How Do I Get a Security Licence in NSW?

Australia has no national security licence. Each state or territory licenses security work separately, and a licence from one state does not automatically allow you to work in another. In New South Wales the regulator is the Security Licensing and Enforcement Directorate, known as SLED, which is part of NSW Police.

Guards, crowd controllers and bodyguards need an individual licence in the state where they work. Armed work needs further approvals that vary by state, so this answer covers the standard operative licence only.

The Service NSW application page sets the requirements. You must be 18, be a fit and proper person, hold approved training from an organisation approved by SLED, hold a first aid certificate, and have the right to work.

The accepted first aid certificates are HLTAID011 and HLTAID014. Make sure your training provider is on SLED's approved list before you pay for a course, because training from an unapproved organisation will not satisfy the requirement.

• Be 18 or over.
• Be a fit and proper person.
• Hold approved training from a SLED-approved organisation.
• Hold a first aid certificate (HLTAID011 or HLTAID014).
• Have the right to work in Australia.

The operative licence is split into classes. Class 1A is Security Officer, Class 1B is Bodyguard, and Class 1C is Cash-in-Transit Guard. Most people starting out as a guard look at Class 1A. Our separate answer on the NSW classes goes through them.

If you plan to do crowd control work, confirm with SLED whether it falls under the class you are applying for, because the Service NSW list does not mention crowd control under Class 1A.

The fee is not stated on the pages checked, so check SLED for the current amount. The fee page on the NSW Police site could not be read when this answer was checked, so no figure is given here rather than a guess.

Renewal is offered for 1, 3 or 5 years. Choose the term when you renew, and keep track of your expiry date. How long an application takes is not published on the pages checked, so check with SLED.

Check three things. First, confirm that the provider is approved by SLED, because the requirement is approved training. Second, confirm the first aid certificate is HLTAID011 or HLTAID014. Third, confirm you hold the right to work, since the application asks for it.

Then decide which class suits you. Our answer on the NSW classes lists them. If you plan to work in several states, remember that Australia has no national licence. Western Australia offers mutual recognition for current licences from another Australian state, territory or New Zealand, but do not assume the same for every state.

Keep the confirmation of your training and your first aid certificate together.

NSW Government licence verification, linked from Service NSW, lets anyone check a security licence at verify.licence.nsw.gov.au. XGuard checks the licence against the state register before a professional can list.

XGuard is a marketplace and does not promise work or availability, so treat the licence as the entry requirement for listing and not as a guarantee of bookings.