XL Eagle Send us your price
Guide · Florida · 7 min read

How to Win Government Security Guard Contracts in Florida

By the XL Eagle bid team · Updated November 2, 2026 · Built from our live bid database and USAspending.gov

Security services contracts in Florida come with licensing rules that other trades do not have. The state licenses the company, and it licenses each guard. A buyer will check both before it looks at your price.

If your licenses are in order, there is steady demand. Federal buildings, bases, labs and local government centers all hire guards. Many jobs run around the clock, so staffing is the hard part.

You can bid on these jobs yourself, and this guide shows how. Or you can send XL Eagle your price on a government job. We write and submit the bid as the prime contractor. If we win, you do the work and get paid. You do not need your own SAM.gov registration to work this way.

Security Guard contracts in Florida at a glance

  • 1 open security guard bid in Florida on XL Eagle today. See them all.
  • 3 security guard solicitations in Florida in the last 12 months that we tracked (0 federal, 3 state and local).
  • Federal agencies made 185 contract awards worth $367.3 million for work performed in Florida under NAICS 561612 in FY2025 (Oct 2024 - Sep 2025).
  • Top federal buyers that year: Department of Homeland Security ($262.6 million); Department of Justice ($71.6 million); National Aeronautics and Space Administration ($21.6 million).
  • Where these jobs get posted: OpenGov.

Bid counts from the XL Eagle bid database as of November 2, 2026. Award totals from USAspending.gov.

Who buys security guard work in Florida

  • Local buyers on portals such as OpenGov, including cities that buy armed and unarmed guards for government centers.
  • The Federal Protective Service, part of Homeland Security, which has bought armed protective security officers for federal buildings in north and south Florida.
  • Justice Department sites and NASA, which led federal security awards in Florida in recent years.
  • FEMA, which has posted notices for armed security guards at temporary and fixed disaster operations in Florida.
  • The Navy. NAVFAC Southeast has bought armed local guard services around Mayport and Jacksonville.

Open security guard bids in Florida right now

All open security guard bids in Florida →

Licenses you need in Florida

Florida runs security licensing through the Division of Licensing under Chapter 493. A security agency needs a Class B license, and it is valid for only one location. Each officer needs a Class D license, which requires at least 40 hours of training at a licensed school, and the officer must work for or own a Class B agency. Anyone who carries a firearm also needs a Class G license. The statute also lists a Class MB license for the manager of a security agency.

Register to bid in Florida

State and local jobs in Florida are posted on these sites:

  1. Make sure your business has an active registration with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz).
  2. Register in the MyFloridaMarketPlace Vendor Information Portal: enter your FEIN, your locations for ordering, payment and billing, your contacts, your preferred ordering method, and the commodity codes that fit your work.
  3. Say yes to taking part in electronic procurement events and give an email address for bid alerts.
  4. Accept the MFMP Terms of Use. The state says your registration is available within 24 hours after that.
  5. Have your E-Verify status on file and a current Substitute Form W-9 on file with the Department of Financial Services.
  6. After your first solicitation alert, create a Business Network account (formerly Ariba Network) so you can answer an electronic solicitation.
  7. Do not be on the state's Convicted, Discriminatory, Suspended or Antitrust Violator vendor lists.

The state says there are no subscription or registration costs to do business with it, but a MyFloridaMarketPlace transaction fee of one percent (1.0%) applies to payments received on covered state contracts, under Florida Administrative Code Rule 60A-1.031.

Federal jobs in Florida use SAM.gov, which is free. What SAM.gov is and how to register.

Small business certifications in Florida

  • Certified Business Enterprise (CBE), Office of Supplier Development: Free certification for Florida-based small businesses at least 51% owned and managed by a woman, veteran or minority who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, with net worth under $5 million and 200 or fewer full-time permanent employees; recertify every two years.

Wage rules on public jobs

Florida has no state prevailing wage law for public works. Since September 30, 2026, a 2024 state law (HB 433) also stops cities and counties from setting wage or benefit requirements for their contractors on new contracts, which ends local living wage programs such as Miami-Dade County's for contracts signed after that date. You still must pay at least the Florida minimum wage, and any wage terms written into an older contract.

On federal jobs, service work such as cleaning, grounds care and guard services falls under the Service Contract Act, and construction work over $2,000 falls under Davis-Bacon. The solicitation includes the wage determination you must pay.

What security guard jobs look like in Florida

  • Check posts and hours first. A 24 hour post needs about four to five people on rotation, once you count days off and sick calls.
  • Armed posts need Class G for every armed guard. Do not bid armed work unless your people hold it before the start date.
  • Federal notices often put licenses on you. One federal guard notice requires the contractor to supply labor, supervision, training, licenses and permits.
  • Some federal jobs ask for clearances before you bid, and some ask for related past work of similar size. Read these gates early.
  • In hurricane season, buyers may need extra guards at short notice for storm shelters and recovery sites. Ask if surge hours are priced in the bid.

Pricing security guard work for Florida public buyers

  • Build from the post. Hours per week times weeks gives billable hours. Multiply by the loaded rate for each guard type.
  • Armed guards cost more than unarmed. Price each post type separately.
  • Add payroll taxes, workers' comp, liability insurance, uniforms, radios and training time.
  • Plan for overtime and relief coverage. The bid may count it, but your labor cost will include it.
  • Federal jobs usually follow a wage determination. Your hourly rate must meet it before you add your margin.

Mistakes that lose these bids

  • Using a guard who lacks a current Class D license, or an armed guard without Class G.
  • Bidding without a Class B license for the location that will run the contract.
  • Pricing for a single shift when the post runs 24 hours.
  • Missing the clearance or experience gate, which makes the bid unresponsive.

The fastest way to bid: send us your price

You can register and bid on your own using the steps above. If you would rather not, send XL Eagle your price on any security guard job in Florida. We write and submit the bid as the prime contractor under our registrations. If it wins, you do the work and get paid. You do not need your own SAM.gov registration to work this way.

Pick a Florida security guard job or read the national guide to government security guard contracts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Class B, D and G in Florida?

Class B is the license for the security agency, Class D is for each security officer, and Class G is for officers who carry a firearm. All three can apply on one armed contract.

How much training does a Class D license take?

Florida requires proof of at least 40 hours of professional training at a licensed school or training facility. The training can be in person or live online.

Can a small company with one office bid on guard work in several cities?

A Class B license is valid for only one location. Ask the Division of Licensing how a branch should be licensed before you promise coverage from another office.

Does XL Eagle hold the guard licenses for me?

No. You send us your price, we submit the bid as the prime, and if it wins you do the work. Your company still needs the licenses the job requires.

Sources

Have a price for a government job?

Send it to us. XL Eagle writes and submits the bid under our registrations, free to you. If we win, you do the work at your price.

Find a job and send your price →