FAQ

No. The time it takes to review your case will remain the same. There is no difference between dropping your documents off in person at the Bureau or sending them in by mail.

Yes. You can make a request for an Agent Licence if you’re seeking work in the private security sector and are not yet employed.  Your licence will also remain valid even if you lose a job in the sector. Yes. You can make a request for an Agent Licence if you’re seeking work in the private security sector and are not yet employed. Your licence will also remain valid even if you lose a job in the sector.

That depends. You need to have an Agent Licence if your principal activity for your employer is private security.

For example, you need a Security Guarding licence if you work full-time as a security agent in a commercial center.

You do not, however, need to have a security licence if your principal activity in this commercial center is to oversee the maintenance of the enterprise and you are the person to contact in case there is a problem with an agitated client.

No. Your Agency Licence is valid for a period of 5 years. You must submit your application form when you make your first request for a Security Agent licence and, after that, every 5 years when you request a renewal.

Note : To ensure your licence remains valid for the 5 years, you must pay all of the applicable annual fees.

You must pay the same fees to obtain a temporary licence as to obtain an Agent Licence.

That said, throughout the year, you can renew your temporary licence without cost as long as the reason it was granted remains valid. In other words, throughout the year you will not pay any additional fees to renew your temporary licence.

You should, however, make sure you renew your temporary licence before it expires. Otherwise, your request will be treated like a new request, and you will have to resubmit all the required documents and payments.

You should have completed a training course if you request a licence in one of the following categories: Guarding, Investigation, Locksmith work and Transport of Valuables.

That said, you may not be obliged to follow a training course if you have both the practical knowledge and skills.

For more details, please consult the section on Agent Training.

No. We do not have the power to recognize the validity of training offered by agencies. The training that is required to obtain certain agent licences is outlined in the government act that defines the programs recognized by the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports and other government agencies.

That said, we may consider that you possess the required practical knowledge and skills and grant you a licence even if you have not taken the required courses.

For more information, please consult the section on Agent Training.

Yes. You may not obtain an agent licence if your criminal conviction is associated with the security activity you are requesting a licence for.

Yes. The suspension of a conviction by pardon does not erase the fact that you were judged guilty of an infraction in the past. You must, therefore, always declare your past convictions.

You can, however, highlight the fact that you did receive a pardon of your conviction. This will be considered in the analysis of your file.

Yes. You can use the detailed bill that we send in the mail for your income tax. In your revenue declaration you can use the section « Other Employment Expenses or Work-Related Deductions» to reduce your revenues.

Attention! The fees that you paid to make your request are considered as a deposit and not as a payment for the duration of time it takes for us to make a decision on your file. During that time, you may not use the Acknowledgement of Receipt or Proof of Payment remitted to you for income tax purposes.

For more details, consult Revenue Québec, Canada Revenue Agency your accountant, or your financial advisor.

The Law on Firearms authorizes certain individuals to carry a firearm while working, which may include security guards or agents who transport valuables.

This question, however, does not fall under our jurisdiction. You should address your employer or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for more details.

No. The time it takes to review your case will remain the same. There is no difference between dropping your documents off in person at the Bureau or sending it in by mail.

Yes. The instant that you operate an enterprise that offers a private security activity, you require an agency licence. There is no difference between a self-employed person who does business on their own and the owner of an agency that employs dozens of agents.

No. An agency licence is valid for a period of 3 years. You must submit your application form when you make your first request for a Security Agent licence and, after that, every 3 years when you request a renewal.

Note : To ensure your licence remains valid for the 3 years, you must pay all of the annual fees and costs for the verification of security conditions.

In principal, it is strictly forbidden to reproduce or copy a licence.

As such, if your agency requires another copy of its licence for one of its businesses, your agency must use an official copy, which we would send to you.

You can obtain official copies by sending us a written request and pay the fee of $25 plus taxes per copy.

Exceptionally, your agency can make its own copy of its licence if it is required in response to a Request for proposal or if a client requests it.

No. Take, for example, a large store that employs two security agents. As the activity of this business is to sell consumer goods and not to offer private security services, that store is not obliged to have an agency licence.

The two security agents, on the other hand, must have a licence as their principal activity is guarding. Their immediate superior must also have an agent licence if he or she personally oversees the guarding activity.

No. The activity that consists of duplicating existing keys does not fall under our definition of locksmith work or other categories of private security activities. For that reason, the store and its employees are not obliged to have a licence.

Yes. You can not obtain an agency licence if your criminal conviction is associated with the private security activity you are requesting a licence for.

Similarly, you can not be the representative of an agency if your criminal conviction is associated with the security activity of the agency.

Yes. The suspension of a conviction by pardon, does not erase the fact that you were judged guilty of an infraction in the past. You must, therefore, always declare your past convictions.

You can, however, highlight the fact that you did receive a pardon of your conviction. This will be considered in the analysis of your file.

No. We do not have the power to recognize the validity of training offered by agencies. The training that is required to obtain certain agent licences is outlined in the government act that defines the programs recognized by the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports and other government agencies.

That said, we may consider that you possess the required practical knowledge and skills and grant you a licence even if you have not taken the required courses.

For more information, please consult the section on Agent Training.