How to Get a Security Guard Licence in Newfoundland and Labrador
Working as a security guard in Newfoundland and Labrador: the employer-led route, the age 19 rule, and the details the official pages do not state.
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.
Applies in: Nova Scotia
Security guard licensing in Nova Scotia is run by the Department of Justice, Security Programs Office, under the Private Investigators and Private Guards Act, RSNS 1989, c. 356, and the Regulations under s. 26. The route is company employment: an individual must be employed by a licensed company, and individuals cannot contract as sole proprietors. Neither opened official page states a general training course requirement for individual private guards. You must be at least 19, assemble the application package set out below, and pay the $26.15 licence fee.
The same licence framework covers a person acting as a private guard, a private investigator, or an armed guard. This guide is about the private-guard licence only.
Step 1: Check eligibility and get employed by a licensed company
You must be at least nineteen (19) years of age, and you must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or otherwise legally entitled to work in Canada, with proof of eligibility to work where that applies. You must also not be an active regular member of a police service with peace officer status, and you must have no disqualifying criminal history under the Department's screening criteria policy. A police records and background check is conducted when the application is received.
If you do not yet have employment with a licensed company, that is the first practical step: the individual licence is tied to employment with a licensed company, individuals cannot contract as sole proprietors, and the application in Step 2 is submitted through the company, with the approved application form signed by an approved company representative.
Step 2: Assemble the application package
Submit the approved application form, signed by an approved company representative. With it, submit one recent photograph, approximately 2.54 cm x 2.86 cm, passport-photo size, showing a full frontal head and shoulders view against a contrasting background, with no hat or sunglasses. Also submit a copy of valid government-issued photo identification showing your signature and date of birth, such as a driver's licence.
Use the approved form and the requirements set out on the official pages listed in Sources, rather than relying on a form or checklist from another site. The waiting period of 2 to 10 business days in Step 5 applies provided all accompanying items have been received, so check the package is complete before submitting.
Step 3: Know the endorsement, uniform and patrol-vehicle rules before you work
These are rules that apply to particular kinds of work and to uniforms and vehicles, set out here so you know them before working, not additional steps for every private-guard application. For an armed-guard endorsement, you need proof of a valid Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) and an Authorization to Carry under the Firearms Act, plus written proof of completing the firearms proficiency test. The Authorization to Carry is applied for through, and issued by, the Nova Scotia Provincial Firearms Office before an armed-guard licence is issued.
For a baton or restraining-device endorsement, you need written authorization from the business plus written proof of acceptable training from a certified instructor acceptable to the Minister. For a guard-dog-handler endorsement, contact the Security Programs Office, as neither opened page states further detail for that endorsement.
Uniforms and patrol vehicles must be approved by the Security Programs Office. Uniform and Vehicle Approval forms, with photographs, are part of that approval process. Do not assume a uniform or patrol vehicle is approved because it was used elsewhere.
Step 4: Pay the fee and submit through the company
Pay the $26.15 fee for a licence to act as a private guard, for an initial licence or a renewal. The fee is non-refundable and non-transferable, payable to the Minister of Finance, with no tax. A combined private guard and private investigator licence is $39.85. Fees are reduced by 50 percent effective October 1 for the remainder of the licensing year, which runs April 1 to March 31.
For individual fee payment, the information sheet lists cash, cheque, money order or bank draft. The permits directory page says cash in person only. The two pages are not resolved here: note both wordings and confirm the payment method with the office before paying, rather than assuming a cheque or money order will be accepted in person.
Submit the application through the licensed company, with the approved form signed by an approved company representative, as set out in Steps 1 and 2.
Step 5: Wait, and keep the licence current
Allow a waiting period of 2 to 10 business days, provided all accompanying items have been received. Neither opened page states a shorter processing time.
