The BSIS Veterans Come First Program provides the following support for veteran applicants:



More data
about ladders
(most sales-experience people are weak on this,
and many installers don't know the actual rules!)
Written and compiled by a person who has been
hired by BSIS
for the re-write of another BSIS test,
thus learning some techniques
behind the wording
of answer choices and other test-question ideas!
--also: author/compiler has taught BSIS law
and test-passing skills at schools for 25 years,
and has
easily passed multiple BSIS
qualified
manager licensing examinations himself!--
BEWARE OF USING THE WRONG
MATERIAL TO PREPARE WITH!
Blunt and to the point: there is some worthless 'help' out there,
promoted as 'helpful for alarm company tests'. Buyer beware.
We have assisted many who failed after trying alternate choices.
Some 'ACO' material out there is really garbage for
the
C7 or C10 contractor tests-- NOT the same.
Our package is not a garbage CD that
doesn't cover enough, that some applicants
wasted
money on and then came to us!
Our package is not a waste-of-time seminar, that some
applicants wasted money on and then had to call us!
Our package is not one with alarm information
actually from a 1990s alarm book written by a
woman in England, including alarm terms
not used
in the USA,
that some applicants
wasted money
on and then had to call us!
Our package is not a list of broken-English
questions
that include wrong
answers and
unrelated quesses, that some applicants
wasted
money on and then came to us!
Our package is not a bunch of old B&P Code
sections simply re-wrote into
questions, some
outdated and now wrong, that some
applicants
wasted money on and then had to call us!
And we don't have the boring books or CDs
of technical language and math formulas!
For some items, we also mix in some
state-issued data
sometimes modified into
more managable & absorbable data!
Our material includes 'trigger questions'
(related sample questions
that are not actually
connected to any of the multiple alarm company tests,
planted within as to later prove plagiarism--
catches our competitors every time!)
YOUR IP ADDRESS IS 169.253.244
(YOUR VISIT HAS BEEN LOGGED)
Click here to find the 20+ CA locations you can
take the ACO license test 6 days a week!
http://www.thePIgroup.com/ACO-license-test-locations.html
Updated for the 2025 ACO ACQ license test!


