Read the Notice from BSIS
The Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) is proposing an amendment that will significantly increase licensing fees for security professionals and businesses in California. This amendment, framed as a necessary adjustment for agency funding, is nothing more than an unjustified financial burden on an already highly regulated industry.
A Bureaucratic Money Grab
BSIS is a self-funded agency, meaning it relies entirely on licensing fees and fines to sustain itself. With over 80 employees, none of whom are elected or have practical experience in the security industry, BSIS operates without direct accountability to the people it regulates. By raising licensing fees, the agency is effectively taxing security professionals and businesses to pad its own budget—without any tangible benefit to public safety.
The Economic Fallout: Higher Costs for Clients and Consumers
BSIS has claimed that increasing licensing fees will not negatively impact businesses. This assertion is blatantly false. When regulatory costs rise, those costs inevitably get passed down to clients and consumers. Security firms will be forced to raise their rates, making protective services less affordable for businesses, residential communities, and event organizers.
The unintended consequence? Fewer businesses will be able to afford professional security, potentially leading to increased crime and safety risks. Instead of promoting public safety, this amendment may inadvertently put more people in harm’s way.
Licensing Does Not Equal Safety
BSIS justifies the fee increase by implying that tighter regulations ensure greater public safety. However, historical data contradicts this claim. A study from the Institute for Justice found that heavier licensing burdens do not improve health and safety outcomes. In reality, excessive licensing creates artificial barriers to entry, reducing competition and innovation while benefiting bureaucracies at the expense of working professionals.
If licensing were the key to safety, states with the strictest regulations would see significantly lower crime rates and fewer security-related incidents. But that’s not the case. Instead, stringent licensing requirements often serve as a protectionist measure that limits job opportunities and increases costs without measurable benefits.
A Call for Accountability and Reform
The BSIS licensing fee increase is a shortsighted policy that ignores economic realities and disregards the impact on businesses, security professionals, and consumers. Rather than hiking fees to sustain an overgrown bureaucracy, BSIS should focus on streamlining its operations, reducing inefficiencies, and ensuring that its regulations are actually improving industry standards—rather than just increasing costs.
Security professionals and business owners must push back against this amendment. California should be fostering a regulatory environment that prioritizes public safety and economic growth—not one that burdens hardworking professionals with unnecessary fees.
Now is the time to oppose this amendment and demand accountability from BSIS. Security professionals, business owners, and lawmakers must work together to ensure that any regulatory changes truly serve the public interest—not just the financial interests of an unelected agency.
We strongly urge you to contact your local legislator to oppose these amendments!
