In New York State, a Security Guard registration process with a corresponding issuance of a registration card upon completion of all requirement is the primary way security officers are regulated.
See: FAQ Security Guard

Individuals seeking employment as an armed guard must apply for a Special Armed Guard Registration Card and be in the possession of a valid state firearms license.

“Special armed guard registration card” shall mean a registration card issued by the department signifying that the individual thereon has been certified by the department to perform security guard functions and to carry firearms in connection with such functions. Nothing herein contained shall relieve such guard from any provision of law which requires that he or she be licensed to carry such firearm.”
See: New York General Business Law § 89-F(12)

The requirements for registration are the same as for unarmed guards, except for training provisions. In addition, armed applicants must obtain a firearm license and meet the requirements pursuant to section §400.00.

Upon entering an employment relationship, the individual has to either be registered with the Department and is in possession of a registration card or the employer has to file an application for registration. Generally, an application for registration can be submitted by the individual or the employer.

An individual applying for registration without maintaining an employment relationship is required to file the following:
Fees for Registration application:
  $36 – Initial Application
  $102 – Fingerprint Fee (payable to IDEMIA)

If the individual hired by a security company is already duly registered with the Department, the employer shall file an Employment Status Notification form accompanied by a $25 fee.

Although employment is not required to obtain a state-issued registration card, the registered individual has to be employed in order to perform the functions of a Security Guard.
See: NY Gen Bus L § 89-F.6

More information about fees

An unarmed guard may apply for a change of status after completing the 47-hour firearms course.
The fee to change the status from unarmed to armed is $25.
See: Security Guard Change of Status form

New York explicitly requires NY Approved training, provided under a curriculum approved for NY.
See: Security Guard Training Requirements

This policy is also true for proprietary security companies whose employees all have to registered and trained in NY.
See: Divisions of Licensing Services: Proprietary Security Guard Employer

New York Penal Law § 400.00(1)
No license shall be issued or renewed except for an applicant (a) twenty-one years of age or older, provided, however, that where such applicant has been honorably discharged from the United States army, navy, marine corps, air force or coast guard, or the national guard of the state of New York, no such age restriction shall apply.

New York Penal Law § 400.00(1)
(f) who being an alien (i) is not illegally or unlawfully in the United States or (ii) has not been admitted to the United States under a nonimmigrant visa subject to the exception in 18 U.S.C. 922(y)(2).
(h) who, having been a citizen of the United States, has not renounced his or her citizenship.

Not Required

Peace Officer Waivers – Applications for a waiver of firearms training for unarmed and armed security guards may be reviewed up to a maximum of four years after separation from a non-exempt, sworn, full-time peace officer position in New York. IF YOU ARE A SEPARATED POLICE OFFICER OR EXEMPT PEACE OFFICER, DO NOT SUBMIT A WAIVER APPLICATION, SEE EXEMPTIONS BELOW. For the purposes of registration, you may be granted a waiver from training if you can demonstrate completion of training that meets or exceeds the minimum standards for the 8 Hour Pre-Assignment, OJT, or 47 Hour Firearms courses. To request a waiver, call DCJS directly at (518) 457-6726, or contact them in writing at 80 South Swan Street. 3rd floor, Albany NY 12210-8002. If approved, DCJS will send you a waiver letter to submit with your security guard application to DOS.

I.  Police Officers:
The Security Guard Act exempts active police officers from the definition of a security guard. This means active police officers accepting secondary employment are not required to register or complete training. However, if you are an active police officer, anticipating retirement, and still wish to obtain a Security Guard Registration, you must provide proof of original police officer training and a letter of good standing from the agency that employs you, along with the original Security Guard Application and finger print receipt.

Retired Police Officers:
In order to be exempt from the training, you must provide DOS with a letter from your department (signed by your department) indicating your retirement date. In addition, if you are required by your security guard employer to carry a firearm, or are authorized to have access to a firearm, you must provide proof to DOS and your employer of having completed a Basic Course for Police Officers (or an equivalent course), that included initial firearms training, within one year prior to employment as an armed security guard.

If your initial firearms training occurred more than a year before employment as an armed security guard, you must complete an 8 Hour Annual Firearms Course for Security Guards and report that training to DOS and your employer.

If it has been more than 10 years since you retired as a police officer, you are additionally required to complete the 8 Hour Annual In-Service Training Course for Security Guards every year thereafter.

