How Do I Get a Certificate of Approval in NZ?

The Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority, known as the PSPLA, sits within the Ministry of Justice and regulates private security in New Zealand. Employees and contractors of a company providing private security services must hold a Certificate of Approval, usually called a CoA. A company holds a company licence, and a sole trader holds an individual licence instead.

Working without a Certificate of Approval can bring fines of up to NZD 20,000, in New Zealand dollars.

Crowd controllers, property guards and personal guards need set training. Remote monitoring is excluded from the minimum training, but monitoring officers must still show the skills needed.

You complete the minimum training once. The options are unit standards 27364, 27360 and 27361 (12 credits), the newer skills standards 40146, 40145 and 40147, or a New Zealand Certificate in Security (Foundation) Level 3 or (Advanced) Level 4.

• Unit standards 27364, 27360 and 27361 (12 credits).
• Skills standards 40146, 40145 and 40147.
• New Zealand Certificate in Security (Foundation) Level 3 or (Advanced) Level 4.

Yes, in the sense that you can apply first for a temporary Certificate of Approval. It lasts 3 months, takes about 10 days in most cases, and lets you work while training.

The temporary certificate adds a fee on top of the main one. Check the PSPLA fees page for the amount.

You apply online. The PSPLA fee page lists NZD 232 online or NZD 273 on paper. The fee is not refunded if the application is declined.

The eligibility and disqualifying criteria are not set out on the pages checked, so check the PSPLA before you apply. How long a certificate stays valid is also not stated, so check the PSPLA. The PSPLA says applicants usually get a result within 7 or 8 weeks, longer if someone objects.

You can complete the minimum training first and then apply, or you can apply first for a temporary Certificate of Approval and train while you work. The temporary route suits people who have a job offer and need to start, because it takes about 10 days in most cases.

The temporary certificate lasts 3 months, so plan the training inside that window. The PSPLA fee page lists the additional fee.

Either way, the main application is online at NZD 232, against NZD 273 on paper, and the PSPLA says results usually come within 7 or 8 weeks. Applying online is the cheaper of the two.

Check the eligibility and disqualifying criteria on the PSPLA site before you start, because they are not set out here and a disqualifying matter is better discovered before you spend money than after. The fee is not refunded if the application is declined. Keep your training records safe too, since the minimum training is completed once. Remember that a company holds a company licence and a sole trader holds an individual licence instead, so check which applies to you before you start.

The PSPLA public register of licence and certificate holders shows class, expiry, suspension history and conditions. XGuard checks the Certificate of Approval against the register before a professional can list.

XGuard is a marketplace, not a security company. It does not promise work or availability.