Related pages
As an individual or a partner in a business or company, you must hold an investigation licence if you or the the business do collection or inquiry work.
Apply for a licence
You can also change your current licence - eg add the security agent trainer sub-category.
Who needs a licence
As an individual or a partner in a business or company, you must hold an investigation licence if you or the the business do collection or inquiry work.
Collection work includes:
- repossessing goods - eg finding and repossessing a vehicle if payments are missed
- collecting or requesting debt payments
- serving court orders
- seizing goods to recovering money - eg for unpaid taxes.
Inquiry work includes:
- searching for information about a person's character, actions or their work
- gathering evidence to be used in court.
Process servers don't need a licence. However, to run a business you must be qualified and have no convictions described in the Security and Investigation Agents Regulations 2011.
Licence categories for security and investigation agents (107KB PDF)
Who can apply
Businesses
Sole traders, partners and companies (including directors) can apply unless you have legal restrictions on your work or business, such as bankruptcy, financial receivership, suspended or disqualified trade licence.
You or your company can't apply if you were a director of a company that was wound up to benefit creditors in the last five years, including if you were a director six months before winding-up started.
Employees
Employees can apply if you're qualified and haven't been disqualified or suspended from holding a trade or business licence.
Offences and convictions
You may not be able to register if you (or a director of the company) have been convicted of:
- Category A offence - serious (indictable) offence of dishonesty
- Category B offence - summary offence of dishonesty in the last ten years.
Refer to offences and convictions for detail about these types of offences.
What you'll need
Knowledge and experience
Check you have the right knowledge and experience to apply for an investigation agents licence.
- Investigation agent - employee qualifications
- Business criteria for security and investigation agents
If you have a qualification that's no longer recognised, you must apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL).
Companies must have a manager who holds a relevant licence, or more than one manager if their combined licences cover all the company's licence conditions.
Finances
You can apply for a restricted licence to work with a licensed business partner if you don’t have all the knowledge and qualifications.
Police clearance
Investigation agents will need to have a National Police Certificate (NPC) no more than 12 months old.
Apply for an NPC - South Australia Police
You don't need an NPC if you:
- are submitting a personal information declaration - see below for details
- are director of a company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange
- have lodged an NPC with CBS in the last year
- are an overseas resident and have never lived in Australia
- have held a licence in the last year and are applying for an equivalent licence
- have already supplied an NPC for a different licence issued under this Act.
Fees
Individual - employee, employee under supervision or security industry trainer | $917.00 |
| $639.00 |
Individual -business | $1,313.00 |
| $1,035.00 |
Body corporate (company) | $1,888.00 |
Application for alteration to conditions | $338.00 |
What happens next
South Australia Police (SAPOL) will contact you to arrange fingerprinting using the email address provided on your application.
Digital licences
You can download your licence or registration to an Apple or Android smartphone or tablet using the mySAGOV app.
Once registered in the app, press the '+' button in the top right corner, select your 'occupational licence' type, then enter the licence/registration number requested along with your client ID.
Your client ID can be found in the Consumer and Business Services licence register.
Hard copy licences will still be issued and it's a good idea to carry these with you until digital licences become widely accepted.
Changes that affect your licence
Notify CBS within 14 days if you have committed an offence or have had legal restrictions placed on your work or business, such as bankruptcy, financial receivership, suspended or disqualified work licence.
You will also need to advise CBS when you:
- change your address - you can also update your address when you renew your licence.
- surrender your licence
- have lost or damaged cards or certificates
- change directors in the company
- change managers.
Interstate licences
Individual workers and contractors (not companies) who hold interstate or overseas licences for occupations that are regulated by Consumer and Business Services (CBS) may be able to apply to have their licence recognised in South Australia (SA).
Check if your interstate or overseas licence is recognised in SA
Information for interstate security or investigation agents working in SA (178.3 KB PDF)
Related information
Other websites
- Check processing times for applications - CBS
- Public register of approved security industry training providers (PDF) - CBS
