In the state of California, security guards are licensed and regulated by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) under the Department of Consumer Affairs. You must complete a pre-licensing course to get your security guard license (guard card). This course is generally referred to as “guard card class” in California. The guard card course is an 8 hour long class and can be finished in a day. The course has two components. (1) Powers to Arrest and (2) Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).