How to Renew a Security Guard Licence in Ontario
Renew your Ontario security guard licence before it expires: the 90-day renewal window, the $80 fee, the fresh CRJMC rule, and what happens if your licence has already expired — from ontario.ca.
Security Guard Licence Cost in Ontario: Training, Exam, and the $80 Licence Fee Broken Down
What an Ontario security guard licence actually costs in 2026: the training course range, the $40 Serco exam fee ($45.20 with HST) behind the 'SOLGEN - PSIS Fee' line, the police check, the $80 licence and renewal fees, and the costs people forget.
Applies in: Ontario
The cost in one paragraph
An Ontario security guard licence costs about $270 to $450 the first time, and the government takes only a small slice of it. The Ministry's licence fee is $80, and the Serco exam is $40 plus HST ($45.20): the charge that shows up on bank statements as the SOLGEN - PSIS Fee people search for. Everything else is market-priced: the mandatory 40-hour training course at $80–$230 plus HST, an Emergency First Aid component that may cost $60–$110 more, and a police check at $27–$71. This page breaks each line down, in the order you actually pay it. For the step-by-step process itself: eligibility, training content, exam format, application documents: see the companion guide, How to Get a Security Guard Licence in Ontario.
What the fee buys you: the five steps in order
The fee is the last thing you pay, not the first thing you do. Once the costs above are budgeted, this is the path they pay for, in order:
- Check you meet the eligibility rules. 18 or older, legally entitled to work in Canada, and a clean criminal record under the Ministry's regulation.
- Take the 40-hour mandatory course. From a Ministry-approved provider, in person or online; completing it earns the Training Completion Number you need to book the exam.
- Pass the Serco exam. 60 multiple-choice questions with a 62% passing grade. A fail means registering and paying the $45.20 exam fee again.
- Get your police check. A Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, submitted as the original digital PDF for online applications.
- Apply for the licence. Online through ServiceOntario — a correctly completed application is approved in up to 15 calendar days, and the licence is digital only.
Every one of these is walked through in How to Get a Security Guard Licence in Ontario, the companion process guide: eligibility details, the training syllabus, exam format, the application document list, and the out-of-province shortcut that skips training and testing entirely.
Line 1: The training course ($80–$230 plus HST)
Training is the first cost and the least standardized. Every first-time applicant must complete 40 hours of basic training with a provider the Ministry of the Solicitor General approves: about 33.5 hours of security curriculum and 6.5 hours of Emergency First Aid with CPR/AED. Community colleges, private career colleges, licensed agencies and registered employers all run approved versions, online and in person.
Prices in 2025 to 2026 cluster between $80 and $230 plus HST. The low end is real: Security Guard Training Ontario sells its online course for $79.99 with First Aid taken separately, and Ontario Security License charges $139.99 for basic training and $229.99 for a package with First Aid, CPR and the police check included. What moves a course within that range:
- First Aid bundled or not. Some courses include the First Aid day in the headline price. Others sell the security curriculum alone and the First Aid certification costs a separate $60–$110. Compare total-to-TCN prices, not headline prices.
- Online or classroom. Online courses price at the low end; in-person courses charge more and include the instructor time.
- What else is bundled. Interview prep, report-writing extras and use-of-force add-ons push prices up. Use-of-force and handcuffing certification is not part of the basic syllabus and is not needed for the licence; buy it later only if an employer asks.
What you are buying, beyond the hours, is a Training Completion Number (TCN). No TCN, no exam booking. A course from a provider that is not Ministry-approved produces no TCN and is money lost, so check the provider against the Ministry's training provider list before you pay anyone.
Line 2: The exam fee ($45.20, paid to Serco)
The Ministry exam is administered by Serco Canada, the same company that runs DriveTest centres. The fee is $40 plus 13% HST = $45.20, paid when you book with your TCN. Serco raised the fee from $35 plus HST effective November 1, 2026, so tests booked before that date paid the old $39.55 total.
For that fee you get one sitting: 60 multiple-choice questions, 75 minutes, at a test centre or online with remote proctoring, and a passing grade of 62 percent.
The cost trap is the retake. A fail is not a partial credit or a free second sitting: you register again and pay the $45.20 again. That makes the cheapest exam strategy a studied one: the exam weights legal authority and the limits of a citizen's arrest, incident report writing, emergency procedures and health and safety, and candidates who worked through their course material pass at high rates.
Line 3: The police check ($27–$71)
The application requires a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC), the Level 2 police check. Order it from your local police service or an authorized provider; prices run $27 to $71 across Ontario police services — Toronto Police Service charges $26.72 — and authorized online providers charge around $59.99 plus HST.
Two format rules decide whether this money is spent once or twice:
- For an online application, the CRJMC must be submitted as the original, unaltered digital PDF. A scan or a photograph of a paper check is not the official format.