Wording/idea help with CONTRACTS and FORMS
Examples of redacted contracts and forms used in an alarm company
environment, to help with some wording when writing your own!
(Alarm service contract, Client Intake sheet, Generic non-alarm Contracts,
Non-compete / Non-competition agreement, Monitoring data sheet,
Confidentially agreement, Independent Contractor agreement,
timesheets, daily time record, weekly time record,
Employment Application,
Disclosure and Authorization for Background Investigation,
Employee Agreement and Consent to Drug and/or Alcohol Testing,
Daily Activity Report blank,
Appearance Release for TV shows,
etc)
THESE ALONE ARE OFTEN WORTH $$$ TO A NEW ACO BUSINESS!!
Use for some of their wording, legal terminology and
ideas while typing up your own; modify as needed.
Details from the State of California:
ALARM COMPANY OPERATOR
Alarm Company Operator, Qualified Manager, or Alarm Agent Requirements for Licensure
An Alarm Company Operator operates a business that sells (at the buyer's home or business), installs, monitors, maintains, services, or responds to alarm systems or supervises such actions. (Retail stores do not have to be licensed if they sell alarm systems only at the store and do not perform any alarm company functions.)
In order for a company to seek licensure as an alarm company operator, the Qualified Manager (see below) must have passed the licensing examination.
In addition, each individual applicant, partner, or corporate officer must meet the following requirements:
- Be 18 or older
- Undergo a criminal history background check through the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Have committed no offense or violation of the Alarm Company Act that would be grounds for license suspension or revocation
To apply for a company license, submit the $35 company license application fee and the $280 company license fee, two recent passport-quality photographs and an Alarm Company Operator Live Scan form signed by the Live Scan Operator. A $32 DOJ processing fee and a $19 FBI processing fee must be paid for each applicant at the Live Scan site. Send the application package to the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, P.O. Box 989002, West Sacramento, CA 95798-9002.
Note: Local authorities may require an alarm company operator to register locally and to get a business permit. They may also enact ordinances governing false alarm activations and responses, and they may require persons who own, lease, or rent alarm systems to get permits.
Qualified Manager
An individual, partnership, or corporation seeking a license as an alarm company operator must specify in the application the individual who will manage the business on a day-to-day basis. This individual is called the Qualified Manager. (An owner, partner, or corporate officer may serve as the qualified manager, or may hire someone to fill this role.) To be eligible to apply for licensure as a qualified manager, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be 18 or older
- Undergo a criminal history background check through the DOJ and the FBI
- Have committed no offense or violation of the Alarm Company Act that would be grounds for license suspension or revocation
- Have two years (4,000 hours) of paid experience in alarm company work or the equivalent;
(Most applicants need at least 4000 hours of alarm-related experience to be able to take this test.
One exception: as of January 1, 2013, the 4,000-hour requirement for low-voltage C7 license holders (0-91 volts)
in the state has been waived, allowing home theater and other A/V specialists to immediately take
the Alarm Company Qualified (ACQ) Manager exam. Once that test is passed, an integrator simply
needs to apply for an Alarm Company Operator (ACO) license to get into the security business.
There is not a separate test for an ACO license. (The 4,000-hour requirement had previously been
waived for electricians with state C10 licenses (0-high voltage) and for ACEs with 2 years of experience in the field.)
and
- Pass a two-hour multiple-choice examination covering California law, the Alarm Company Act, alarm agent requirements, weapons laws, business management, and Power to Arrest. A copy of the Alarm Company Act will be sent to you.
To apply for a Qualified Manager certificate, submit a completed application, two recent passport-quality photographs, a $105 application and examination fee and an Alarm Company Operator Qualified Manager Live Scan form signed by the Live Scan Operator. A $32 DOJ processing fee and a $19 FBI processing fee must be paid for each applicant at the Live Scan site. Send the application package to the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, P.O. Box 989002, West Sacramento, CA 95798-9002.
Alarm Agent
An Alarm Agent is employed by an alarm company operator to sell (at the buyer's home or business), install, monitor, maintain, service, or respond to alarm systems or to supervise such actions. To be eligible to apply for registration as an alarm agent, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be 18 or older
- Undergo a criminal history background check through the DOJ and the FBI; and
- Pass the Power to Arrest examination (if your duties will include responding to alarm activations). This follows a eight-hour training course covering responsibilities and ethics in citizen's arrest, relationship with police, limitations on Power to Arrest, restrictions on searches and seizures, criminal and civil liabilities, terrorism, code of ethics and personal and employer liability. The training and exam may be administered by any licensed alarm company operator or qualified manager. A copy of the Alarm Company Act will be provided on request for a fee.
To apply for an Alarm Agent registration, submit a completed application, a $17 registration fee and an Alarm Company Employee Live Scan form signed by the Live Scan Operator. A $32 DOJ processing fee and a $19 FBI processing fee must be paid for each applicant at the Live Scan site. Send the application package to the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services, P.O. Box 989002, West Sacramento, CA 95798-9002.
For an optional photo ID card, request a photo ID application, then send it with a passport-quality photo and $10 to the above address.
Once you have submitted your application and the appropriate fees, you may work with a temporary registration card as an unarmed alarm agent if you have not been convicted of a crime.
Firearm Permit
Whether you work as an alarm agent, alarm company operator, or qualified manager, you may not carry a gun on duty without having been issued a firearm permit by the Department of Consumer Affairs. To apply for a firearm permit, you must be a citizen or have permanent legal alien status, pass a course given by a Bureau- certified firearms training instructor in the carrying and use of firearms, submit a firearm permit application, an $80 application fee and an Alarm Agent Registration w/Firearm Permit Live Scan form signed by the Live Scan Operator. A $28 firearm eligibility application, $32 DOJ fingerprint processing and $19 FBI fingerprint processing fee must be paid for each applicant at the Live Scan Site. The 14-hour firearms (8 hours classroom, 6 hours range) training course covers moral and legal aspects, firearms nomenclature, weapons handling and shooting fundamentals, emergency procedures, and range training. The course must be given by a Bureau certified firearms training instructor at a Bureau certified training facility. Written and range exams are administered at the end of the course. Costs of training are determined by the training facility.
