Private Patrol Operator Test Questions
A currently registered guard would like to apply for an FQ card, so he/she can carry a firearm on
duty per the PPO's need. However; he/she was he was convicted 10 years ago of a
misdemeanor. Will FQ cards be issued? - ANS - May be approved, but if denied it may be
successfully appealed
\A PPO's for PPO license is considered to be 'abandoned' if not completed within how long after
it was initially filed? - ANS - One year
\A registration fee for a guard may not exceed what dollar amount? - ANS - $55
\A renewal registration fee for a guard may not exceed what dollar amount? - ANS - $40
\A violation of badge or shoulder patch rules by a PPO or PPO employee might cause what fine
to be assessed? - ANS - $250
\An applicant for a PPO license must be at least how old? - ANS - 18 years of age
\An FQ card expires when, if not renewed? - ANS - 2 years from the date of issuance
\Applying for a branch office license on the application for a PPO's branch office location should
the PPO list the person who is to be 'in charge' of that new branch office location the same
qualified manager licensed by BSIS who is in charge of the primary business location? - ANS -
No
\Are guard required to wear a badge? - ANS - Yes if in uniform, no if in plain-clothes
\Can a city or county regulate the uniforms of uniformed employees of a PPO, to make them
clearly distinguishable from local regular law enforcement officers? - ANS - Yes
\Can a currently-registered proprietary security officer immediately go to work as an employee of
a PPO - ANS - No
\Can a guard be sued for making an arrest, by the arrestee? - ANS - Yes
\Can a guard search a person in order to find evidence to make an arrest? - ANS - No
\Can a guard search for drugs? - ANS - No
\Can a guard search for merchandise? - ANS - No
\Can a guard touch an employee's purse, lunch box, bag, or car during an inspection, or touch
their contents? - ANS - No
\Can a guard use rubber bullets in his/her firearm? - ANS - Yes
\Can a guard's employer (the PPO) be sued for an arrest made by the guard? - ANS - Yes
\Can a hearing be had if a registration is suspended? - ANS - Yes
\Can a local (city or county) law enforcement agency put restrictions on the uniform a PPO or
his/her guards wear? - ANS - Yes
\Can a PPO demand that his/her guard employee make an arrest? - ANS - No
\Can a PPO or a guard wear a metal badge on his/her belt instead of on the uniforms chest? -
ANS - No
\Can a PPO pay his/her employees as 'independent contractors' with IRS form 1099? - ANS -
No, unless the employee is also a PPO and services are contracted between PPOs
\Can a PPO require a polygraph exam of a guard if a theft or a loss occurs? - ANS - No a
polygraph can not be required, but it can be requested
, \Can a PPO's marked patrol vehicle that has the company name visible on three sides of the of
the vehicle have a siren? - ANS - No
\Can a private person make an arrest for a felony crime if that felony crime did not occur in the
private person's presence? - ANS - Yes; Penal Code 837
\Can a proprietary security officer carry a baton? - ANS - No, a Proprietary Security officer can
not carry a deadly weapon
\Can a proprietary security officer carry a firearm? - ANS - No, a Proprietary Security officer can
not carry a deadly weapon
\Can a proprietary security officer carry a tear gas? - ANS - Yes, if completed BSIS-required
2-hour training
\Can a proprietary security officer wear a generic badge? - ANS - Yes
\Can an electrical 'stun-gun' be carried without any permit? - ANS - Yes
\Can lack of required insurance cause the suspension of a PPO's license? - ANS - Yes
\Can the licensing bureau allow a PPO to conduct business under an additional fictitious
business name? - ANS - Yes
\Can the titles 'Security Guard' and 'Security Officer' be used interchangeably? - ANS - Yes
\Carrying a gun concealed under a shirt is usually what type of a crime? - ANS - Misdemeanor
\Carrying a set of 'brass knuckles' in your pocket is usually what type of crime? - ANS - Felony
\Does an active-duty peace officer have to complete and pass the BSIS firearm course in order
to receive the BSIS exposed firearm permit? - ANS - No, but the applicant must apply, pay, and
submit proof of peace officer status.
\Does an FQ card allow a gun to be carried concealed upon a person? - ANS - No
\During a new security guard's initial 40 hours of training, how many hours of training is included
of 'Powers Of Arrest'? - ANS - 4 hours
\Every advertisement of PPO must contain what pieces of information? - ANS - Company name,
business address OR phone number, and license number
\For a guard to carry a baton, is he/she required to have a certificate of baton training? - ANS -
Yes
\For how long after an employee of a PPO leaves his/her employment there can the employee
file a law suit against the PPO? - ANS - 3 years
\For how long after the day a PPO license expires may a PPO owner continue to do PPO
business? - ANS - Not one minute. It can be renewed, but can't e used until renewed
\For how long the Form I-9 be retained by the employer? - ANS - 3 years
\For new security guards initial 40 hours of training what information will be found on the
completion certificate? - ANS - Per BSIS: The certificate shall identify the 1) course(s) taken, 2)
the number of hours of training provided, 3) identification of the issuing entity, 4)...
\How do you 'qualify' a person to be an employee of a PPO? - ANS - Guard card and I-9
\How long should a Daily Activity log be kept? - ANS - BSIS does not have authority over DARs,
but they do instruct that all 'employee records' are to be kept at least 2 years. Also remember
ex-employees can file lawsuits for up to 3 years
\How long should a PPO store pages of thee Daily Activity Record log? - ANS - BSIS does not
have authority specifically about DARs.