- For renewals, the check must have been issued within the last 6 months. Order it after your other renewal pieces are ready, not at the start of the process.
Line 4: The licence fee ($80: the SOLGEN - PSIS Fee)
The licence application fee is $80, set by the Ministry and published on ontario.ca. The family of related fees around it:
- Security guard licence: $80 to apply, $80 to renew
- Private investigator licence: $80 to apply, $80 to renew
- Dual licence (both): $160 to apply or renew
- Change of licence type: $80: and the expiry date stays whatever your original licence had
Pay online by Visa or Mastercard, credit or debit. The charge appears on your statement as SOLGEN - PSIS Fee: SOLGEN is the Ministry of the Solicitor General, PSIS its Private Security and Investigative Services Branch. People regularly search the statement line thinking it is a subscription or a scam; it is your licence payment, and the amount for a guard licence should be exactly $80.
Paying by mail works differently: a bank draft, money order or certified cheque payable to the Minister of Finance, sent to ServiceOntario's Private Security Licensing Services Office in Kingston. Credit cards, cash and personal cheques are not accepted by mail.
One warning from the Ministry's fine print: the fee is non-refundable. A withdrawn, denied or error-returned application keeps the $80 as a processing fee, and if an application is returned for missing information, you have 90 calendar days to complete it before it closes. Submit a complete package the first time.
Already licensed in another province? What you pay
Ontario waives its training and testing for applicants who hold a valid security guard or private investigator licence from another Canadian province or territory — current, active, and in good standing. What the waiver does not waive is the licence fee itself:
- The $80 licence fee still applies ($160 for a dual licence), paid to the Ministry when you apply.
- The police check still applies. Your application must include a Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check, so budget the same $27 to $71.
- What you skip: the 40-hour course ($80–$230 plus HST, plus First Aid if unbundled) and the $45.20 Serco exam fee. All-in for a labour-mobility applicant is roughly $107 to $151 — the same as a renewal cycle.
- The timeline is faster. Under Ontario's As of Right framework, out-of-province applications are processed within 10 business days once complete. If no decision comes in that time, you are deemed certified for 6 months and can work while the review continues.
Include your out-of-province licence number, type, expiry date, province of issue, and a photocopy of the front and back with your application. A licence from outside Canada does not qualify for this route.
The all-in math, and the renewal cycle
Adding the lines for a typical first licence:
| Cost line | Low end | High end |
|---|---|---|
| Training course (plus HST) | $80 | $230 |
| First Aid, if not bundled | $0 | $110 |
| Exam (with HST) | $45.20 | $45.20 |
| Police check (CRJMC) | $27 | $71 |
| Licence fee | $80 | $80 |
| Total | about $230 | about $535 |
Most people land in the middle of that spread: the commonly quoted $270–$450: because most courses bundle First Aid and most police checks sit mid-range. A failed exam attempt adds $45.20; a second police check ordered too early adds $27–$71.
Renewal is cheaper and simpler: every two birthdays, budget $80 for the licence plus $27–$71 for a fresh CRJMC, roughly $107–$151 per cycle, with no retraining and no second exam. There is no licence card fee because there is no card: Ontario licences are digital only, downloaded from your Ontario.ca account, and a printed copy counts on duty.
Three ways people overpay
- Paying an unapproved trainer. The course only counts if the provider is on the Ministry's list. A cheap course without a TCN costs the full fee plus the price of doing it again properly.
- Paying 'licensing fees' to a middleman. The entire government bill is $125.20 ($45.20 exam + $80 licence). Any package that buries hundreds more under licensing or processing is a private markup: sometimes worth it for real help, but know which dollars are the Ministry's and which are not.
- Buying extras before a job asks for them. Use-of-force certification, smart serve style add-ons and premium exam prep are sold hard to new applicants. None is required for the licence. Buy them when a posting or an employer names them.
Cost checklist
Related guides
- How to Get a Security Guard Licence in Ontario: the companion process guide this page prices out: eligibility, the 40-hour course, the exam format, the application package, and the out-of-province shortcut.
- Contractor Licence Cost in Ontario: the same cost-first treatment for a different Ontario licence: what contractor licensing actually charges, line by line.
- How to Start Job Hunting in Canada: where the guard jobs get posted once the licence is in hand, and how to read the postings.
- How to Get a Skilled Trade Certificate in Ontario: a bigger Ontario credential with a different cost shape, for readers comparing licensed paths.
- How to Become a Truck Driver in Ontario: the other common licensed-job route in Ontario, with training costs an order of magnitude higher than a guard licence.
