Quick summary: In Guatemala you hire a guard through a licensed security company, and hiring a company or person you know is unlicensed is itself a crime: six to twelve years and a Q100,000 fine under Article 66 of Decreto 52-2010. What a post costs is public in one place, Guatecompras: three 2026 contracts for several agents work out at Q5,500 to Q5,625 per agent a month (about US$720-736, our division). The legal pay floor is Q4,252.28 a month in Guatemala department and Q4,066.90 elsewhere (bonus included); with Bono 14 and aguinaldo set aside monthly that is about Q4,919 (~US$644) and Q4,703 (~US$616), before employer social security, insurance, uniforms, supervision, profit and IVA.
USD figures use the Banguat reference rate of Q7.63916 per US dollar on October 21, 2026. See today’s exchange rate.
This page is for the person buying security: a homeowner, a residential committee, a small business or a foreign owner leaving a property empty. If you want to start a security company, the licensing process and DIGESSP’s fees are on our DIGESSP licence page.
What public bodies paid for guards in 2026
Public contracts on Guatecompras name the buyer, the number of agents, the period and the amount awarded. Checked October 21, 2026:
| Buyer (NOG) | What was contracted | Awarded | Per agent per month (our division) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tribunal Supremo Electoral (31418988) | Security and watch service with 4 agents, for 4 months | Q90,000 | Q5,625 (~$736) |
| USAC, Centro Universitario de Retalhuleu (32068794) | 4 private security agents (2 for offices, 2 for the campus), October to December 2026 | Q67,500 | Q5,625 (~$736) |
| Ministerio de Salud, Hospital Nacional de Salamá (32174128); the item line names the Hospital de Rabinal | 1 shift of 2 agents on 24 x 24 hours, in 2 groups (4 people in total), October to December 2026 | Q66,000 | Q5,500 (~$720) |
| Federación Nacional de Luchas (29081874) | One guard post, 24 x 24, Monday to Sunday, January to October 2026; firearm not required, a baton at least | Q90,000 | not divisible: the record does not say how many people cover the post |
| Asociación Deportiva Nacional de Billar (29265924) | One security agent for 2026: secondary education, uniformed, at least 1.70 m tall, armed with a shotgun or revolver, clean criminal, police and RENAS records | Q69,360 | not divisible: the record does not give the months |
The first three went to two companies: Servicio de Seguridad Comercial, Residencial, Industrial y Bancaria, S.A. (TSE and Salamá) and Servicios de Seguridad Profesional Privada, S.A. (USAC). These are public-sector posts; a quote for a house can differ, but a quote far below these per-agent figures should prompt the questions further down.
What a guard costs: the legal floor, built up
DIGESSP does not set a price per post. What is fixed by law is what the company must pay the person standing at your gate. Here is that floor for one full-time guard in 2026.
| Cost line (per month) | Guatemala department (CE1) | Rest of the country (CE2) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage, non-agricultural | Q4,002.28 | Q3,816.90 | Acuerdo Gubernativo 256-2025, as published by MINTRAB |
| Bonificación incentivo | Q250.00 | Q250.00 | Decretos 78-89 and 37-2001 |
| Paid to the guard (gross) | Q4,252.28 | Q4,066.90 | |
| Bono 14 + aguinaldo, set aside monthly (two extra months of wage a year ÷ 12) | Q667.05 | Q636.15 | Decretos 42-92 and 76-78 |
| Floor before employer social security | ~Q4,919 (~US$644) | ~Q4,703 (~US$616) | our arithmetic |
The last two rows are our own arithmetic; the minimum wage is explained on our 2026 minimum wage page. The floor leaves out things a security company must also pay for and will pass on to you:
Employer social-security contributions (IGSS, IRTRA and INTECAP) on the wage; see our IGSS contribution calculator.
Insurance the law requires. Article 31 of Decreto 52-2010 obliges every provider to keep group life insurance for its workers worth at least 15 minimum wages, civil-liability insurance or a bond toward third parties of at least Q150,000, and a performance bond toward its clients.
