Virginia Law

In addition to the words and terms defined in § 9.1-138 of the Code of Virginia, the following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Administrative Process Act" means Chapter 40 (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia.

"Board" means the Criminal Justice Services Board or any successor board or agency.

"Business advertising material" means display advertisements in telephone directories, on letterhead, on business cards, in local newspaper advertising, and in contracts.

"Certified training school" means a training school that is certified by the department for the specific purpose of training private security services business personnel in at least one category of the compulsory minimum training standards as set forth by the board.

"Class" means a block of instruction no less than 50 minutes in length on a particular subject.

"Classroom training" means instruction conducted in person by an instructor to students in an organized manner utilizing a lesson plan.

"Date of hire" means the date any employee of a private security services business or training school performs services regulated or required to be regulated by the department.

"Department" or "DCJS" means the Department of Criminal Justice Services or any successor agency.

"Director" means the chief administrative officer of the department.

"Electronic images" means an acceptable method of maintaining required documentation through the scanning, storage, and maintenance of verifiable electronic copies of original documentation.

"Employee" means a natural person employed by a licensee to perform private security services that are regulated by the department.

"End user" means any person who purchases or leases electronic security equipment for use in that person's home or business.

"Entry-level training" means the compulsory initial training for regulated categories and basic or intermediate firearms training standards adopted by the board for private security services business personnel who are either new registrants or failed to timely complete in-service training or firearms retraining within the prescribed time period.

"Firearms endorsement" means a method of regulation that identifies an individual registered as a private security registrant and has successfully completed the annual firearms training and has met the requirements as set forth in this chapter.

"Independent contractor" means a self-employed personal protection specialist or a private investigator who (i) maintains comprehensive liability insurance in an amount fixed by the department, (ii) has been issued a registration by the department, and (iii) enters into a contract to perform work for a private security business licensed to provide services within the Commonwealth.

"In-service training requirement" means the compulsory in-service training standards adopted by the Criminal Justice Services Board for private security services business personnel.

"Intermediate weapon" means a tool not fundamentally designed to cause deadly force with conventional use. This would exclude all metal ammunition firearms or edged weapons. These weapons include baton/collapsible baton, chemical irritants, electronic restraining devices, projectiles, and other less lethal weapons as defined by the department.

"Job-related training" means training specifically related to the daily job functions of a given category of registration or certification as defined in this chapter.

"Official documentation" means personnel records; Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD214); copies of business licenses indicating ownership; law-enforcement transcripts; certificates of training completion; a signed letter provided directly by a current or previous employer detailing dates of employment and job duties; college transcripts; letters of commendation; private security services registrations, certifications, or licenses from other states; and other employment, training, or experience verification documents. A resume is not considered official documentation.

"On duty" means the time during which private security services business personnel receive or are entitled to receive compensation for employment for which a registration or certification is required.

"Online training" means training approved by the department and offered via the Internet or an Intranet for the purpose of remote access on-demand or distance training that meets all requirements for compulsory minimum training standards.

"Performance of his duties" means on duty in the context of this chapter.

"Person" means any individual, group of individuals, firm, company, corporation, partnership, business, trust, association, or other legal entity.

"Private security services business personnel" means each employee of a private security services business who is employed as an unarmed security officer, armed security officer/courier, armored car personnel, security canine handler, detector canine handler, private investigator, personal protection specialist, alarm respondent, locksmith, central station dispatcher, electronic security employee, electronic security sales representative, electronic security technician, or electronic security technician's assistant.

"Reciprocity" means the relation existing between Virginia and any other state, commonwealth, or province as established by agreements approved by the board.

"Recognition" means the relation of accepting various application requirements between Virginia and any other state, commonwealth, or province as established by agreements approved by the board.

"Related field" means any field with training requirements, job duties, and experience similar to those of the private security services field in which the applicant wishes to be licensed, certified, or registered. This term includes law enforcement and certain categories of the military.

"Session" means a group of classes comprising the total hours of mandated compulsory minimum training standards in any of the categories of licensure, registration, or certification in accordance with this part and in accordance with §§ 9.1-150.2, 9.1-185.2 and 9.1-186.2 of the Code of Virginia.

"This chapter" means the Regulations Relating to Private Security Services Registered Personnel (6VAC20-174).

"Training certification" means verification of the successful completion of any training requirement established in this chapter.

"Training requirement" means any entry-level, in-service, or firearms training or retraining standard established in this chapter.

"Training school director" means a natural person designated by a principal of a certified private security services training school to assure the compliance of the private security services training school with all applicable requirements as provided in the Code of Virginia and this chapter.

"Uniform" means any clothing with a badge, patch, or lettering that clearly identifies persons to any observer as private security services business personnel, not law-enforcement officers.