Where the money goes, in the order you pay it
- Training course firstThe 40-hour Ministry-approved course is the biggest and most variable cost — typically $80 to $230 plus HST, with Emergency First Aid sometimes bundled and sometimes a separate $60 to $110
- The Serco exam second$40 plus HST, $45.20 in total, paid when you book the Ministry exam through Serco; fail it and the retake costs the same $45.20 again
- The police check thirdA Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC) from your police service or an authorized provider, typically $27 to $71 depending on where you order it
- The licence fee last$80 to the Ministry, paid online by card or by mail with a bank draft, money order or certified cheque; the charge shows on your statement as SOLGEN - PSIS Fee
- Renewal every two birthdaysRenewal is another $80, plus a fresh CRJMC issued within the last 6 months at $27 to $71; budget the renewal cycle at roughly $107 to $151 all-in
Ontario security guard licence costs, line by line
| 40-hour training course (Ministry-approved provider) | $80–$230 plus HST (typical range) |
|---|---|
| Emergency First Aid with CPR/AED, if not bundled | $60–$110 |
| Ministry exam through Serco | $40 plus HST = $45.20 |
| Exam retake, if you fail | $45.20 again |
| Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC) | $27–$71 (varies by provider) |
| Licence application fee | $80 |
| Typical first licence, all-in | About $270–$450 |
| Renewal (every two birthdays) | $80, plus a fresh CRJMC at $27–$71 |
| Dual security guard + private investigator licence | $160 to apply or renew |
| Change of licence type | $80 |
The $80 licence fee, $160 dual fee and $80 change fee are the Ministry of the Solicitor General fees published on ontario.ca, and the $40 exam fee is Serco's published testing fee, raised from $35 effective November 1, 2026. Training and police-check prices are set by private providers and police services, so they vary — the ranges here are the current market ranges, and any quote far outside them deserves a second look.
Questions people ask
How much does a security guard licence cost in Ontario, all-in?
Budget about $270 to $450 for your first licence. The fixed government costs are small: the exam is $45.20 with HST and the licence itself is $80. The swing is in the private costs — the 40-hour training course runs $80 to $230 plus HST depending on the provider, First Aid is sometimes extra at $60 to $110, and the police check is $27 to $71. Add the lines up for the provider you pick before you commit, because two people in the same city can pay $300 apart for the same licence.
What is the security exam fee in Ontario?
The Ministry licensing exam, administered by Serco, costs $40 plus 13 percent HST, which is $45.20 in total. You pay it when you book. It covers a 60-question multiple-choice exam, 75 minutes, with a 62 percent passing grade. There is no discount for a second attempt: if you fail, you register and pay the $45.20 again for the retake.
What is the SOLGEN - PSIS fee on my bank statement?
That is your licence fee, not a mystery charge. When you apply or renew online, ontario.ca warns that the payment will appear on your statement as 'SOLGEN - PSIS Fee': SOLGEN is the Ministry of the Solicitor General, and PSIS is the Private Security and Investigative Services Branch that runs the licensing. The amount should be $80 for a security guard licence, $160 for a dual licence. If you apply by mail instead, you pay by bank draft, money order or certified cheque to the Minister of Finance — never cash or a personal cheque.
How much is the security guard licence fee itself?
$80. That is the Ministry's fee to apply for an individual security guard licence, and renewal costs the same $80. A private investigator licence is also $80. Holding both — the dual licence — is $160 to apply or renew, and changing your licence type later costs $80. These fees are non-refundable: if your application is withdrawn, denied, or returned for errors and you do not resubmit within 90 days, the Ministry keeps the fee as a processing charge.
How much does the training course cost, and can I skip it to save money?
The 40-hour basic training course is the biggest single cost and the one with the widest spread: roughly $80 to $230 plus HST across Ministry-approved providers in 2025–2026, with some providers bundling the Emergency First Aid and CPR/AED component and others charging $60 to $110 for it separately. You cannot skip it — completing training with an approved provider is what earns your Training Completion Number, and without that number you cannot book the exam. The legitimate way to pay $0 for training is the labour-mobility route: if you already hold a valid security guard licence from another Canadian province or territory, Ontario waives its training and testing.
How much does the police check cost?
The Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check the Ministry requires typically costs $27 to $71, depending on whether you order it from your local police service or an authorized private provider, and prices differ by city. Two timing rules matter more than the price: for an online application you must submit the check as the original, unaltered digital PDF, and for a renewal the check must have been issued within the last 6 months — order it too early and you will pay for a second one.
What does renewal cost, and how often do I pay it?
Your licence expires two birthdays after it is issued, so roughly every two years. Renewal is $80 to the Ministry, plus a new CRJMC at $27 to $71 because the renewal check must be recent. Call the full renewal cycle $107 to $151. There is no retraining and no second exam for a routine renewal. You can renew up to 90 days before the expiry date, and renewing on time matters: an expired licence cannot be worked on, and licence information cannot be updated while it is expired or inside that 90-day window.