Each guard’s DIGESSP accreditation, which the 2026 DIGESSP cost table sets at Q592.11 (15% of one minimum wage).
Uniforms and identification, which the company must supply (Article 30).
Supervision, relief cover for days off and vacations, training, weapons and radios where the service uses them.
The company’s margin, and IVA (value-added tax, 12%) on the invoice.
Compared with the CE2 floor for their departments, the USAC Retalhuleu contract (Q5,625) sits Q922 a month above it and the Salamá contract (Q5,500) Q797 above it (our subtraction); the TSE record does not say where the agents work, so it is not compared. A quote that works out to less than the legal floor per guard means someone in the chain is not being paid what the law requires.
What the job boards say guards earn
Computrabajo, a Guatemalan job board, publishes salary estimates it says come from companies, users and employees over the last 12 months. Checked October 21, 2026:
| Job title on Computrabajo | Mean monthly salary | Low and high shown | Salaries in sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guardia de seguridad | 3,365 Q | 1,000 Q – 5,184 Q | 123 |
| Agente de seguridad | 3,657 Q | 2,640 Q – 6,000 Q | 257 |
Both averages sit below the Q4,252.28 legal floor for Guatemala department. Computrabajo does not say whether its figures include the Q250 bonus, part-time jobs or jobs outside the capital, so the gap cannot be split between underpayment and sampling. What you can do is refuse any arrangement where your guard is paid under the floor, because Article 58 of Decreto 52-2010 lists breaking employer obligations and labour rights as a very grave infraction for the security company.
The law that makes the client liable
Private security in Guatemala is governed by Decreto 52-2010, the Ley que Regula los Servicios de Seguridad Privada, and its regulation, Acuerdo Gubernativo 417-2013. The regulator is DIGESSP, the Dirección General de Servicios de Seguridad Privada, part of the Ministry of the Interior. Four articles matter to a client:
- Article 66, illegal service. Providing private security without authorisation or an operating licence is a crime punished with six to twelve years in prison and a Q100,000 fine. The same article extends that liability to anyone who knowingly hires an unauthorised company or person.
- Article 17, formal employment. Security companies must employ their staff in a relación de dependencia (as employees, not freelancers), with all labour benefits.
- Article 43, subcontracting. A provider may only subcontract to companies that themselves hold DIGESSP authorisation and a licence. Subcontracting to an unlicensed provider is a very grave infraction under Article 58.
- Article 59, what guards may not do. Among other things, a guard may not drink alcohol on duty, must carry the DIGESSP credential while working, and may not search people or vehicles without authorisation and outside the service, or hold on to someone’s personal documents for a prolonged time without justification.
A company’s operating licence lasts three years and can be renewed (Article 32). DIGESSP can fine a provider 10 to 20 minimum wages for an infraction, and cancel its licence for the very grave ones (Article 61).
Hiring a guard directly instead of a company
The law’s licence classes for individuals cover only escorts and private investigators, not guards (Article 15). An individual who wants to work alone as an escort needs a DIGESSP licence of their own, which the 2026 cost table prices at Q11,842.20 (three minimum wages). The law is written around companies; if you employ someone yourself simply to watch your property, ask a Guatemalan lawyer which regime applies before you start.
Vigilante, guard or escort: what you are buying
Decreto 52-2010 sorts security agents into classes, and they are not interchangeable:
| Class | What the law says they do | Armed? | Minimum requirements in the law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vigilante (Art. 45) | Uniformed watch inside buildings, schools, businesses, residences, colonias and developments | No firearms | Over 18; primary school completed (or 4th grade plus a special course within one year); DIGESSP-recognised training and certification |
| Guardia (Art. 46) | Watch and protection of sites, cash and goods vehicles, and people | May carry the equipment and firearms approved in the company’s security plan | Over 18; ciclo básico completed (or a special course within 18 months); training and certification |
| Guard for rural property (Art. 47) | Watch inside the boundaries of a property outside town | May carry civil or sporting firearms authorised by DIGECAM | Same as a vigilante |
| Escolta privado (Art. 48) | Protection and custody of a person | May carry firearms authorised by DIGECAM | Diversificado (high-school) diploma; training and certification |
For most homes and small businesses, the question to settle with the company is whether the post is a vigilante (unarmed) or a guardia (armed) post. The two 2026 single-post contracts above show both: one asked for no firearm but a baton, the other for an agent armed with a shotgun or revolver. Firearms, where used, also fall under the Ley de Armas y Municiones, Decreto 15-2009.
