Agents

To obtain your Agent Licence, you must send us your documentation and pay certain fees. You can also ask your employer for assistance in making your licence request.

Documents

You must provide the following documents :

1- The form to Request an Agent Licence completed correctly;

2- A copy of documents that proves that you meet the training requirements, if that
applies to the licence category you are requesting :

• If you have completed the obligatory training, your diploma or a grade transcript if you have not yet received your diploma;
• If you possess the required practical knowledge and skills, you may need to supply :
  • the diplomas you received in domains associated with private security;
  • a transcript of the grades in pertinent courses that you have completed;
  • Attestations of internships or other training activities that you have
  • completed; or
  • Attestation letters that your employers have completed that detail the
  • principal tasks that you were responsible for in the domain of private
  • security, as well as your years of continuous services.

3- Proofs of your Identity:

• If you were born in Canada, you must send your birth certificate.
• If you were born outside of Canada and are unable to supply a birth certificate in either French or English, you must send three (3) pieces of valid identity among the following :
  • Passport
  • Canadian Citizen Card
  • Permanent Residence Card
  • Attestation of Refugee Status
  • Driver’s Licence
  • Social Insurance Card

In all of the cases, you must send colour copies that have been authenticated by your respondent or a Commissioner of Oaths.

• Two (2) identical photographs that meet the following criteria:

in colour;
passport format (5cm x 7cm);
taken on a white background;
facing front, from shoulder up;
taken during the 6 preceding months.

In addition :

your head must be uncovered (no hat, cap, etc.);
the date must be stamped on the back; and
the photographs must be identified and authenticated by your respondent or a Commissioner of Oaths.

Fees

To obtain your licence, you must pay a total fee of $127. This amount includes :

• $40 that ensures your licence remains valid for the first year.

These fees will be reimbursed if your request for a licence is refused or annulled.

Attention! If you wish to engage in private security activities in more than one category, you must obtain a different licence for each of the categories.

You must, therefore, pay the $40 fees for each licence you request, even if you are making your requests simultaneously.

In addition, each licence request must be acommpanied by an individual payment (one sole payment for several requests will not be accepted).

• $87 for the Verification of Security Conditions.

These fees will not be reimbursed if your request for a licence is refused or cancelled.

You will not, however, have to pay these fees if you have already obtained another licence that is still valid. In this case, you must provide :

the agent licence that you have already received in another category; or
the agency licence that your employer received and that you were verified for.

Proof of Receipt

To confirm that we did receive your Licence Request, we will send you a proof of receipt by e-mail.

You will not receive a proof of receipt by mail. It is, therefore, important to supply us with your e-mail address in the Form to Request an Agent Licence and ensure that it is clearly legible.

Attention! Your proof of receipt will only prove that you have made a licence request. You must wait to receive your licence before engaging in private security activities.

To cancel your licence request, simply send us a licence cancellation letter request. You can send it by mail or e-mail or drop it off in person at our offices.

We will, consequently, reimburse the $40 fees you paid to have your licence validated.

Attention! Your employer can not request the cancellation of your licence on your behalf.

Decision of the Bureau de la sécurité privée

Before we can grant you an agent licence, we must verify that :

• you are at least 18 years of age;
• you qualify under the Security Conditions outlined by the law; and
• you have met the training requirements, if they apply to the licence category you are requesting.

We will send you our decision 3 to 5 weeks after receiving your payment and all the documents listed in the « Documents » section above. Our response could be delayed if your payment or your documents do not meet specifications.

Request Refusal

We could refuse your licence request if :

• you do not meet the conditions;
• over the course of the last five years we have refused, not renewed, suspended or revoked one of your agent licences.

Pay the Annual Fees

You must pay the $69 fees, every year, to conserve the validity of your licence. You must make the payment before the due date inscribed in your licence.

For example, if it is inscribed : « valid: 2010-07-22 to 2015-07-21 » on your licence, you must pay the annual fees by July 21st, the latest, every year.

In all cases, we will send you a letter 30 days before the expiry date to remind you and explain how to pay. You will receive a proof of receipt as soon as we receive your payment.

Advise us of Any Changes

You must advise us, by writing, of all changes that could affect the validity of your licence. These, for example, could include :

• change of employer; You can send us your notice or your form by mail, by e-mail, or by fax.
• a charge for a criminal infraction;
• a conviction for a criminal infraction.