Are there costs after I get the licence?
A few small ones. Ontario licences are digital only — there is no card fee, and downloading or printing your licence is free. A photo that meets the Ministry's requirements is part of the application, not a separate fee, and it stays valid for about 6 years. The costs guards actually feel after licensing are job costs, not licence costs: a uniform is usually supplied by the agency, while use-of-force and handcuffing certification, which some employers ask for, is separate private training outside the basic licence — price it only when a job posting actually requires it.
Can my employer or an agency pay these fees for me?
Sometimes agencies hire first and help with licensing, but the licence is issued to you personally and the fees are structured as yours: the training provider, Serco and the Ministry all charge the applicant. Be careful with any arrangement where an agency charges you well above the line items in this guide — the government pieces total $125.20 ($45.20 exam plus $80 licence), so a bill that shows hundreds of dollars in 'licensing fees' on top of training is the agency's markup, not the Ministry's price list.
Is the licence worth the cost?
On the numbers, it is one of the cheapest licensed occupations in Ontario to enter: under $450 all-in and 3 to 6 weeks for most people, against Job Bank's Ontario wage figures for security guards and related security service occupations (NOC 64410): $17.60 an hour at the low end, a $20.00 median and $34.87 at the high end, updated November 19, 2025. At the median wage the full cost of the licence is roughly two to three shifts of gross pay. The real costs of the job are not financial — they are the night and weekend shifts — so judge the licence on whether you want the work, not on the fee.
Sources
- Ontario, Security guard or private investigator licence (individuals) — licence fees of $80 to apply or renew ($160 dual, $80 to change licence type), the SOLGEN - PSIS Fee statement note, non-refundable payments with the 90-calendar-day resubmission window, online processing in up to 15 calendar days, expiry two birthdays after issue, renewal up to 90 days before expiry, digital-only licences, photos typically valid for 6 years, the Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check submitted in its original format (the original, unaltered digital PDF online) and issued within six months of the application date, and the out-of-province route: no Ontario training or testing for a valid licence from another Canadian province or territory, processed within 10 business days under the As of Right framework with deemed certification for 6 months if no decision comes in that time.
- Ontario, Security guard and private investigator basic training providers — basic training may only be provided by community colleges, career colleges, licensed agencies, registered employers and public universities, and the Ministry does not endorse or recommend any trainer.
- Serco, Ontario Security Guard and Private Investigator Testing — Serco Canada administers the tests at DriveTest Centres on behalf of the Ministry of the Solicitor General, and the test fee increased from $35 to $40 per test, plus HST, effective November 1, 2026.
- Serco, Book A Test — each test is $40.00 plus 13 percent HST, $45.20 in total, covering the reservation, administration and marking but not the ServiceOntario licensing fee; sessions are prepaid, booked before 15:00 on the day before, and cannot be cancelled or rescheduled.
- Ontario Security License, Ontario Security Guard Test: Format, Pass Mark & Prep (2026) — 60 multiple-choice questions in 75 minutes with a 62 percent pass mark (37 of 60), and the Ministry training syllabus it reproduces from ontario.ca: 12 sections totalling 40 hours, of which emergency-level first aid certification is 6.5 hours.
- Security Guard Training Ontario, Security Guard Licence Ontario — its online course sells for $79.99 and does not include Emergency First Aid, which it prices at an average cost of $110. This corrects the $75 low end this guide previously carried for training: $79.99 is the lowest course price verified on an opened provider page this run.
- Ontario Security License, Security Guard Training Prices in Ontario — Basic Training at $139.99 plus HST (First Aid and CPR not included) and the Exam Ready package at $229.99 plus HST including first aid, CPR and the Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check.
- Ontario Security Guard Training College, Security Guard Course — its 40-hour course sells for $99 plus HST, and its cost breakdown prices First Aid at $60 to $95 when bought separately. This corrects the $75 low end this guide previously carried for separate First Aid.
- Toronto Police Service, Police Record Checks — the Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check is offered to Toronto residents, at a $26.72 adult fee for employment and other purposes.
- Ontario Security License, Where to Get a CRJMC Check in Ontario — Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check fees at 23 Ontario police services range from $26.72 to $71.00, and its own online check costs $59.99 plus HST. This corrects the $25 to $60 range this guide previously carried.
- Job Bank, Wages for Security guards and related security service occupations (NOC 64410) — Ontario wages of $17.60 an hour low, $20.00 median and $34.87 high, updated November 19, 2025, reference period 2023-2024. This corrects the "around $17 to $28 an hour with a median near $22 to $23" line this guide previously carried in its FAQ, which no opened page supports.