Legal Notices, Terms & Policies

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using the website located at sotcnow.com (the "Site"), registering for any course, submitting any form, or making any payment to Security Officer Training Center ("SOTC," "we," "us," or "our"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service, Disclaimer, and all applicable policies contained herein ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must immediately discontinue use of this Site and our services.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you ("User," "Student," "Participant," or "you") and SOTC. These Terms apply to all users of the Site, including without limitation users who are browsers, customers, students, or contributors of content.

2. Educational Purpose & No Professional Advice

All content on this Site — including articles, guides, blog posts, course descriptions, testimonials, and marketing materials — is provided for general educational and informational purposes only. Nothing on this Site constitutes legal advice, financial advice, career counseling, employment guidance, or professional advice of any kind.

Specifically:

• Information about guard card requirements, laws, regulations, and licensing processes may change. SOTC makes no representation that all information is current, complete, or accurate at the time you read it.
• California BSIS regulations, SB 652, AB2880, and other laws referenced on this Site are provided for educational context only. Verify current requirements directly with the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) at bsis.ca.gov.
• Pay ranges, salary figures, and wage estimates are illustrative examples based on publicly available data. They are not guarantees, predictions, or representations of what you personally will earn.
• Nothing on this Site should be relied upon as a substitute for professional legal, financial, or career advice. Always consult qualified professionals regarding your specific situation.

3. Earnings & Employment Disclaimer

SOTC makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees — express or implied — regarding income, earnings, job placement, employment prospects, career outcomes, or financial results from completing any course or program offered by SOTC.

Specifically and without limitation:

• Completing a course at SOTC does not guarantee you a job, an interview, or a job offer of any kind.
• Completing a course at SOTC does not guarantee any specific wage, salary, hourly rate, or income level.
• Any income figures, wage ranges, or salary data referenced on this Site (such as "$18–$35/hr" or "162,300 openings") represent industry data from third-party sources and are used for illustrative purposes only. Individual results will vary significantly based on experience, location, employer, job market conditions, criminal history, physical fitness, availability, and many other factors entirely outside SOTC's control.
• Past results of other students or graduates are not indicative of or a guarantee of your future results.
• SOTC does not operate as an employment agency and does not place students with employers. Any references to job boards, hiring resources, or employment opportunities are provided as a courtesy and do not create any obligation or commitment on the part of SOTC.
• The security industry is competitive. SOTC cannot predict, control, or guarantee local hiring conditions, employer demand, or your individual employability.

Your success depends on your own effort, commitment, background, and circumstances. SOTC provides training tools and certifications — what you do with them is entirely up to you.

4. Training & Certification Disclaimer

SOTC is a BSIS-approved training facility. Completing a SOTC course fulfills the training component required for California security guard card applications and certain permits. However:

• Completion of any SOTC course does not guarantee BSIS approval of your guard card application or any permit application. BSIS approval is at the sole discretion of the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services and depends on factors including but not limited to: background check results, fingerprint clearance, documentation accuracy, and current BSIS policies.
• SOTC does not control, influence, or make representations about BSIS processing times, approval rates, or individual application outcomes.
• Regulatory requirements change. Requirements described on this Site (including training hours, course components, fees, and processes) are based on information available at the time of writing and may have changed. You are responsible for verifying current BSIS requirements before enrolling.
• A certificate of training issued by SOTC is not the same as a California security guard card. The guard card is issued only by BSIS upon approval of your application.
• For CCW permits: SOTC training fulfills the training requirement for San Diego County CCW applications, but permit issuance is at the sole discretion of the issuing law enforcement agency and is subject to state and local laws, background checks, and other eligibility requirements entirely outside SOTC's control.
• Firearms certifications, baton permits, and other specialty certifications require separate BSIS approval and are subject to your meeting all applicable legal eligibility requirements including but not limited to age, citizenship/immigration status, and criminal history.

5. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SOTC, ITS OWNERS, INSTRUCTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AFFILIATES, AND ASSIGNS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY:

• Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages;
• Loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses;
• Damages resulting from your inability to obtain a guard card, license, permit, or employment;
• Damages arising from changes in state or federal laws or regulations affecting training requirements;
• Damages resulting from errors, inaccuracies, or outdated information on this Site;
• Damages resulting from your reliance on any content, information, or materials provided by SOTC;
• Physical injury or harm arising during or as a result of training activities, whether caused by negligence or otherwise (except where prohibited by law);
• Damages resulting from unauthorized access to or use of our servers or any personal information stored therein.

In no event shall SOTC's total liability to you for all claims arising from or related to these Terms or your use of our services exceed the total amount you paid to SOTC in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In such jurisdictions, SOTC's liability shall be limited to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

6. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless SOTC and its owners, instructors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, obligations, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including attorneys' fees) arising from: (a) your use of and access to the Site; (b) your enrollment in or participation in any course; (c) your violation of any provision of these Terms; (d) your violation of any third-party rights; or (e) any claim that your actions caused damage to a third party.