Note: A firearms qualification card expires two years from the date of issuance. An applicant must requalify four times during the life of the permit: twice during the first year after the date of issuance, and twice during the second year. Requalifications must be at least four months apart.
Tear Gas Permit
The law requires those who wish to carry tear gas on duty to complete training approved by the Department of Consumer Affairs. For a list of licensed training schools, call (800) 952-5210 or visit the Bureau's license look-up at www.dca.ca.gov/bsis/online_services/verify_license.shtml and search by county.
Applications for registration as an alarm agent are available from alarm company operators. To request an application for licensure as an Alarm Company operator or Qualified Manager, call (916) 322-4000 or (800) 952-5210, or visit our Web site at www.bsis.ca.gov/forms_pubs/
Also from the State of California:
- What are the requirements for licensing an Alarm Company Operator?
The general requirements for alarm company operator are:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Undergo a criminal history review by the Department of Justice and the FBI
- How long will it take to process my application after I submit it?
The processing will take approximately three to six months.
- What forms and fees must be included in the application package?
- Application for License (Form 31A-4)
- Personal Identification (Form 31A-9)
- The second copy of the Live Scan Form (BCII 8016) signed by the Live Scan operator.
- Two recent passport quality photographs
- Request for Authorization of Business name [Form 31A-12, if applicable]
- Corporate applicants only: endorsed Articles of Incorporation or the Statement by a Foreign Corporations (if filed with the Secretary of State)
- How Long is an Alarm Company Operator's license valid?
An alarm company operator's license is valid for two years.
- I was denied an Alarm Company Operator's license. When can I reapply?
You may submit a new application one-year from the date of denial.
- I received a 1203.4 dismissal on my conviction. Do I still need to report the conviction on my application?
Yes. You must report the conviction.
- I was not sent to jail, so do I have a conviction on my record?
Yes. You do not have to go to jail to receive a conviction. Any of the following types of convictions are part of your record and should be reported on your application: jail, probation, community services, fine, restitution, counseling programs and rehabilitation programs.
- I was only convicted of a misdemeanor. Can the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) still deny my license?
Yes. A conviction does not have to be a felony for the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services to deny licensure. The nature of the crime, whether it was related to the duties of an alarm company operator, the length of time elapsed since conviction, any evidence of rehabilitation, or mitigating circumstances are all considered when deciding whether or not to deny licensure.
- How does an alarm company operator renew his/her license?
After two years, the license is scheduled for renewal. The licensee may receive a (courtesy) renewal application mailed to the last address of record. If you do not receive a renewal application, you should submit a copy of your license with a written request for renewal, including the fees for renewal (see fee schedule) and mail to: Bureau of Security and Investigative Services P.O. Box 989002 West Sacramento, CA. 95798-9002 (This must be submitted before the expiration date.)
- When does an alarm company operator's license become delinquent?
Your license is delinquent 30 days after the expiration date. To renew your license you must then pay the renewal fee and the delinquent fee.
- How long after the expiration of my license am I able to renew my license?
You may renew your license for three years after it has expired. The license may be renewed upon payment of the renewal fee and the delinquent fee. If after three years, you failed to renew, you must submit a new application and begin the application process again.
- Can I verify receipt of my application for license for an alarm company operator?
Yes. You must contact the Bureau at (916) 322-4000.
- How do I notify the Bureau of my change of address?
You must notify the Bureau in writing within 30 days of such a change. Be sure that you include your license number, name, previous address, the new address, date of birth and Social Security number (please print or type information).
- How do I change my business name?
To change your business name, you must submit a $25 fee and a written request to the Bureau. Submit at least eight names for consideration. The first name requested will be approved unless the name could be confused with or is similar to a federal, state, county, or municipal agency function or to any law enforcement agency. In addition, any name, which could tend to describe any business function or enterprise, not actually engaged in by the licensee under that name. * You may not operate under your requested new name until an approval is receive
- If I lost my alarm company license or it was destroyed or damaged, how do I obtain a duplicate?
You may request a duplicate license by submitting a written request explaining the circumstances. Please allow four to six weeks for receipt
- The name/address was misspelled on my license. Is there a fee for a new one?
No. An error on a license should be returned for correction to the Bureau without charge. A correction takes approximately three to four weeks. Please clarify the error in writing and return the license.
- Can an Alarm Company Operator use a post office box for an address?
Yes, under certain circumstances. The Alarm Company Operator may list a post office box only if mail is delivered to the business address is not possible, or if the place of business is located at the licensee's personal residence. This request must be explained in writing. Otherwise, the company must state address by street, number and city. In addition, no licensee shall conduct business from any location other than the location for which a license or branch office registration was issued.
- How long does it take to process a new license after a name, address, or branch office change has been made?
Typically name, address or branch changes take approximately four to six weeks.
- What forms are required to open a branch office? Is there a fee?
Upon written request to the Bureau, a branch office application will be mailed to you. The branch office application fee is $35. (You may download a copy of the application from the Bureau's Web site at www.dca.ca.gov/bsis/)
- There has been a change in the type of ownership/entity after receiving the Alarm Company Operator License. What do I have to do?
Licenses can not be transferred or reassigned to new entities.
A change of ownership constitutes a new entity. You must submit a new application with appropriate fees.
For example: if you apply and become licensed as a sole owner and
later decide to form a corporation, you must apply for a new license.

