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Security Guard Invoice Template

A security services invoice is checked against two things the client already has: the post orders in the contract, which set how many officers of which type cover each post and at what rate, and the sign-in sheets or daily activity reports from the site. If the invoice lists shifts by post, date, start and end time and rate, the client's facilities or finance team can tick them off in minutes; if it shows only '336 hours', it waits. This template is for licensed security companies billing static guarding, event security and mobile patrols, weekly or monthly. In some states individual guards cannot sell their services directly, so the invoice normally comes from the licensed company, not the officer. The download is an editable HTML file with the usual invoice header, line table and totals, plus fields for the contract, site and post, service period, shifts, officer type, special rates, extra shifts, patrol visits, report references and your license number. Fill it in your browser, then print it or save it as PDF.

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Download the HTML file to edit its fields, then print or save as PDF. Totals are entered manually.

What This Template Includes

  • Contract or post order reference
  • Site address and post (gate, lobby, patrol route)
  • Service period (from and to dates)
  • Shifts: date, start and end time, hours
  • Officer type (unarmed, armed, supervisor, mobile patrol) and hourly rate
  • Night, weekend or holiday rates as set in the contract
  • Extra shifts requested by the client, with the request reference
  • Patrol visits or alarm responses, with date and time
  • Daily activity or incident report references
  • Company license number, where your state issues one

How to Create Your Security Guard Invoice

  1. 01

    Describe your work

    Type a plain English description of the services you provided, the client, and the amount.

  2. 02

    AI generates your invoice

    InvoiceQuickly's AI drafts the client, line items, dates, and totals for you to review before saving.

  3. 03

    Review, download, and send

    Check every detail, download the PDF, or use Pro to email the PDF directly to your client.

Recommended Payment Terms

Guard companies pay officers weekly or every two weeks, so long client terms are a real cash-flow cost: bill weekly or every two weeks on ongoing contracts, and agree net 15 or net 30 in the contract. Set the rules that drive most disputes in the contract and repeat them on the invoice: the minimum billable shift (for example four hours for a call-out), which days count as holidays and the holiday rate, when a client-requested extra shift is billed at a premium and how much notice the client must give to cancel a shift without charge. For one-off events, ask for payment before the event or a booking payment when the client confirms. If a client disputes one shift, ask it to pay the undisputed lines on time and resolve that shift separately.

Need help writing payment terms? Read our guide to invoice payment terms for best practices and templates.

Tax Information

Some US states tax security services and others do not. Texas, for example, lists guard services (other than guard dog companies), private security officers and security services contractors among its taxable security services; the provider collects state and local sales tax on the total amount billed, including expenses such as meals or lodging billed to the customer, and services to government agencies are not taxable (Texas Comptroller, Publication 94-119). Texas's state rate is 6.25%, and cities, counties and transit authorities can add up to 2%. Check your own state revenue department before deciding. InvoiceQuickly applies one tax percentage to the whole invoice and copies your saved tax ID to new invoice PDFs; add your licence number in notes, and invoice taxable and non-taxable services separately if a client buys both. This is not tax advice; check with your tax authority or an adviser.

Industry context (2026)

Licensing and tax rules for guard services are set by each state, and two official examples show why they matter for invoicing. In California, the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services requires registered guards to be at least 18, pass state and FBI background checks and complete Power to Arrest training before registration, then 32 hours of skills training within six months and 8 hours a year after that (BSIS fact sheet, revised January 2022), and its registration application states that a security guard registrant cannot contract out their services directly to any person or business. Licensed private patrol operators must carry general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence (BSIS PPO fact sheet, July 2020). In Texas, the Comptroller's Publication 94-119 (November 2021) lists guard services, private security officers and security services contractors as taxable security services, says the tax applies to the total billed including expenses such as meals and lodging, and presumes a single charge mixing taxable and non-taxable services is fully taxable when the taxable part is more than 5%, unless the taxable charge is stated separately. We give no market rate figures for guard services because we have no traceable source for them.