7. Refund & Cancellation Policy

Course Cancellation by Student

• 7+ days before class: Full refund, less a $25 administrative processing fee.
• 3–6 days before class: 50% refund of course tuition paid.
• Less than 72 hours before class: No refund. You may request a one-time rescheduling to a future class date, subject to availability, at no additional charge.
• No-show (no contact): No refund and no rescheduling credit.

Course Cancellation by SOTC

If SOTC cancels a scheduled class for any reason (insufficient enrollment, instructor emergency, facility issue, weather, or other circumstances), you will receive: (a) a full refund of all fees paid, or (b) the option to reschedule to the next available class date at no cost. SOTC is not responsible for any indirect costs you may incur (travel, lodging, lost wages, etc.) due to a cancellation.

Package Refunds

For multi-course packages: if any component course has already been completed, a partial refund will be calculated based on the individual pricing of remaining uncompleted courses, less the administrative fee. No refund will be issued for completed course components under any circumstances.

Non-Refundable Items

• Administrative and processing fees (including BreEZe application assistance fees)
• Any government, BSIS, or third-party fees paid on your behalf
• Course materials, manuals, or digital downloads that have been accessed or downloaded
• Live Scan fingerprinting fees (these are collected by third-party providers)

All refund requests must be submitted in writing to info@sotcnow.com. Refunds are processed within 5–10 business days to the original payment method.

8. Participant Code of Conduct

All students and participants must conduct themselves professionally and respectfully at all times. SOTC reserves the right to remove any participant from a course — without refund — for:

• Disruptive, threatening, or abusive behavior toward instructors or other students
• Possession of unauthorized weapons or controlled substances on premises
• Providing false or fraudulent information during enrollment or on any application
• Violation of any applicable law during training
• Any conduct deemed by SOTC instructors to be incompatible with safe and effective training

You are responsible for arriving on time, meeting all prerequisites, and bringing any required documentation. SOTC is not obligated to reschedule training due to your unpreparedness.

9. Intellectual Property

All content on this Site — including text, graphics, logos, course materials, photographs, videos, and software — is the property of SOTC or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, republish, download, or transmit any content from this Site without SOTC's prior written consent.

Limited personal, non-commercial use for your own educational reference is permitted provided you do not remove any copyright or proprietary notices.

10. Privacy Policy

Information We Collect

When you use our Site or enroll in a course, we may collect:

• Personal identifiers: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address
• Payment information: Processed securely through third-party payment processors — SOTC does not store full credit card numbers
• Usage data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, time spent on Site (collected via analytics tools)
• Communications: Messages you send us via forms, email, or phone

How We Use Your Information

• To process enrollments and payments
• To communicate about your course, schedule changes, and relevant updates
• To send promotional communications (you may opt out at any time)
• To improve our Site and services
• To comply with legal obligations

Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. We may share your information with:

• Service providers who assist in operating our business (payment processors, email services) under confidentiality agreements
• Law enforcement or regulatory authorities when required by law
• BSIS or other regulatory bodies as necessary for licensing or compliance purposes, with your consent

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have the right to: (a) know what personal information is collected about them; (b) request deletion of their personal information; (c) opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information); and (d) non-discrimination for exercising these rights. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@sotcnow.com.

Data Security

We implement commercially reasonable technical and organizational security measures to protect your information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Enrollment and training records may be retained for up to 7 years.

11. Cookies & Tracking

Our Site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and analyze Site usage. Cookies are small data files stored on your device. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or indicate when a cookie is being sent. If you do not accept cookies, some portions of our Site may not function properly.

We may use analytics services (such as Google Analytics) that collect, monitor, and analyze usage data. These third-party services are governed by their own privacy policies.

12. Third-Party Links & Services

This Site may contain links to third-party websites, resources, or services (including BSIS, California government sites, Live Scan providers, and others). These links are provided for your convenience only. SOTC has no control over the content, privacy practices, or policies of any third-party sites and accepts no responsibility or liability for them. Accessing any third-party site is at your own risk.

References to third-party businesses, services, or employers on this Site do not constitute an endorsement, partnership, or affiliation unless explicitly stated.

13. Governing Law & Disputes

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any dispute arising under or relating to these Terms or your use of SOTC's services shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in San Diego County, California, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

Dispute Resolution / Informal Resolution

Before filing any formal legal claim, you agree to first contact SOTC at info@sotcnow.com and provide a written description of the dispute and the remedy you seek. SOTC will have 30 days to respond. Both parties agree to make a good-faith effort to resolve the dispute informally before pursuing formal legal action.

Class Action Waiver

You agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action. You waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration against SOTC.

14. Changes to These Terms

SOTC reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Site or our services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

15. Contact Us

For questions, concerns, refund requests, privacy requests, or to report any issue regarding these Terms:

• Email: info@sotcnow.com
• Phone: (619) 303-3104
• Address: 123 Worthington St #201, Spring Valley, CA 91977
• Hours: Monday–Friday 9 AM–6 PM, Saturday 8 AM–4 PM (Pacific Time)