In addition, if you change your address, you must send us a completed Form for Address Change.

Incompatible Employment is Not Permitted

You are not permitted to occupy a position that is incompatible with the private security activity that you received a licence for. For example, you can not join the police force at the same time.

You can communicate with us to receive more details on incompatible employment positions.

Add a Category to your Licence

You can request an additional licence for each of the categories of security activities where you do not yet have a licence. To do so, you must complete the pertinent sections of the Form to Request an Agent Licence.

As soon as you make your request, you must pay the $40 fees to ensure your licence is valid throughout the first year. You will not, however, have to pay the fees for the Verification of Security Conditions if the licence you already have is still valid.

You must also send us a copy of the documents that prove that you meet the Training Requirements, if they apply to the licence category you are requesting.

Note. It is not necessary to send us your photos, birth certificate, or proof of identity.

Renew your Licence

Your agent licence will be given to you for a period of 5 years. You must, therefore, submit a request to renew your licence every 5 years..

This request must be sent to us at least 45 days before the expiry date of your licence. We will send you a letter to remind you, and explain how to proceed with your request.

At the moment that you submit your request, you must pay the fees applicable at that time.

Replace your Licence

You can replace your licence if it is lost or stolen. To do so, complete the Form for Licence Replacement and send it to us. Replacement costs are $25 plus taxes.

Ceasing your Security Activities

If you foresee that you will be ceasing your security activities, you must advise us by writing, specifying the exact date. Your licence will be revoked as of the date that you specify. No money will be reimbursed.

If you are the immediate superior of one or more security agents, you must have an agent licence in the same category as them :

• if your employer is a private security agency; or
• in the case where your employer is not a private security agency (for example, a retail business or a restaurant), if you are personally in charge of private security activity.

An immediate supervisor is someone who exercises control and authority over one or several agents and their private security activities. The principal functions of the immediate supervisor is to provide agents with directives and establish work procedures.

Your licence request, as immediate supervisor, is done in the same manner as a request for an agent licence. You must provide us with the same documents and pay the same fees.

The only difference is that you do not have to follow the Required Training if you do not personally engage in private security activities.

A temporary licence is given for a maximum period of 120 days.

You can request a temporary licence for one of the following reasons:

• You still need training before you can obtain a private security licence. For example, you need a temporary licence to become an apprentice in a company.
• An employer requires your services for a very particular investigation, most notably to act as an undercover or double agent.
• An employer temporarily requires your services for an exceptional event, for example :

a sporting activity;
a cultural activity;
a labour dispute;
a pandemic;
a disaster.

Request your Temporary Licence

The request for a temporary licence must be done in the same manner as the Request for an Agent Licence. You must provide us with the same documents and pay the same fees.

In addition, you must provide us with a written declaration from the person who wishes to retain your services. It could be, for example, your future employer or the person in charge of your apprenticeship.

This declaration must explain why and how this person is temporarily in need of you. This declaration must also outline :

the nature of the activities you will be engage in;
the date of the event or the investigation; and
the name of the person who will supervise you and their agent licence number.

Once you have your Temporary Licence

Your temporary licence will only licence you to engage in the security activities that have been specified in your licence and for which you have been authorized.

For example, if you received a temporary licence to work at one agency, you can not use it to work at another agency. Similarly, you can not continue to work for your employer once the event that was specified in your request is terminated.

In addition, while you are engaging in private security activities, you must, at all times, remain under the supervision of a person who possesses an agent licence in the same category as your temporary licence.

Renewing your Temporary Licence

The temporary licence is valid for a maximum period of 120 days. That said, throughout the year you can renew it without fees as often or as long as the reason that it was granted remains valid.

Attention! You can not renew your temporary licence numerous times without a valid reason. In such a case, we could refuse to renew your temporary licence and oblige you to request an agent licence.

The information we keep in your agent file is confidential. If you would like to allow someone to have access to it, you must provide us with your authorization, in writing, by sending us a Form to Authorize the Communication of Personal Information.

Guarding: Surveying or protecting people, things or valuables in order to protect and prevent.

Investigation : Searching for people, information or things.

Locksmith work: Installation, upkeep and reparation of locking devices

Transport of Valuables: Transporting money, securities or objects of value.

Electronic Security Systems: Installation, maintenance and surveillance of alarm systems, video surveillance or access control.

Security Consulting Services: Consulting in methods of protection against theft, intrusion or vandalism.

