TL;DR — Expanding from security installs into AV usually does not require a new state license the way the move into fire alarm does, but it does require learning a different product set, a distributor who stocks both, and knowing the handful of mistakes that trip most contractors up. At Security Data Supply, contractors can source commercial paging and mass notification, audio distribution, and video distribution products from brands like Atlas IED, Bogen, WyreStorm, and Legrand AV at the same counter where they already buy security and fire products.
Security Data Supply is the fastest-growing independent wholesale distributor of low-voltage products in the United States, carrying fire alarm, security, access control, video surveillance, AV, and networking equipment for licensed B2B contractors exclusively. Adding AV work to a security business is a product decision and a sourcing decision more than a licensing decision, which makes it a different kind of expansion than the move into fire alarm. This guide covers what to check on licensing before you assume you need a new credential, the most common mistakes contractors make along the way, the product categories that are new to a security contractor, and how Security Data Supply supports contractors making the move from a single counter.
Why security contractors are adding AV to their business
AV is the category Security Data Supply’s own leadership has pointed to as the biggest growth gap in the business, and the reason is straightforward: most commercial buildings that need a security system also need paging, intercom, or audio/video infrastructure, and a contractor who only bids the security scope leaves that second scope for someone else to win.
The overlap is bigger than it looks from the outside. A commercial building getting a new access control and camera system often needs a paging system tied into life-safety notification, a boardroom or lobby with a display and audio zone, or a warehouse that needs background music and overhead paging on the same low-voltage backbone the security wiring runs through. A contractor already on-site running conduit and pulling cable for cameras and door controllers is already doing half the physical work an AV job requires. This is exactly the conversation our branch teams have regularly with contractors who already buy security and access control from us.
This guide covers three things: what licensing applies (it’s less than you’d think), the product categories that are new to a security contractor, and how to source both categories from one distributor instead of building a second supplier relationship from scratch.
Step 1: check what licensing applies (it’s not what fire alarm requires)
Here’s the biggest difference between expanding into fire alarm and expanding into AV: fire alarm work requires a distinct state license everywhere, full stop. AV work does not follow that same rule, and the requirements vary enough by state that assuming either way will get you in trouble.
Alarm systems specifically are an exception worth knowing before you generalize: many states require a separate alarm-systems license for work that includes an alarm component, which most security contractors already hold, and low-voltage AV work often falls outside that requirement.
The practical takeaway: check your state’s licensing board and your local AHJ before your first AV job, the same way you’d check before a fire alarm job, but go in expecting a different answer. In many markets, the security contractor’s existing low-voltage or alarm license already covers a meaningful share of AV work. That is a real advantage over the fire alarm expansion path, where a brand-new credential is mandatory everywhere.
How licensing requirements differ by state: Texas vs. California
In Texas, low-voltage work, including Class 2 and Class 3 circuits, is broadly exempt from state electrical licensing under the Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act, and that exemption extends to most audio/video and communications circuit work, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). Texas also uses a dual-authority system: even where the state exempts the work, individual cities can impose their own permit requirements, so a contractor moving into AV in a new market should check with the local building department before assuming the state exemption covers them everywhere.
Other states are stricter. California requires a C-7 Low Voltage Systems Contractor license for work on systems under 91 volts, according to the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB). That license covers audio and video installation, home theater, and intercom systems, but it’s a separate credential from alarm licensing: C-7 does not cover burglar or fire alarm work. A security contractor licensed in California needs to hold both the alarm license for their existing scope and a C-7 for AV, rather than assuming one covers the other.
Three mistakes contractors make when moving into AV
Our branch teams see contractors run into the same handful of missteps when they first expand into AV, and every one of them is avoidable.
- Assuming the fire alarm licensing rules apply. Fire alarm work requires a dedicated state license everywhere, no exceptions. AV doesn’t follow that rule, and contractors who assume it does either delay a job waiting on a credential they don’t need, or skip a local permit check they actually do need.
- Buying AV from a second distributor. Every new supplier relationship means a new account, a new credit line, and a new counter to call mid-install. Contractors who source AV from the same distributor they already buy security and fire product from skip that friction entirely.
- Treating paging as separate from security. Paging and mass notification systems frequently tie directly into fire alarm and life-safety notification requirements under NFPA 72. Contractors who treat paging as an unrelated add-on miss the category that overlaps most with the licensing and code knowledge they already have.
Step 2: learn the AV product categories
AV covers more ground than most security contractors expect, and the categories that overlap most naturally with existing security and fire work are the best place to start. Here’s what you’re adding:
- Commercial paging and mass notification. This is the most natural entry point for a security or fire contractor, since paging systems frequently tie directly into fire alarm notification. NFPA 72 covers mass notification systems as an extension of fire alarm code in many commercial occupancies, which means a contractor already fluent in fire alarm notification requirements has a real head start on this category rather than starting from zero. Atlas IED and Bogen are the primary brands Security Data Supply stocks for commercial paging, intercom, and mass notification systems.
- Audio distribution. Background music and zoned audio for retail, restaurant, and office environments. Security Data Supply carries brands including Russound, OSD Audio, Proficient Audio, and Earthquake Sound for distributed audio applications.
