SECURITY • FIREARMS PERMIT
BSIS FIREARM WRITTEN EXAM
MAY 2026/2027 A+
2026/2027
California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services
A+ 5 100%
QUESTIONS VERIFIED EXAM DOMAINS COVERED RATIONALES INCLUDED
CATEGORIES
1. Legal Authority, Possession & Carry
2. Use of Force & Deadly Force Standards
3. De-escalation, Communication & Special Populations
4. Firearm Safety, Handling & Nomenclature
5. Reporting, Liability, Ethics & Range Procedures
STUVIAACTUALEXAM
,SECTION 1 — Legal Authority, Possession & Carry
Q1. A uniformed security guard holding a valid BSIS exposed firearms permit is driving directly from home to an assigned post.
Mid-route the guard stops at a grocery store to buy lunch. While inside the store the guard remains in full uniform with the firearm
exposed. Under California law governing BSIS permit holders, which statement best describes the legality of this conduct?
A. The stop may place the guard outside the statutory protection that covers travel to and from the workplace
B. The stop is permitted because the permit allows continuous open carry during the workday
C. Open carry inside any commercial establishment is automatically authorized by the BSIS permit
D. The guard must unload and case the firearm before entering any retail premises
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: BSIS exposed-firearm authority is limited to the performance of security duties and direct travel between residence and place of
employment or required range training. Intermediate personal errands can remove the statutory shield and expose the guard to ordinary Penal
Code restrictions on open carry.
Q2. A private patrol operator discovers that one of its registered guards has been carrying a loaded firearm on post for three
weeks without a current BSIS exposed firearms permit. The operator continued to schedule the guard for armed posts after
learning of the expired permit. Which consequence is the operator most likely to face?
A. A written warning from BSIS with no further action if the permit is renewed within 30 days
B. Potential criminal liability and administrative discipline, including possible license suspension or revocation
C. Only civil liability to any third party injured by the unlicensed guard
D. No liability because the guard alone is responsible for maintaining personal permits
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Business and Professions Code provisions impose duties on licensees to ensure that armed personnel possess current
Bureau-issued permits. Knowingly allowing an unpermitted guard to carry can result in both criminal exposure and Bureau disciplinary action
against the private patrol operator’s license.
Q3. During a late-night patrol a security guard observes a person walking across a closed retail parking lot. The individual is not
committing any crime observable to the guard. The guard draws the firearm and orders the person to the ground at gunpoint
solely to conduct an investigative detention. Which legal principle is most directly violated by this action?
A. The statutory duty to obtain a search warrant before stopping any person on private property
B. The requirement that all detentions be reported to local law enforcement within one hour
C. The Fourth Amendment requirement of reasonable suspicion for temporary detentions, as applied through citizen-arrest and
use-of-force rules
D. The prohibition against security guards ever drawing a firearm except in active shooter events
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Security guards possess only the arrest powers of a private person. Drawing a firearm and forcing a person to the ground converts
the encounter into a seizure that must be supported by facts justifying the use of force. Mere presence on closed commercial property does not
supply that justification.
Q4. A BSIS-registered guard is off duty, in civilian clothes, and carrying a concealed handgun for which the guard holds only an
exposed-firearms permit. Local police stop the vehicle for a traffic infraction and discover the concealed weapon. Which
statement most accurately describes the guard’s legal position?
A. The exposed-firearms permit authorizes both open and concealed carry at all times
B. Only the private patrol operator can be cited; the individual guard faces no personal liability
C. Off-duty guards are automatically covered by the same privileges as on-duty armed personnel
D. The guard is carrying outside the scope of the BSIS permit and may face criminal charges for unlawful concealed carry
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A BSIS exposed-firearms permit authorizes open carry only while the guard is engaged in the course and scope of employment or
traveling directly to or from that employment. Concealed carry requires a separate CCW issued by a local issuing authority; the BSIS permit
does not substitute for it.
Q5. An armed security guard is assigned to a retail center. Store management asks the guard to detain a suspected shoplifter
who has already left the premises and is walking down the public sidewalk. The guard pursues, draws a firearm, and holds the
person at gunpoint until police arrive. No force other than the display of the firearm is used. Which assessment is most accurate?