24-hour cover: count the guards, not the post
Guards are an exception to the ordinary workday. Article 124 of the Labour Code lists workers who occupy watch posts (puestos de vigilancia) among those not subject to the ordinary limits of Article 116 (eight hours a day on day shifts, six at night). The same article still says they cannot be made to work more than twelve hours a day, and that hours beyond twelve are paid as overtime.
So the shift arithmetic for a post covered around the clock, every day, is:
| Step | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Hours to cover per week | 24 × 7 = 168 | |
| 12-hour shifts per week | 168 ÷ 12 = 14 | Art. 124 twelve-hour ceiling |
| Shifts one guard can work per week | at most 6 | Art. 126: a paid rest day after each week of work |
| Guards needed to rotate through the post | 14 ÷ 6 = 2.3, so at least 3 | our arithmetic |
That is at least three times the per-guard floor in the table above, before cover for the fifteen working days of paid vacation each guard earns per year (Article 130), sick days or overtime. Public contracts write the rotation down: the Salamá hospital contract names 2 agents per 24 x 24 shift and 4 people in total. When an agency quotes a single monthly price for a 24-hour post, ask how many agents rotate through it and how their hours are paid.
How to check a security company before you sign
- Check the company’s name on DIGESSP’s list. DIGESSP’s website (digessp.gob.gt) publishes the private security companies registered with it (as a PDF), the individuals authorised as escorts or investigators, and the agent credentials held by each company. Check that the company’s name appears on the list of authorised companies. A company that is not on it is the Article 66 risk.
- Ask for the licence number and which services it covers. A licence is issued per service (Article 34): guarding property, transport, patrols, alarm monitoring and so on each need their own.
- Ask to see the guard’s DIGESSP credential. The company must give each agent a credential signed and sealed by DIGESSP and the company (Article 30), and the guard must carry it on duty.
- Ask for proof of the Article 31 insurance: group life, civil liability of at least Q150,000, and the performance bond.
- Put the post in writing: hours, number of agents rotating, armed or unarmed, what the guard may and may not do, who covers days off, and the notice period.
- Ask how the guards are employed. Article 17 requires formal employment with all benefits. A company paying guards by the shift off the books is exposing you, not just them.
- Ask for a factura. IVA is 12% under Decreto 27-92, Article 10; compare quotes with IVA included.
DIGESSP’s office is at 41 calle 17-36, zona 8, Guatemala City, PBX +(502) 2294-3500, open to the public Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:30 (as published on its website on September 24, 2026; the site did not load on October 21, 2026). It also runs a complaints box on its website.
Related pages
- Starting a security company: the DIGESSP licence and 2026 fees
- 2026 minimum wage in Guatemala
- IGSS contribution calculator
- Bono 14 calculator and aguinaldo calculator
- Police background check (PNC)
- Safety in Guatemala
- Service prices hub
Sources
- Guatecompras contract records (NOG), checked October 21, 2026: 31418988, 32068794, 32174128, 29081874, 29265924
- MINTRAB: minimum wage 2026, checked October 21, 2026
- Computrabajo Guatemala salary pages, checked October 21, 2026: guardia de seguridad and agente de seguridad
- Decreto 52-2010, Ley que Regula los Servicios de Seguridad Privada (PDF, DIGESSP), Arts. 15, 17, 30, 31, 32, 34, 43, 45-48, 58, 59, 61, 66, read September 24, 2026
- DIGESSP: legislation page (Decreto 52-2010, AG 417-2013, AG 220-2012) and its published company and credential lists, read September 24, 2026
- DIGESSP: cost table for private security providers, 2026 (PDF), posted December 23, 2025, read September 24, 2026
- Código de Trabajo (Decreto 1441), Arts. 116, 124, 126 and 130, consolidated text (PDF) (read September 9 and 22, 2026)
- IVA rate: Decreto 27-92, Article 10, as published by SAT
- USD conversion: Banguat reference exchange rate, October 21, 2026
This page explains published rules and prices. It is not legal advice; for a specific contract, ask a Guatemalan lawyer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a security guard cost per month in Guatemala?