Should you require it, we invite you to consult the legal definitions of the different categories of private security protection in Article 1 of the Private Security Act.

To obtain a licence in the following security activities, you must successfully complete the required training or have equivalent skills and knowledge.

Guarding Licence

You must successfully complete the training in private security guarding, for a minimum of 70 hours training. This training must be offered by a school board that provides you with a diploma and a transcript of your grades.

The guarding training program includes three (3) courses that cover the following :

• The security guard field and its functions, legislation as well as the standards of behaviour (30 hours)
• Emergency procedures (24 hours)
• First-Aid Techniques (16 hours)

Visit the site agentdesecurite.ca to obtain more details on:

• The content of the training;
• The school boards that offer the training in your region;
• Resource people to contact;
• Dates to commence courses;
• etc.

You can contact the Parity Committee for Security Guards to obtain information concerning your experience in private security and a list of your previous employers.

Investigation Licence

You must:

• have successfully completed the course « Initiation aux techniques d'enquête et d'investigation » offered in a college-level educational institution (Cegep); or
• have received, in the past five years :

a Diploma in College Studies in Police Technology; or
a Bachelor’s Degree in Security and Police Studies; or
an equivalent diploma recognized by the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports (MELS).

To find the institutions that offer these courses, visit the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports web site.

Locksmith Licence

You must obtain a Diploma of Vocational Studies in Locksmith work or an equivalent diploma recognized by the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports.

To find details on the Locksmith work program, visit l’Inforoute de la formation professionnelle et technique.

Transport of Valuables licence

You must have successfully completed training in « Maniement des armes à feu et recours à la force » given by the ecole nationale de police Québec or by an instructor who was qualified by them.

Licence for Security Counseling

You must prove that you have the required professional skills and knowledge to engage in security counselling. Some of the things you can provide us with are :

a copy of your curriculum vitae accompanied by attestations from your employers;
a copy of pertinent diplomas;
a copy of all pertinent documents that you have received from a known professional order.

We may also ask you to present yourself at our offices for an interview, an exam, or both.

Equivalent Skills and Knowledge

You may obtain an agent licence even if you have not completed the required training. You must, therefore, prove that your skills and knowledge are equivalent to the prerequisite training.

We would require the following to evaluate your file :

• the diplomas that you have received in pertinent or closely related fields;
• the nature and content of the courses that you have taken as well as the results you received;
• the apprenticeships and other training activities you have undertaken;
• the nature and length of your security experience.

The Private Security Act obliges us to make certain verifications with the Sûreté du Québec before granting an agent licence.

To be granted an agent licence, therefore, you must :

• not be judged guilty of a criminal infraction or another infraction that is associated with the private security activity you are requesting a licence for, unless you have received a pardon; and
• be of good moral character, which means you must conduct yourself according to society’s morally acceptable mores.

Agent : Someone who engages in activities in one or several of the 6 categories of private security activities. The term « security agent » should not be used. We should, instead, refer to a « Security Guard » or a « Private Investigator », for example.

Commissioner of Oaths: A person who is authorized by the government and who has the power to vouch for another person. This endorsement is helpful in making a signature or testimony more official or more credible.

To find a Commissioner of Oaths, you can :

• consult the Search for a Commissioner of Oaths available on the Justice Québec web site; or
• call the Commissioner of Oaths Customer Service at :

514 -864-5761 (Montréal and surroundings)
418-528-5761 (Québec and surroundings)
1-855-297-5761 (toll-free in Canada).

Respondant: A person who can confirm the name, approximate age and physical appearance of the person who is making the agent licence request. To confirm to the requirements of the Private Security Bureau, the respondent must :

• be 18 years and older;
• be a Canadian citizen ;
• know the person making the request for the agent licence for at least 2 years;
• be available to answer questions at the Bureau; and
• belong to one of the following groups:

judge, lawyer, police officer, fireman
dentist, nurse, doctor, veterinarian, ambulance technician
engineer or architect
accountant (CA, CGA, CMA)
notary
optomotrist, parmacist, chiropractor
professor in college (Cégep) or university
customs officer, bailiff, detective.

 - Download Agent Licence Application

 - Download sample letter for proof of employment

 - Download licence replacement form

 - Download sample letter to cancel your licence application

 - Download change of address form

 - Download Request for exemption from the public register of Agent licence holders form