Missouri Security Guard
Practice Test

A. Missouri Department of Public Safety – Highway Patrol Division

B. Missouri Division of Professional Registration under the Department of Commerce and Insurance ✓

C. Missouri Attorney General's Office

D. Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

Correct — B. Missouri private security guard licenses are issued by the Division of Professional Registration (DPR) under the Department of Commerce and Insurance. Applicants must meet training, background-check, and fee requirements administered by DPR.

A. A fixed rule requiring guards to use maximum force immediately to end any threat

B. A graduated scale of options ranging from officer presence to lethal force, matched to the level of resistance ✓

C. A legal document authorizing guards to use any force on private property

D. A training exercise that security guards perform annually

Correct — B. The force continuum (or use-of-force continuum) organizes responses from the least intrusive (presence and communication) to the most extreme (lethal force). Guards are expected to use the level of force proportional to the threat and de-escalate whenever possible.

A. Equal to a sworn police officer's authority to arrest anywhere in the state

B. Greater than a police officer's because the guard acts on the property owner's behalf

C. That of a private person, limited by the property owner's rights and Missouri law ✓

D. Unlimited on the property where the guard is employed

Correct — C. Security guards in Missouri are private citizens; they have no additional law-enforcement powers beyond those of any private person. Their authority derives from the property owner's right to control the premises and from Missouri's citizen-arrest statute.

A. Any force that the guard personally feels is necessary

B. The maximum amount of force authorized by the employer

C. The amount of force a reasonable person would consider necessary under the same circumstances ✓

D. Force approved in advance by law enforcement

Correct — C. Reasonable force is measured by an objective standard—what a reasonable person in the guard's position would believe was necessary to address the threat. It must be proportional to the threat and stop when the threat ends.

A. A felony has been committed and the person has reasonable grounds to believe the suspect committed it ✓

B. Any misdemeanor occurs in the person's presence, regardless of severity

C. A traffic infraction is observed on a public highway

D. The property owner verbally authorizes the guard to arrest anyone on the premises

Correct — A. Missouri's citizen-arrest rule (common law) allows a private person to arrest another when a felony has been committed and there are reasonable grounds to believe the suspect committed it. Private persons do not have authority to arrest for misdemeanors not committed in their presence.

A. Immediately stop using force, as continuing force after compliance is excessive ✓

B. Continue applying restraint until law enforcement arrives, regardless of compliance

C. Increase force to ensure the suspect remains subdued

D. Use pain compliance techniques as a precaution even after compliance

Correct — A. Force must be proportional to the current level of threat. Once a suspect ceases resistance and complies, continued application of force is no longer justified and becomes excessive force, exposing the guard to civil and criminal liability.

A. Pursue and apprehend all criminal suspects

B. Make independent arrest decisions without notifying police

C. Ignore minor incidents and only report felonies

D. Document incidents accurately and notify law enforcement when appropriate ✓

Correct — D. An observe-and-report guard's main duty is to watch for suspicious activity, document it thoroughly, and relay information to law enforcement. Guards in this role are not expected to intervene physically or make arrests.

A. Physical restraint

B. Verbal commands

C. Less-lethal weapons

D. Officer/guard presence ✓

Correct — D. The lowest level of the use-of-force continuum is guard/officer presence—merely being visible in uniform often deters non-compliance. This is followed by verbal commands, then physical control techniques, less-lethal tools, and finally lethal force.