Call for your UPS tracking number ONE HOUR
after we receive and fully finish processing your order!
More than 300 pages of datasheets with
graphics enhance our 2025
- ACO material!
Students retain twice
as much information if it includes
VISUAL cues,
so we include more than 300 information-supporting
datasheets with photos or drawings!
Fire alarm basics!
Inserted randomly throughout the 1300+page 13-pound package
are more educational pages about fire alarm systems.
Fire-only pages are not needed for ACO testing;
they are to quietly let you absorb the knowledge, or not, you choose!
What nice things
he had to say!
"Hi, this is Xxx. Im calling to thank you-- I passed the ACO test today!
My experience was only from alarm sales.
Your great package was excellent. It made me strong on everything.
You nailed everything. I think I retained everything because of how you randomly organized it--
that made the info stick with me. I learned so much about the industry too.
I never would have been able to answer the questions about
xxxxxxx xxxxx
and xx-xxx xxxxxxx if not for your material.
And there were 3 questions about xxxxx xxxxx too. Thanks so much."
Remember, it's more than 1300 full-size pages!
You can choose the package above,
with or without the optional items.
Written and compiled by a person
who has been hired by BSIS
for the re-write of another BSIS test,
thus learning some techniques
behind answer choices and
other test-question ideas!
--also: author/compiler has taught
other BSIS himself for 30 years,
and has
easily passed multiple BSIS qualified
manager licensing examinations himself!--
Some people have called our more than 300 pages
of ACO test datasheets with graphics
'like Giant Paper Flashcards'!
Scheduling an ACO ACQ license test
The California Alarm Company Operator
(ACO/ACQ) license exam
testing is usually given at 20+
CA locations, 6 days per week.
See the list below for the one closest to you, then call PSI at 800-733-9267
to verify that the location is available for alarm testing on the date you need.
There are more than 20 California testing locations, below is just a few of them
(changes often, a complete list, with addresses, is in the study package)
Agoura Hills
Orange County / Anaheim is 714-254-1453
2301 W. Lincoln Ave, # 252, Anaheim, CA 92801
San Luis Obispo County / Atascadero is 805-462-8983
7305 Morro Rd, # 201A, Atascadero, CA 93422
Kern County / Bakersfield is 661-398-9354
5405 Stockdale Highway, # 206, Bakersfield, CA 93309
Los Angeles County / Carson is 310-217-1066
17420 S. Avalon Blvd, # 205, Carson, CA 90746
Los Angeles County / Diamond Bar
21660 East Copley Drive, # 260, Diamond Bar, CA 91765
Los Angeles County / El Monte is 626-442-4112
4399 Santa Anita Avenue, #110, El Monte, CA 91731
Fresno County / Fresno is 559-221-9006
351 E. Barstow, # 101, Fresno, CA 93710
Mariposa County / Hayward is 510-784-1114
24301 Southland Dr, # B1, Hayward, CA 94545
Orange County / Laguna Hills
23297 South Pointe Drive, #140, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Los Angeles County / Lawndale is 310-793-1200
The Baytower Corporate Center,
15901 Hawthorne Blvd, #330, Lawndale, CA 90260
Shasta County / Redding is 530-221-0945
2861 Churn Creek, #C, Redding, CA 96002
Riverside County / Riverside is 951-680-9720
Riverside Technology Business Park;
1660 Chicago Ave, # M-15, Riverside 92507
Sacramento County / Sacramento is 916-363-6455
9719 Lincoln Village Drive, Building 100, Suite 100, 95827
San Diego County / San Diego is 858-658-0786
5440 Morehouse Drive, # 3300, San Diego, CA 92121
San Francisco County / San Francisco is 415-330-9700
150 Executive Park Bl, #1100, San Francisco, CA 94134
Santa Clara County / Santa Clara is 408-844-0004
2936 Scott Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95054
Santa Rosa County / Santa Rosa is 707-544-6723
160 Wikiup Drive, # 105, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Ventura County / Ventura is 805-650-5220
4245 Market Street, #208, Ventura CA 93003
Tulare County / Visalia is 559-627-6700
3400 W Mineral King Avenue, #D, Visalia CA 93291
Contra Costa County / Walnut Creek is 925-906-9165
175 Lennon Lane, #203, Walnut Creek CA 94598
There are also PSI locations in other states nationwide.