A. Displaying a firearm to effect a detention for a completed misdemeanor on public property creates significant legal risk
B. The detention is lawful because shoplifting is a felony and citizen’s-arrest powers extend indefinitely
C. Once the suspect left the property the guard’s authority terminated and any further action is automatically criminal
D. The guard’s only legal option was to fire a warning shot to compel the suspect to stop
Correct Answer: A
, Rationale: While a private person may arrest for a public offense committed in their presence, the use of a firearm to effect that arrest must still
satisfy the standards for threat of deadly force. Elevating a property crime detention to a gunpoint encounter on a public sidewalk frequently
fails the reasonableness test and exposes the guard to civil and criminal liability.
Q6. A guard’s exposed firearms permit expires on the last day of the month. The guard is scheduled to work an armed post the
following morning and has already submitted a renewal application that is still pending. Which action complies with BSIS
requirements?
A. Continue working the armed post because the renewal application is pending
B. Work the post unarmed or decline the assignment until a current permit is in hand
C. Carry the expired permit card as proof that renewal is in process
D. Obtain a temporary letter from the training facility authorizing continued carry
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A current, valid BSIS firearms permit must be in the guard’s possession while carrying. Pending applications do not extend the
authority of an expired permit. Working armed without a current card violates both the Business and Professions Code and Bureau regulations.
Q7. While on duty an armed guard is approached by a uniformed peace officer who requests to examine the guard’s BSIS
registration and firearms permit. The guard refuses, stating that only the employer may demand those documents. Which
statement is correct?
A. The guard may refuse because only BSIS investigators have inspection authority
B. Inspection is required only if the officer has reasonable suspicion of a crime
C. Peace officers and BSIS representatives are authorized to inspect the registration and permit upon request
D. The documents may be inspected only at the employer’s business office
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: California law requires security personnel to carry their registration and any firearms permit while on duty and to present them upon
request to peace officers or Bureau representatives. Refusal can itself constitute a violation subject to administrative action.
Q8. A security company equips its guards with a particular model of semi-automatic pistol. One guard prefers a different caliber
and brings a personally owned firearm of that caliber to the post. The company has not authorized the alternate weapon. What is
the primary regulatory concern?
A. BSIS permits are weapon-specific and the alternate firearm is automatically unauthorized
B. Only the caliber matters; any semi-automatic of the same caliber is interchangeable
C. Personal firearms are never permitted for BSIS-permitted guards under any circumstances
D. The guard must qualify on any firearm carried on duty; company policy and range qualification records must support the specific
weapon
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: While the BSIS permit itself is not strictly weapon-specific, the guard must have demonstrated proficiency with the firearm actually
carried, and the employer’s insurance, policy, and range records must authorize that specific weapon. Unauthorized personal firearms create
liability and compliance problems.
Q9. A guard is hired by a new private patrol operator. The guard already holds a current exposed firearms permit associated with
a previous employer. What administrative step is required before the guard may work armed for the new employer?
A. The new employer must associate the existing permit with its license through the Bureau’s process
B. No action is required; the permit travels with the individual guard
C. The guard must complete the entire 14-hour firearms course again
D. Only a new range qualification is required; the written exam is waived permanently
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Firearms permits are associated with a specific licensee or employer. When a guard changes employers, the new private patrol
operator must complete the Bureau’s association process so that the permit is properly linked to the current employing license.
Q10. An armed guard finishes a shift at 0200 hours and begins driving home. Approximately three miles from the site the guard is
involved in a minor traffic collision. While waiting for police the guard leaves the loaded firearm in the unsecured center console of
the unlocked vehicle and walks away to speak with the other driver. Which legal or regulatory issue is raised by this conduct?
A. None, because the guard is still within the travel-home exception
B. Leaving a loaded firearm unsecured in an unlocked vehicle may violate criminal storage laws and professional standards
C. The firearm must be locked in the trunk at all times when the vehicle is not moving
D. Only the private patrol operator can be cited for improper storage by an employee
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: California storage statutes and professional standards require that firearms be secured so that unauthorized persons cannot gain
ready access. Leaving a loaded handgun in an unlocked, unattended vehicle creates both criminal exposure under storage laws and potential
administrative discipline.
