Buyer's Guide
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How to Choose an Executive Protection Company
What separates a licensed executive protection agency from a guard company, how to verify a Florida license, and the questions to ask before you hire anyone.
At a Glance
Executive protection companies in Florida must hold a Class B security agency license from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and every operator on a detail must hold a Class D security officer license, plus a Class G license to carry a firearm. Beyond the license, the differences that matter are who leads the firm, how operators are vetted, whether the company does advance work and protective intelligence or only posts a body, and how it handles your privacy. Praetorian Executive Protection is a Class B agency (B3600136) based on the Space Coast that serves all of Florida.
Search for executive protection in Florida and you will find national brands, local guard companies, boutique agencies, and individuals with a website. They are not the same product.
This guide explains what the state actually requires, what the license does and does not tell you, how the main types of providers differ, and the questions that reveal whether a company can run a real protective detail. We wrote it to help you choose well, whether or not you choose us.
The license is the floor. These are the differences that decide how a detail performs.
Four things that separate a real executive protection company
Licensing You Can Verify
A Class B agency license for the company and Class D and G licenses for each operator, all searchable on the state's public lookup. No license, no detail.
Practitioner Leadership
Who plans your detail matters more than the logo. Look for leadership with real protective experience, not a sales office routing you to a subcontractor.
Advance Work and Intelligence
A protective detail starts before you arrive: venue surveys, route planning, threat assessment. A company that only supplies bodies is a guard company.
Discretion by Design
Operator identities redacted, NDAs standard, low-profile posture, and a firm that does not advertise its clients. Your protection should never become someone's marketing.
Where hiring goes wrong
- Hiring a security guard company for executive protection because the hourly rate is lower. Guard companies are licensed to post officers at fixed locations. They are not built to move a principal through a city, advance a venue, or run protective intelligence.
- Choosing on price alone. The cheapest quote usually means an unvetted operator, no advance work, and no backup when something changes. See what executive protection actually costs in Florida before you compare numbers.
- Booking a national brand without asking who will actually show up. Many national firms subcontract Florida work to local operators they have never met. You should know the names, licenses, and backgrounds of the people on your detail.
Florida licensing, and how to verify it
Private security in Florida is governed by Chapter 493 of the Florida Statutes and administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Licensing. A company that provides protective services must hold a Class B Security Agency license.
Every person working a detail must hold a Class D Security Officer license, which requires 40 hours of state-approved training, and anyone carrying a firearm must also hold a Class G Statewide Firearm license, which requires 28 hours of firearms training and annual requalification. The agency's manager holds a Class MB license.
Before you hire anyone, ask for the agency's Class B number and the operators' Class D and G numbers, then confirm them on the Division of Licensing's public license lookup. Praetorian's licenses are listed in the footer of every page on this site: Class B agency B3600136, manager MB3600080, and firearms instructor K 3600034, alongside the founder's own Class D and G licenses.
The types of providers you will find in Florida
National and international executive protection firms bring scale and global reach, and they suit principals who travel abroad constantly. In Florida they often subcontract to local operators, so the quality of your detail depends on people the brand may not know.
Regional security guard companies are excellent at what they are licensed for: static posts, patrols, and event staffing. They are rarely staffed or trained for close protection, advance work, or protective intelligence.
Boutique executive protection agencies, which is where Praetorian sits, are practitioner-led, staff details with operators they have vetted personally, and do their own advance work. They trade global scale for local depth and direct accountability.
Independent operators can be very good, but a single person cannot run a 24-hour detail, cover a second location, or replace themselves when they are sick. Match the provider type to the problem: a one-time airport transfer, a seasonal residential detail, and an ongoing corporate program are three different engagements.
Questions to ask before you hire
Ask for the agency's Class B license number and verify it. Ask who will lead your detail and what their protective background is, not the company's.
Ask how operators are vetted and whether you will see the names and licenses of the people assigned to you. Ask what advance work is included: venue surveys, route planning, threat assessment, and coordination with venue or event security.
Ask how they handle protective intelligence and what happens when the threat picture changes mid-engagement. Ask how they protect your privacy: NDAs, operator identity redaction, and whether they ever name clients.
Ask about hurricane and emergency planning if you are in Florida for the season. Ask how they price, what is included in a day rate, and what changes the number.
A company that answers all of these plainly is one you can work with.
Direct Practitioner Experience
Christopher Smith founded Praetorian after 30 years across the United States Marine Corps, state law enforcement, and corporate executive protection, including site security leadership at Kennedy Space Center and protective support for high-profile aerospace principals. He wrote this guide because too many Florida principals learn the difference between a guard company and a protection agency after something has already gone wrong. Praetorian is a Class B licensed agency, practitioner-led, with operators vetted personally and identities redacted by policy. If we are not the right fit for your situation, we will tell you, and we will point you toward the right kind of provider.
Frequently Asked
Choosing an Executive Protection Company in Florida FAQs
Is a bodyguard the same as executive protection?
No. A bodyguard is a visible physical presence. Executive protection is a planned program: threat assessment, advance work, secure movement, and low-profile close protection designed to prevent incidents rather than react to them. Florida licenses both under Chapter 493, but the training, planning, and outcomes are different.
Do executive protection agents in Florida need to be licensed?
Yes. Every operator must hold a Class D Security Officer license, and anyone armed must also hold a Class G Statewide Firearm license. The company itself must hold a Class B Security Agency license. All three can be verified on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services license lookup.
How much does executive protection cost in Florida?
Single-operator 12-hour shifts in Florida generally run from $750 to $1,500, and full multi-agent details for a week typically cost $10,000 to $30,000. Scope, risk profile, duration, and armed versus unarmed coverage drive the number. Our executive protection pricing page breaks this down.
Can a Florida executive protection company protect me in another state?
Yes, with planning. Praetorian is headquartered on Florida's Space Coast and deploys nationwide and internationally. Out-of-state details are staffed and licensed according to the destination's requirements, with advance work done before travel.
Other Protection Programs
HNW / Family Office Program
High Net Worth Security
An integrated protection program built around the full exposure profile of HNW individuals, executives, and family offices. Physical, residential, travel, and digital threat coverage in one coordinated program.
Family Office / Advisor Program
Family Office Security
A protection program scoped for family office managers, CFOs, and general counsel. Unified security across multiple principals, residences, and generations, delivered with the documentation fiduciary review requires.
Residential / Estate Program
Residential Security Services
A complete residential security program for high-net-worth homeowners and estates. Written assessment, access control design, CCTV and alarm coordination, household staff vetting, and optional on-site licensed coverage.
Engagement Pricing
Executive Protection Pricing
Real pricing ranges for executive protection in Florida and the variables that determine what an engagement actually costs. No published rates. Every engagement is custom-quoted after a confidential threat assessment.
Get Started
Every Engagement Begins with a Confidential Consultation
Get a professional 30-minute security assessment with a senior practitioner, not a salesperson.
Available 24/7. No questions asked. Secure results.
Request Your Security AssessmentWondering about rates first? See what executive protection costs in Florida.