The Rules of Engagement (ROE) of a bodyguard in the Commonwealth of Virginia

The Rules of Engagement (ROE) of a bodyguard in the Commonwealth of VirginiaBy Emiel Fisher, PI, PPS

Private Investigators (PI), and Personal Protection Specialists (PPS) or bodyguards are regulated in the Commonwealth of Virginia by the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), a self-funded state agency.

For the purposes of this article we will stick to the ROE of being legal in the Commonwealth of Virginia to be a bodyguard as an EMPLOYEE not a CONTRACTOR which has different rules and more of them.

First, one must sign up and take a PPS class from a school licensed by DCJS to do so. The class lasts longer than a week and there is a test to take afterwards and, yes, you must pass it. The class costs about $350.00 to $700.00 depending on where you take it. The classes are not given on a regular basis, so your schedule must be flexible.

Second, one must pay a fee to DCJS for the bodyguard registration. There is also a form and fingerprint cards to be filled out and sent to DCJS. Oh, and don’t forget you cannot have anything nasty on your background check (this means about anything). This will eliminate you for this registration and others you will need, so stay with me.

Third, there is the fee for the fingerprint cards to be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

Forth, how could I forget? You can’t be a bodyguard and not be able to carry a weapon (pistol). This will require getting out your check book and pen again and setting aside much more time.

Call the Commonwealth of Virginia and ask for the paperwork for a Concealed Weapons Permit (CWP). This is a separate situation from DCJS and is not regulated by them at all, but you will need to fill out the paperwork to the judge’s satisfaction and hope you live in a county that doesn’t think you should beg to have a CWP.

The local police will do a background investigation on you, so if you lie about yourself on the application, it’s just going to get ugly for you, and then the judge goes through the paperwork. You will also need to take a firearms class, write another check to the State, proffer more fingerprint cards and write another check to the FBI.

Fifth, and now we are back on track with DCJS. You will need to take a Basic Firearms class (07E) and of course spend three days on it. There will be the cost of the class and, obviously, you will have to have a pistol and there is the ammunition also. There is a written test, that you have to pass, and also a range test shooting at targets at different distances and under different circumstances. One has to shoot a specific proficiency or above, or you start all over again. It is embarrassing if you fail this, so practice.

Sixth, there is a DCJS form and fee you must pay for this also.

Seventh, because you are a bodyguard now licensed and certified, not yet carrying a firearm, but close, you now must take the Advanced Firearms Class or (09E). This will require another check and another class, much more involved in firearms and safety and also the law. Remember, “In fear of my life, or the life of another”, I won’t tell you what that is, but if you become a bodyguard you will become well aware of it.

Eighth, don’t put away your checkbook yet, DCJS will require another payment and form.

Now, you can go out and work as a bodyguard only in the Commonwealth of Virginia, AND, also, only as an EMPLOYEE of another security company licensed as such with DCJS in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Do you want to continue? Because, in the Commonwealth of Virginia no one hires bodyguards as employees, and if they do it’s less than 1 percent of all bodyguard work conducted in the Commonwealth. You may ask, “then what, or how are people being protected with bodyguards in the Commonwealth of Virginia?” Well, I’m glad you asked because I scratch my head with it every day. The answer, though, lies in the fact that bodyguards are claiming they are INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS (IC).

Now, people around the world hear a lot about IC’s because of Blackwater (General Contractor) and other companies operating over in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other war zones. These people are EMPLOYEES by all definitions of such. The only difference is that the General Contractors are not taking taxes out of their checks.

Now, back to Virginia, to be an IC bodyguard in the Commonwealth of Virginia there are more licenses and fees.

Ninth, the bodyguard must come up with a name for his company and get a DCJS, Commonwealth of Virginia, business license to run a security company. The cost of this license is $800.00+ and there is another form to fill out. There are also a few stipulations that DCJS will make you swear too, but taking your first born is not one of them, but close.

Tenth, insurance must be shown at the time the paperwork for the business license is being proffered. The insurance will have to be for $250,000.00 or more, but realistically $1,000,000.00 is the starting point. There are a lot of tricky questions in getting this insurance, so don’t rush through it and a rule of thumb, “what you put on the first application is what is seen on all following applications, so “take your time, the first time!” Watch out for middle eastern clients and the percentages of Protection Details with certain clients, but I don’t want to give it away for you, fill it out however you want. Hell, its only “your” money.

Eleventh, and almost done, you will have to take and pass the Compliance Agent class which is an all day class and test. This class certifies you to operate your own security business which then allows you to be a IC, which then allows you to be a bodyguard only in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Twelfth, DCJS wants another fee.

Finally, you will have to incorporate your company, which opens the doors to another article at another time. And, no, getting a DCJS business license does not incorporate your company.

You have now read the ROE for a profession that is the most regulated in the country. I believe one can grasp now the reason why bodyguards in the Commonwealth of Virginia operate “under the wire”(illegally) at a rate of 99 percent or more, and why the ones that do operate legally charge the rates they do.

I failed to mention that all of these certifications, licenses and designations have to be renewed every year or every two years. PPS agents call it “re-certification”, DCJS calls it “CHA CHING!” and that’s all I am going to say about that.

Remember, “Baby steps”.

Gods Speed – Emiel Fisher