Selection
How Do You Hire an Executive Protection Firm?
Direct answer
Verify four things before discussing price: that the firm and its agents are licensed in the state where the work will actually happen, what the insurance limits are and whether you are named as an additional insured, the specific background of the agents who will be assigned rather than the founder's, and who performs the advance. A firm that cannot answer all four in writing is not a candidate.
The four verifications
Licensing in the state of performance. Security licensing is state specific. A firm licensed in its home state is not thereby licensed where your event is. Ask for the license number, class, issuing state, and expiration for the firm and for each assigned agent, in the state where the work occurs.
Insurance limits and named insured status. Ask for a certificate of insurance showing general liability limits, professional liability, and workers compensation, and ask to be named as an additional insured. Ask specifically whether armed activity is covered or excluded, because many policies exclude it by default.
The background of the assigned agents. Every firm leads with its founder's credential. The question that matters is who is actually working your detail and what their specific background, licensing, and tenure with the firm is. Ask whether they are employees or subcontractors.
Who runs the advance. Ask when the advance will be conducted, who will conduct it, and what you will receive from it. If the answer is vague or the advance is not in the scope of work, the firm is providing staffing.
Questions that separate firms from brokers
Are the agents on this engagement your employees or subcontractors, and if subcontractors, what is your vetting standard for them. Who is the Detail Leader and can I speak with them before the engagement. What is your protocol if an assigned agent is unavailable on the day. What does your after action reporting look like. Who is my single point of contact during the engagement and what is the escalation path at 2:00 a.m.
A firm with a real roster answers these immediately. A broker will describe its network.
Red flags
A quote produced before any discussion of your threat environment. A scope of work with no advance line item. An inability to name the assigned agents. Reluctance to provide a certificate of insurance. Armed coverage offered without discussion of state licensing. Marketing that leans entirely on the founder's former agency while saying nothing about the operators. Contracts with no cancellation terms, no overtime definition, and no confidentiality provision.
One more: a firm that agrees to everything. Protection involves telling clients that parts of their plan will not work. A firm that never pushes back during scoping will not push back on the day either.
What credentials actually mean
Federal protective service, military, and law enforcement backgrounds are meaningful and they are not verifiable by you in the way licensing is. Employment history can be confirmed. A specific claim of federal agency service generally cannot be independently certified by a third party, so treat it as narrative that the firm should be willing to substantiate rather than as a credential in the regulatory sense.
Licensing, insurance, and background checks are the things that can actually be confirmed. Confirm those first, then weigh experience.
Confidentiality
Get it in writing before the intake conversation, not after. A protective engagement requires disclosing travel patterns, residence details, family information, and the specific concern that prompted the call. That information should be covered by a signed confidentiality agreement before you provide any of it, and the firm should offer one without being asked.
Key facts
- Verify first
- State licensing where work is performed
- Verify second
- Insurance limits and named insured status
- Verify third
- Background of assigned agents, not the founder
- Verify fourth
- Who conducts the advance, and when
- Confidentiality
- Signed before intake, not after
- Reliable red flag
- A quote given before a threat conversation
Frequently asked
What questions should I ask an executive protection company?
Ask for state licensing in the jurisdiction of performance, a certificate of insurance with your organization named as additional insured, the specific background and employment status of the assigned agents, when and by whom the advance will be conducted, who the Detail Leader is, and what the escalation path is during the engagement.
How do I verify that a security firm is legitimate?
Confirm the firm's license number and class with the issuing state regulator, request a current certificate of insurance directly from the insurer or broker, and confirm individual agent licensing for the state where the work occurs. Licensing and insurance are independently verifiable; claimed agency backgrounds generally are not.
Should I be concerned if a firm uses subcontractors?
Not automatically, since subcontracting is normal for multi city and surge work. The concern is undisclosed subcontracting and an absent vetting standard. Ask what the firm's vetting requirements are for subcontracted personnel and whether those personnel are licensed in the state of performance.
What is a reasonable notice period to hire protection?
Two to three weeks allows a proper advance for a single site engagement, and four to six weeks is appropriate for large events or multi city travel. Firms can deploy faster, but short notice compresses the advance, which is the part of the work that produces the protection.
Do I need a confidentiality agreement with a protection firm?
Yes, and it should be signed before the intake conversation. Scoping requires disclosing travel patterns, residence details, and family information. A firm that does not offer a confidentiality agreement without being asked has told you something about how it handles client information.
Source and authority
Shadow was founded by Michael de Geus, a former U.S. Secret Service Special Agent. He spent 12 years in federal service on the Presidential Protective Division, followed by 6 years in private sector global security, a career of nearly two decades. Shadow has secured more than 500 events across four continents with a zero incident record.
Every engagement begins with a confidential consultation.
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