BSIS FIREARM WRITTEN EXAM MAY 2026/2027 | Page 2
BSIS FIREARM WRITTEN EXAM
MAY 2026/2027 A+
2026/2027
California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services
A+ 5 100%
QUESTIONS VERIFIED EXAM DOMAINS COVERED RATIONALES INCLUDED
CATEGORIES
1. Legal Authority, Possession & Carry
2. Use of Force & Deadly Force Standards
3. De-escalation, Communication & Special Populations
4. Firearm Safety, Handling & Nomenclature
5. Reporting, Liability, Ethics & Range Procedures
STUVIAACTUALEXAM
,SECTION 1 — Legal Authority, Possession & Carry
Q1. A uniformed security guard holding a valid BSIS exposed firearms permit is driving directly from home to an assigned post.
Mid-route the guard stops at a grocery store to buy lunch. While inside the store the guard remains in full uniform with the firearm
exposed. Under California law governing BSIS permit holders, which statement best describes the legality of this conduct?
A. The stop may place the guard outside the statutory protection that covers travel to and from the workplace
B. The stop is permitted because the permit allows continuous open carry during the workday
C. Open carry inside any commercial establishment is automatically authorized by the BSIS permit
D. The guard must unload and case the firearm before entering any retail premises
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: BSIS exposed-firearm authority is limited to the performance of security duties and direct travel between residence and place of
employment or required range training. Intermediate personal errands can remove the statutory shield and expose the guard to ordinary Penal
Code restrictions on open carry.
Q2. A private patrol operator discovers that one of its registered guards has been carrying a loaded firearm on post for three
weeks without a current BSIS exposed firearms permit. The operator continued to schedule the guard for armed posts after
learning of the expired permit. Which consequence is the operator most likely to face?
A. A written warning from BSIS with no further action if the permit is renewed within 30 days
B. Potential criminal liability and administrative discipline, including possible license suspension or revocation
C. Only civil liability to any third party injured by the unlicensed guard
D. No liability because the guard alone is responsible for maintaining personal permits
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Business and Professions Code provisions impose duties on licensees to ensure that armed personnel possess current
Bureau-issued permits. Knowingly allowing an unpermitted guard to carry can result in both criminal exposure and Bureau disciplinary action
against the private patrol operator’s license.
Q3. During a late-night patrol a security guard observes a person walking across a closed retail parking lot. The individual is not
committing any crime observable to the guard. The guard draws the firearm and orders the person to the ground at gunpoint
solely to conduct an investigative detention. Which legal principle is most directly violated by this action?
A. The statutory duty to obtain a search warrant before stopping any person on private property
B. The requirement that all detentions be reported to local law enforcement within one hour
C. The Fourth Amendment requirement of reasonable suspicion for temporary detentions, as applied through citizen-arrest and
use-of-force rules
D. The prohibition against security guards ever drawing a firearm except in active shooter events
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Security guards possess only the arrest powers of a private person. Drawing a firearm and forcing a person to the ground converts
the encounter into a seizure that must be supported by facts justifying the use of force. Mere presence on closed commercial property does not
supply that justification.
Q4. A BSIS-registered guard is off duty, in civilian clothes, and carrying a concealed handgun for which the guard holds only an
exposed-firearms permit. Local police stop the vehicle for a traffic infraction and discover the concealed weapon. Which
statement most accurately describes the guard’s legal position?
A. The exposed-firearms permit authorizes both open and concealed carry at all times
B. Only the private patrol operator can be cited; the individual guard faces no personal liability
C. Off-duty guards are automatically covered by the same privileges as on-duty armed personnel
D. The guard is carrying outside the scope of the BSIS permit and may face criminal charges for unlawful concealed carry
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A BSIS exposed-firearms permit authorizes open carry only while the guard is engaged in the course and scope of employment or
traveling directly to or from that employment. Concealed carry requires a separate CCW issued by a local issuing authority; the BSIS permit
does not substitute for it.
Q5. An armed security guard is assigned to a retail center. Store management asks the guard to detain a suspected shoplifter
who has already left the premises and is walking down the public sidewalk. The guard pursues, draws a firearm, and holds the
person at gunpoint until police arrive. No force other than the display of the firearm is used. Which assessment is most accurate?
