Security agent licence

Businesses and their employees must hold a security agent's licence when undertaking:

crowd or venue control work
installing and maintaining security systems
guarding property or people
security systems sales and advice

Some professions don't need a licence, such as law enforcement officers and legal practitioners.

If you'll be training people to be licensed agents, you must add security agent trainer to your licence application.

Licence categories for security and investigation agents (107KB PDF)

You must have a security agent licence before you can apply for a H6 firearms licence through South Australia Police.

Apply for a licence

You can also change your current licence, for example you can add a security agent trainer sub-category.

What you'll need

Fees

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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

You can apply as an employee 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 a:

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 a security or investigation agents licence.

There are a number of places that offer training for the security industry.

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

Sole traders, partners in a business and companies must have at least $10,000 in net assets.

You can apply for a restricted licence to work with a licensed business partner if you don’t have all the knowledge and qualifications.

Personal information declaration

Security agents must complete a personal information declaration (PID) form (316KB PDF) if one hasn't been provided for another current licence.

People who have lived overseas in the last two years must provide a police certificate from the country where you lived, and a copy of your passport. If the overseas country does not issue a police certificate, complete a statutory declaration and include a copy of your visa grant notice.

Fees

Individual - employee, employee under supervision or security industry trainer	$961.00
Interstate or NZ licence recognised in SA	$669.50
Individual -business	$1,376.00
Interstate or NZ licence recognised in SA	$1,084.50
Body corporate (company)	$1,978.00
Application for alteration to conditions	$354.00

What happens next

As part of the application process, South Australia Police will contact you to arrange fingerprinting. South Australia Police will contact you using the email address provided on your application.

Check the CBS website for application processing times.

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.