School security officers inVirginia.
Virginia's dedicated School Security Officer certification, delivered by a DCJS-licensed private security company, with armed posts staffed by former law enforcement officers who meet the statute.
Richmond · Fairfax · Arlington · Alexandria · Virginia Beach · Norfolk · Roanoke
What Virginia law requires
Virginia is the one state with a dedicated School Security Officer (SSO) certification. Code §9.1-101 defines an SSO as a person employed by a local school board, a private or religious school, or a licensed private security company under contract to such a school, to maintain order and safety on campus. Every SSO must be DCJS-certified under 6VAC20-240: a 16-hour initial course within 60 days of hire, a fingerprint background check, and 16 hours of in-service every two years.
An SSO may be armed only under §22.1-280.2:1: the officer must have left law enforcement in good standing within the past ten years, complete the §18.2-308.016(C) firearms training standard plus active-shooter, evacuation and threat-assessment training, and be approved by the school board or private school after consultation with the chief of police or sheriff. DIS holds DCJS private security license 11-21976 and staffs armed Virginia posts with former officers who meet that bar.
Virginia also requires every school to conduct an annual school safety audit, maintain a threat assessment team under §22.1-79.4 and file a crisis and emergency management plan. DIS officers participate in the audit and drills, and our regional manager supports the threat assessment team.
Statutes summarized for orientation; each engagement is reviewed against current law with the school's counsel. Licensing board: Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).
Built to the Virginia statute, run from one Command Center
DCJS-certified SSOs
Initial certification within 60 days and biennial in-service tracked by our compliance desk.
Former law enforcement on armed posts
Every armed SSO meets §22.1-280.2:1: good-standing separation within ten years and the §18.2-308.016(C) standard.
School board consultation handled
We prepare the approval package and the consultation with the chief or sheriff the statute requires.
On campus today
Officers on campus in Virginia with regional pools in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads.
Every DIS school post, in every state, includes
- A full-time armed officer assigned to one campus, introduced to the principal before day one
- 24/7 Command & Control Center oversight: GPS check-ins, body camera, encrypted radio
- A certified backfill officer dispatched before the first bell on any absence
- Weekly regional supervisor visits and same-day incident reports
- K-9 weapon-detection sweeps available on request
- Tactical combat casualty care and youth mental health first aid on every officer
Straight answers for Virginia
Can a private security company provide School Security Officers in Virginia?
Who can be an armed School Security Officer in Virginia?
What training does a DCJS-certified SSO receive?
Where in Virginia does DIS operate?
Every state writes the law differently
Tell us about your Virginia campuses
A regional manager, not a salesperson, will call you within one business day and price your campuses within a week.