Security Guard Licence: LESP Fees and Steps
Philippine National Police · licensing
Quick answer
A License to Exercise Security Profession for a security guard costs ₱300.00 plus a ₱200.00 ID card fee, ₱500.00 in total. Apply online through the SOSIA portal. PNP publishes a total processing time of 1 hour and 20 minutes per application.
Last verified
Where these figures come from
About these figures: the numbers below come from PNP's official published sources: Philippine National Police | Citizen's Charter 2025 (2nd Edition) (https://pnp.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/PNP-EXTERNAL-and-INTERNAL-FINAL-COPY-RE_CITIZENS-CHARTER-2025-2ND-EDITION.pdf, retrieved 2026-09-01); Philippine National Police | Security Agency & Guard Licensing (https://pnp.gov.ph/security-agency-guard-licensing/, retrieved 2026-09-01). Agencies change fees and rates without notice, so confirm with PNP before you rely on them. Last verified: 2026-09-01.
A License to Exercise Security Profession is what makes a security guard legally employable, and PNP publishes its full price list. A plain security guard pays ₱500.00.
The full fee schedule
Every entry is a licence fee plus a ₱200.00 ID card fee.
| Licence category | Licence fee | ID card | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security watchmen | ₱300.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱500.00 |
| Security guard | ₱300.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱500.00 |
| Bank and armored guard | ₱300.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱500.00 |
| Company security guard | ₱300.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱500.00 |
| Security hardware and systems operator | ₱300.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱500.00 |
| Security hardware and systems designer and planner | ₱300.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱500.00 |
| Security canine handler | ₱450.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱650.00 |
| Protection agent | ₱450.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱650.00 |
| Security manager | ₱450.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱650.00 |
| Security consultant | ₱450.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱650.00 |
| Security officer | ₱450.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱650.00 |
| Company security manager | ₱450.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱650.00 |
| Company security officer | ₱450.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱650.00 |
| Private detective | ₱450.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱650.00 |
| Government security manager | ₱450.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱650.00 |
| Government security officer | ₱450.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱650.00 |
| Government security guard | ₱15.00 | ₱200.00 | ₱215.00 |
Only three licence rates exist across all sixteen categories: ₱300.00, ₱450.00 and, for a government security guard alone, ₱15.00. That last figure is PNP’s own. The gap against the private security guard rate is ₱285.00 on the licence fee, and the ID card fee is identical either way.
What you need
| # | Requirement | Where PNP says to get it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accomplished SOSIA application form, new or renewal | Personnel Licensing Section, SOSIA |
| 2 | High school diploma for security guard or watchmen; college diploma and transcript for security officer and security manager; master’s degree diploma and transcript for security consultant | Your school |
| 3 | Birth certificate, original or authenticated | PSA |
| 4 | National Police Clearance, for both new and renewal | City or municipal police station |
| 5 | Drug test result | DOH-accredited drug testing centre |
| 6 | Neuro-psychiatric test | DOH-accredited NP testing centre |
| 7 | Medical certificate | DOH-accredited medical centre |
| 8 | Certificate of training completion | A SOSIA-recognised training agency |
| 9 | Certificate of employment, for security officer or consultant | Your employer |
Requirement 4 is the reason this page sits beside the clearance guides. The National Police Clearance guide covers its ₱150.00 fee and 6 month validity, and the renewal guide the 3 year non-appearance window that makes renewing a LESP easier the second time.
How to apply
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | Register on the SOSIA portal with a valid email address and a secure password, then verify by email confirmation |
| 2 | Log in with the registered email and password |
| 3 | Select New Application or Renewal |
| 4 | Pay the application fee through the payment portal: online banking, e-wallets, or over the counter |
| 5 | The licensing office reviews the application and may ask for additional requirements |
| 6 | You are notified by email or in-system: Approved, For Correction, or Denied |
| 7 | Download the e-copy of the licence, or wait for delivery or pickup of the physical licence |
| Published detail | |
|---|---|
| Classification | Simple |
| Type of transaction | G2C, Government to Citizen |
| Total processing time | 1 hour and 20 minutes per application |
| Governing law | Republic Act 11917 |
That 1 hour figure is agency processing time inside SOSIA. It is not the elapsed time from application to holding a card, and PNP does not publish the latter.
What the whole package costs
| Item | Published fee |
|---|---|
| LESP, security guard | ₱500.00 |
| National Police Clearance | ₱150.00 plus a convenience fee |
| Neuro-psychiatric test, PNP rate | ₱900.00, or ₱720.00 for a senior |
| Drug test, PNP rate | ₱300.00, or ₱270.00 for a senior |
| NP validation fee, security guard | ₱100.00 |
| PSA birth certificate, viewable online | ₱130.00 |
| PNP cards: firearms, LTOPF, PTCFOR, LESPO | ₱200.00 |
At PNP’s own published rates that comes to roughly ₱2,080.00 for a private security guard, of which the licence itself is under a quarter. The medical tests are the real cost.
A security guard who will carry a firearm needs the employer’s licence side too; the firearms licence guide covers LTOPF, where a Type 1 runs ₱1,000.00 over 5 years and renewal takes 7 to 15 working days.
What this page does not cover
PNP does not publish, on the pages and documents read for this guide, the licence validity period, a renewal deadline or penalty, the cost of the required training course, the fee for a lost or replacement licence card, or delivery timeframes for the physical card. None of those are stated here.
Related
The main clearance guide covers the clearance this licence requires. The firearms licence guide covers armed roles.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is a security guard licence?
- ₱500.00 in total: a ₱300.00 licence fee plus a ₱200.00 ID card fee. The same rate applies to security watchmen, bank and armored guards, company security guards, and security hardware and systems operators, designers and planners.
- Why is a government security guard only ₱15.00?
- That is PNP's published figure. A government security guard pays a ₱15.00 licence fee plus the same ₱200.00 ID card fee, ₱215.00 in total, against ₱500.00 for the private equivalent. PNP does not explain the difference in the schedule.
- Which roles cost ₱650.00?
- Those at the ₱450.00 licence rate: security canine handler, protection agent, security manager, security consultant, security officer, company security manager, company security officer, private detective, government security manager and government security officer.
- What are the education requirements?
- PNP ties them to the category. A high school diploma for security guard or watchmen. A college diploma and transcript of records for security officer and security manager. A master's degree diploma and transcript for security consultant.
- Do I need a police clearance?
- Yes, for both new and renewal applications. PNP's checklist names a National Police Clearance secured from a city or municipal police station.
- How long does it take?
- PNP publishes a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes per application, and classifies the transaction as Simple. That is agency processing time, not the time from application to card in hand.
- Where do I apply?
- Online, through the SOSIA portal. You register with a valid email address, verify by email confirmation, log in, select New Application or Renewal, submit requirements, and pay through the payment portal.
- What law covers it?
- PNP states the online LESP application, new and renewal, is covered under Republic Act 11917.