A. Displaying a firearm to effect a detention for a completed misdemeanor on public property creates significant legal risk
B. The detention is lawful because shoplifting is a felony and citizen’s-arrest powers extend indefinitely
C. Once the suspect left the property the guard’s authority terminated and any further action is automatically criminal
D. The guard’s only legal option was to fire a warning shot to compel the suspect to stop
Correct Answer: A
, Rationale: While a private person may arrest for a public offense committed in their presence, the use of a firearm to effect that arrest must still
satisfy the standards for threat of deadly force. Elevating a property crime detention to a gunpoint encounter on a public sidewalk frequently
fails the reasonableness test and exposes the guard to civil and criminal liability.
Q6. A guard’s exposed firearms permit expires on the last day of the month. The guard is scheduled to work an armed post the
following morning and has already submitted a renewal application that is still pending. Which action complies with BSIS
requirements?
A. Continue working the armed post because the renewal application is pending
B. Work the post unarmed or decline the assignment until a current permit is in hand
C. Carry the expired permit card as proof that renewal is in process
D. Obtain a temporary letter from the training facility authorizing continued carry
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A current, valid BSIS firearms permit must be in the guard’s possession while carrying. Pending applications do not extend the
authority of an expired permit. Working armed without a current card violates both the Business and Professions Code and Bureau regulations.
Q7. While on duty an armed guard is approached by a uniformed peace officer who requests to examine the guard’s BSIS
registration and firearms permit. The guard refuses, stating that only the employer may demand those documents. Which
statement is correct?
A. The guard may refuse because only BSIS investigators have inspection authority
B. Inspection is required only if the officer has reasonable suspicion of a crime
C. Peace officers and BSIS representatives are authorized to inspect the registration and permit upon request
D. The documents may be inspected only at the employer’s business office
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: California law requires security personnel to carry their registration and any firearms permit while on duty and to present them upon
request to peace officers or Bureau representatives. Refusal can itself constitute a violation subject to administrative action.
Q8. A security company equips its guards with a particular model of semi-automatic pistol. One guard prefers a different caliber
and brings a personally owned firearm of that caliber to the post. The company has not authorized the alternate weapon. What is
the primary regulatory concern?
A. BSIS permits are weapon-specific and the alternate firearm is automatically unauthorized
B. Only the caliber matters; any semi-automatic of the same caliber is interchangeable
C. Personal firearms are never permitted for BSIS-permitted guards under any circumstances
D. The guard must qualify on any firearm carried on duty; company policy and range qualification records must support the specific
weapon
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: While the BSIS permit itself is not strictly weapon-specific, the guard must have demonstrated proficiency with the firearm actually
carried, and the employer’s insurance, policy, and range records must authorize that specific weapon. Unauthorized personal firearms create
liability and compliance problems.
Q9. A guard is hired by a new private patrol operator. The guard already holds a current exposed firearms permit associated with
a previous employer. What administrative step is required before the guard may work armed for the new employer?
A. The new employer must associate the existing permit with its license through the Bureau’s process
B. No action is required; the permit travels with the individual guard
C. The guard must complete the entire 14-hour firearms course again
D. Only a new range qualification is required; the written exam is waived permanently
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Firearms permits are associated with a specific licensee or employer. When a guard changes employers, the new private patrol
operator must complete the Bureau’s association process so that the permit is properly linked to the current employing license.
Q10. An armed guard finishes a shift at 0200 hours and begins driving home. Approximately three miles from the site the guard is
involved in a minor traffic collision. While waiting for police the guard leaves the loaded firearm in the unsecured center console of
the unlocked vehicle and walks away to speak with the other driver. Which legal or regulatory issue is raised by this conduct?
A. None, because the guard is still within the travel-home exception
B. Leaving a loaded firearm unsecured in an unlocked vehicle may violate criminal storage laws and professional standards
C. The firearm must be locked in the trunk at all times when the vehicle is not moving
D. Only the private patrol operator can be cited for improper storage by an employee
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: California storage statutes and professional standards require that firearms be secured so that unauthorized persons cannot gain
ready access. Leaving a loaded handgun in an unlocked, unattended vehicle creates both criminal exposure under storage laws and potential
administrative discipline.
BSIS FIREARM WRITTEN EXAM MAY 2026/2027 | Page 2
