Dan Ramos is a man with a thriving private security firm.

He and his seven Twin Falls employees have the choicest nightly patrol routes, company logos on their shirts and the doors to his pickup and - most importantly - the trust of 100 clients and local law enforcement.

But that wasn't enough after a new city ordinance requiring licenses for private security guards went into effect Jan. 1.

Recently, one of Ramos' personnel caught the attention of a police officer who found that he lacked a license. But the officer let him off, saying the lapse was covered by a grace period.

"Cop sees the guy rattling a door," said Twin Falls Police Staff Sgt. Dan Lewin. "He says, 'I filled out the application.' But the cop didn't know whether to enforce it (the ordinance)."

That won't be a problem again.

On Friday, Ramos' Gem State Security, Inc. was granted license No. 101, the first ever issued. To prove it, he's got official photo identification he'll keep with him at work.

Several other security agencies in town have applications pending, Lewin said.

Ramos already looks forward to the additional credibility the official ID will lend his crew. Being licensed means all have passed background checks.

Security officers at private entities, such as department stores, are not subject to the policy.

Ramos said he guarantees high standards among his employees. Other companies, he's not so sure.

"A lot of people are not doing it by the book," Ramos said. "I think it (licensing) is a good idea."

The licenses aren't free - a $25 application fee, a $50 processing fee and a $29.50 fee for taking employee fingerprints for the background check - but Ramos says the cost "is not going to affect any of my accounts."

Lewin says the change is overdue.

"Businesses - private citizens - I want them to know if anyone representing themselves as a private security guard, they better have one of these," he said, tapping to Ramos' new license.

Cassidy Friedman can be reached at 735-3241 or cfriedman@magicvalley.com.