Hire event security and a security guard for your party or event
To hire event security, post the date, venue, guest count, hours and whether alcohol is served, and ask for the state guard license. Unarmed event guards typically bill $30 to $60 an hour, usually with a 4 hour minimum. GigList ranks licensed security companies and officers free on your date, with no fee per hire.
Typical rate for unarmed event guards
$30 to $60
per hour, US market range
Free on your date
Licensed providers who cover your city and your hours rank first.
License checked up front
State license number, armed or unarmed and insurance, answered before you talk.
No fee per hire
Pay the security provider directly. Your plan covers the posting.
How much it costs to hire event security
Typical market ranges in the US. Your budget depends on city, date, experience and scope.
Typical rate for unarmed event guards
$30 to $60
per hour, US market range
All Events gigs on GigList: $140 to $320 per shift.
Unarmed event guard
$30 to $60 per hour
Door, guest list, parking and crowd watch, 4 hour minimum is common
Armed security officer
$45 to $90 per hour
Needs a firearm permit in your state, fewer providers
Off duty police officer
$50 to $110 per hour
Booked through the department, rate set by the city
Security lead or supervisor
$40 to $75 per hour
Runs the team and the radio at 150 guests or more
Typical market ranges, not quotes. Set your own budget in the gig builder and see the suggested range for your city.
The shift sheet to put in your gig
Everything event security needs to say yes to the shift, on one card.
Paste it into the gig builder. Matching uses the date, the hours and the city to rank who is free and close.
Shift sheet
Security officer- 01 Date, arrival time and end time, including load out and the last guest leaving
- 02 Guest count, type of event and whether alcohol is served or sold
- 03 Posts to cover: front door and guest list, parking, bar, stage or gifts table
- 04 Armed or unarmed, uniform or plain clothes, and any ID checks for age
- 05 Hourly rate, minimum hours and who pays for parking
- 06 License and proof of insurance required, and the venue rules on security
How to hire event security on GigList
From post to confirmed security officer in four steps.
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1
Post the event and the risk
Wedding for 180 with an open bar, a backyard 21st birthday, a product launch with gear on site. Say who is coming and what worries you.
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2
Set the posts, hours and headcount
One gig can hold one guard or six. Name each post (front door, parking, bar, back of house), the hours and the dress code.
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3
Pick from a ranked shortlist
See licensed security providers ranked by event experience, distance and availability, with the license number in each answer.
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4
Confirm and send the run sheet
Agree the rate in messages, then send the address, the arrival time, the guest list process and the person who has the final say.
Screening questions to ask
Add these to your gig. Every applicant answers before you talk.
- Q1 What is your state guard license or company license number, and who is the licensed employer?
- Q2 Can you send a certificate of liability insurance naming the venue or host if asked?
- Q3 Have you worked a private party or wedding of this size with alcohol served?
- Q4 How do you handle a guest who is not on the list or who has had too much to drink?
Hiring event security for a private party, wedding or company event
Most hosts start looking to hire event security after something has gone wrong at someone else's party: gate crashers at a graduation, a guest who would not leave, a gifts table that went missing. A guard at the door changes behavior before anything starts. People check in, uninvited guests turn around, and the host stops working the entrance and starts enjoying the night. For a private event that usually means one or two unarmed guards, not a team.
Licensing is the part to get right. Most US states license security guards, and in states such as California, Texas and Florida a guard has to work through a licensed security company rather than freelance for a private client. So when you post the gig, ask for the state license number and who the licensed employer is, then check it on the state board's lookup. On GigList the license question sits in the screening, so every applicant answers it before you message anyone. Many venues also ask for a certificate of insurance naming them, so request that as well.
Size the team from the guest count and the bar. A common rule of thumb is one guard per 100 guests for a calm private event and one per 50 when alcohol flows or the crowd is young, plus one for parking at a large venue. Booking an off duty police officer is a different route: most departments run it as an extra duty program with their own rate and minimum hours, so call the department's secondary employment office directly.
Security works best as part of a full staffing plan. If you are also booking bar and floor staff, our page on how to hire a bartender covers bar ratios, and you can hire event staff for check in, coat check and setup in the same account. Our event security cost breakdown prices a typical wedding, party and company event, and GigList pricing lists the flat plans, with no fee per hire and no markup on the guard's rate.
How much does it cost to hire security for an event?
How many security guards do I need for an event?
Do I need security for a party?
Do security guards need a license?
Can I hire an off-duty police officer for a private party?
What is the difference between armed and unarmed security?
Are there fees when I hire event security on GigList?
Ready when you are
Post your gig and meet your shortlist today
Describe the job, set a budget and see ranked people who can start this week. One flat plan, no fees per gig.