II.  Peace Officers:
Section 170.1 of Title 19 NYCRR exempts from the definition of a security guard, any individual designated as a peace officer under Article 2 of the NYS Criminal Procedure Law (CPL). The powers of a peace officer are only valid while the individual is acting in his or her official capacity for their primary employer. Consequently, during outside employment (moonlighting), a peace officer is no longer acting in his or her official capacity, and, therefore, must register and complete all training, (unless the individual has either been waived, or is exempt [based on specific job titles] (see Recent Amendments that may have a direct affect on you, below).

Current Peace Officers Applying for Firearms Training Waivers
If your employer has authorized you to carry a firearm in the line of duty, and you have been employed for 18 months or more and can exhibit a valid certificate, you are exempt from the 47 Hour Firearms Course, and the addition 8 Hour Annual Firearms Course for holders of an armed security guard registration. Individuals seeking registration as an armed guard, must provide the Department of State with a copy of a waiver letter (issued by DCJS) and a certificate of completion for the MPTC Basic Course for Peace Officer with Firearms, or both the Basic Course for Peace Officers without Firearms and Firearms and Deadly Physical Force [long firearms course].

Recent Amendments that may have a direct affect on you:
Section 89-n (4) GBL has been amended to exempt certain categories of peace officers (see Categories of Peace Officers Exempt from Training per Amendment to §89-n (4) GBL, next page) from the following training: 47 Hour Firearms Course, 8-Hour Pre-Assignment, OJT, and 8 Hour Annual In-Service. To qualify for an exemption, a peace officer must either be currently employed in one of the job titles (see categories of Peace Officers Exempt from Training per Amendment to §89-n (4) GBL, next page), or retired from one of those job titles for not more than 10 years. Although exempt from the 8 Hour Annual In-Service training course for the first 10 years of retirement, the retired peace officer is subject to an 8 Hour Annual Firearms training course, if their basic course was completed more than a year prior to filing their security guard application.Note: If it has been more than 10 years since an individual retired as a peace officer, they are required to completed the 8 Hour Annual In-Service Training Course for Security Guards, and additionally, if armed, the 8 Hour Annual In-Service Firearms Training Course every year thereafter.

Categories of Peace Officers Exempt from Training per Amendment to §89-n (4) GBL
A. Sheriffs, Undersheriffs, and Deputy Sheriffs of NYC, and sworn officers of the Westchester County Department ofPublic Safety Services as defined in NYS CPL, §2.10 (2):
In order to be exempt from the 47 Hour Firearms Training Course, 8-Hour Pre-Assignment, OJT, and Annual In-Service Training, individuals must provide the Department of State with either a copy of their Basic Course for Peace Officers certificate, or a letter from the personnel office of the entity for which they work(ed), indicating basic peace officer training. If currently employed, they must also provide a copy of their ID card showing current employment in one of the appropriate law enforcement categories, and that they are in good standing.

B. Security Personnel for the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority as defined in NYS CPL, §2.10 (20):
In order to be exempt from the 47 Hour Firearms Training Course, 8-Hour Pre-Assignment, OJT, and Annual In-Service Training, individuals must provide the Department of State with either a copy of their Basic Course for Peace Officers certificate, or a letter from the personnel office of the entity for which they work(ed), indicating basic peace officer training. If currently employed, they must also provide a copy of their ID card showing current employment in one of the appropriate law enforcement categories, and that they are in good standing.

C. Uniformed Court Officer as defined in NYS CPL, §2.10 (21) (a):
In order to be exempt from the 47 Hour Firearms Training Course, 8-Hour Pre-Assignment, OJT, and Annual In-Service Training, individuals must provide the Department of State with either a copy of their Basic Course for Peace Officers certificate, or a letter from the academy indicating their academy training. These courses must meet or exceed the MPTC basic course without firearms. In addition, if the individual is in an armed position, the individual must have completed MPTC Basic Course for Peace Officer with Firearms, or both the Basic Course for Peace Officers without Firearms and Firearms and Deadly Physical Force [long firearms course]. If currently employed, the individual must also provide a copy of their ID card showing current employment, and that they are in good standing.

D. Court Clerks as defined in NYS CPL, §2.10 (21) (b):
In order to be exempt from the 47 Hour Firearms Training Course, 8-Hour Pre-Assignment, OJT, and Annual In-Service Training, individuals must provide the Department of State with either a copy of their Basic Course for Peace Officers certificate, or a letter from the academy indicating their academy training. These courses must meet or exceed the MPTC basis course without firearms. In addition, if the individual is in an armed position, the individual must have completed MPYC Basic Course for Peace Officer with Firearms, or both the Basic Course for Peace Officers without Firearms and Firearms and Deadly Physical Force [long firearms course]. If currently employed, the individual must also provide a copy of their ID card showing current employment, and that they are in good standing.

