If you arrived from London, Dubai, Geneva, São Paulo or Mexico City, the service you are looking for is called close protection; here in Florida the same work is sold as executive protection or bodyguard services. FSO Guard provides close protection services in Miami to the standard international clients expect: a threat assessment before you land, an advance officer at every venue, a licensed close protection officer at your side, a security driver who knows the city, and a team leader who answers to you. We are a Florida-licensed security agency (license B3100530) headquartered in Hollywood between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and we cover Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach daily and the rest of Florida on request.
Who uses close protection services in Miami
Corporate executives and boards
Board meetings in Brickell, investor visits, site inspections, a CEO whose company is in the news. Discreet officers who look like part of the delegation. See executive protection for corporate programs.
High net worth families
Families visiting for the season or relocating to Miami Beach, Bal Harbour, Coral Gables or Fisher Island: school runs, shopping, the yacht, the residence. See family office security.
International visitors and delegations
Clients from the UK, Europe, the Gulf, Russia-speaking and Latin American communities who already work with a close protection company at home and need the same discipline in Florida, in their language.
Public figures, artists and athletes
Concerts, Art Basel, Formula 1 week, Ultra, fashion weeks and fights bring principals who need crowd management as much as protection. See VIP security.
Individuals under a specific threat
Litigation, a hostile former partner, extortion, a stalker, a threat received online. Close protection combined with threat and harassment investigations to remove the source, not only to guard against it.
Yacht owners and charter guests
Protection that continues from the villa to the marina and on board, coordinated with the captain; see yacht security.
What a close protection detail includes
- Threat and risk assessment. Who might want to reach you, how, and where you are exposed; written and updated as the visit unfolds.
- Advance reconnaissance. An officer visits each venue before you: entrances, exits, parking, elevators, restrooms, nearest hospital, house security contacts, where the car waits.
- Close protection officer. Licensed, trained in protective formations, medical first response and low-profile conduct; armed or unarmed as the assessment requires.
- Security driver and vehicle. A licensed officer at the wheel of an armored or unmarked SUV, trained in evasive driving, route selection and vehicle checks; see security chauffeurs.
- Residential security. Officers at the villa, hotel floor or estate at night so the detail is not only about movements; see estate security.
- Team leader and 24/7 operations desk. One person who owns the plan, briefs officers, liaises with your staff and reports to you; our dispatcher covers changes at any hour.
- Counter-surveillance and technical checks. Detecting hostile surveillance around the residence and vehicles, and bug sweeps of rooms and cars on request.
How international standards translate to Florida law
Close protection officers in the UK hold an SIA licence; in Florida the equivalent framework is the state Class D security officer license, the Class G statewide firearms license for armed officers, and the agency license under which they work. There is no separate bodyguard license in Florida, which is why a legitimate close protection company in Miami is a licensed security agency. FSO Guard holds license B3100530 and, for investigations, Class A license A 1000095. Firearms law, use-of-force rules, vehicle regulations and the way hospitals, police and hotels work all differ from Europe and the Gulf; our team leaders brief international clients and their security managers on these differences before the visit, in plain language. Read more in our guide to Florida security license classes.
Close protection levels
Single officer
One licensed close protection officer for a day of meetings, shopping or an evening event, with or without a security driver. The most common booking for visitors.
Officer and advance
Two officers: one at your side, one moving ahead to each venue so you never wait at a door or in a lobby. Standard for business visits with several locations per day.
Full team
Team leader, close protection officers, security drivers, residential night cover and a second vehicle for family members. For principals with a specific threat or a public schedule.
Female close protection officers
For female principals, children, medical appointments and situations where a woman officer is more appropriate or less visible; see female bodyguards.
Close protection across Florida and abroad
Miami, Miami Beach, Brickell, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne, Aventura and Sunny Isles daily; Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Boca Raton; Palm Beach, Naples, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville with the same team or vetted local officers. For the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Latin America, New York and Europe we plan routes, verify vehicles and hotels and coordinate with trusted partners; see travel security and private jet travel with protection. Our officers work in English, Spanish and Russian.
Why international clients choose FSO Guard
Local knowledge
Which hotel garages are safe, which streets to avoid at 2 a.m., how the Miami Beach police respond, where the nearest trauma center is from a Fisher Island ferry. This cannot be imported.
Licensed, insured, verifiable
Agency license B3100530, licensed officers, insurance certificates on request. Your security director can verify us with the Florida Department of Agriculture in minutes.
Investigations and security in one house
Background checks on drivers and household staff, threat investigations and OSINT monitoring by our licensed private investigators, alongside the protection detail.
Discretion by default
No photographs, no social media, no client names. Itineraries are shared with those who need them and nobody else.
Arrange close protection in Miami
Send the dates, the arrival airport, the number of principals and a rough schedule; a team leader replies with a proposed detail and a written quote, usually the same day. Call 888.881.8099, use the live chat or the form on this page. Security departments and family offices may request our capability statement and insurance certificate by email.
