Security Services in Colorado

Security Considerations in Colorado

Security programs in Colorado often have to serve two very different settings. City sites along the Front Range operate on steady weekday and weekend schedules, while resort locations rise and fall with ski and summer seasons. Clients with both need a provider that can keep standards consistent while adjusting coverage levels by location and time of year.

Mountain weather and geography shape every staffing plan. Interstate 70 and the mountain passes can close in winter storms, housing near resorts is limited and travel times between sites can be long. Providers should plan relief officers, standby coverage and lodging where needed, and set clear instructions for holding posts when weather delays a shift change.

Markets Served in Colorado

• Denver
• Aspen and Vail

Coverage also extends to Colorado Springs, Boulder, Fort Collins, Breckenridge and Telluride.

Services Available

Services in Colorado include luxury retail asset protection, retail security officers, concierge and lobby security, commercial building security, special event security, executive protection support and fire watch. Post Orders are written for each location around its layout, hours and risk.

Screening, Training and Supervision

Officers complete a five-stage screening process and tier-based training before assignment, including de-escalation and, for retail posts, organized retail crime recognition. Supervisors make unannounced site visits, and the MGP Operations Desk answers 24/7/365. Incidents are documented on scene, time-stamped and GPS-verified.

Colorado Licensing

In Colorado, McCray Global Protection operates under the MGP Hybrid Operating Model. Officers are supplied by vetted local partners who hold the licenses required by the state and local jurisdiction, and MGP manages the program: screening and training standards, supervision, Post Orders, reporting and account management.

How is security guard coverage priced?

Rates depend on the officer classification, hours, schedule and site requirements. MGP provides a written rate schedule after reviewing your needs. Holiday, overnight and short-notice coverage is billed at a premium rate.

Security Officer Requirements in Colorado

• A 2025 bill to create statewide licensing for private security officers, HB25-1262, was postponed indefinitely in committee on April 7, 2025, so it did not become law. Security guard licensing in Colorado is set by individual cities such as Denver. Source
• In Denver, a security guard must hold a city license before starting work and must have a letter of hire from a licensed private security employer. Source
• New Denver applicants must complete a 16-hour course from a city-approved training provider. Renewal applicants complete an 8-hour refresher. Source
• Denver requires an FBI background check run within 60 days of the application, a five-year criminal and employment history affidavit, and a certificate of physical and mental fitness signed by a physician, physician assistant or registered nurse licensed in Colorado. Source
• A Denver firearm endorsement requires at least 5 hours of classroom instruction and 3 hours of live fire with a POST or NRA certified instructor, and a range score of at least 80 percent. The endorsement is renewed every year. Source
• Businesses that employ security guards in Denver, including bars and restaurants with in-house security, must first hold a private security employer license. Source