Public contracts give the clearest prices. In 2026, the Tribunal Supremo Electoral paid Q90,000 for 4 agents for 4 months and USAC’s Retalhuleu campus Q67,500 for 4 agents for 3 months, both Q5,625 per agent a month (about US$736, our division); a contract bought by the Hospital Nacional de Salamá (its item line names the Hospital de Rabinal) paid Q66,000 for 4 guards on 24 x 24 shifts for 3 months, Q5,500 per guard a month. Retalhuleu and Baja Verapaz are outside Guatemala department, where the 2026 legal pay is Q4,066.90 a month including the Q250 bonus, or about Q4,703 with Bono 14 and aguinaldo set aside monthly, before employer social security, insurance, uniforms, supervision, profit and IVA. The two contracts there come to Q922 and Q797 a month above that figure (our subtraction).
Is it illegal to hire an unlicensed security company in Guatemala?
Yes. Article 66 of Decreto 52-2010 makes providing private security without DIGESSP authorisation or an operating licence a crime punished with six to twelve years in prison and a Q100,000 fine, and it applies the same liability to anyone who knowingly hires an unauthorised company or person. Before you sign, check that the company’s name appears on DIGESSP’s list of authorised private security companies, which it publishes as a PDF.
How do I check if a security company is licensed?
DIGESSP, the Dirección General de Servicios de Seguridad Privada, publishes on digessp.gob.gt a list (as a PDF) of the private security companies registered with it, a list of individuals authorised to work as escorts or private investigators, and a list of agent credentials by company. Check that the company’s name appears on the list of authorised companies, ask which services its licence covers, and ask to see each guard’s DIGESSP credential, which the law requires the guard to carry on duty.
Can a security guard in Guatemala carry a gun?
Only certain classes. Decreto 52-2010 defines vigilantes as unarmed, uniformed agents; guardias may carry the defence equipment and firearms approved in the provider’s security plan; escorts may carry firearms authorised by DIGECAM. The arms themselves are regulated separately under the Ley de Armas y Municiones, Decreto 15-2009. Contracts state it: one 2026 public contract said a firearm was not needed but a baton was, another asked for an agent armed with a shotgun or revolver.
Why are advertised guard salaries lower than the minimum wage?
Computrabajo’s Guatemala pages, checked October 21, 2026, show a mean of 3,365 quetzales a month for guardia de seguridad and 3,657 for agente de seguridad, both below the Q4,252.28 floor for Guatemala department including the bonus. Computrabajo says its figures are estimates from companies, users and employees over the last 12 months, and it does not say whether the bonus, part-time jobs or jobs outside the capital are included, so the gap cannot be split between underpayment and sampling. Treat a quote built on a salary below the legal floor as a warning sign.
Can one guard cover my house 24 hours a day?
No. Article 124 of the Labour Code takes workers in watch posts (puestos de vigilancia) out of the ordinary eight-hour day and six-hour night limits, but says they cannot be made to work more than twelve hours a day, with hours beyond twelve paid as overtime. A 24-hour post is therefore at least two 12-hour shifts a day, 14 a week, and since every worker is also entitled to a paid rest day each week (Article 126), no guard can work all seven. Covering 14 shifts with guards who each work at most six means at least three guards rotating through the post, before vacations. Ask any agency how many agents rotate through your post.
