Changes in the Work of Bodyguards

The draft amendments to the Law on Private Security Activities have been discussed by the Permanent Commission on Defense and Security Affairs of the National Assembly. Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Armen Mkrtchyan stated that the draft includes several important changes.

The improvement of legislation clarifies and standardizes the law by including all subtypes of security activities, such as alarm and surveillance systems that were previously used but not regulated by law.

The tightening of licensing requirements means organizations must have at least 10 qualified security guards (up from the current requirement of 1) to obtain a license. Additionally, the state fee paid once for the entire duration of the activity will increase from 500 times (about 65,000 AMD) to 3,000 times (about 390,000 AMD). This aims to ensure that only companies that are serious and have the necessary resources receive licenses.

Mandatory insurance will require security companies to have insurance equal to twice the payments received for services in the previous year, but no less than 10 million AMD.

Also, regulations regarding carrying weapons will grant security personnel and bodyguards a 5-year permit to carry a weapon, regardless of changes in employers. This permit will be individual and linked to the person rather than the organization.

Currently, there are about 200 security companies registered in Armenia, but only 20-30 provide stable and quality services. The new regulations will help distinguish serious companies and raise the overall standard of the sector.

“A protected individual can no longer be accompanied by a second vehicle. This means that security services will be provided via the same transport, and the number of bodyguards cannot exceed three,” the deputy minister revealed.