
How many questions are on the 8-hour security guard exam in NY?
DCJS does not publish a number, and each school writes its own exam. Our timed practice test uses 40 questions in 45 minutes from a bank of 200.
What score do I need to pass the 8-hour course exam?
DCJS does not publish a pass mark. Ask your school. This practice test uses 70 percent as a benchmark; aim for 85 percent before the course day.
What does the 8-hour pre-assignment course cover?
The role of a security guard, legal powers and limitations, emergency situations, communications and public relations, access control, and ethics and conduct, plus a one-hour review and examination (9 NYCRR 6027.3).
What training does a NY security guard need after the 8-hour course?
A 16-hour on-the-job training course within 90 days of being hired, and an 8-hour annual in-service course. Armed guards also need the 47-hour firearms course.
Can a security guard in New York arrest someone?
Only as a private person. Under CPL 140.30, any person may arrest for a felony that was actually committed, or for any offense committed in their presence. A felony arrest may be made anywhere in the state; other arrests only in the county where the offense happened.
Is this the official DCJS security guard exam?
No. ExamStates is an independent practice site. The questions are original, written from the Security Guard Act, the DCJS regulations and the New York statutes on arrest and force, with the source cited for every answer.