Worked example

Lone Star Patrol Services, a licensed security company, guards a distribution warehouse in Houston, Texas under post order PO-WH-3: one unarmed officer on the gate, 12-hour day and night shifts. Contract rates: $32.00 an hour for day shifts, $34.50 for night shifts and $48.00 for any shift starting on a listed holiday; extra patrol visits at $40.00 each. Invoice INV-0611, issued 30 November 2026 for 23 to 29 November, net 15. Line 1: Gate post, day shifts 07:00 to 19:00, 23 to 25 and 27 to 29 Nov, 6 shifts x 12 h = 72 h x $32.00 = $2,304.00. Line 2: Gate post, night shifts 19:00 to 07:00, same dates, 72 h x $34.50 = $2,484.00. Line 3: Thanksgiving, 26 Nov, day and night shifts, 24 h x $48.00 = $1,152.00. Line 4: Extra patrol visits requested by email 27 Nov, 2 x $40.00 = $80.00. Subtotal $2,304.00 + $2,484.00 + $1,152.00 + $80.00 = $6,020.00. In this example the combined Houston rate of 8.25% applies (6.25% state, 1% city, 1% transit authority): tax $6,020.00 x 8.25% = $496.65. Total $6,516.65, due 15 December. Notes: 'Daily activity reports DAR-1123 to DAR-1129 sent daily. Incident report IR-0447 (26 Nov) sent separately. Texas security services license no. [your number].' 168 hours billed equals 7 days x 24 hours of single-officer cover, which is the first check the client's facilities manager will make.

Common mistakes to avoid

Billing total hours without shift times

'Guard services: 168 hours' cannot be checked against sign-in sheets. List each post and shift with dates and start and end times.

Holiday premiums the contract does not define

Charging a holiday rate for a day the contract does not list as a holiday leads to short payment. Define the holidays and the rate in the contract and quote them on the invoice.

Extra shifts with no request reference

A client that did not see the request will dispute the shift. Quote the email or ticket that asked for it, with the date.

One price for taxable and non-taxable services

In Texas, a single charge mixing taxable and non-taxable services can be presumed fully taxable. State the taxable services separately, or invoice them separately if your tool supports only one tax rate per invoice.

Incident details on the invoice

Invoices travel through accounts payable and audits. Reference the report number only; keep names and details in the report itself.

Invoicing Tips

  • 1Bill each post separately, then each officer type within it. A client with a gate post and a mobile patrol approves them from different budgets.
  • 2Show start and end times for every shift, not just hours. 'Thu 26 Nov, 07:00 to 19:00, 12 h' lets the client match the line to its sign-in sheet.
  • 3Put holiday and night rates on their own lines with the rate stated, so the premium is visible and matches the contract.
  • 4Reference the client's request for every extra shift (email date or ticket number). Extra shifts without a request reference are the most disputed lines.
  • 5Refer to daily activity and incident reports by number; never copy incident details or names into the invoice, which is circulated to people who do not need them.
  • 6If you subcontract a shift to another licensed company, check whether your state's tax rules treat that as a resale before you bill it.

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a security guard invoice include?

Your company name, license number where applicable and contact details, the client and site, an invoice number and dates, the contract or post order reference, the service period, each shift with date, start and end time and hours, the officer type and rate, night or holiday rates, extra shifts with the client's request reference, patrol visits, report references, tax if it applies, the total and payment instructions.

Can an individual security guard invoice a client directly?

It depends on the state. In California, the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services says a registered security guard cannot contract out their services directly to any person or business and must be an employee instead. Other states have their own licensing rules, so check with your state's licensing agency before invoicing as an individual.

How do I bill holiday and overtime shifts?

Bill them at the rate your contract sets, on their own lines. Define the holidays and the premium in the contract, and note on the invoice which shifts it applies to. A guard's overtime pay under employment law is a separate matter from what you charge the client.

Do security guard services include sales tax?

Only in some states. Texas taxes guard services and collects state and local sales tax on the total charge, while many states do not tax them. Check your own state revenue department's guidance on security services.

How often should a security company invoice?

Weekly or every two weeks for ongoing guarding is common, because officers are paid on a similar cycle. Monthly suits small contracts. Use the same cut-off every time and match it to the client's sign-in records.

Can InvoiceQuickly create a security guard invoice?

Yes. Describe the period, for example a week of day and night shifts at your contract rates with two holiday shifts, and InvoiceQuickly drafts an editable invoice you review before saving, with up to 100 lines. It does not schedule guards or store incident reports. Pro includes timer and manual time entries; check guard hours against your approved timesheets. For the next period, duplicate the last invoice and change the dates and hours.