(a) An employee of a licensee shall not carry or use a firearm unless the employee has in his or her possession both of the following:
(1) A valid guard registration card issued pursuant to this chapter.
(2) A valid firearm qualification card issued pursuant to this chapter.
(b) An employee of a licensee may carry or use a firearm while working as a security guard or security patrolperson pending receipt of a firearm qualification card if he or she has been approved by the bureau and carries on his or her person a hardcopy printout of the bureau’s approval from the bureau’s Internet Web site and a valid picture identification.
(c) Paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) and subdivision (b) shall not apply to a duly appointed peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, who meets all of the following:
(1) He or she has successfully completed a course of study in the use of firearms.
(2) He or she is authorized to carry a concealed firearm in the course and scope of his or her employment pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with Section 25450) of Chapter 2 of Division 5 of Title 4 of Part 6 of the Penal Code.
(3) He or she has proof that he or she has applied to the bureau for a firearm qualification card.
(d) (1) This section shall not apply to a duly appointed peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code, or a federal qualified law enforcement officer, as defined in Section 926B of Title 18 of the United States Code, who has written approval from his or her primary employer, as defined in paragraph (2) of subdivision (i) of Section 7583.9, to carry a firearm while working as a security guard.
(2) A peace officer exempt under this subdivision shall carry on his or her person a letter of approval from his or her primary employer authorizing him or her to carry a firearm while working as a security guard.
(e) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2018.
(Repealed (in Sec. 36) and added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 429, Sec. 37. (SB 547) Effective January 1, 2018. Section operative July 1, 2018, by its own provisions.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018