Special Police Officer License
A Special Police Officer is an individual who holds a special police commission granted by the Governor.
The special police commission generally authorizes a special police officer to:
- Arrest individuals who trespass or commit offenses on the property described in the commission
- Exercise the powers of a police officer on the property described in the commission
- Exercise the powers of a police officer in a county or municipal corporation associated with the property described in the commission
Process updates/changes
- January 2026 - The Licensing Portal was modified to allow Security Guard Agencies to employ and submit applications for Special Police Officers after vetoed Senate Bill 455 (2025) was overrode by the MD General Assembly in a December 2025 Special Session.
- January 2025 - All Professional Licensing applications are converted from a paper application submission process and fee collection to an electronic submission and fee collection process in the Licensing Portal.
Who should apply
The following entities may apply for the appointment of Special Police Officers:
- A municipal corporation, county, or other governmental body of the State, in order to protect property owned, leased, or regularly used by the governmental body or any of its units;
- Another state, or subdivision or unit of another state, that has an interest in property located wholly or partly in this State, in order to protect the property;
- A college, university, or public school system in the State, in order to protect its property or students;
- A person that exists and functions for a legal business purpose, in order to protect its business property; or
- A person that holds a valid license as a Security Guard Agency under Title 19, Subtitle 3 of the Business Occupations and Professions Article, in order to protect property owned or leased by its clients.
Qualifications
- At least 18 years old
- Possess good moral character and reputation
Pre-application requirements
- Submit Livescan fingerprints to the Maryland Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) and the FBI. Authorized LiveScan vendors can be found at Fingerprinting Services. Below is the information that you will need to provide to the LiveScan technician for fingerprinting:
Agency Authorization Number: 9400082506
Agency ORI Number: MDMSP6000
Reason Fingerprinted: MD Public Safety Article, Section 3-304 through 3-316
Livescan fingerprints are only valid for 30 days from the date that they were submitted to CJIS and the FBI. Your Special Police Commission application must be submitted to the Maryland State Police within this 30-day period or new Livescan fingerprints will be required.
Applicants must sign and date the FBI Privacy Act Statement - PDF - 620.12 KB before submitting their fingerprints.
- A digital color passport style photograph taken within 30 days prior to the date that you submit the application.
- Unless exempt, proof of satisfactory completion of an 80-hour training course approved by the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commissions (MPCTC). Training requirements can be found at Police and Correctional Training Commissions - Special Police Officer Training.
- Training exemptions include an applicant who, within 5 years prior to the application, has:
- completed a basic training course for police officers approved by the Secretary in consultation with the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission;
- completed a basic training course for police officers similar to MPCTC standards in another state or for the federal government (contact MPCTC for additional information);
- separated from a law enforcement agency in good standing; or
- completed training approved by the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission for a special police officer at a State institution of higher education.
- Training exemptions include an applicant who, within 5 years prior to the application, has:
How to apply
- Create or log into your existing Licensing Portal account.
- Complete all Special Police Commission application requirements.
- Upload the pre-application requirements and any additional documentation to the document section of the application.
- Once submitted, you’ll receive an email with the application number and PIN.
- Meet with your employer or agency and provide them with the application number and PIN.
- Your employer or agency will review your application, confirm your information and submit the application along with the required fees.
- The Licensing Division will review your application for completion, complete a background investigation, which may require an interview, and forward a recommendation to the Governor for a final decision.
- If the commission is approved:
- the Special Police Officer applicant will be required to take the oath required by Article I, § 9 of the Maryland Constitution before the clerk of the court where the appointment is received;
- submit a signed copy of the District Court Special Police Officer Certificate to the Licensing Division; and
- the Licensing Division will print and send, via US mail, the Special Police Officer certification card to the Special Police Officer's employer within 14 days.
- If your application is disapproved, you’ll need to contact the Licensing Division for more information.
Please allow 90 business days for completion of the application process.
Your commission is valid for 3 years and can be renewed for an additional 3 years.
Commission renewal
To renew your commission, you must submit an application through the Licensing Portal at least 90 days before your current commission expires. Before you submit your renewal application, you must have the following items:
- Livescan fingerprint receipt (dated within 30-days of application submission)
- documentation of satisfactory completion of 12 hours of in–service training approved by the Secretary in consultation with the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission. Renewal training requirements can be found at Police and Correctional Training Commissions - Special Police Officer Training.
How to renew
- Create or log into your existing Licensing Portal account.
- Complete all Special Police Commission Renewal application requirements.
- Upload the renewal requirements and any additional documentation to the document section of the application.
- Once submitted, you’ll receive an email with the application number and PIN.
- Meet with your employer or agency and provide them with the application number and PIN.
- Your employer or agency will review your application, confirm your information and submit the application along with the required fees.
- The Licensing Division will review your application for completion, complete a background investigation, which may require an interview, and forward a recommendation to the Governor for a final decision.
- If the commission is approved, the Licensing Division will print and send, via US mail, the Special Police Officer certification card to the Special Police Officer's employer within 14 days.
- If your application is disapproved, you’ll need to contact the Licensing Division for more information.
Application fees
Acceptable methods of payment include Visa or MasterCard. Application fees are non-refundable.
All application fees are collected electronically in the Licensing Portal. Application fees do not include fingerprint fees.
Original application: $100.00*
Renewal application: $60.00*
*Application fees will not be charged to a unit of the State.
Application timeline
- Applicant: Applicant: Once the above pre-application requirements have been satisfied, the initial application can be completed within 30-60 minutes. Renewal applications can be completed within 15-30 minutes.
- Employer: Verification of applicant's identity, review of the application and documentation, and submission of the application and fees can be completed within 10-20 minutes.
- Licensing Division Processing Time: Once the completed application and the required fees are received, the applicant will be notified of the decision within 90 days.
- Incomplete Applications: Applications received by the Licensing Division will be reviewed for completeness within 5-10 business days. Applicants who submitted incomplete applications will be notified via email within 5 business days of the review. Failure to respond within 15 days will result in the application being cancelled.
Statutes
The laws regarding Maryland Special Police Officers are codified in Title 3, Subtitle 3 of the Public Safety Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Current versions of any statute can be found at LexisNexis or on the Maryland General Assembly's website.
Advisories & Documents
Visit the archive section to download any prior Advisories and documents.