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Bodyguard Hire in New York

State-licensed close protection officers in New York. Vetted bodyguards for HNWI principals, corporate executives, and visiting dignitaries across Manhattan and the Tri-State area.

New York is the most significant corporate, financial, and cultural centre in North America and home to the world’s highest concentration of financial services executives, technology company leaders, entertainment figures, and HNWI and UHNWI individuals. It is also a city with a well-developed, professionally regulated close protection industry that operates almost entirely around specific identified threats rather than ambient crime risk. The security environment in Midtown Manhattan and the Upper East Side is genuinely low-crime; CPO demand here is driven by documented individual threats, stalking cases, public figure profiles, and the specific security standards that senior executives from higher-risk markets maintain when travelling.

New York State licensing

The NYS Division of Licensing Services regulates close protection work in New York State under the Security Guard Act of 1992. The licensing framework covers training requirements, criminal record checks, and annual registration renewal. The specific requirements for armed security guards are more stringent and involve separate authorisation under the NYS Penal Law. Operating company registration is separate from individual guard registration.

Who uses bodyguards in New York

The primary users of professional CPO services in New York are: HNWI and UHNWI principals who maintain a permanent security detail; financial sector executives who have received credible threats; entertainment and media figures with documented unwanted-attention cases; visiting dignitaries and heads of government for whom the US State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service provides a perimeter but not close-in CPO cover; and international executives from high-risk markets who maintain their home-market security standard when travelling.

For complementary services in New York, see our New York city page and security drivers in New York.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Close protection officers in New York State must hold a valid NYS security guard registration issued by the New York State Division of Licensing Services (NYSDOS) under the Security Guard Act of 1992. Training requirements include a pre-assignment training course (8 hours) and on-the-job training (16 hours), with ongoing annual refresher requirements. Armed CPOs require an additional armed security guard licence and separate Penal Law authorisation for carry. New York City has additional permit requirements for vehicle-based operations. Any CPO operating commercially without the appropriate NYS licence is not in compliance.

New York’s CPO market is primarily driven by specific threat indicators rather than ambient crime risk, which is low in the main business and HNWI zones. Typical engagement drivers include: documented stalking or specific threat communications; executives with a high public profile who have received threats; individuals in contested legal proceedings or labour disputes with a threat element; entertainment and media figures with documented threatening behaviour from a specific individual; and HNWI visiting from higher-risk markets who maintain their home-market security standard in New York.

Armed CPO cover in New York is legal under specific circumstances. Armed security guards must hold a separate NYS armed security guard licence and demonstrate compliance with NYS Penal Law carry provisions. For most corporate and HNWI engagements in Manhattan, unarmed CPOs are the standard. Armed cover is available through appropriately licensed operators for principals for whom the specific threat assessment warrants it.

A licensed close protection officer in New York typically ranges from USD 650 to USD 1,400 per day per officer as at June 2026, depending on qualifications, threat profile, and whether armed cover is required. Multi-officer residential or 24-hour protection engagements are structured on a team retainer basis. New York CPO rates are among the highest in North America, reflecting the cost of living, the licensing requirements, and the high professional standard of the market.
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