E. NYS Corrections Officers as defined in NYS CPL, §2.10 (25):
(This does not include city or county correction officers.) In order to be exempt from the 47 Hour Firearms Training Course, 8-Hour Pre-Assignment, OJT, and Annual In-Service Training, individuals must provide the Department of State with a letter from the NYS Department of Correctional Services and a copy of their ID card showing that they are currently employed as a NYS Corrections officer in good standing.

Note: Individuals who are no longer active peace officers and do not have a valid basic course certificate, or do not qualify for either a waiver or an exemption, must complete the 47 Hour Firearms Training Course, 8 Hour Pre-Assignment, and OJT.

Information retrieved from: http://www.dos.ny.gov/licensing/securityguard/sgtraining.html

New York Penal Law § 400.00 (1)
 •  “No license shall be issued or renewed except for an applicant (a) twenty-one years of age or older, provided, however, that where such applicant has been honorably discharged from the United States army, navy, marine corps, air force or coast guard, or the national guard of the state of New York, no such age restriction shall apply”
 •  Former Police, Corrections Bride and Tunnel Officers (among more) are exempt from the training requirements for firearm certification.
.
For more information, see: .
http://codes.findlaw.com/ny/penal-law/pen-sect-400-00.html

An applicant for a special armed registration card must possess a valid license to carry a firearm issued by the state of New York pursuant to section 400.00 of the penal code.

NYS Penal Law §400.00 (8)
Every licensee while carrying a pistol or revolver shall have on his or her person a license to carry the same. Every person licensed to possess a pistol or revolver on particular premises shall have the license for the same on such premises. Upon demand, the license shall be exhibited for inspection to any peace officer, who is acting pursuant to his or her special duties, or police officer.

A valid state-issued registration card is required to perform security guard functions.
See: NY Gen Bus L §89-H

In addition to their state issued registration card, individual Security Guards maintain an Employee’s identification card issued by the licensed employer. The rules describe the design and requirements of such identification card.
See: 19 CRR-NY 170.9

A security guard wearing a military style uniform shall prominently display the state issued registration card on his or her outer garment.
See: 19 CRR-NY 170.14

New York Penal Law § 400.00(1)(b)
Applicant must be of good moral character

New York Penal Law § 400.00(4)
Before a license is issued or renewed, there shall be an investigation of all statements required in the application by the duly constituted police authorities of the locality where such application is made. In order to ascertain any previous criminal record, the investigating officer shall take the fingerprints and physical descriptive data in quadruplicate of each individual by whom the application is signed and verified.  Two copies of such fingerprints shall be taken on standard fingerprint cards eight inches square, and one copy may be taken on a card supplied for that purpose by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

All applicants must submit electronic fingerprints through IdentoGO by MorphoTrust USA.
Rolled fingerprints are not acceptable.
Applicants must visit a site in New York to complete the fingerprinting process. Applicants should NOT schedule an appointment at a site outside of New York State.

Fees:
•  Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) fee: $75.00
•  FBI fee: $13.25(Only Security Guard License applicants must pay the FBI fee)
•  Fingerprint Vendor fee: $13.75

See: Details on Electronic Fingerprinting

New York Penal Law § 400.00(1)(e)
Applicant cannot be an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance as defined in section 21 U.S.C. 802 (Controlled Substance Act)

New York Penal Law § 400(1)
(i) who has stated whether he or she has ever suffered any mental illness;  (j) who has not been involuntarily committed to a facility under the jurisdiction of an office of the department of mental hygiene pursuant to article nine or fifteen of the mental hygiene law, article seven hundred thirty or section 330.20 of the criminal procedure law, section four hundred two or five hundred eight of the correction law, section 322.2 or 353.4 of the family court act, or has not been civilly confined in a secure treatment facility pursuant to article ten of the mental hygiene law.

New York Penal Law § 400.00(1)
 (c)  who has not been convicted anywhere of a felony or a serious offense
 (d)  who is not a fugitive from justice

All applicants are screened and the affirmations verified in said application.
All applicants’ records are reviewed by the FBI.

New York General Business Law § 89-H(5)
The applicant must not have been convicted of a serious offense, or of a misdemeanor in the state or of any offense in any other jurisdiction which, if committed in this state, would constitute a misdemeanor, and which, in the discretion of the secretary, bears such a relationship to the performance of the duties of a security guard, as to constitute a bar to employment.

All applicants are screened and the affirmations verified in said application.
All applicants’ records are reviewed by the FBI and the NY Department of State.

Not Required