FedReady

Government security guard contracts

Agencies hire guard companies to staff entry points, patrol buildings and grounds, screen visitors and monitor federal facilities. This work is posted on SAM.gov under NAICS 561612, Security Guards and Patrol Services.

Below are the security guard contracts open right now, who buys them, and what a small business needs to bid.

Open contracts now
22
Federal spending, FY2026
$7.4 billion
Share won by small businesses
29%
See all open contractsGet new ones by email, free

Open security guard contracts, due soonest

See all 22 open security guard contracts →

What to know before you bid

Wage rates are set for you

Service contracts over $2,500 fall under the Service Contract Act, so you must pay at least the wage rates in the contract's wage determination, which is published on SAM.gov. Price your bid from those rates, not your usual ones.

Read the post orders and staffing hours

Guard solicitations list posts, hours of coverage and whether guards are armed or unarmed. Price from the total staffed hours, including relief and supervision, not a single guard's shift.

Licensing, training and clearances

Notices spell out the licensing, training, background checks and any firearms qualification guards need, and some require security clearances. Check the solicitation and the state's rules before you bid.

NAICS codes for security guard contracts

Each notice carries one NAICS code, and its SBA size standard decides who counts as small. These are the codes on open security guard notices right now:

CodeIndustrySBA size standardOpen now
561612Security Guards and Patrol Services$29 million receipts22

Who buys security guard services

Agencies that awarded the most for this work over the last three fiscal years, per USAspending.gov:

AgencyObligated
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement$4.9 billion
Office of Procurement Operations$4.3 billion
Department of State$2.7 billion
U.S. Marshals Service$1.9 billion
Transportation Security Administration$839 million
Department of the Army$816.6 million

Open notices right now come from Department of Veterans Affairs (9), Dept of Defense (4), Department of Homeland Security (3), Department of State (3), Department of Justice (2) and Department of Transportation (1).

Where the work is

The most open security guard contracts by place of performance are in California, Virginia and Alaska. Federal contracts are posted nationwide on SAM.gov; state and local government bids are on each state's own procurement site instead.

  • California: 5 open
  • Virginia: 3 open
  • Alaska: 2 open
  • Illinois: 2 open
  • Indiana: 1 open
  • Maryland: 1 open
  • Missouri: 1 open
  • New Jersey: 1 open

Set-asides on open security guard contracts

  • Service-disabled veteran-owned set-aside: 9
  • No set-aside (full and open): 7
  • 8(a) set-aside: 3
  • Total small business set-aside: 3

See which you may qualify for with the free SBA certification screener, or read set-aside contracts, explained.

Frequently asked questions

Are there government contracts for security guard businesses?

Yes. 22 federal security guard contract opportunities are open on SAM.gov right now. Agencies obligated about $7.4 billion on this kind of work in fiscal year 2026, according to USAspending.gov.

What NAICS code is used for government security guard contracts?

NAICS 561612, Security Guards and Patrol Services. Alarm monitoring and security system services use 561621 instead.

How do I bid on government security guard contracts?

Register your business on SAM.gov (it's free), choose the NAICS codes for your work, then search open notices and respond by each one's deadline, following its instructions. Free help is available from APEX Accelerators.

Other industries

Keep going

FedReady is an independent company, not affiliated with SAM.gov or any government agency. Open-contract counts come from SAM.gov and update daily; spending figures come from USAspending.gov.