Click here to find the 20+ CA locations
you can take the ACO ACQ licensing test 6 days a week!
http://www.thePIgroup.com/ACO-license-test-locations.html
Another

bonus!
More electrical safety datasheets
Almost all of our questions include answers. BUT:
we also include some
and
question pages,
to stimulate your thinking and study;
and instead of giving you the answers to them,
we instruct some research for you to do!
Some use the titles above, some do not;
some of their answers are elsewhere in the package,
a few require your own outside research such as using Google.
A SECRET!
Reading our extensive printed paper ACO test study materials with
memory-helping graphics,
over and over, studying around your daily duties,
or sitting in your car, or even while resting in bed,
is FAR more effective then trying to study on-line or on a CD or at a 'seminar'.
Do one final review while parked outside the
test center for your ACO test appointment!
Avoid the clowns.
Avoid the phonies. 
Only www.thePIgroup.com has our
2025 CA ACO study material!
We have helped more than 4500
pass their states' license tests--
more than 300 in the past year.
Nobody else has even helped 30 to pass in the last year!

Our material includes 'trigger questions'
(related sample questions
that are not actually connected to any
of the multiple versions of the ACO test,
planted within as to later prove plagiarism--
catches our competitors every time!)
FREE help with your
ACO license application!



Many see those 20 crowded pages and
get confused. Almost everybody does.
"Am I testing for ACO or am I
testing for Qualified Manager?"
"How do I prove my experience?"
"Should I be a Sole Proprietor?"
"What if I don't want my boss to know
I'm applying for my own license?"
We can show you which 6 pages that you must complete,
and what non-included one to attach,
and we know the common mistakes made by
many applicants. Including two major secrets!
We know how to avoid a few common delays.
Don't get your application rejected due to mistakes--
we help you complete it: FREE by phone or in-person.
Call 818-883-6969 NOW! 
If you have failed the ACO test,
we have 'special help' for you.
If you haven't tested yet,
we are experts with that too.
Lowest price on
ACO liability insurance.
That info alone can save you
hundreds of dollars every year!
Purchaser is licensed one copy of this material
for purchaser's personal use.
Any other redistribution or reproduction
is strictly prohibited.
All rights reserved. A purchase of this
material is for our purchaser's sole use,
and is only to assist
that sole purchaser
in his/her new ACO business and in the
preparation of taking his/her
own upcoming
licensing test. No portion of this material
may be reproduced, copied, sold, resold, shared,
sold after purchaser's use, exploited, stored
in an electronic
system, used for training of others,
or transmitted in any form
or by any means,
electronic, reworded, modified,
mechanical, photocopy,
recording, or otherwise.
It is solely intended for and sold only directly
from us to applicants for this professional license.
It is expressly NOT for use, tutoring, duplication,
training, adaption, or any other use by
other publishers or writers, teachers or instructors,
coaching or preparatory entities,
testing agencies and certification agencies,
any group use, government agency, or any other person.
All specifications subject to change without prior notice.
Remember,
this includes a
-pound package!
Back to the main page, click here: MAIN PAGE
122024A305
Included in the 13-pounds
is a 25-page
fire alarm training manual!
(Note: It sometimes ships to you in a 12 X 12 box)

