In most cases, a felony conviction will disqualify you from being a security guard. Security guards are expected to work hard to preserve peace and safety in the community. To that end, they are expected to be upstanding, trustworthy citizens who value safety.
To help ensure that companies are only hiring the best of the best, all candidates will have to submit to a security guard background check that is strict and thorough. This background check will gather information from criminal records, employment history, and education history. They will also have to submit references that will be checked.
In most cases, a felony conviction on a candidate's criminal record will result in an automatic disqualification. A guilty plea to a felony will also greatly reduce your chances of becoming a security guard. This is particularly true if you are applying to be an armed guard and if you are convicted for violent crimes like:
Assault
Rape
Murder
Fraud
Arson
See AlsoBackground Verification
In some jurisdictions, becoming a security guard with a misdemeanor is still possible. In general, misdemeanors are less severe than felonies, but a few will stop a candidate from being hired as a security guard.
The definition of a serious misdemeanor isn't as precise as a felony and will vary from agency to agency. In general, whether a misdemeanor or felony, the following convictions will disqualify you as a candidate for a security guard:
Assault
Perjury
Domestic violence
Theft
Recklessness
In addition to a background check, most companies require that their security guard applicants undergo a drug test. This is to deter the abuse of drugs, prevent the hiring of employees who use illegal drugs, and provide early identification of possible drug or substance use issues.
Pre-employment drug testing is standard and extremely cost-effective since most drug users will not bother applying at a company conducting pre-employment drug screening. Most companies will also conduct post-accident testing if they have reasonable suspicion of drug use.