\How many employee can a PPO have before being required to have Workers Compensation
insurance coverage? - ANS - Zero
A currently registered guard would like to apply for an FQ card, so he/she can carry a firearm on
duty per the PPO's need. However; he/she was he was convicted 10 years ago of a
misdemeanor. Will FQ cards be issued? - ANS - May be approved, but if denied it may be
successfully appealed
\A PPO's for PPO license is considered to be 'abandoned' if not completed within how long after
it was initially filed? - ANS - One year
\A registration fee for a guard may not exceed what dollar amount? - ANS - $55
\A renewal registration fee for a guard may not exceed what dollar amount? - ANS - $40
\A violation of badge or shoulder patch rules by a PPO or PPO employee might cause what fine
to be assessed? - ANS - $250
\An applicant for a PPO license must be at least how old? - ANS - 18 years of age
\An FQ card expires when, if not renewed? - ANS - 2 years from the date of issuance
\Applying for a branch office license on the application for a PPO's branch office location should
the PPO list the person who is to be 'in charge' of that new branch office location the same
qualified manager licensed by BSIS who is in charge of the primary business location? - ANS -
No
\Are guard required to wear a badge? - ANS - Yes if in uniform, no if in plain-clothes
\Can a city or county regulate the uniforms of uniformed employees of a PPO, to make them
clearly distinguishable from local regular law enforcement officers? - ANS - Yes
\Can a currently-registered proprietary security officer immediately go to work as an employee of
a PPO - ANS - No
\Can a guard be sued for making an arrest, by the arrestee? - ANS - Yes
\Can a guard search a person in order to find evidence to make an arrest? - ANS - No
\Can a guard search for drugs? - ANS - No
\Can a guard search for merchandise? - ANS - No
\Can a guard touch an employee's purse, lunch box, bag, or car during an inspection, or touch
their contents? - ANS - No
\Can a guard use rubber bullets in his/her firearm? - ANS - Yes
\Can a guard's employer (the PPO) be sued for an arrest made by the guard? - ANS - Yes
\Can a hearing be had if a registration is suspended? - ANS - Yes
\Can a local (city or county) law enforcement agency put restrictions on the uniform a PPO or
his/her guards wear? - ANS - Yes
\Can a PPO demand that his/her guard employee make an arrest? - ANS - No
\Can a PPO or a guard wear a metal badge on his/her belt instead of on the uniforms chest? -
ANS - No
\Can a PPO pay his/her employees as 'independent contractors' with IRS form 1099? - ANS -
No, unless the employee is also a PPO and services are contracted between PPOs
\Can a PPO require a polygraph exam of a guard if a theft or a loss occurs? - ANS - No a
polygraph can not be required, but it can be requested
, \Can a PPO's marked patrol vehicle that has the company name visible on three sides of the of
the vehicle have a siren? - ANS - No
\Can a private person make an arrest for a felony crime if that felony crime did not occur in the
private person's presence? - ANS - Yes; Penal Code 837
\Can a proprietary security officer carry a baton? - ANS - No, a Proprietary Security officer can
not carry a deadly weapon
\Can a proprietary security officer carry a firearm? - ANS - No, a Proprietary Security officer can
not carry a deadly weapon
\Can a proprietary security officer carry a tear gas? - ANS - Yes, if completed BSIS-required
2-hour training
\Can a proprietary security officer wear a generic badge? - ANS - Yes
\Can an electrical 'stun-gun' be carried without any permit? - ANS - Yes
\Can lack of required insurance cause the suspension of a PPO's license? - ANS - Yes
\Can the licensing bureau allow a PPO to conduct business under an additional fictitious
business name? - ANS - Yes
\Can the titles 'Security Guard' and 'Security Officer' be used interchangeably? - ANS - Yes
\Carrying a gun concealed under a shirt is usually what type of a crime? - ANS - Misdemeanor
\Carrying a set of 'brass knuckles' in your pocket is usually what type of crime? - ANS - Felony
\Does an active-duty peace officer have to complete and pass the BSIS firearm course in order
to receive the BSIS exposed firearm permit? - ANS - No, but the applicant must apply, pay, and
submit proof of peace officer status.
\Does an FQ card allow a gun to be carried concealed upon a person? - ANS - No
\During a new security guard's initial 40 hours of training, how many hours of training is included
of 'Powers Of Arrest'? - ANS - 4 hours
\Every advertisement of PPO must contain what pieces of information? - ANS - Company name,
business address OR phone number, and license number
\For a guard to carry a baton, is he/she required to have a certificate of baton training? - ANS -
Yes
\For how long after an employee of a PPO leaves his/her employment there can the employee
file a law suit against the PPO? - ANS - 3 years
\For how long after the day a PPO license expires may a PPO owner continue to do PPO
business? - ANS - Not one minute. It can be renewed, but can't e used until renewed
\For how long the Form I-9 be retained by the employer? - ANS - 3 years
\For new security guards initial 40 hours of training what information will be found on the
completion certificate? - ANS - Per BSIS: The certificate shall identify the 1) course(s) taken, 2)
the number of hours of training provided, 3) identification of the issuing entity, 4)...
\How do you 'qualify' a person to be an employee of a PPO? - ANS - Guard card and I-9
\How long should a Daily Activity log be kept? - ANS - BSIS does not have authority over DARs,
but they do instruct that all 'employee records' are to be kept at least 2 years. Also remember
ex-employees can file lawsuits for up to 3 years
\How long should a PPO store pages of thee Daily Activity Record log? - ANS - BSIS does not
have authority specifically about DARs.
\How many employee can a PPO have before being required to have Workers Compensation
insurance coverage? - ANS - Zero
