Maine Security Guard
Practice Test

A. Maine State Police, Regulatory Services Unit ✓

B. Maine Department of Labor

C. Maine Board of Private Investigators and Security Guards

D. Local county sheriff's office

Correct — A. Maine security guard licenses are issued by the Maine State Police, Regulatory Services Unit, which oversees licensing for private security personnel statewide.

A. A graduated framework guiding security personnel to use the least force necessary to control a situation ✓

B. A policy requiring guards to always use maximum force to quickly end threats

C. A legal requirement to use force in every confrontation

D. A ranking of security guard certification levels

Correct — A. The use-of-force continuum provides a framework of escalating force options — from officer presence and verbal commands to physical control — directing guards to use only the minimum force necessary to resolve a situation safely.

A. Arrest anyone suspected of a crime

B. Issue citations like a police officer

C. Observe, report, and deter through presence ✓

D. Conduct criminal investigations

Correct — C. The fundamental role of a security guard is to observe incidents, report them to the proper authorities, and deter potential wrongdoers through a visible presence — not to act as a law enforcement officer.

A. True — employers can authorize any employee to carry a firearm

B. True — all security guards in Maine are automatically authorized to be armed

C. False — only guards with a supervisor permit may carry

D. False — an unarmed guard license does not authorize the guard to carry a firearm; a separate armed guard license is required ✓

Correct — D. In Maine, armed and unarmed security guard designations are distinct. An unarmed guard who carries a firearm does so without authorization and violates licensing law, potentially facing criminal charges.

A. Whenever the guard suspects someone of a crime

B. When a misdemeanor is committed in the guard's presence or a felony is committed or reasonably believed to have been committed ✓

C. Only when directed by a police officer

D. Only for felonies, never for misdemeanors

Correct — B. Maine law allows a private person, including a security guard, to make a citizen's arrest when a crime is committed in their presence or when they have reasonable grounds to believe a felony has been committed. Misdemeanor arrests generally require the offense to occur in the guard's presence.

A. Physically subdue a suspect as quickly as possible

B. Reduce tension through communication so that force is unnecessary or minimized ✓

C. Ignore a threat and wait for it to pass

D. Escalate rapidly to show authority

Correct — B. De-escalation uses verbal and non-verbal techniques — calm tone, active listening, empathy, and space management — to defuse a tense situation before it becomes violent, reducing risk to all parties.

A. 16

B. 17

C. 21

D. 18 ✓

Correct — D. Maine requires applicants for a security guard license to be at least 18 years of age, meeting the standard minimum age requirement for the profession.

A. They feel nervous about a person's presence

B. A supervisor orders them to confront a suspect

C. They reasonably believe force is necessary to protect themselves from imminent bodily harm ✓

D. They want to stop someone from leaving the property

Correct — C. Self-defense justifies the use of force only when a person reasonably believes they face imminent bodily harm. The threat must be real and immediate — not merely speculative — and the response must be proportionate.