Every licence and renewal expires March 31 each year. Renewal notices are sent to the company, so keep your contact details current with the company and confirm renewal steps with the office rather than assuming them. For questions, contact the Security Programs Office, 1681 Granville Street, Ground Floor, PO Box 7, Halifax, NS B3J 2L6, by telephone at 902-424-2905 or toll-free at 1-888-760-5577. The fax number is 902-424-0700 and the email address is SECPROG@novascotia.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, how to get a security guard licence in New Brunswick, and how to start a security guard company in Canada.
The five steps to a Nova Scotia security guard licence
- Check eligibility and get employed by a licensed companyAt least 19 years old and a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or otherwise legally entitled to work in Canada, employed by a licensed company, and with no disqualifying criminal history under the screening criteria policy
- Assemble the application packageApproved application form signed by an approved company representative, one recent photograph about 2.54 cm x 2.86 cm, and a copy of valid government-issued photo identification showing signature and date of birth
- Know the endorsement and uniform and vehicle rules before you workArmed-guard, baton and restraining-device, and guard-dog-handler endorsements have separate proof requirements, and uniforms and patrol vehicles must be approved by the Security Programs Office
- Pay the fee and submit through the companyThe $26.15 private guard licence fee, non-refundable and non-transferable and payable to the Minister of Finance, with the application submitted through the licensed company
- Wait and keep the licence currentA waiting period of 2 to 10 business days provided all accompanying items have been received, and every licence and renewal expires March 31 each year
Questions people ask
How much does a Nova Scotia security guard licence cost?
The fee for a licence to act as a private guard, initial or renewal, is $26.15, non-refundable and non-transferable, payable to the Minister of Finance, with no tax. A combined private guard and private investigator licence is $39.85. Fees are reduced by 50 percent effective October 1 for the remainder of the licensing year. The information sheet lists cash, cheque, money order or bank draft for individual fee payment, while the permits directory page says cash in person only, so confirm the payment method with the office before paying.
Do I need an employer before I apply?
Yes. Individuals cannot contract as sole proprietors. A licensed company must employ you, you apply through the company, and the approved application form must be signed by an approved company representative.
What training or exam do I need?
Neither opened official page states a general training course requirement for individual private guards, and neither states an exam or pass mark for individual private guards. Approved training is stated only for the baton and restraining-device endorsement, and for business owners and managers.
I already hold a security guard licence in another province — do I start over?
No out-of-province recognition or waiver is stated on either opened page. Confirm your position with the Security Programs Office before assuming any part of the process is waived.
What if I have a criminal history, or I am a member of a police service?
You must have no disqualifying criminal history under the Department's screening criteria policy, and a police records and background check is conducted when the application is received. You must also not be an active regular member of a police service with peace officer status. Neither opened page states further detail on how a particular history is assessed, so confirm your position with the office if this may apply to you.
How long does the licence last, and how do I renew it?
Every licence and renewal expires March 31 each year, and renewal notices are sent to the company. The fiscal year runs April 1 to March 31, and fees are reduced by 50 percent effective October 1 for the remainder of the licensing year. The waiting period is 2 to 10 business days provided all accompanying items have been received. Confirm renewal steps with the office rather than assuming them.
Sources
- Government of Nova Scotia, Permits Directory — Security Programs, Department of Justice — licence covering a person acting as a private guard, age 19, citizenship and work-eligibility requirement, police-service exclusion and screening criteria policy, employment through a licensed company with no sole-proprietor contracting, $26.15 fee and $39.85 combined fee payable to the Minister of Finance, cash-in-person payment wording, 2 to 10 business day waiting period, March 31 expiry, legislative authority, and Security Programs Office contact details.
- Government of Nova Scotia, Security Programs Information Sheet — Process for New Business Information Sheet — citizen, permanent resident or proof of eligibility to work, application through the company with the form signed by an approved company representative, police records and background check on receipt, photograph size and identification requirements, individual fee payment by cash, cheque, money order or bank draft, armed-guard PAL and Authorization to Carry and firearms proficiency test requirements, baton and restraining-device authorization and training requirements, guard-dog-handler contact instruction, uniform and patrol-vehicle approval, and the April 1 to March 31 fiscal year with fees reduced by 50 percent effective October 1.