SACRAMENTO, Calif.--California in January became the first state to enact legislation requiring proprietary private security officers to register with state agencies. As of the first of the year, security guards had to registered with the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services.

Senate Bill 194, originally signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger in Oct. 2005, aims to tighten the private security sector by increasing regulations and accountability for proprietary officers. Personnel have to undergo background checks and an application process for registration, but they do not have to submit to any training.

Jeff Flint, association manager of the California Association of Licensed Security Agencies, Guards and Associates, said the new law makes the security sector seem stronger and more reliable to the public.

"This law helps the industry demonstrate a high level of confidence," said Flint.

Although registering security personnel throughout a highly populated state such as California may seem like a burdensome task, Flint said existing in frastructure quickened the process.

"California had a pre-existing and robust system with bureaucracy already in place," he said. "We just added a new class of people to it. If a state doesn't have a strong existing system, it would be a hard transition."

Although the legislation has been widely accepted to this point, there are some drawbacks.

"There's a dilemma of reduced manpower because qualified individuals aren't as available," said Barry Mozian, president of Talon Executive Services, corporate security and investigation firm based in California.

A reduction of qualified personnel has affected smaller companies who rely on a small number of individuals for security, namely those in the retail and hospitality industries. These companies have been the slowest to comply with the new legislation.

"Some small organizations like club owners and retailers weren't concerning themselves with the legislation and they employed anyone who could fill the spot," Mozian said. "But we've found employers aren't continuing that type of activity because they're starting to get caught and fined."

And it isn't only the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services that has taken responsibility for enforcing guard registration. Mozian said clubs and restaurants who use bouncers are being targeted by local law enforcement teams, who have started checking to ensure staff is up-to-date on registering.