Can a security guard search my bag?
No — only the police may search, and only with a written record. Private security is governed by the Private Security Activity Act and must be carried out with respect for citizens' rights, freedoms and dignity. A guard has no power to search your person, nor to open and go through your bag — that power belongs to the police, exercised under a set procedure and recorded in a protocol. A guard may ask you to show the contents voluntarily; you may refuse. They may detain a person caught committing a crime on the guarded premises, but must hand them over to the police immediately. Being held "until you show your bag" without grounds is coercion.
📋 The rules
- A guard may not search you or go through your bag
- Only the police search, under procedure and with a record
- You may show the contents voluntarily — or refuse
- A guard may detain someone caught committing a crime
- The detainee is handed to the police immediately
🔓 Exceptions
- At the entrance to certain venues, a check is a condition of entry you accept voluntarily
- Force and restraint aids are permitted only in strictly defined situations
- Refusing to show your bag is not in itself a ground to detain you
⚠️ Penalties & fines
If a guard searches you, forces open your bag or detains you without grounds, that is not an "internal policy" but an offence: depending on the case, coercion, unlawful deprivation of liberty or bodily harm. What to do: state clearly that you do not consent, ask for the police to be called — they are the body that can carry out a check — note the guard's name and number, find witnesses, and complain to the interior ministry and to the security firm. Conversely: do not resist physically and do not storm out — wait for the police.
📎 Official sources
- lex.bg · Private Security Activity Act →
- Ministry of the Interior · Private security →
- lex.bg · Criminal Procedure Code →
❓ Frequently asked
Can a guard go through my bag?
No. Searching a person or their belongings is done only by the police, under a set procedure and with a written record. A guard can only ask you to show it voluntarily.
Can I refuse?
Yes. A refusal is not in itself a ground to detain you. If the guard insists, ask for the police to be called — they are the body that can carry out a check.
Can a guard detain me?
They may detain someone caught committing a crime on the guarded premises, and must hand them to the police immediately. Detention without such grounds is coercion.
What about checks at a club or a stadium?
There the check is a condition of entry that you accept voluntarily. You may refuse — but you will then simply not be let in.
What do I do if the guard oversteps?
Note their name and number, find witnesses, and complain to the interior ministry and the security firm. Do not resist physically — wait for the police.
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