Security Guard Services in Chile

How to Become a Licensed Security Guard in Chile

Chile regulates private security through Law No. 21,659 on Private Security (Ley N° 21.659 sobre Seguridad Privada), published on March 21, 2024 and in force since November 28, 2025. The law distinguishes between private security officers (vigilantes privados), who may carry weapons, and security guards (guardias de seguridad), who may not.

Regulator: Undersecretariat for Crime Prevention (Subsecretaría de Prevención del Delito), Ministry of Public Security, which authorizes companies and personnel and issues certifications and credentials. Carabineros de Chile is the oversight authority and administers the course examinations. Law: Law No. 21,659 on Private Security. spd.gob.cl

Personnel Requirements

• Be of legal age (Art. 46)
• Be physically and mentally fit (Art. 46)
• Have completed secondary education; passing the studies validation exam for employment purposes is accepted as equivalent (Art. 46; Exempt Resolution 2,517 of 2025)
• Not have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor (crimen o simple delito) or of domestic violence (Art. 46)
• Not be formally charged with the specified offenses, such as those under the arms control law (Law 17,798) or the drug law (Law 20,000) (Art. 46)
• Not have been dismissed from the Armed Forces, the police or Gendarmería (the prison service) for disciplinary reasons (Art. 46)
• Not have been sanctioned for serious or very serious violations of the law in the last five years (Art. 46)
• Not have performed supervisory or oversight functions over security entities in the two years before the application (Art. 46)
• Pass the training course examinations (Art. 46), which are taken before Carabineros de Chile (Art. 60)
• Understand and communicate in Spanish (Art. 46)
• Foreign nationals must hold permanent residence (Art. 46)
• Criminal record and domestic violence certificates, and the corresponding sworn statements, must be updated every year (Art. 46)
• Private security officers must also pass a special training course and comply with Decree 83 of 2007 on the use of firearms (Art. 25)

Application Steps

1. Meet the general requirements of Article 46 of Law 21,659
2. Take the training course at an authorized institution
3. Pass the course examination before Carabineros de Chile; the Undersecretariat for Crime Prevention then issues the certification (Art. 60)
4. Apply for authorization to the Undersecretariat for Crime Prevention, which decides by reasoned resolution (Art. 50 for guards)
5. Receive the credential issued by the Undersecretariat (Art. 28 for private security officers)

Agency Licensing

Security companies must be authorized by the Undersecretariat for Crime Prevention and must be legally incorporated private law entities that meet the requirements of the law on resources, insurance and personnel registration (Art. 34). Cash and valuables transport companies and electronic security companies require a prior technical report from the oversight authority (Arts. 37 and 42). Every two years they must submit a report on compliance with the authorization requirements, their personnel roster and their written service contracts (Art. 35).

Only private security officers may carry firearms, and only during their shift and within the authorized premises, except in qualified cases (Art. 26). All weapons must be registered under Law 17,798, and a weapons officer is responsible for their custody and records (Art. 26). Security guards may not be issued firearms or bladed weapons, and may not use them (Art. 53).

Security guard authorization lasts four years and may be renewed (Art. 50). Training certification lasts two years for private security officers and four years for guards and similar positions (Art. 60). In addition, criminal record certificates must be updated every year (Art. 46).

Sources

• Law 21,659 (LeyChile, Library of the National Congress)
• Decree 209 (LeyChile)
• Diario Oficial, Exempt Resolution 2,517 (December 18, 2025), Undersecretariat for Crime Prevention, educational requirement of Art. 46 No. 3
• Diario Oficial, Exempt Resolution 3,290 (September 3, 2026), training of guards at professional football matches

Requirements change. Confirm current rules with the official regulator before applying. This summary is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed November 2026.