"What does it cost to get a PPO?" is the first question most future owners ask. The honest answer is: more than the application fee — and it's worth knowing the whole number, in money and in months, before you start.
The BSIS fees
Plan for roughly $1,400 to $1,500 in BSIS company fees, plus a separate Qualified Manager application and exam fee. Fees changed in October 2025, so confirm the current amounts before you count on them — treat the figure here as a planning estimate, not a quote.
The costs around the license
The license fee is the small part. The real budget includes everything it takes to be licensable:
- Business formation — forming your corporation with the Secretary of State (an LLC won't work for a PPO).
- Live Scan fingerprinting — for every owner, partner, officer, and the QM.
- Insurance — a commercial general liability policy of at least $1,000,000 naming your approved business name. (And workers' comp is turning upward, so price it now.)
- The Qualified Manager — the exam, and if you're hiring a QM rather than qualifying yourself, their fee.
- Training and registration — guard-card registration and required training once you start staffing officers.
The timeline
A clean application takes about four months; applying online through BreEZe is the fastest route. The license is good for two years, then you renew. Build those four months into your plan, because you can't legally take a security contract until the license issues.
The operators who struggle aren't the ones who paid the fees. They're the ones who didn't plan for the months before the first contract.
Mapping out what it'll take to launch?
Let's walk through the real budget and timeline for your situation.