We verify each agency's active license with the New York State Division of Licensing Services (NYS DOS), confirm general-liability and workers'-comp insurance, and review their close-protection experience and references from comparable New York principals. Only agencies that clear that bar are shown to you, so every option you compare is already qualified to staff a protection detail in the city.
Best bodyguard companies in New York (2026)
Finding the best bodyguard company in New York means matching a close-protection team to a city where high-net-worth principals, executives, and public figures move through the densest crowds in the country. The right partner reads the difference between a quiet residential detail on the Upper East Side and a high-exposure walk through Times Square or a red-carpet arrival at Lincoln Center. New York protection work also folds in dense paparazzi pressure, congested motorcades through Midtown gridlock, and the constant proximity of strangers in lobbies, elevators, and restaurants where a principal can be approached within seconds.
Calvis is not a security agency and is not itself licensed. Instead, we vet and match independently-licensed personal-protection and executive-protection agencies across the five boroughs so you can compare qualified options in one place. We screen each agency's licensing, insurance, close-protection experience, and track record with comparable New York principals, then connect you directly with the ones that fit your threat profile, schedule, and budget. You decide who you hire. We make sure every agency you see has already cleared a real bar.
45 vetted agencies
New York Metropolitan Area coverage
Licensed & insured agencies
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Licensed agencies · 50+ enterprise clients · 40+ cities
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The New York market
Inside bodyguard and personal protection in New York
45
vetted agencies serving the metro
5
specialties covered
New York's executive-protection market is shaped by relentless exposure: principals are rarely alone, sightlines are short, and the press knows where notable people eat, work, and live. Residential coverage clusters around Park Avenue, Tribeca, and the brownstone blocks of the West Village, where teams coordinate with doorman staff and building security. Secure travel is its own discipline here because a SUV detail through the Lincoln Tunnel, the FDR, or crosstown to a Wall Street meeting can stall in traffic that no advance can fully predict, so drivers plan layered routes and alternate pickup points. Public appearances at venues like Madison Square Garden, the Met Gala steps, and Broadway theaters demand crowd-line management and arrival choreography. Stalking and fixated-individual cases run high for media and finance figures, and agencies are expected to coordinate with NYPD precincts, manage court-date escorts at the Manhattan courthouses, and keep a low profile while staying ready to move a principal in seconds.
By specialty
Matched to
what you need.
Security needs aren't one-size-fits-all. The New York network spans these bodyguard and personal protection specialties — tell us what you need and we match you to the agencies built for it.
Close Protection & Personal Bodyguards
Trained close-protection officers who stay within arm's reach of a principal through daily movement, from office to restaurant to event. Officers run advance work on each location, manage approach angles in crowds, and rehearse fast extraction so a chance encounter on a packed sidewalk never becomes a standoff.
- Ideal for
- Executives, public figures, and high-net-worth individuals with daily exposure
- Coverage
- Midtown offices, Tribeca and SoHo, Times Square, Lincoln Center arrivals
Residential & Estate Coverage
Around-the-clock or scheduled coverage at a principal's residence, coordinated with doorman staff, building access systems, and household teams. Officers control the approach to the home, screen visitors and deliveries, and keep a discreet posture that fits a co-op or townhouse rather than a fortress.
- Ideal for
- Penthouse and townhouse residents, family principals, and visiting executives
- Coverage
- Park Avenue, the West Village, Tribeca, Upper East Side co-ops
Secure Travel & Protective Driving
Trained security drivers who plan layered routes, manage timed pickups, and keep a principal moving through congestion and choke points. Drivers coordinate with the close-protection team on arrivals and departures so the most exposed moment, stepping out of the vehicle, is the most controlled.
- Ideal for
- Daily commutes, airport runs, and multi-stop schedules across the city
- Coverage
- FDR Drive, the Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, JFK and LaGuardia transfers, crosstown Midtown
Threat & Stalking Response
Coverage built around a known threat, a fixated individual, a stalker, or a contentious dispute. Officers harden daily patterns, vary routes and timing, and stand ready to intervene at home, at work, and in transit while the agency coordinates with police and counsel.
- Ideal for
- Principals facing harassment, fixated individuals, or a credible direct threat
- Coverage
- Residential blocks, workplace lobbies, the Manhattan courthouses at Centre Street
Public Appearance & Event Details
Arrival and departure choreography, crowd-line management, and on-stage proximity for galas, premieres, and press events. Officers run a venue advance, set the pickup and drop points, and keep a clear lane through fans and press while staying visually understated.
- Ideal for
- Premieres, fundraisers, fashion events, and press-heavy public appearances
- Coverage
- Madison Square Garden, Broadway theaters, the Met steps, Hudson Yards venues
How we vet
A real bar,
not an ad auction.
Every agency in New York clears the same four checks before it can take bodyguard and personal protection work. Licensing is verified through the New York State Division of Licensing Services (NYS DOS).
01
State licensing verified
Every agency holds an active state security license. We confirm it before any agency can take work.
02
Active insurance on file
Current general-liability (and where applicable, workers' comp) coverage is verified, not assumed.
03
Background-checked officers
Agencies field licensed, background-checked guards — the people who actually show up on site.
04
Tracked reliability record
Shift-reliability is measured on the platform. Agencies that no-show or slip on coverage are removed.
Pricing
What bodyguard and personal protection costs in New York
Unarmed officers
$33–55/hr
Standard posts, patrol, and monitoring. Recurring contracts are typically priced below on-demand rates.
Armed officers
$60–100/hr
Coverage where an armed presence is warranted. Rates vary with risk profile and shift length.
Final pricing depends on site, hours, number of officers, and whether you need a static post or mobile patrol. Get a firm quote by requesting a match above.
FAQ
Common
questions
Unarmed close-protection officers in New York typically run about $55 to 95 per hour and armed officers about $85 to 160 per hour, with the exact rate depending on the threat profile, detail size, hours of coverage, officer experience, and whether secure driving is included. Multi-officer details, overnight residential coverage, and armed protection sit toward the higher end, while a single daytime escort sits lower.
Yes. Every agency Calvis matches you with holds its own active license through the New York State Division of Licensing Services (NYS DOS), which regulates security guards in New York. Calvis itself is not a licensed security provider. We connect you with independently-licensed agencies and verify that licensing as part of our vetting.
Yes. Many New York agencies we vet field armed close-protection officers who hold the additional state firearms credentials required for armed work, paired with trained security drivers for layered travel. You can request a full detail with armed coverage and protective driving for a high-threat situation, or keep a single unarmed escort for lower-risk days, when you compare agencies.
Get matched in
New York.
Vetted, licensed New York agencies only
Matched to your site and coverage needs
Quotes from multiple agencies, usually same week
Get started
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Licensed agencies · 50+ enterprise clients · 40+ cities
No upfront payment · Available 24/7