Province comparison
Security Guard Licensing by Province
Licence status by province and territory
Boundaries simplified for display. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census boundary files.
- Licence required
- Title protected
- Not confirmed yet
- British Columbia: Licence required
- Alberta: Licence required
- Saskatchewan: Licence required
- Manitoba: Title protected
- Ontario: Licence required
- Quebec: Licence required
- New Brunswick: Not confirmed yet
- Nova Scotia: Not confirmed yet
- Prince Edward Island: Not confirmed yet
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Not confirmed yet
- Yukon: Not confirmed yet
- Northwest Territories: Not confirmed yet
- Nunavut: Not confirmed yet
| Where | Licence status | Regulator | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Licence required | Security Industry Licensing | Read the guide for British Columbia |
| Alberta | Licence required | Government of Alberta | Read the guide for Alberta |
| Saskatchewan | Licence required | Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice | Read the guide for Saskatchewan |
| Manitoba | Title protected | Manitoba Justice – Private Investigators and Security Guards Program | Read the guide for Manitoba |
| Ontario | Licence required | Ministry of the Solicitor General | Read the guide for Ontario |
| Quebec | Licence required | Bureau de la sécurité privée | Read the guide for Quebec |
| New Brunswick | Not confirmed yet | — | — |
| Nova Scotia | Not confirmed yet | — | — |
| Prince Edward Island | Not confirmed yet | — | — |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Not confirmed yet | — | — |
| Yukon | Not confirmed yet | — | — |
| Northwest Territories | Not confirmed yet | — | — |
| Nunavut | Not confirmed yet | — | — |
Compare the provinces
Listed one-time fees
No one-time fees are listed in the guides for British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.
Listed time
Time not stated for every step: British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec.
Side by side
| Where | Routes | Exams | Language | Listed fees | Listed time | Median wage | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province | — | — | Not listed | — | $22.75 an hour | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Saskatchewan | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province | Saskatchewan Security Guard exam, exam administered by the Registrar for Private Investigators and Security Guards | — | Not listed | — | $20.00 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Manitoba | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province | security guard licensing exam | — | Not listed | — | $18.50 an hour | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Ontario | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province | Mandatory testing for security guards | — | Not listed | — | $20.00 an hour | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Quebec | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province | — | — | Not listed | — | $21.56 an hour | Limited (2 of 5) |
Moving between provinces
- Direct transfer (15)
- Extra steps (10)
- Not stated (5)
All answers as a table
Demand and pay
Median wage
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $16.55 | $21.00 | $31.45 |
| British Columbia | $18.00 | $22.75 | $32.00 |
| Alberta | $17.25 | $21.00 | $38.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $15.35 | $20.00 | $31.24 |
| Manitoba | $16.00 | $18.50 | $29.00 |
| Ontario | $17.60 | $20.00 | $34.87 |
| Quebec | $18.99 | $21.56 | $30.00 |
| New Brunswick | $15.65 | $18.00 | $26.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $16.50 | $17.00 | $24.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $16.50 | $18.00 | $25.85 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.00 | $20.00 | $29.00 |
| Yukon | $20.00 | $26.68 | $38.00 |
| Northwest Territories | $17.82 | $26.33 | $46.06 |
| Nunavut | $20.00 | $25.00 | $33.00 |
Job outlook
| Where | Outlook |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Alberta | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Saskatchewan | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Manitoba | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Ontario | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Quebec | Limited (2 of 5) |
| New Brunswick | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Nova Scotia | Good (4 of 5) |
| Prince Edward Island | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Yukon | Good (4 of 5) |
| Northwest Territories | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Nunavut | Limited (2 of 5) |
Tools and tables
- Licence transfer checker Already licensed in one province? See what another province asks for.
- Roadmap builder Your steps, listed fees and time for one occupation and province.
- Language test scores Minimum IELTS, CELPIP and other scores, by occupation and province.
- Credential assessments Which regulators ask for an assessment of your education.
- Licensing exams Which exams each regulator asks for.
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