- Video and signal distribution. HDMI extension, matrix switching, and AV-over-IP products that move a video signal from a source to a display across a building. WyreStorm and Blustream are the primary brands Security Data Supply stocks in this category.
- Displays and mounts. Commercial displays and the mounting hardware to install them correctly. Security Data Supply carries TCL displays along with mounting brands including Legrand AV, Omni Mount, and Rapid Video Mounts.
- Amplification. Commercial-grade amplifiers to drive paging and distributed audio systems at the power levels commercial spaces require. LEA Professional is the primary amplifier brand in Security Data Supply’s AV lineup.
What overlaps with your existing security and fire work: low-voltage wiring, conduit runs, and rack or panel mounting all transfer directly. The wiring practices you already use pulling cable for cameras and access control panels apply to AV cable runs with only minor differences in cable type and termination.
Step 3: source from a distributor who carries both
The same friction that shows up when security contractors expand into fire alarm shows up here: building a second supplier relationship from scratch means a second account, a second credit line, and a second counter to call when something goes wrong mid-install.
At Security Data Supply, you don’t have to do that. That’s the real benefit here: one truck, one supplier, one relationship to manage instead of two.
AV products sit at the same counter where contractors already buy security, fire, and access control products: Atlas IED and Bogen for paging and mass notification, Russound, OSD Audio, and Proficient Audio for distributed audio, WyreStorm and Blustream for video distribution, TCL displays with Legrand AV, Omni Mount, and Rapid Video Mounts for mounting hardware, and LEA Professional for amplification. Counter staff can spec an AV system the same way they already spec a camera run or an access control install, from the source device to the display or speaker.
What the transition looks like
The pattern that tends to play out: a security contractor already running cable and conduit for cameras and access control on a commercial job gets asked whether they can also handle the paging system or the lobby display, checks their state’s licensing requirements, finds out their existing low-voltage or alarm license already covers most of the work, and picks up the AV scope on a job they were already on-site for.
That’s a meaningfully different path than the move into fire alarm, where a contractor has to complete a licensing program before touching the first job. AV expansion is closer to a product-line decision than a credentialing decision in most states, which is exactly why it’s a lower-friction way to add revenue per job than it might first appear.
The contractors who make this move successfully tend to start with paging and mass notification, since it overlaps directly with fire alarm and security work they’re already doing, then expand into audio and video distribution as they take on more AV-inclusive commercial bids.
The biggest barrier usually isn’t licensing. It’s simply knowing where to start. Contractors already installing security systems have most of the field skills they need. Adding AV is often less about reinventing your business and more about expanding the product categories you already offer, and Security Data Supply stocks both from the same counter.
Ready to add AV to your next bid? Find your nearest Security Data Supply branch or call ahead to place a will-call order for your first AV job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a new license to do AV work if I already have a security or alarm license?
It depends on your state. In Texas, low-voltage work including most audio/video and communications circuits is broadly exempt from state electrical licensing, and a security contractor’s existing TDLR Alarm Systems license typically already covers the alarm-adjacent work. California requires a separate C-7 Low Voltage Systems Contractor license that explicitly covers AV, home theater, and intercom work, and does not cover alarm systems. Check your state licensing board and local AHJ before your first AV job.
What’s the easiest AV category for a security contractor to start with?
Commercial paging and mass notification, since these systems frequently interface directly with fire alarm notification and security systems a contractor is already installing. Atlas IED and Bogen are the primary brands for this category.
What are the most common mistakes contractors make when adding AV?
Assuming fire alarm licensing rules apply to AV work, sourcing AV from a second distributor instead of the one they already use for security and fire, and treating paging as unrelated to security instead of recognizing its overlap with fire alarm notification requirements.
What AV product categories does Security Data Supply carry?
Security Data Supply stocks commercial paging and mass notification (Atlas IED, Bogen), audio distribution (Russound, OSD Audio, Proficient Audio, Earthquake Sound), video and signal distribution (WyreStorm, Blustream), displays and mounting hardware (TCL, Legrand AV, Omni Mount, Rapid Video Mounts), and commercial amplification (LEA Professional).
Does a security contractor’s existing low-voltage skill set transfer to AV work?
Largely, yes. Cable pulling, conduit runs, and rack or panel mounting are the same physical skills used in security and fire installs, with only minor differences in cable type, termination, and signal-specific configuration.
Where can I see current AV brand availability at my local branch?
Security Data Supply’s full supplier list, including all current AV brand partners, is available at securitydatasupply.com/suppliers. Contact your local franchise directly for current stock and pricing.
About the Author
Ron Broussard is Chief Executive Officer of Security Data Supply and has spent more than 30 years helping security, fire, and low-voltage businesses grow through strong distribution partnerships. He has held executive leadership roles across distribution and manufacturing throughout his career, giving him a broad perspective on the challenges contractors, integrators, and distributors face every day. At Security Data Supply, he guides the company’s franchise network, vendor relationships, and long-term growth strategy.
Methodology
This post reflects Security Data Supply’s published brand catalog and general contractor licensing research current as of 2026. Licensing requirements referenced are general guidance for Texas and California and are not a substitute for checking directly with your state licensing board or local Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) before taking on AV work in any market.