BSIS-approved guard card, firearms permit, and CCW training in Spring Valley, CA. Real instructors, small classes, paperwork filed for you. Class tuition from $125, typical all-in for an unarmed guard card is ~$449 (class + AB 2880 + state fees).
Your training certificate lets you start working under California's 90-day rule while BSIS mails the physical card (2–4 weeks).
† Pay range illustrative. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 33-9032 (Security Guards), May 2024. San Diego–Carlsbad MSA. Individual results vary by employer, experience, certifications, shift, and other factors entirely outside SOTC's control. SOTC does not guarantee employment, hourly rate, or income. See our earnings disclaimer.
Maybe you’re tired of watching jobs vanish into automation and you’re wondering what’s actually going to be here in five years. Maybe your paycheck stopped keeping up with rent and groceries and the side gigs you tried weren’t worth the gas. Maybe you run a business, manage a team, sit on an HOA board, own rental property, or you just want to be the person your family looks to when something goes wrong — and somewhere quietly, you’ve realized you don’t actually know what you’d do.
Whatever brought you here, this is where it gets handled.
A SOTC certification doesn’t just open the door to a paid security job in San Diego — though it does, and fast. You walk out with a real, transferable skill set: Powers to Arrest, use of force law, de-escalation, safe firearms handling, CPR, threat recognition. The same training a hospital guard uses on Tuesday, a business owner uses to keep an employee from getting hurt on Wednesday, a parent uses to keep a stranger from following them to their car on Friday.
Use it to get hired. Use it to qualify for armed posts that pay $5–$15 more per hour. Use it to build a real safety plan for your business, your church, your school, your HOA, your rental properties. Use it to give your family one less thing to lose sleep over. Most people don’t get this kind of training until after something bad has happened — and by then they wish they’d started sooner. Start now. Then read on. We’ve made it as honest and as easy as it gets.
No bait. No "from $125" trap. Here's every dollar, class tuition, state-required courses, government fees. So you know the total before you call.
Specialty add-on prices (see full list at all courses): CCW Initial $450 · CCW Renewal $225 · OC Spray $100 · Firearms Requal $75. State and third-party fees (BSIS, Live Scan) are paid directly to those entities, not to SOTC.
As more work goes remote or automated, the jobs that require a human, in person, with judgment, with presence, are getting more valuable, not less. Security is one of them.
Classes run weekdays and weekends. Most popular dates fill 1–2 weeks ahead.
† Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, "Security Guards and Gambling Surveillance Officers" (accessed May 2026). Individual results vary, see our earnings disclaimer.
Everything you need to get your California security guard card in 2026, plus the upgrade path to armed security guard training. In one short, plain-English PDF. No fluff. Real steps. Real costs. Real timelines.
We put it together because folks in San Diego, Chula Vista, El Cajon and across the county keep asking the same questions about BSIS guard card requirements, Live Scan, the BreEZe application, and how to move into exposed firearms permit work for higher pay. Save yourself weeks, and the headache. With the same checklist our students use.
Trusted by future guards in Spring Valley, San Diego, Chula Vista, La Mesa, El Cajon, National City and across San Diego County. BSIS-approved training. (619) 303-3104.
Pick the situation that sounds like you. We'll show you the exact training path and what it pays.
No experience needed. No college degree. Just show up and learn. We handle the rest.
Swipe to see all 3 steps →
Find a date that works. We have classes every month. Weekdays and weekends. Takes 2 minutes to sign up.
Come to our Spring Valley facility. Learn real skills from real professionals. We file your BSIS paperwork for free.
Your guard card arrives in 2–4 weeks. Start applying for security jobs. Most graduates are hired within days of getting their card.
Get your guard card. Add firearms. Add taser. Get your CCW. We have it all, and you don't need to go anywhere else.
Swipe to browse all courses →
Everything you need to get licensed in California. BSIS-approved. We file your paperwork for free.
Get your BSIS firearms permit. Armed guards earn significantly more. Range time included.
16-hour PC 26165 course required for your first California CCW permit. Sheriff-approved instructor, live-fire range qualification included.
Taser-certified guards earn more and get hired faster. This cert adds immediate value to your resume.
Guard card + firearms + CPR all in one. The fastest path from zero to fully employed. Save hundreds.
Everything in Package #1 plus taser, baton, and handcuffing. Maximum pay from day one.
Classes run every month. Weekdays and weekends. See exactly which course is running which day, how many seats are left, and what time it starts. No phone tag. No guessing. Just pick a date that works for your life and we'll save your seat.
Most popular classes fill up 1–2 weeks ahead. The earlier you pick a date, the more options you have.
Stop trying to figure out the BSIS process alone. We've helped over 2,000 people get licensed. We know exactly what works and and we'll walk you through every step.
We don't just train individuals. We train entire security teams for churches, schools, hospitals, casinos, and businesses.
Free Resource
Real costs. SB 652 requirements. Pay comparisons. Career paths. Step-by-step. Written in plain English. No fluff, no guesswork.
Read the Complete Guard Card Guide →Free Practice Test
The real BSIS exam has 52 questions covering Powers to Arrest, Use of Force, Terrorism Awareness, Fire Safety, and more. Take our free 52-question practice test and find out where you stand and before exam day.
Take the Free Practice Exam →Free CCW Practice Test
Think you know California's carry laws, self-defense statutes, and prohibited persons rules? Put it to the test. 50 multiple choice and true/false questions covering real California CCW law. With instant answers. No sign-up required.
Take the Free CCW Practice Test →Over 2,000 students have trained at SOTC. Here's what they say.
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"Learning from Mike for my CCW was amazing. I gained real knowledge and real confidence. This man knows what he's doing. You got a customer for life!"
"I had no idea where to start. SOTC made it simple. Got my guard card in a month. The instructors care about your success. Worth every penny."
"Best decision I made. Guard card, firearms cert, now employed. I was worried about finding stable work. Not anymore. SOTC changed my life."
One quick form. We'll call or email you back, your choice. No spam, no auto-dialers, no pressure.
The most-used pages on our site. Free, no signup, written for San Diego.
Full BSIS process, costs, timeline, and how to start working in San Diego.
52 BSIS-style questions covering Powers to Arrest, Use of Force, more.
Step-by-step CCW application, training, costs, and renewal in San Diego County.
50 questions on real CA carry law, self-defense, and prohibited places.
FSC, handgun purchase, BSIS armed permit, and range qualification, explained.
Tips, sample questions, and exactly what to study to pass on the first try.
New to security training? Here are straight answers to the questions we hear most.
† Pay ranges and growth projections illustrative. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 33-9032 (Security Guards) May 2024, San Diego–Carlsbad MSA; BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Individual results vary, see our earnings disclaimer.
Every week you delay is another week someone else is getting hired, getting trained, and getting paid. The demand for security officers isn't slowing down and but the best class spots fill up fast. You can start earning as a guard within 1–2 weeks of class using your training certificate (the physical card from BSIS mails in 2–4 weeks). That decision has to happen today.
Rather email us? info@sotcnow.com. We reply within 1 business day.
BSIS-approved training · Spring Valley & San Diego, CA · 2,000+ students trained · Classes every month
