Companion Draft
This companion page presents proposed amendatory language and a plain-English bill summary for the Arizona Security Visibility & Protection Act, covering proposed changes to A.R.S. sections 13-1204 and 28-947.
It is designed to help stakeholders review scope, safeguards, and legislative fit in one place. Final subsection lettering, numbering, and technical formatting would be assigned through the formal legislative drafting process.
Bill Summary
Proposed amendments to A.R.S. sections 13-1204 and 28-947.
The bill does not expand law-enforcement authority, emergency vehicle privileges, or arrest powers.
Private security agencies and security guards are regulated under Title 32, Chapter 26, Arizona Revised Statutes. Agencies and personnel must be licensed or registered through the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Security professionals routinely operate in publicly accessible environments including multi-family housing communities, commercial and retail centers, hospitals and healthcare campuses, schools and event venues, and construction and industrial sites.
They frequently serve as the first trained responder to disturbances, trespassing incidents, assaults, thefts, and other safety concerns before law enforcement arrives.
Arizona law enhances assault charges to aggravated assault when committed against certain protected classes of victims, including peace officers, firefighters, healthcare workers, teachers, and others while performing official duties.
Licensed security professionals are not currently included in this protected category.
Arizona law restricts lamps visible from the front of a vehicle and generally limits flashing warning lamps to specified colors and uses.
The statute does not currently authorize green warning lamps for licensed security vehicles.
The bill adds licensed security guards and proprietary security officers, as defined in Title 32, Chapter 26, to the aggravated-assault protected-victim subsection.
It applies only when the security professional:
The bill does not expand arrest powers, create peace-officer status, provide immunity from misconduct, or apply to off-duty conduct.
The bill authorizes green and white warning lamps on vehicles owned, leased, or operated by licensed security agencies or registered proprietary security organizations.
Conditions:
The bill creates a narrow color-based identifier for licensed security vehicles and does not regulate manufacturer-specific flash sequences.
Assault protection: Assaults against on-duty security personnel create risks not only to the individual professional but to surrounding residents, customers, and bystanders. Enhancing penalties for assaults committed against clearly identifiable, licensed security professionals supports deterrence and public safety.
Lighting clarification: Arizona currently relies on amber lighting as a general roadway hazard indicator. A distinct green and white combination reserved for licensed security vehicles provides clear differentiation from construction and roadside hazard vehicles, clear differentiation from red and blue emergency vehicles, and improved public recognition of on-duty security presence.
The bill explicitly prohibits red and blue lighting, prohibits sirens, prohibits emergency vehicle privileges, requires clear SECURITY vehicle markings, and limits applicability to licensed or registered entities under Title 32.
Minimal state fiscal impact is anticipated, with at most minor administrative rule alignment by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. No new enforcement unit or program is created.
Likely stakeholders include licensed private security agencies, proprietary security departments, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, law-enforcement associations, property owners and community associations, and construction and towing industries whose amber-light use would not change.
The Arizona Security Visibility & Protection Act is a narrowly tailored modernization proposal that strengthens deterrence against assaults on licensed, on-duty security professionals and establishes a limited green and white lighting identifier for security vehicles without expanding authority or emergency privileges.
The bill focuses on identification and safety rather than enforcement power.
Adds clearly identifiable, on-duty regulated security professionals to Arizona's existing aggravated-assault protected-victim structure.
Creates a narrow front-visible green + white lighting carve-out for clearly marked, licensed security vehicles engaged in security duties.
No red or blue lights, no sirens, no emergency driving privileges, and no expansion of police powers.
Uses existing Title 32 definitions and mirrors familiar Arizona protected-victim structure where possible.
Part I
This language would add licensed, identifiable, on-duty security professionals to Arizona's existing aggravated-assault framework without changing authority, arrest powers, or use-of-force standards.
The structure is built to rely on existing Title 32 definitions, require on-duty status and clear identifiability, and avoid vague references to unregulated actors.
PART I Amendment to A.R.S. Section 13-1204 (Aggravated Assault) SECTION 1. Section 13-1204, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding subsection A, paragraph 8, subdivision (__) to read: (__) A SECURITY GUARD AS DEFINED IN SECTION 32-2601 OR A PROPRIETARY SECURITY OFFICER REGISTERED PURSUANT TO TITLE 32, CHAPTER 26, IF THE PERSON COMMITS THE ASSAULT WHILE THE SECURITY GUARD OR PROPRIETARY SECURITY OFFICER IS ENGAGED IN THE EXECUTION OF OFFICIAL DUTIES AND THE PERSON KNEW OR HAD REASON TO KNOW THAT THE VICTIM WAS A SECURITY GUARD OR PROPRIETARY SECURITY OFFICER. SECTION 2. Section 13-1204 is amended by adding subsection (new letter) to read: FOR THE PURPOSES OF SUBSECTION A, PARAGRAPH 8, SUBDIVISION (__) OF THIS SECTION, THE SECURITY GUARD OR PROPRIETARY SECURITY OFFICER SHALL BE CLEARLY IDENTIFIABLE BY UNIFORM, BADGE, MARKED VEHICLE OR OTHER INDICIA OF SECURITY DUTIES.
That combination keeps the category narrow, regulated, and easier to defend on public-safety grounds.
Part II
This is a narrow carve-out, not a rewrite of the statute. It preserves Arizona's existing lamp restrictions while creating a tightly limited identifier for licensed security vehicles engaged in security duties.
PART II Amendment to A.R.S. Section 28-947 (Special Restrictions on Lamps) SECTION 3. Section 28-947, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding subsection (new letter) to read: (__) NOTWITHSTANDING SUBSECTION B OF THIS SECTION, A VEHICLE OWNED, LEASED OR OPERATED BY A LICENSED PRIVATE SECURITY GUARD AGENCY PURSUANT TO TITLE 32, CHAPTER 26 OR A PROPRIETARY SECURITY ORGANIZATION REGISTERED PURSUANT TO TITLE 32, CHAPTER 26 MAY DISPLAY GREEN AND WHITE WARNING LAMPS THAT ARE VISIBLE FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE IF ALL OF THE FOLLOWING APPLY: THE VEHICLE IS CLEARLY MARKED WITH THE WORD "SECURITY." THE VEHICLE IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN SECURITY DUTIES. THE LAMPS DO NOT DISPLAY RED OR BLUE LIGHT. THE VEHICLE IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A SIREN OR OTHER AUDIBLE EMERGENCY SIGNALING DEVICE. THE DISPLAY OF GREEN AND WHITE WARNING LAMPS DOES NOT CONFER AUTHORITY TO DISREGARD TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES OR OTHERWISE OPERATE AS AN AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLE PURSUANT TO SECTION 28-624.
The result is a visibility standard, not a request for emergency authority.
If bill sponsors want legislative intent stated even more directly, this clause could be added to the Section 28-947 amendment:
USE OF GREEN AND WHITE WARNING LAMPS PURSUANT TO THIS SUBSECTION DOES NOT AUTHORIZE THE OPERATOR TO CONDUCT TRAFFIC STOPS ON A PUBLIC HIGHWAY.
This is not required to explain the proposal, but it can make the no-expansion-of-authority intent unmistakable in the statutory text itself.
If you want to discuss this language, request revisions, or review implementation considerations, we can walk through the policy and drafting choices with you.