How much does security guard insurance cost in California? (2026)

Recent rate-filing activity — 8 state filings across 1 commercial line

Commercial carriers can't charge whatever they want — each state's Department of Insurance must approve loss-cost filings before they take effect. These are primary-source, government-held records available on SERFF Filing Access. Cited below: the most-recent active filings affecting security guard operations, each cited to the regulator or bureau filing it came from.

Source: SERFF Filing Access (filingaccess.serff.com) — the official public-records interface for state Department of Insurance filings. Loss-cost changes shown are the overall bureau-wide change in each state; the actual impact on your quote depends on your class code, payroll, experience modifier, and carrier-specific loss-cost multiplier (LCM). Get a quote for your exact numbers.

National context — Security Guard insurance overview

A security company's signature claim is a use-of-force incident — and here is the trap: standard general liability (ISO CGL) commonly excludes or sublimits assault & battery, the very exposure guards are hired to manage. A single A&B claim can dwarf a policy's sublimit, so the coverage has to be bought back by endorsement or written separately. Our own quote data shows these firms request general liability first — the page's job is to move them from "I have GL" to "I have assault & battery at an adequate limit."

As an industry-typical estimate, a guard operation runs roughly $2,000–$10,000+/year across general liability, assault & battery, professional (failure-to-protect) liability, and payroll-rated workers' compensation — armed operations cost materially more than unarmed. No insurance bureau publishes security-guard premiums, so every dollar here is an estimate; each coverage fact is sourced to a named authority (IRMI, III). Use the calculator below, then get a real quote in 5 minutes.

Industry-typical market ranges (national)

Sourced from III, NCCI, ISO, NAIC, BLS, FMCSA, FDA, NRA — government and bureau publications, not from our quote form

Coverage lines a security-guard company typically carries (industry-typical estimates):

• Assault & battery: the trade-defining line — use-of-force claims are excluded or sublimited on standard ISO CGL and must be added back; the core security exposure. IRMI commercial general liability.
• Professional liability (failure to protect): negligence in performing the guarding service — a loss the guard was hired to prevent — not covered by GL. III professional liability.
• General liability: baseline third-party bodily injury and property damage. III commercial general liability.
• Workers' compensation: guarding is a physically hazardous occupation — mandatory with employees in nearly every state. III workers comp.

Armed vs. unarmed, contract type, and guard headcount are primary rating factors.

For California-specific direction, see the filed-rate table above.

Get your actual California quote in 5 minutes

The data above is regulator-filed direction. Your actual California quote depends on class code, payroll, experience modifier, and the LCM each carrier files.

More California rate-filing detail

• All California commercial rate filings (every line, every recent filing) — the broader rate-data view for California
• Rate filings by state — directory of all 47+ states with active filings
• National Rate Change Tracker — every filing across every state, sortable

Get a real California quote for security guard

The data above shows the regulator-filed direction for California. For your actual quote — based on payroll, experience modifier, and the LCM each carrier files — request a free quote in under 90 seconds.

Related guides

• General Liability glossary entry
• Class Code glossary entry
• Our sourcing methodology

Sources cited (national context above)

1. Commercial General Liability Policy — International Risk Management Institute (IRMI), 2024
2. Professional Liability Insurance — Insurance Information Institute (III), 2024
3. Commercial General Liability Insurance — Insurance Information Institute (III), 2024
4. Workers Compensation Insurance — Insurance Information Institute (III), 2024