By Outrider Editorial Team · Updated August 20, 2026
Official definition
This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing guard and patrol services, such as bodyguard, guard dog, and parking security services.
FY2025 obligations
$6.2B
Contract actions
7,501
IDVs
541
Top buying agencies
- Department of Homeland Security$3.2B
- Department of State$885.0M
- Department of Justice$743.9M
- Department of Defense$438.6M
- Department of Energy$181.9M
FY2025 federal contract obligations, USAspending.gov
NAICS 561612 obligated $6.2 billion in FY2025 across 7,501 contract actions, and the buyer order upends the usual assumption. DHS leads at $3.2 billion through the Federal Protective Service, State follows at $885 million for local guard forces at overseas posts, DOJ at $744 million largely for court security, DoD at $439 million, and DOE at $182 million for protective forces at nuclear facilities. Defense is fourth in a $6 billion code.
What belongs here
Guard and patrol services, including bodyguard, guard dog, and parking security services.
- Alarm systems, access control, and remote monitoring are 561621.
- Background investigations and detective work are 561611.
- Guard services folded into a full base operations scope are 561210.
Competing in this code
541 IDVs support 7,501 actions, and each of the five buyers runs a different qualification regime. FPS requires officers certified to its own protective security officer standards. State's local guard programs require overseas operating capability. DOE protective forces require clearances and firearms qualification at a level no commercial guard company maintains by default. Those regimes do not transfer. A firm entering this code picks one and builds to it. Pricing is set by Service Contract Act wage determinations plus the guard classification, so competition happens on recruiting pipeline, turnover, and post coverage reliability, which is exactly what past performance evaluations measure.
Frequently Asked
NAICS 561612 questions, answered.
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 561612?
SBA sets it at $29 million in average annual receipts, averaged over your last five completed fiscal years. Come in at or under that and you are small on every NAICS 561612 solicitation, including the set-asides.
Which agencies buy guard services under NAICS 561612?
FY2025 obligations: DHS ($3.2 billion), State ($885 million), DOJ ($744 million), DoD ($439 million), DOE ($182 million). DHS at 52 percent, driven by the Federal Protective Service, makes this a civilian-agency market where DoD past performance is not the entry ticket.
Do guard qualifications transfer between federal agencies?
Largely no. FPS protective security officer certification, State Department local guard program requirements, and DOE protective force clearance and weapons qualification are separate regimes with separate training and vetting. A firm entering NAICS 561612 should target one buyer and build the qualification stack for it rather than assuming commercial guard credentials suffice.
What decides price competitiveness in NAICS 561612?
Not wage rates, which are fixed by Service Contract Act wage determinations for the guard classification and locality. Competition happens in recruiting pipeline depth, turnover cost, supervisory ratio, and reliability of post coverage. Those are also what past performance evaluation measures, so the pricing story and the performance story have to match.
Register Under NAICS 561612
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