How to Become an Oregon Event & Entertainment Security Professional (2026 Guide)

Oregon’s Event & Entertainment Private Security Professional certification is a specialized DPSST credential for people providing security services at qualifying events, entertainment businesses, and venues. It offers a state-run online training route, but its authority is narrower than Oregon’s general unarmed certification.

Last verified: July 22, 2026. This independent guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by DPSST. Always use the linked Oregon DPSST pages for current forms, fees, and instructions.

What Does This Certification Allow You to Do?

This certification is designed for private security services connected to event and entertainment businesses or venues. Depending on the employer and assignment, duties may include:

• Controlling entrances, exits, and restricted areas
• Checking tickets, credentials, bags, or prohibited items under employer policy
• Monitoring crowds and reporting safety concerns
• Providing directions and customer service
• Using de-escalation and requesting assistance
• Supporting emergency, evacuation, and incident-response procedures

Common environments can include concerts, festivals, sporting events, theaters, fairs, convention activities, and entertainment venues. The employer is responsible for determining whether a particular assignment falls within the credential’s permitted scope.

Event Certification vs. Unarmed Certification

Credential	Best suited for	Key limitation
Event & Entertainment Professional	Qualifying event and entertainment employers, businesses, and venues	Does not authorize general security work outside its specialized scope
Unarmed Professional	General unarmed security assignments, including many event assignments	Does not authorize armed security work
Armed/Unarmed Professional	Assignments requiring armed authority under Oregon law and employer policy	Requires separate firearm training, eligibility, and annual maintenance

An Oregon unarmed professional can generally provide unarmed security services across a broader range of assignments, including event work. An Event & Entertainment credential alone does not qualify someone for hospital, warehouse, construction, office, retail, or mobile-patrol security merely because the duties appear similar.

This credential does not authorize armed security work. If you want broader long-term employment options, compare the Oregon unarmed certification guide before choosing your path.

How to Apply for a New Certification

1. Confirm You Meet the Minimum Standards

You must be at least 18, meet DPSST’s education standard, and be of good moral fitness. Review the official new-certification requirements and your potential concerns through our Oregon DPSST background-check guide.

2. Create or Access Your Workday Learning Account

DPSST provides the training through Oregon’s Workday learning system. New learners must register correctly, while returning learners should use their existing account. Start from the official DPSST Event & Entertainment page so you use the current course and account instructions.

3. Complete the Course and Exam

A new applicant completes the Event & Entertainment course chapters and the exam. Save and print both required certificates of completion. DPSST provides separate instructions for retrieving certificates from Workday.

4. Complete Fingerprinting

New applicants must submit completed fingerprints. DPSST accepts the required fingerprint process described on its fingerprint requirements page. The fingerprint vendor’s charge is separate from the DPSST fee and can change, so confirm it when scheduling.

5. Submit the Complete Application Packet

A new Event & Entertainment application packet generally includes:

1. Completed Form PS-1
2. Completed fingerprints or acceptable proof of electronic fingerprinting
3. Both Workday certificates of completion for the course and exam
4. Form PS-20 when employed and using a temporary work permit
5. The nonrefundable DPSST fee

Use current versions from the DPSST forms page. Incomplete packets can delay or prevent certification.

Current DPSST Fees

Application type	DPSST fee	Other possible costs
New Event & Entertainment Professional	$139	Separate fingerprint-vendor charge
Renew certification	$94	Any costs associated with completing or accessing required training
Add Event & Entertainment certification	$94	Varies by applicant circumstances

DPSST lists the new fee as a combined professional-certification and background-check amount. Do not add another $45 background-check fee to the $139 state fee. Payments are generally nonrefundable and nontransferable. Verify amounts on the official training and fee requirements page before submitting payment.

Can You Work While the Application Is Processing?

An employer may use Form PS-20 as a temporary work permit when all requirements are met. According to DPSST guidance:

• The PS-20 must reach DPSST electronically or by mail on or before the first day security services are performed.
• It is employer-specific and cannot be transferred between employers.
• A separate PS-20 is required for each employer.
• It may generally be held for up to 120 days; additional requests require prior DPSST approval.
• A PS-20 is not automatic permission to work outside the Event & Entertainment credential’s scope.

Your employer should complete and submit the permit correctly. Review the current instructions on the DPSST Private Security Program page.

How Renewal Works

Event & Entertainment certification is renewed through a separate Workday refresher course and exam. The renewal packet includes:

1. Completed Form PS-21
2. Copies of the refresher course and exam certificates of completion
3. Form PS-20 when currently employed and applicable
4. The $94 nonrefundable renewal fee

Do not repeat the new-applicant Workday course when DPSST directs renewing professionals to the renewal course. Check the official renewal page and begin early enough to complete training and submit a complete packet before expiration.

Adding This Credential to an Existing Certification

If you currently hold another Oregon private-security certification—or held one within the previous four years when DPSST receives the add-certification application—you may not need to submit new fingerprints or pay another background-check fee. You still need the correct Event & Entertainment training certificates, application materials, and add-certification fee. Verify your circumstances on the DPSST add-certification page.

Event Security Work and Pay

Event-security schedules are often seasonal, part-time, on-call, or concentrated around evenings and weekends. Pay varies widely by employer, venue, city, responsibility, union status, and whether the position is supervisory. Treat broad wage estimates cautiously and compare current job postings instead of assuming a fixed statewide rate.

Search the Oregon security jobs board for current openings. Before applying, confirm whether the employer accepts the specialized Event & Entertainment credential or requires the broader unarmed certification.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the training online?

Yes. DPSST provides the Event & Entertainment course and exam through Workday.

Do I need to pay a private training provider?

DPSST directs applicants to its Workday training rather than the private-instructor route used for unarmed, armed, and alarm-monitor courses. Start from the official DPSST Event & Entertainment page.

Does unarmed certification cover event security?

The general unarmed credential is broader and can cover many event-security assignments. The employer must determine the credential required for the specific job and comply with DPSST rules.

Can this certification be used for hospital or mobile-patrol work?

No—not by itself. Those assignments generally fall outside the specialized event-and-entertainment scope and commonly require unarmed or armed/unarmed professional certification.

Can an Event & Entertainment professional carry a firearm?

This credential does not authorize armed private-security services. Armed work requires the appropriate Oregon armed/unarmed certification and compliance with its firearm requirements.

How do I prove I completed the Workday training?

Save and print the required certificates of completion. DPSST provides instructions for printing Workday certificates, and copies must accompany the applicable application or renewal packet.

Your Next Step

• Compare all Oregon security certifications
• Review the broader unarmed certification path
• Browse Oregon DPSST training resources
• Search current Oregon security jobs
• Understand the DPSST background review

Official Sources

• DPSST Event & Entertainment Certification
• New Certification Requirements
• Renew a Certification
• Add a Certification
• Training and Fee Requirements
• Private Security Forms