Guard card lead time

Definition

The wait for the state's approval, which is the gate, since the plastic card itself is not.

Why It Matters

The gate is approval and not the card, and the difference decides whether a won contract is a hiring plan or a payroll problem. California forbids a licensee from putting an unregistered person on a post, and then provides that a person may work pending receipt of the card once the bureau has approved them, carrying a printout of that approval and photo identification. There is a faster lane again for a currently employed peace officer or a level one or two reserve, who may work immediately on a submitted application, fees and fingerprints. The bureau publishes the dates it is currently working through and updates them weekly. Ask how the company recruits, because a book staffed from off-duty officers waits for nothing.