Legal Authority, Statutes, and Regulations (Oklahoma Security Guard Act, CLEET rules)
Domain 1 tests how Oklahoma law lets a security guard act, and where the authority stops. The base is the Oklahoma Security Guard and Private Investigator Act, 59 O.S. § 1750.1 et seq., plus CLEET rules in OAC Title 390. A guard is a licensed private citizen, not a peace officer.
Core rules
- Work only under a valid CLEET license or credential and, if armed, a current armed endorsement. Carry and display credentials as CLEET rules and employer policy require.
- Authority comes from the employer's property rights and the citizen's-arrest statute, not from a general police power. A guard cannot make statewide stops, demand ID outside lawful authority, or enter private areas without permission.
- Uniforms, badges, and titles must not imply law-enforcement status. Impersonating an officer is a separate offense.
- Post orders set duties, but they cannot authorize force, searches, or detentions that exceed law.
Worked example
A guard sees a trespasser refuse to leave a posted lot. Reasoning: the owner may withdraw consent to be present; the guard may repeat a lawful order to leave and call police. If the person's conduct meets the citizen's-arrest elements, the guard may detain briefly with reasonable force. The guard does not search the person's bag merely because the person is on private property.
Traps
The common errors are assuming a guard has police powers, enforcing civil debts, using a badge to compel ID, and following a post order that conflicts with statute. Document the basis for every action.