These additional options are often available-- ask for details:

or, use your own shipping account.
We can buy and/or trade items for any
related material that you have self-developed.
Included for 2025:
All specifications subject to change
with or without prior notice.
Page-counts, question-counts, and shipping-
weights are approximate but are very close.
All listed testimonials are from within last 3 years.
Come pick up a package, or send a simple money order;
we put long holds on orders paid by check. <<< don't miss this
Call to ask about same-day payments & shipping.
***--13 pounds; it is shipped inside a LARGE professional-grade
binder with section dividers, so bursting with information that its
pockets are likely to be exploded out by the time it arrives to you
(that's OK, the binder is just a shipping container, as the material
in the pockets are
meant to be studied outside of the binder!)--***
Ask how to get a package delivered into your hands tomorrow!
Call (818) 883-6969
or e-mail to
thePIgroup@aol.com
(Mention that it is the ACO ACQ test that you are taking)
NOTE: This is not a 'forever book', it has a shelf life.
It will be good for a period of 6 months
from the time you purchase it.
Buy one if you are going to test within 6 months.
After several requests asking for a
version,
we formed a plan-- but we don't recommend it as the best choice.
If we provided you only the 1000+ pages of paper material,
with no binder, no dividers, maybe not even any staples(!),
perhaps we could shave off 10% for this
new bare-bones 'economy' version.
While it would have every page that the other version does,
we don't think it's a great idea. We think, actually we KNOW,
that our proper assembly into a binder with dividers and with
related
items stapled together makes it a better study tool.
But because we have been asked, this is the idea.



UPDATED FOR 2025
BUSINESS & TESTING





ORDERING INFORMATION
1. (THE BEST CHOICE)
Come pick up a package
(telephone about the special free extras if
you have the time to come in to visit us!;
we can help with your application,
or your name choice,
or help get your web page started,
and much more),
or
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(add shipping)
or
3. Send a simple money order
for the package and shipping,
and your package usually goes
out same-day money order is
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CA ACO and your name and shipping address
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there is NO connection to this order to
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text or email you may have sent)
(add shipping)
or
4. Send a check, but
we put long holds on
orders paid by check.<<< don't miss this,
(we have had checks return
bad 13 days after deposit)
(be sure to include a note that says
CA ACO and your name and shipping address
and the name of the person taking the test;
there is NO connection to this order to
any
text or email you may have sent)
(add shipping)
From 1990 through 2024, we took credit cards,
electronic payments, PayPal, Western Union, etc.
NO MORE.
We're tired of the 'bad numbers',
the delays,
the costs,
the 'bank mistakes', the excuses,
'its my wife's fault', and so on.
We make too little on these 1300-page
13-pound packages for that headache.
So
unless we are to raise our prices
for this year, if you can't come in to
pick up
a package then there's only
one way to send a shipment to you
if you need it faster than by sending
payment by regular mail:
you simply overnight us a money order.
It doesn't have to be a costly and
time-consuming one issued by a bank--
a grocery store or
post office money order
or 7-11 money order is fine.
Be sure to include the name of the test-taker.
Call 818-883-6969 for more details!

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California Alarm Company Operator license test
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