§ 62-35-118 — Registration cards - Training and examination of applicants

(a) (1) (A) Within fifteen (15) days of employment: (i) An unarmed security guard or security officer applicant must complete general training and pass an examination; and (ii) An armed security guard or security officer applicant must complete general training, pass an examination, and complete the training in subsection (b) within sixty (60) days of employment. (B) Notwithstanding subdivision (a)(1)(A): (i) An individual shall not be posted as an unarmed security guard at or in a public school, public charter school, private school, or church-related school, or act as an unarmed security guard at or in a public school, public charter school, private school, or church-related school unless the individual has completed the requirements of subdivision (a)(2)(A) before being posted; and (ii) An individual shall not be posted as an armed security guard at or in a public school, public charter school, private school, or church-related school, or act as an armed security guard at or in a public school, public charter school, private school, or church-related school, unless the individual has completed the requirements of subdivision (a)(2)(A) and subsections (b) and (e) before being posted. (2) (A) An unarmed security guard/officer applicant or an armed security guard/officer applicant shall complete at least four (4) hours of general training administered by a certified trainer and pass an examination, covering, at a minimum, the following subjects: (i) Orientation: one (1) hour; (ii) Legal powers and limitations of a security guard/officer: one (1) hour; (iii) Emergency procedures: one (1) hour; and (iv) General duties: one (1) hour. (B) Within fifteen (15) days of employment, an unarmed security guard/officer, or an armed security guard/officer, who is employed by a proprietary security organization that holds a license or permit for on-premises consumption from the alcoholic beverage commission or a beer board, or is employed by a contract security company for the purposes of performing security guard and patrol services at a commercial establishment that holds a license or permit for on-premises consumption from the alcoholic beverage commission or a beer board, shall: (i) Complete training in de-escalation techniques and proper and safe restraint techniques; and (ii) Complete a first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training course. (3) For applicants for private security guard/officer registration who will carry a club, stun gun, chemical spray, night stick or other less than lethal device, the commissioner shall require appropriate training specific to the device by a certified trainer who is certified to instruct for the specific device. It shall be the employers' responsibility to keep training records of their employees for each specific device. The security guard/officer shall also have in the person's possession a certification card issued by an instructor/trainer who is certified to instruct/train in the legal use of the specific device and shall exhibit the card upon demand by the commissioner, the commissioner's duly authorized agent or any full-time law enforcement officer. (b) If applying for an armed security guard/officer registration card, before being issued a firearm, the applicant must also: (1) Complete at least eight (8) additional classroom hours of firearms training administered by a certified trainer and pass an examination covering at least the following subjects: (A) Legal limitations of the use of a firearm; (B) Handling of a firearm; and (C) Safety and maintenance; and (2) Complete at least four (4) hours of marksmanship training administered by a certified trainer, and achieve a minimum of seventy percent (70%) on any silhouette target course approved by the commissioner. (c) A certified trainer shall submit a statement to the commissioner certifying that an applicant has satisfactorily completed the required training within fifteen (15) days of training. (d) (1) The requirements of subsection (a) do not apply to those applicants for registration as unarmed security guards/officers who have at least one (1) year of experience as a security guard/officer as of July 1, 1988, or who have had no less than four (4) hours of training equivalent to that required in subsection (a) in the year prior to filing the application. (2) The requirements of subsection (b) do not apply to those applicants for registration as armed security guards/officers who have had no less than twelve (12) hours of training equivalent to that required in subsection (b) in the year prior to filing the application. (3) The requirements of subsections (a) and (b) do not apply to an applicant for registration who is a sworn peace officer and certified by the police officer standards and training commission. The commissioner may issue a temporary registration card to the officer upon the commissioner's verification of the officer's certification. (4) The requirements of subsection (a) do not apply to an applicant for registration who is a state or local correctional officer or jailer; provided, that the state officer has successfully completed the appropriate basic training required by § 41-1-116 and is current on all annual refresher courses required by § 41-1-116 and the local officer or jailer has successfully completed comparable basic training and annual in-service training courses. The commissioner may issue a temporary registration card to the officer upon the commissioner's verification that the officer meets the requirements of this subdivision (d)(4). (e) Before providing security or patrol services at or in a public school, public charter school, private school, or church-related school, an armed security guard or security officer applicant must complete an active-shooter training. The training required under this subsection (e) must be no less than eight (8) hours in duration and must be completed by each armed security guard or officer providing security or patrol services at or in a public school, public charter school, private school, or church-related school, regardless of whether the armed security guard or officer is employed by a public school public charter school, private school, church-related school, or a contract security company.

Legislative History

Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 367, s 22, eff. 7/1/2023. Amended by 2023 Tenn. Acts, ch. 367, s 21, eff. 7/1/2023. Amended by 2022 Tenn. Acts, ch. 1121, s 3, eff. 1/1/2023. Amended by 2020 Tenn. Acts, ch. 580, s 13, eff. 7/1/2020. Amended by 2020 Tenn. Acts, ch. 580, s 12, eff. 7/1/2020. Acts 1987, ch. 436, § 18; 1988, ch. 987, §§ 5-7; 1993, ch. 200, §3; 1995, ch. 249, §1; 1996, ch. 1009, §4; 1997 , ch. 369, § 1; 2004, ch. 661, § 1; 2006, ch. 1013, §§ 1, 2.