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Executive Protection in Miami

Executive protection in Miami. Florida PSA 493-licensed CPOs for HNWI clients, Art Basel, the Miami Grand Prix, yacht security, and corporate engagements in South Florida.

Attending Art Basel or the Miami Grand Prix? Request Florida-licensed EP before your South Florida visit.

Executive protection in Miami is a programme, not a single officer. It is the discipline a company applies to protect a travelling executive against HNWI targeting, maritime risk, and event-driven crowding: advance work on venues and routes, a written risk assessment, an operations controller, and Class D/G-licensed armed secure transport integrated with the corporate itinerary. This page is for security managers designing protection around a C-suite visit, where the need is layered, documented risk management rather than ad-hoc cover.

Florida PSA 493 compliance

Miami CPOs hold Class D (and Class G if armed) licences from the Florida Division of Licensing. Operating companies hold Class B or Class D agency licences. All licence statuses are publicly searchable and confirmed before deployment.

Miami EP operational environment

Advance work covers hotel and venue assessments at Brickell and Miami Beach principal locations, Art Basel event period planning, maritime-integrated transfer logistics for yacht-based principals, and MIA and FLL airport transfer management. Counter-surveillance awareness and low-profile vehicle selection address HNWI targeting risk.

For the broader Miami security overview, see our Miami city page and our security drivers in Miami and bodyguard hire in Miami pages.

For short-term, single-principal cover tied to one visit, see bodyguard hire in Miami. For the operators who staff the programme and how they are vetted, see close protection officers in Miami.

What this covers

Operational detail for Miami

Florida PSA Chapter 493 EP Licensing

Executive protection CPOs in Florida operate under Florida Statutes Chapter 493 (Security Officers), administered by the Florida Division of Licensing within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Class D Security Officer licences cover unarmed security personnel; Class G (Statewide Firearm) licences are required for armed CPOs. EP companies operating in Florida must hold Class B (Private Investigative Agency) or Class BB licences and Class D Security Agency licences as applicable to their services. CPOs performing personal protection roles may also require specific Class C (Private Investigator) licensing for aspects of protective intelligence work. Clients should confirm the operating company's agency licence class and the individual CPO's Class D (and Class G if armed) status through the Florida Division of Licensing public registry.

HNWI and Luxury Sector Threat Context

Miami's concentration of visible wealth creates a specific EP threat environment centred on HNWI targeting rather than general population crime. FCDO USA travel advice (2024) and FBI Miami Field Office crime data document targeted robbery of high-net-worth individuals as an organised activity in South Florida. Luxury watch and jewellery theft from HNWI individuals is a documented and rising concern in the Miami area. Miami-Dade County's carjacking statistics have risen in recent years. For EP purposes, the Miami threat picture is defined by organised criminal activity targeting predictable HNWI behaviour patterns: visible luxury display, known hotel and venue attendance, and predictable transfer timing for seasonal resident and event-period visitor principals.

Art Basel and Major Event EP Planning

Art Basel Miami Beach (December) is South Florida's highest-profile HNWI event, concentrating international collectors, gallery principals, studio owners, and high-value asset movement. EP planning for Art Basel covers: principal protection during gallery walk-throughs and VIP preview events at the Miami Beach Convention Center, secure transport co-ordination for art acquisition movements, personal protection at private collector dinners in South Beach and Brickell, and awareness of the specific robbery and fraud targeting that follows Art Basel's public concentration of HNWI individuals. The Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix (May, Hard Rock Stadium) and major entertainment events create secondary demand peaks with similar HNWI protection requirements.

Advance Work and Miami Venue Assessment

Miami EP advance work covers the principal's hotel, event venues, private residences for extended-stay principals, and yacht and marina access locations. The Four Seasons Hotel Miami and Mandarin Oriental Miami in Brickell, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach and Faena Hotel Miami Beach on Miami Beach, and the COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach are the primary venues for senior corporate and HNWI arrivals. Advance work at Miami Beach venues requires specific attention to the pedestrianised areas and vehicle-restriction zones on Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue during Art Basel and other major event periods. For principals with Coconut Grove or Coral Gables residential addresses, advance work covers route planning on the Palmetto Expressway and US-1 corridor.

Maritime EP Integration

Miami's significant HNWI maritime activity creates EP requirements that integrate land-based close protection with yacht and marina security logistics. Principals arriving by private yacht to Coconut Grove Marina, Island Gardens on Watson Island, or the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove marina facilities require CPO vessel-to-vehicle transition management. Vessel-board security, crew vetting, and marina approach awareness are relevant components for HNWI principals with South Florida yacht operations. EP teams accompanying principals on day trips to the Bahamas via private or charter aviation from Opa-locka Executive Airport or Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport manage the multi-modal transition logistics in both departure and return movements.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

CPOs in Florida must hold Class D Security Officer licences from the Florida Division of Licensing; armed CPOs additionally hold Class G Statewide Firearm licences. EP companies hold Class B or Class D agency licences. All licence statuses are publicly searchable through the Florida Division of Licensing online registry. Clients engaging EP services in Miami should confirm the individual CPO’s Class D licence and Class G licence (if armed) and the operating company’s relevant agency licence before deployment.

The primary Miami EP threat categories for HNWI principals are: targeted robbery of high-net-worth individuals (luxury watch and jewellery theft, documented by FBI Miami Field Office data), organised residential burglary of HNWI properties in South Florida, and carjacking in Miami-Dade County. During Art Basel Miami Beach (December), the concentration of HNWI individuals and high-value assets in a defined geographic area creates an elevated-targeting period. EP planning addresses these threats through counter-surveillance awareness, low-profile vehicle selection, varied timing and routing, and advance work at principal hotels and event venues.

Florida’s PSA Chapter 493 licensing structure makes armed EP (Class G licensed CPOs) readily available in Miami. Whether armed protection is appropriate depends on the principal’s threat assessment: HNWI principals with specific threat indicators – high public profile, documented hostile interest, or assignments during particularly high-risk event periods – may benefit from armed close protection. For most corporate and standard HNWI engagements in Miami’s generally lower-risk environment, unarmed EP with strong counter-surveillance and advance work is the standard deployment structure. The pre-engagement assessment determines the appropriate force posture.

EP day rates in Miami for a Class D-licensed, vetted CPO typically range from USD 400 to USD 700 per day; armed Class G CPOs carry a premium on this rate. Two-person team rates (CPO plus security driver) typically range from USD 750 to USD 1,200 per day plus vehicle costs, as at June 2026. Art Basel and Miami Grand Prix period engagements carry an event-period premium. Multi-day retainer structures are available for extended-visit principals with seasonal Miami residences.
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