How to Get a Security Guard Licence in Nova Scotia
How to get a security guard licence in Nova Scotia — employment with a licensed company, age 19, the $26.15 licence fee, and no general training course stated on the official pages.
How to Get a Security Guard Licence in New Brunswick
How to get a security guard licence in New Brunswick — employment with a licensed agency, age 19, the $100 licence fee, and no general training course stated on the official pages.
Applies in: New Brunswick
Security guard licensing in New Brunswick is run by the Gaming Control and Licensing Services Branch, Department of Justice and Public Safety, Government of New Brunswick, under the Private Investigators and Security Services Act. The route is agency employment: an individual employed by a licensed agency must obtain a licence if the job involves working as a security guard, and neither opened official page states a general training course requirement for agents. You must be employed by a licensed agency, assemble the application package set out below, and pay the $100 licensing fee.
The same licence framework covers other work done for a licensed agency, including working as a private investigator or security consultant, selling or installing burglar alarm systems, and servicing, testing or patrolling burglar alarm systems. This guide is about the security guard licence only.
Step 1: Check eligibility and get employed by a licensed agency
You must be nineteen (19) years of age, and you must be employed by a licensed agency. You must also be eligible to work in Canada. If you do not yet have employment with a licensed agency, that is the first practical step: the individual licence is tied to employment with a licensed agency, and the application package in Step 2 is built around that employment.
Report any criminal charges even if discharged, disputed, dismissed or withdrawn. Youth charges are excluded from that reporting instruction. If criminal history leads to denial, you get a denial letter explaining the reason, the agency is notified that you are not approved to work, and the Department will not divulge the contents of the criminal records check to the agency.
Step 2: Assemble the application package
Submit a complete Application for an Agent Licence, completed and signed. With it, submit a digital photograph 2 cm x 2 cm, with no hats or sunglasses, and a copy of government-issued photo identification to be kept on file, such as a passport or a driver's licence. The application package also includes a copy of a driver's licence with photo or a picture identification document, and immigration documents, Canadian citizenship documents, or a work permit if you were not born in Canada. If applicable, include a copy of a security licence from another jurisdiction, and confirm your position with the Department as set out in the frequently asked questions below.
Pay the $100 licensing fee for security services, payable to the Minister of Finance. Payment methods stated on the official topic page are personal cheques, money orders or cash. The application forms are linked PDFs on the Government of New Brunswick topic page listed in Sources; use those forms rather than relying on a form from another site.
Step 3: Know the uniform and equipment rules before you work
These are rules that apply once you are licensed, set out here so you know them before working, not additional application steps. Your uniform must be approved by the Department before use, the word "Security" must be affixed on the shoulder of the outermost garment, and the crest or uniform must not resemble municipal police or the RCMP.
Guards must obtain Department approval before carrying batons or handcuffs, with a certificate of approved training in the use of batons or handcuffs. Training is required every 2 years, the authorization is printed on the guard's licence, batons must be a maximum of 66 cm and must not be spring-loaded, handcuffs must be metal, and all equipment must be approved by an inspector before use.
Step 4: Special events and guard dogs
All security guards representing a licensed agency must be licensed, including at special events. For a special event, the application is submitted 30 days before the special event starts.
For guard dogs, there is a Guard Dog Licence at no cost: the agency registers the dog and submits an application. A handler must be registered to provide guard dog services, and a guard dog handler must be licensed as a security guard.
Step 5: Submit, wait, and keep the licence current
Submit the application package using the forms linked from the Government of New Brunswick topic page listed in Sources. No individual processing time is published on the opened pages, and no validity period is published on the opened pages, so confirm both with the Department rather than assuming either.
A renewal form exists. Confirm renewal timing and steps with the Department rather than assuming them. For questions, contact the Gaming Control and Licensing Services Branch, Department of Justice and Public Safety, by telephone at 506-453-7472, Monday to Friday, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. The fax number is (506) 453-3044 and the email address is DPS-MSP.Information@gnb.ca.
Related: how to get a security guard licence in Alberta, how to get a security guard licence in British Columbia, how to get a security guard licence in Manitoba, how to get a security guard licence in Ontario, how to get a security guard licence in Saskatchewan, and how to start a security guard company in Canada.
The five steps to a New Brunswick security guard licence
- Check eligibility and get employed by a licensed agencyAt least 19 years old and eligible to work in Canada, employed by a licensed agency, and report any criminal charges as set out in Step 1
- Assemble the application packageCompleted and signed agent application form, digital photograph 2 cm x 2 cm, copy of government-issued photo identification and any immigration documents, and the $100 licensing fee
- Know the uniform and equipment rules before you workDepartment-approved uniform with Security marking, and Department approval and approved training before carrying batons or handcuffs
- Special events and guard dogsSpecial-event applications submitted 30 days before the event starts, and guard dog handlers must be licensed security guards
- Submit, wait, and keep the licence currentNo individual processing time or validity period is published on the opened pages, so confirm both with the Department, and a renewal form exists
Questions people ask
How much does a New Brunswick security guard licence cost?
The licensing fee is $100, payable to the Minister of Finance. Payment methods stated on the official topic page are personal cheques, money orders or cash. No other fee for the individual agent licence is stated on the opened pages.
Do I need an employer before I apply?
Yes. You must have employment with a licensed agency. The licence route in New Brunswick is an agency-employment route, and you cannot apply independently of a licensed agency on the basis of the opened pages.
What training or exam do I need?
Neither opened official page states a general training course requirement for agents, and neither states an exam or pass mark for agents. Approved training is stated only for guards who will carry batons or handcuffs: a certificate of approved training in the use of batons or handcuffs, with training every 2 years, and Department approval before carrying them.
I already hold a security guard licence in another jurisdiction — do I start over?
The opened pages state only that a copy of a security licence from another jurisdiction is submitted with the application, if applicable. No recognition or waiver is stated. Confirm your position with the Department before assuming any part of the process is waived.
What if I have criminal charges or a criminal history?
Report any criminal charges even if discharged, disputed, dismissed or withdrawn. Youth charges are excluded from that reporting instruction. If criminal history leads to denial, you get a denial letter explaining the reason, the agency is notified that you are not approved to work, and the Department will not divulge the contents of the criminal records check to the agency.
How long does the licence last, and how do I renew it?
No individual processing time or validity period is published on the opened pages, so confirm both with the Department rather than assuming either. A renewal form exists; confirm renewal timing and steps with the Department. For special events, the application is submitted 30 days before the special event starts.
Sources
- Government of New Brunswick, Private investigation and security — agency-employment requirement, jobs covered by the licence, application form and photograph and identification requirements, eligibility to work in Canada, $100 fee and payment methods, criminal-charges reporting and denial-letter process, special-event 30-day rule, guard dog licence, agency context, and contact phone and hours.
- Government of New Brunswick, Information on Applications under the Private Investigators and Security Services Act (G-100, April 2024) — age 19, employment by a licensed agency, application package contents including photograph size and immigration documents, $100 fee payable to the Minister of Finance, baton and handcuff approval and training and equipment rules, uniform rules, guard dog handler requirement, agency context, and contact details.